March 31, 2020 Issue
The LA&PS Research Office publishes a bi-weekly Research Digest to keep faculty members informed about important research issues and opportunities.
If you or your unit is planning an event, a notice or a funding opportunity that you would like included in our Digest Newsletter, please send these to lapsrsc@yorku.ca.
In this issue:
Internal Notices
Expense Reimbursement for Cancelled Business Travel
On March 12, 2020, the University issued an update on Expense Reimbursement for Cancelled Business Travel in light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) disease situation. The text of the update can be found here.
Updated Travel Guidelines
On March 11, 2020, the University issued updated Travel Guidelines in light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) disease situation. The text of the update can be found here.
Research Involving Humans
AVP Research Celia Haig-Brown issued the followings messages on March 13, 2020:
Dear Researcher:
As you are aware the COVID-19 situation is being carefully monitored by the university. That being said, we are encouraging researchers to consider the best approaches to their research programs going forward in light of possible developments in the spread of the virus. In an abundance of caution, researchers may want to consider postponing commencement of new research activities and/or scaling back existing activities in particular any which involve use of on-campus facilities, rooms etc.
We will continue to advise you of changes in institutional responses. At this point, we see things continuing as normal but realize that they can change rapidly with little notice and want to ensure that you are as prepared as possible for any eventualities.
For any questions regarding this message, contact Alison Collins acollins@yorku.ca.
To all researchers:
Following on VPRI’s earlier message regarding research involving humans, please notice the reference to research in the President’s update today regarding the suspension of face-to-face instruction and moving courses to online formats. In her words, “Our Keele and Glendon campuses will remain open, and research activities will continue.” See https://coronavirus.info.yorku.ca/2020/03/message-to-the-community-on-yorks-response-to-covid-19/ for the complete Community Update.
VPRI will continue to apprise you of changes in institutional responses with implications for research. At this point, the university remains open and research activities will continue but realise that they can change rapidly with little notice and want to ensure that you are as prepared as possible for any eventualities.
For current responses to Frequently Asked Research Questions regarding research during the time of COVID-19, please check on the website: https://research.info.yorku.ca/news-events/. There will be on-going updates, so stay tuned.
Internal Grants
SSHRC Explore Grant
Deadline: March 31, 2020
To provide support to full-time faculty, professional librarians, and current Postdoctoral Fellows for stand-alone, small-scale projects and for projects that will lead to the development of larger SSHRC applications or other external funding. Application form can be found here. (Expect to be prompted for your Passport York login.)
SSHRC Exchange – KMb Grant
Deadline: March 31, 2020
To provide support to full-time faculty, professional librarians, and current Postdoctoral Fellows for small-scale knowledge mobilization activities such as stakeholder consultations, policy briefs, publication subventions, workshops, etc. Application form can be found here. (Expect to be prompted for your Passport York login.)
LA&PS Support for Scholarly Journals
Deadline: March 31, 2020
The objective of this fund is to offset costs related to the successful operations of scholarly journals for which LA&PS faculty members hold substantial, on-going senior editorial roles. Find the application form under section 5 on this page of the LAPS website.
York Fellowship at the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies (PIMS)
Deadline: March 31, 2019
The Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Canada’s oldest research institute in the Humanities, is an independent, degree offering, post-doctoral institution located at 59 Queen’s Park Crescent East. It is made up of Senior Fellows and Associate Fellows, and each year there is also a group of five post-doctoral ‘Mellon’ Fellows. A five-minute walk from the Robarts Library in the University of Toronto, the Institute has its own impressive library, internationally known, of materials relating to the medieval period. The Institute has close links with the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto as well as the Medieval and Celtic Studies Programmes at St Michael’s College.
Interested individuals are asked to submit a letter outlining their plans for the year and providing their detailed reasons for wishing to be at the Pontifical Institute, as well as an up-to-date curriculum vitae. PIMS will choose one York Fellow for a period of 8 months for the ensuing academic year, and potentially one Visiting Scholar.
Eligibility: The Fellowship is open to full-time YUFA faculty members planning to go on sabbatical or other leave, as well as those taking a reduced teaching load, during 2020-21. Likewise, members of CUPE 3903 Unit 2 are invited to apply but must hold at least one course directorship appointment at York during 2020-21. In rare cases, graduate students manifesting superior academic promise will also be considered for the Fellowship.
Privileges: The Fellowship provides the selected faculty member with office space at the Pontifical Institute for the academic year, access to all public rooms, library privileges at both PIMS and Robarts for the period of the award, membership in the Mellon Fellows seminar group, as well as dining privileges in the St. Michael’s faculty dining room. During the period of Fellowship, the selected faculty member will hold the title of York Fellow of Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies and following the award they will hold the title of Past York Fellow of PIMS.
Visiting Scholars of PIMS – Privileges: Visiting Scholars receive access to a carrel in the PIMS library, access to all public rooms, dining privileges in the St. Michael’s faculty dining room, and Membership in the PIMS Alumni group.
The letter and curriculum vitae should be sent via email to Janet Friskney at friskney@yorku.ca by March 31, 2020. Questions about the PIMS Fellowship should be addressed to James P. Carley at jcarley@yorku.ca.
LA&PS Minor Research Grant
Deadline: April 30, 2020 (deadline extended)
The adjudicated vehicle through which LA&PS dispenses the YUFA Faculty/Library Research Grant Funding and the YUFA Junior Faculty/Librarian Fund. Funding for research projects; eligible expenses include personnel, research travel, subsistence costs.
SSHRC Exchange – Conference Grant Program
Deadline: May 1, 2020
To provide assistance for attendance at national and international scholarly conferences for which the applicant is giving a paper, making a poster presentation, or featured at a solo or 2-person opening of an exhibition, a principal screening, premier performance of dance, theatre or musical production. Application can be found here (expect to be prompted for your Passport York login).
Specific Research Grants
Deadline: May 1, 2020
The program permits, under certain conditions, a researcher to receive a research grant in lieu of salary through a mechanism which includes peer review. Guidelines and application form can be found through this page on the ORS website (expect to be prompted for your Passport York login).
York Incentive Grants
Deadline: Rolling
Value: Up to $6,000
Duration: 18 months
To defray costs associated with assembling interdisciplinary collaboration teams (involving two or more Faculties) to assist larger-scale initiatives in the quest for external funding. These grants are not awarded to support the preparation of applications for the standard programs of research support (e.g., NSERC Discovery, SSHRC Connections Grants, and SSHRC Insight and Insight Development Grants). Applications will be considered in support of the development of larger-scale tri-council applications. Application can be found here (expect to be prompted for your Passport York login).
York Indigenous Incentive Grant
Deadline: Rolling
Value: Up to $3000
To provide support for the development of research grant applications, related to Indigenous priorities and needs, to external sources as articulated in our Strategic Research Plan (SRP). Its main purpose will be to defray costs associated with applications for standard programs of research (including but not limited to NSERC Discovery, CIHR, SSHRC Connection Grants, SSHRC Insight and Insight Development Grants, and SSHRC Partnership Development Grants). While the scale of initiatives supported may vary according to discipline, all proposals must clearly demonstrate the intended external source of support. Application can be found here (expect to be prompted for your Passport York login).
For a general listing of internal funding opportunities, visit here.
External Notices
Tri-agency Message on COVID-19
CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC are closely monitoring the evolution and impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and are taking action to support our grants, scholarships and awards recipients, as well applicants, peer reviewers and employees. We are also contributing to the efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 and, like other organizations in Canada, are putting in place appropriate social distancing measures and other modifications to our business operations. The situation continues to evolve rapidly, and we will make further adjustments as needed.
The granting agencies recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic may affect your work, your ability to conduct and to review research, and your ability to prepare and submit publications or grant and scholarship applications. We understand that some research could be jeopardized or slowed down; the preparation of research and financial reports may be delayed; and meetings, events, and travel plans might also be affected. The granting agencies will continue to support the research community as we adapt to these challenges.
As previously communicated, if you must cancel or postpone travel or events paid through agency funds, we will consider the costs associated with the changes as allowable project expenses, provided they align with agency policies. The Agencies are also canceling or postponing non-essential events and travel at least until early April (more details to come).
Over the coming days and weeks, the Tri-agency will provide agency-specific information (program by program), as we continue to monitor and evaluate adjustments to program application deadlines and reporting due dates, as needed. These will be communicated by each agency, for each program, as we make those adjustments. Please consult the CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC websites regularly for updates.
We will continue to make adjustments and put in place additional measures. If you have already submitted a grant application, we will strive to provide you with a timely response; however we do anticipate that the coronavirus will have an impact on the ability of reviewers to participate in planned peer review activities. We will advise you if significant delays are foreseen. Grant and grant application extensions are part of the measures being considered due to the exceptional circumstances. The details for each program will be shared in the coming days.
Once again, we encourage you to regularly consult the relevant agency webpages for further updates. Please do not hesitate to contact your university administration or the Agencies if you have any questions.
Tri-Council Notice to Researchers re: Eligibility of Travel Fees for Disruptions Caused by COVID-19
In light of the rapidly changing situation involving COVID-19, and aware that the situation may have an impact on researchers with plans to travel for meetings or other research-related activities, the Tri-Council (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR) has issued a special notice about how travel-related expenses should be managed. Please review the full notice.
Tri-Agency Grants Management Solution (TGMS) External Advisory Board: Call for Nominations
CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC have launched a call for nominations to establish an External Advisory Board for the Tri-Agency Grants Management System (TGMS) Initiative.
This board will provide independent advice and, upon request, recommendations to the TGMS Executive Board on specific subject areas. The members will represent the best interests of the research community and ensure the TGMS Initiative considers external perspectives in key decision-making.
Members of the External Advisory Board are expected to contribute to strategic discussions and we therefore anticipate they will have an appropriate expertise to contribute at this level. Collectively, the Advisory Board members will possess extensive knowledge of the Canadian research landscape and the grants management ecosystem.
For detailed information about the call for nominations and the External Advisory Board Terms of Reference, please visit the TGMS website. The deadline to submit nominations is April 3, 2020. Questions can be sent to Andrew Wakefield at TGMS-SGSTO@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.
Coming Soon: CIHR Healthy Cities Implementation Science Team Grants
CIHR’s Healthy Cities Implementation Science Team Grants, anticipated to launch in the next few months, will be focused on the interdisciplinary field of implementation science, which studies different methods and strategies to promote the successful adoption, integration and scale-up and roll-out of evidence-based interventions.
CIHR wishes to support research on what works in which urban contexts, for whom, how and why. Successful implementation of solutions that have a positive impact on health, well-being and health equity remains a substantial challenge in healthy cities research, and this opportunity aims to support the implementation of evidence-based interventions across various real-world settings that will improve the health of Canadians.
The team grants will have six areas of focus: 1) healthcare systems, services and policies; 2) healthy aging; 3) musculoskeletal health (including skin and oral health); 4) population and public health; 5) type 2 diabetes; and 6) urban Indigenous health. For each area of focus, there will be one grant available of up to $3 million each over 6 years. Teams will be expected to identify an intervention that has already been successfully piloted and plan an ambitious research project to study the roll-out of that (or a similar) intervention in a minimum of two Canadian municipalities using an implementation science approach.
As for the application process, there will be two stages: a Letter-of-Intent (LOI) stage and a full application stage. Principal applicants at the LOI stage must include two scientific leads who, combined, have expertise in implementation science and their chosen thematic area, as well as one knowledge user representing at least one municipality involved in the project. In addition to the principal applicants, there must be two co-applicants at the LOI stage: an early career researcher, and a sex and gender champion.
In order to facilitate the building of the teams that will be necessary to undertake this type of implementation science research, CIHR has created the HCRI linkage tool. Researchers, implementers, community organizations, municipalities and more can use this tool to indicate their area of work and their interest in participating in the development of team grant proposals. CIHR has developed this tool to make it easier for interested researchers and municipalities to connect, enabling a more efficient building of teams. If you are interested in applying for this grant, we highly recommend you use the HCRI linkage tool to look at potential co-applicant/collaborators, and/or register to include your own information.
York University Internal Process: Once CIHR officially launches the program, York will circulate the dates for internal deadlines. However, if you are interested in this opportunity, we highly recommend you to notify your Faculty Research Office and the Office of Research Services (Diana Frasca – dfrasca@yorku.ca) as soon as possible.
External Grants and Fellowships
SSHRC Connection Grant
Deadlines:
• Submission to ORS for technical review: April 17, 2020
• Submission to agency: May 1, 2020
Value: $7000 to $25,000 for events, and up to $50,000 for other outreach activities; higher amounts for outreach activities may be considered if well justified
Duration: 1 year
These grants support workshops, colloquiums, conferences, forums, summer institutes, or other events or outreach activities. To access an application form and full instructions, log into your SSHRC account. In most cases, the appropriate application to select is “Connection – Individual.”
SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant
Deadlines:
• Submission to ORS for technical review: June 1, 2020
• Submission to agency: June 15, 2020
Value: $7,000 to $25,000
Duration: 1 year
These grants provide short-term and timely support for partnered research activities that will inform decision-making at a single partner organization from the public, private or not-for-profit sector. The small-scale, stakeholder-driven partnerships supported through Partnership Engage Grants are meant to respond to immediate needs and time constraints facing organizations in non-academic sectors. In addressing an organization-specific need, challenge and/or opportunity, these partnerships let non-academic organizations and post-secondary researchers access each other’s unique knowledge, expertise and capabilities on topics of mutual interest.
To access an application form and full instructions, log into your SSHRC account.
Global Affairs Canada-SSHRC International Policy Ideas Challenge
Deadlines:
• Submission to ORS for full technical review: April 3, 2020
• Agency deadline: April 17, 2020
Value: $3000
Global Affairs Canada, in collaboration with SSHRC, has issued a call for proposals for the fifth edition of the International Policy Ideas Challenge. The program’s objective is to draw on the network of talented Canadian graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and early-career civil society researchers to identify concrete, innovative solutions to emerging international policy challenges faced by Canada. Proposals should outline a trend or dynamic affecting Canadian foreign policy that applicants believe needs additional study. Preference will be for ideas that fall under one of the themes noted in the call; however, proposals related to other emerging issues and trends affecting Canada’s international policy priorities will also be considered.
Note: post-docs should contact Kim McIntyre, Post-doctoral Services Coordinator, Faculty of Graduate Studies, at kimmcint@yorku.ca or extension 22993, should they wish to apply to this competition.
CIHR Funding Opportunities
The Office of Research Services (ORS) recently updated the spreadsheet of funding opportunities available through CIHR. Due to the large volume of RFAs, ORS has created a simplified Excel spreadsheet that will make it easier for researchers to locate the funding call that is most appropriate to their research area.
View the spreadsheet. You will be required to enter your Passport York user ID and password for YU Link to gain access to the spreadsheet. If the link below does not take you directly to Passport York, please copy and paste the link into your web browser.
NSERC Alliance Grants – Option 2
Deadlines: See ORS Posting
Value:
• Initial phase: over $30,000 and up to $100,000/year requested from NSERC
• After initial phase: $20,000 to $200,000/year requested from NSERC
Duration: 1-5 Years
NSERC Alliance Grants encourage university researchers to collaborate with partner organizations, which can be from the private, public or not-for-profit sectors. These grants support research projects led by strong, complementary, collaborative teams that will generate new knowledge and accelerate the application of research results to create benefits for Canada.
For more details about what the Alliance Grants support generally, and the additional expectations associated with Option 2, please review the ORS Posting.
NSERC E.W.R Steacie Memorial Fellowships
Deadlines: See ORS posting
Value: $250,000 research grant to Fellow (and possibility of additional funding to Fellow’s institution)
Duration: 2 years
NSERC’s Steacie Memorial Fellowships are awarded to enhance the career development of outstanding and highly promising university faculty who are earning a strong international reputation for original research. Nominees should be an early career researcher, defined as holding an independent academic position for 10 year or less as of June 1 of the year of the competition (June 1, 2010 or later for this year’s competition) and hold a grant from NSERC. (This has changed from previous rounds, where eligibility was determined by time from Ph.D. The eligibility window is adjusted to take into account eligible delays in research such as parental leave, bereavement or illness.)
This year’s competition has changed significantly from previous years. Self-nominations are now permitted, which, along with changes in the evaluation and eligibility criteria, are designed to promote equity, diversity and inclusion.
Pequot Library 2020 Dillon Fellowships
Deadline: April 4, 2020
Duration: 1 week to 1 month
Value: $700 to $3,000 USD (based on length of proposed project and cost of travel)
Pequot Library in Southport, CT is pleased to announce the first year of the Dillon Fellowship program, which will provide support to researchers working on the library’s collections for projects lasting between one week and one month. The Dillon Fellowship will provide a stipend and living expenses for fellows, not including housing, for two fellows a year. Dillon Fellows will conduct research that draws on any aspect of our holdings. We are particularly interested in proposals focused on the history of libraries, but any projects that incorporate Pequot’s rare books and archival materials will be considered. Among the library’s noted strengths are its collections of Americana, local history, fine arts press, and historic children’s books, as well as its well-preserved pamphlets and printed ephemeral materials from the late eighteenth through the nineteenth centuries.
Fellowships are open to graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, professional academics, independent scholars, and professionals working in archives, libraries, or museums. In addition to a CV and a brief budget, applicants must submit a description of their proposed research project of no more than 1,500 words that includes an overview of the sources from Pequot’s collection they expect to consult. Applications should also indicate the proposed research outputs to which an award of the Dillon Fellowship will contribute (i.e. articles, conference papers, thesis chapters, etc.). All fellows will be asked to produce a brief report of their research at the conclusion of the fellowship, and will be invited to give a lecture or other agreed upon public program at Pequot Library relating to the project undertaken as a Dillon Fellow. Awards announced in early May for projects beginning as early as Summer 2020.
Inquiries and completed applications should be directed to: specialcollections@pequotlibrary.org.
Canada Council: Research and Creation
Deadline: April 8, 2020
Research and Creation funding supports the initial stages of the creative process. Canadian artists, artistic groups and arts organizations can apply to develop and make creative works. Grants provide support for creative research, creation and project development.
Eligibility to apply to this component is determined by the validated profile created in the portal. A link to program guidelines can be found here.
Boston Athenæum Short-term Fellowships
Deadline: April 15, 2020
Duration: 4 weeks
Value: $1500 USD
The Boston Athenæum offers short-term fellowships to support the use of Athenæum collections for research, publication, curriculum and program development, or other creative projects. Each fellowship pays a stipend for a residency of twenty days (four weeks) and includes a year’s membership to the Boston Athenæum. Scholars, graduate students, independent scholars, teaching faculty, and professionals in the humanities as well as teachers and librarians in secondary public, private, and parochial schools are eligible. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or foreign nationals holding the appropriate U.S. government documents. The Athenæum expects all fellows to share a bibliography of items studied here.
Killam Fellowships
Deadlines:
• ORS deadline for full administrative review of application: May 15, 2020
• ORS final deadline: May 28, 2020 by 9:00am
• Agency deadline: June 1, 2020
Value: $70,000 per year
Duration: 2 years
To support outstanding scholars (normally full professors at Canadian universities and research institutes) to carry out groundbreaking projects in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, engineering and studies linking any of the disciplines.
Killam Research Fellowships provide two years of release time from teaching and administrative duties to individual scholars who wish to pursue independent research. The fellowships are awarded to individuals, but the funds are paid to and administered by universities or research institutes. Please note that this award is not intended as a subsidy for the overall research or teaching program of a department, institute or centre, and it is not offered for work undertaken as part of a degree program. An individual may win this award only once. Note: some revisions to the application process have occurred since last year’s competition.
NOTE: Please submit a hardcopy of your application and ORS checklist to the Office of Research Services (ORS) AND submit your application through the Killam online portal by Thursday, May 28th 2020, 9:00am, so that ORS can electronically approve your application and mail your paper format documents to the agency by the Monday, June 1, 2020 deadline.
Paper format documents include:
• The cover letter (signed). The cover letter can only be generated/printed after you have electronically submitted your application through the Killam online portal.
• For permanent residents only, evidence of your intention to stay in Canada after the period covered by the award. If you are a permanent resident, you must present a confirmation from your university or research institute that you have a firm appointment.
Canadian Cancer Society: Impact Grants
Deadlines: Multiple – see ORS posting
Value: Up to $1.5 million
Duration: Up to 5 years
Impact Grants provide funding to support ideas that promote major advancements in research programs, whether at the fundamental discovery stage (e.g. studies involving model organisms that demonstrate potential for impact) through to applied research (e.g. patient or population-based proposals). Applications are encouraged from, but not limited to, the areas of biomedical, clinical, health services, and social and population health research. Impact grants have been created to cultivate and support programs in cancer research that have the potential to significantly impact the burden of disease in patients and populations. The goal of the CCS Research Impact Grant program is to provide a mechanism for scientists to accelerate the application of new knowledge and apply innovations to address important problems in cancer research and care.
The SIRI Unit in the Office of Research Services, in collaboration with the corresponding Faculty Research Office, will be supporting the development of applications selected to go forward. Diana Frasca (dfrasca@yorku.ca), Strategic and Institutional Research Initiatives Specialist, will be available to assist your office and your faculty members with any questions regarding the internal and external application processes. All researchers should notify both their Faculty and Diana Frasca (dfrasca@yorku.ca) as soon as possible about their intention to apply. Doing so will streamline the process of ensuring that researchers receive adequate support in application preparation.
Innovative Technologies Demonstration Projects
Deadlines:
• Submission of application to ORS for full review: 10 working days before submission to the agency
• Submission of application to agency: Rolling deadline
Value: Request should be below $25,000. Please see the call for details on the budget parameters.
Duration: Up to 24 months
The India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnership to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS) recently announced a Call for Proposals for the Innovative Technologies Demonstration Projects. The call is open to any researcher in Canada eligible to receive tri-council funding who has a project ready for demonstration, piloting, or deployment in the area of safe and sustainable infrastructure, integrated water management, and public health and disease prevention.
Applications must include an industry partner that is committed to the project and can provide both in-kind and cash support. Cash support from industry must be 50% or more of their total support.
Toronto Arts Council: Writers Program
Deadline: June 15, 2020
Value:
• Level One: $5,000 – for writers in the early stages of their career
• Level Two: $10,000 – for writers with an established writing career
Toronto Arts Council Writers Program supports the creation of new literary works or works-in-progress in the genres of fiction (including novels, short stories, children’s literature, graphic novels, etc.), literary non-fiction, poetry and oral traditions such as storytelling, dub, rap and spoken-word.
Toronto Arts Council: Playwrights Program
Deadline: June 15, 2020
Value:
• Level One: $2,000 – for new or emerging playwrights with little or no prior history of production
• Level Two: $8,000 – for mid-career or senior playwrights with a history of professional production
Toronto Arts Council’s Playwrights Program provides support to playwrights for the writing of stage plays.
