Research Support Fund (RSF)

In 2003, the Government of Canada established the Indirect Costs Program (ICP) as a permanent program. This program provides Canadian universities and colleges with an annual grant to help pay for a portion of their hidden or “indirect” costs of research – administrative expenditures that support research but are not chargeable to specific research projects. In 2015, the program was renamed the Research Support Fund (RSF). Please visit the Research Support Fund website for additional information on the program.

At Saint Paul University, the Research Support Fund is used to support activities such as the purchase of library holdings, assistance in preparing and managing grant proposals.

Indirect Costs at Saint Paul University

The amount of Saint Paul University‘s grant will be based on the amount of funding received by researchers from the three federal granting agencies - CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC - in the three most recent years for which data is available.

These investments will help to:

Attract and retain researchers and provide them with the resources and infrastructure they need to succeed;
Support the development of the future generation of researchers; and
Attract additional funding to support the University’s research environment.

Institutional Performance Objectives

Institutional Performance Objectives
Expenditure Categories	Performance Objectives	Indicators	Outputs	Outcomes
Research Facilities	Maintain ability to support research facilities	Total research space in Net Assignable Square Meters (NASM)¹	Portion of RSF invested in research facilities	NASM devoted to research in current FY is equal to or more than NASM in baseline FY
Research Resources	Maintain ability to provide research resources	Number of journal subscriptions (traditional and electronic formats) held by the institution	Portion of RSF invested in research resources	Number of journal subscriptions in current FY is equal to (or not less than 10% less than) the number of journal subscriptions in baseline FY
Management and Administration of Research Enterprise	Maintain institutions’ ability to support existing research activity	Number of active research files	Portion of RSF invested in management and administration	Number of active research files in current FY is equal to or more than the number of active files in baseline FY
Regulatory Requirements and Accreditation	Human Ethics Maintain institutions’ ability to support human ethics compliance activities	Number of active Ethics certificates	Portion of RSF invested in regulatory requirements and accreditation	Number of active human ethics certificates in current FY is equal to or more than the number of active human ethics certificates in baseline FY

¹ The amount of area (in NASM) used for research purposes. 1 square meter = 10.76 square feet

Research space includes all spaces functionally usable for research such as lab space (e.g., dry lab, server rooms), lab-office space, office-type space used for research, office and work space of research support staff. It excludes custodial, circulation and mechanical area.

Institutional Performance Indicators Report

Funds from the Research Support Fund supplemented by the institutions’ internal operational budgets supported and maintained the research enterprise as demonstrated in the table below.

Summary of Institutional Performance Indicators Report
Institutional Performance Indicators	2020-2021	2021-2022
Research Facilities Total research space in Net Assignable Square Meters (NASM)¹		$41,481
Research Resources Number of journal subscriptions (electronic formats) held by the institution	$9,318	$10,000
Management and Administration of Research Enterprise Number of active research files	$20,000	$20,000
Regulatory Requirements and Accreditation Number of active human ethics certificates
Intellectual Property Number of invention disclosures
Total	$29,318	$71,481

¹ The amount of area (in NASM) used for research purposes in square meters. 1 square meter = 10.76 square feet

Category of Expense	2020-2021	%	2021-2022	%
Research Facilities			41 481 $	58%
Research Resources	$9,318	32%	10 000 $	14%
Management and Administration of Research Enterprise	$20,000	68%	20 000 $	28%
Total	$29,318	100%	71 481 $	100%

Research Support Fund News

November 30, 2021 - Hiring of a Senior Research Advisor whose mission is to provide ongoing support to faculty members in their research, up to and including the formulation of their research grant applications, whether to SSHRC, CIHR or any other agency.

December 16, 2021 - Inauguration of the new space, in the Jean-Léon-Allie Library, dedicated to Saint Paul University Research Centres.