[PDADC-L] Major Research Project Management Fund

PDAD&C#19, 2011-12

TO: Principals, Deans, Academic Directors & Chairs

FROM: Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost
Paul Young, Vice-President Research

DATE: October 11, 2011

RE: Major Research Project Management Fund

We are pleased to announce the establishment of a new fund to encourage and support professional administrative management of major research initiatives at the University of Toronto.

The research funding environment is increasingly characterized by funding opportunities that involve large award amounts, matching requirements, multi-partner agreements and formidable reporting and audit provisions. The purpose of this fund is to reduce the administrative burden on Principle Investigators of managing large and complex research projects.

The Major Research Project Management Fund is an initiative of the Provost and will be available during the next two years (2011 to 2013). All requests to the Fund must be matched by a cash contribution from an academic department(s) and/or division(s).

To be eligible, the prime research initiative must be:
* a large, complex project with a budget of several hundred thousand dollars;
* led by a full-time tenured/tenure-stream faculty of the University of Toronto;
* funded via a tri-council, CRC-eligible program (1), particularly those that emphasize partnership with private and/or public sector organizations.

The funding can be used to cover "administrative overhead" costs of major research initiatives, such as: budget/expense tracking, administrative management of sponsor reporting, coordination of project team meetings/presentations and/or the salary costs of a full/part-time professional project manager to perform such activities on behalf of the project; administrative support for proposal development may represent up to 10% of the total awarded from this fund.
The Provostial and matching contributions should be incorporated, to the fullest extent possible, into the research project budget as leveraging for external funds.

Requests are to be submitted to Scott Mabury Vice-Provost, Academic Operations as per the attached template. Decisions regarding allocations will be communicated to the division head under which the research project will be submitted, with a copy to the Principal Investigator and the Vice-President Research.

Any questions regarding the Major Research Project Management Fund should be directed to Catherine Gagne at catherine.gagne@utoronto.ca

(1) See http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/research_funding-financement_recherche-eng.aspx