Examples of Relevant and Non-Relevant Research Expenses
Employment and compensation
- Salaries and the actual cost of related federal, provincial and institutional non-discretionary benefits for work performed by research personnel that contributes towards the direct cost of research for which the funds were awarded.
- Stipends paid to trainees (e.g., undergraduate, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows)
- Consulting fees.
- Fees paid and gifts for the purpose of participant recruitment, such as modest incentives to consider participation (i.e., to establish a potential participant pool), where approved by a Research Ethics Board.
- Subcontract costs.
- Clerical salaries directly related to dissemination activities, including manuscript preparation.
- Honoraria for guest speakers.
- Research time stipends only when awarded.
- Salary research allowances.
- Salary to project coordinators.
Goods and Services
- Research equipment and supplies.
- Travel costs to visit manufacturers to select major equipment purchases.
- Transportation costs for purchased equipment.
- Extended warranty for equipment.
- Brokerage and customs charges for the importation of equipment and supplies.
- The costs of training staff to use equipment or a specialized facility.
- Maintenance and operating costs of equipment and vehicles used for Agency-supported research.
- Computers, tablets, modems, emerging technology and other hardware and/or specialized software required for the research not normally provided by the institution, and with adequate justification establishing the need in relation to the funded research.
- Costs of developing Web-based information, including website maintenance fees.
- Costs associated with the dissemination of findings (i.e., through traditional venues as well as videos, CD-ROMs).
- Page charges for articles published, including costs associated with ensuring open access to the findings (e.g., costs of publishing in an open access journal or making a journal article open access).
- Costs of preparing a research manuscript for publication.
- Translation costs associated with dissemination of findings.
- Recruiting costs for research personnel, such as advertising and airfare for candidates, etc.
- Costs for the purchase of books or periodicals, specialized office supplies, computing equipment and information services not formally provided by the institution to all its academic and research staff.
- Costs for safe disposal of waste.
- Costs involved in providing personnel with training and/or development in novel techniques required for the conduct of the research project.
- Specialized courses with adequate justification.
- Costs of membership in professional associations or scientific societies if necessary for the research program/project.
- Grant Proposal Development and Submission.
Travel and Travel-Related Subsistence
- Air travel must be claimed at the most practical, economical and direct route possible.
- Travel cancellation insurance and seat reservation charges.
- Travel health insurance for research personnel who do not receive any such benefits from their institution and/or other sources.
- Safety related expenses for field work, such as protective gear, immunizations, etc.
- Collaborators’ travel and subsistence expenses related to research planning and exchange of information with the grantee or for the dissemination of research results; unless this is not permitted according to their formal participation in certain programs, as described in NSERC’s Eligibility Criteria for Faculty.
- Relocation costs for eligible research personnel and their immediate family members.
- For trains and buses, business class or first class is permitted, up to the equivalent or economy airfare.
- Child care expenses while a nursing mother or single parent is travelling. The eligible cost for a single parent is limited to overnight child care costs incurred while the grantee is travelling. The eligible cost for a nursing mother who is travelling with a child is limited to the customary cost of child care and airfare if applicable. If travelling with a caregiver, travel and accommodation cost can be claimed in lieu of and up to the equivalent of child care costs.
- Entry visa fee (for grantees and/or research personnel) when required for the purpose of research.
- Monthly parking fees for vehicles specifically required for field work and only for month(s) when field work was conducted.
Academic or Sabbatical Leave
- Direct research expenses, including research assistance, bench fees and field work expenses.
- Transportation costs to move research equipment or material to and from the sabbatical location.
- Costs related to a vehicle necessary for field work purposes (the vehicle must be licensed and insured during the sabbatical period).
- Travel costs to attend conferences.
Hospitality
- Costs of holding a workshop or seminar, the activities of which relate directly to the funded research (including non-alcoholic refreshments or meal costs).
- • Hospitality costs (non-alcoholic refreshments or meals) for networking purposes in the context of formal courtesy between the grantee and guest researchers and research-related activities in the context of assemblies that facilitate and contribute to the achievement of the research objectives (e.g., grantee meeting with partners, stakeholders, guest researchers).
- Hospitality (non-alcoholic refreshments and meals) lab meetings and other meetings with institutional personnel – requires pre approval from department or faculty.
Employment and compensation
- Any part of the salary, or consulting fee, to the grantee or to other persons whose status would make them eligible to apply for grants from the Agency.
- Any form of compensation to co-applicants and collaborators of the grant regardless of their eligibility to apply for grants.
- Administrative (or management) charges and fees.
- Compensation-related benefits to recipients of stipends.
- Discretionary severance and separation packages.
- Payments to practicing clinicians who wish to participate in the research on a part-time basis, or to individuals who wish to participate in the research as an investigator and who at the same time receive remuneration for teaching or service work, except when deemed eligible in a particular funding opportunity.
- Release time allowance requests will not be considered for the following: Individuals with salaried academic research appointments, the cost of teaching time to allow the individual to engage in research; Supplementing or replacing part of the salary of a researcher on sabbatical from their main appointment.
Goods and Services
- Costs of basic services such as heat, light, water, compressed air, distilled water, vacuums and janitorial services supplied to all laboratories in a research facility.
- Insurance costs for buildings or equipment.
- Costs associated with regulatory compliance, including ethical review, biohazard or radiation safety, environmental assessments, or provincial or municipal regulations and by-laws.
- Sales taxes to which an exemption or rebate applies.
- Costs of regular clothing.
- Costs related to professional training or development, such as computer and language training.
- Costs involved in the preparation of teaching materials.
- Costs of moving a lab.
Travel and Travel-Related Subsistence
- Passport and immigration fees.
- Reimbursement for airfare purchased with personal frequent flyer points programs.
- Costs of transporting research personnel to and from a grantee’s sabbatical location for supervisory or academic purposes.
- Living expenses (subsistence and accommodation costs).
- Monthly parking fees for vehicles, unless specifically required for field work.
Academic or Sabbatical Leave
- Costs of transporting research personnel to and from a grantee’s sabbatical location for supervisory or academic purposes.
Hospitality
- Costs of entertainment, hospitality and gifts for regular interactions with colleagues from the institution and personnel meetings.
