Round 8 Early Researcher Awards Program Guidelines

Attracting and retaining the next generation of research talent for Ontario

Ontario’s future prosperity will depend on its ability to innovate and its success in moving increasingly towards a knowledge-based economy.

To achieve this Ontario must attract the best and brightest innovators and researchers from around the world, keep home-grown talent here and seize opportunities for global leadership.  These goals are key to the Government of Ontario’s Innovation Agenda.

Ontario’s universities, colleges, research hospitals and research institutes have played, and continue to play, a vital role in ensuring Ontario remains at the forefront of the global knowledge-based economy by supporting cutting-edge research and developing world-leading researchers.

The Early Researcher Awards (ERA) program encourages applications from all disciplines, including the Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities which are essential components of a creative, knowledge-based economy.

The ERA program helps promising, recently-appointed Ontario researchers build their research teams of undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants, associates, and technicians. The goal of the program is to improve Ontario’s ability to attract and retain the best and brightest research talent.

The ERA program is a discretionary, non-entitlement program.

Eligible applicants
Funding provided
Eligible partner contributions
Ineligible partner contributions
Eligible expenditures
Ineligible expenditures
Youth research and innovation outreach
Review process
Evaluation criteria
Application procedure
Preparing Applications
Classification codes for areas of research and research disciplines
Research Productivity and Recognition
Letters of reference
Where to send completed applications
Application deadline
Grant agreement
Contact us
Additional information

Eligible Applicants
The ERA program is open on a competitive basis to researchers who are:

• Full-time faculty or principal investigators who, at the application deadline, are based at an eligible institution (see below);
• No more than 5 years from having started their independent academic research career, as of July 1, 2011; and
• No more than 10 years, taking into consideration eligible delays/interruptions, from having completed their first Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, or Medical Doctor, as of July 1, 2011;
• Researchers may be awarded only one ERA during their career;
• Researchers who are, or have been, Tier 1 Canada Research Chairs are not eligible to apply for an ERA.

Note:

• Sections 10e and 10f of the application allow the applicant to provide the review panel with details on interruptions or delays.
• Research associate positions and post-doctoral fellowships are not considered eligible interruptions.
• Continued education, required training (e.g. medical training and fellowships), and parental leave are considered eligible interruptions, but must be clearly described in sections 10e and 10f of the application.
• The Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation (the Ministry) generally defines independent academic research appointment as a position where a researcher is capable of independently publishing, supervising, and applying for funding.
• To be competitive, researchers are encouraged to be actively involved in conducting research that has been supported by peer-reviewed funding and to demonstrate academic independence from previous supervisors;
• Researchers who are not successful may submit an application, in a later competition, providing they continue to meet all eligibility requirements.
• ERA panels are multidisciplinary and the application will be reviewed by panel members that are within and outside of the applicant’s specific field of research. The content and language of the proposal should be clear and understood by people outside of the applicant’s field.

Eligible Institutions include the following publicly funded research Institutions:

• Ontario publicly-assisted universities;
• Ontario colleges of applied arts and technology;
• Ontario research hospitals;
• Not-for-profit research institutions affiliated with an Ontario university or hospital, excluding those funded primarily by business or industry; and
• Other Ontario not-for-profit research institutions at the discretion of the Ontario Research Fund Advisory Board.

A Not-for-profit research institution seeking eligibility for ERA funding must demonstrate that: 

• It is not an agency of the federal government, a provincial government, a territorial government, or a for-profit organization 
• Has demonstrated its capacity to conduct research
• It does not receive ongoing operating funding from the province

Where an institutional eligibility to apply for ERA funding may be in question, such institutions must request and receive confirmation of eligibility from the ORF Advisory Board.

The following organizations will not be considered eligible and cannot apply for, or receive, ERA funding:

• For-profit organizations and agencies of for-profit entities

• Federal departments, departmental corporations, parent Crown corporations, or wholly-owned subsidiaries of parent Crown corporations

• Provincial or territorial departments, agencies, or Crown corporations, as defined in the Government Agency Establishment and Accountability Directive (except for universities, colleges, other educational institutions, or hospitals)
• Non-profit corporations that have been established by any of the above

Researchers employed by federal, provincial or territorial government departments or agencies and for-profit organizations are not eligible to apply for ERA funding as Principal Investigators unless they hold an eligible institution academic appointment, in which case, the eligible institution must agree to be the applicant.

Funds contributed by the ERA for approved projects are disbursed to the eligible lead research institution. All research supported by ERA funds must be conducted in Ontario at an eligible institution.

Funding Provided

• Each award to a leading researcher is a maximum of $100,000 and must be matched by an additional $50,000 from the researcher’s institution and/or a partner organization.
• The funds are to be used over a period of up to five years to fund eligible expenses for a research team of undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants, associates, and technicians.
• In addition, up to $40,000 will be provided by the Ministry to the institution for indirect costs.

Eligible Partner Contributions
The institution is responsible for ensuring that the partner contribution is in place at the time the award is taken up;

• Partner contributions must be in cash;
• University scholarships for undergraduates, graduate students and fellowships to post-doctoral fellows on the research team, as well as private or public sector contributions, are eligible;
• Contributing partners must submit a letter as proof of their contribution with the application package.

Ineligible Partner Contributions

Ineligible partner contributions include:

• Teaching assistantships;
• Start up funds from the institution intended to assist newly-appointed faculty members launch their research careers;
• Awards administered by federal granting councils such as Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council;
• Specific purpose grants received from Ontario government ministries and agencies, and funds leveraged by such grants;
• Ontario graduate scholarships; and
• Ontario graduate fellowships.

Eligible Expenditures
The $100,000 from the ERA and the $50,000 matching contribution will cover the following expenses for undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants, associates, and technicians carrying out the research:

• Salaries and benefits;
• Essential and reasonable travel and expenses related to conferences, workshops or seminars; and
• Essential and reasonable travel and expenses related directly to offsite research activities.
• The amount paid to graduate students and post-doctoral fellows must be in keeping with the levels established by other award programs. Salaries must be commensurate with institutional remuneration scales. Undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants, associates, and technicians must be based in Ontario. 

Ineligible Expenditures

Funds received through this grant cannot be spent on:

• Salary, benefits or expenses of the researcher;
• The purchase of supplies or equipment;
• The operation of equipment and facilities;
• Salaries or expenses of individuals performing contract research (where the contractor owns the intellectual property);
• Visiting fellows; and
• Salaries, benefits or expenses of ineligible team members. 

Youth Research and Innovation Outreach

Applicants are required to undertake annual youth outreach activities and may use up to 1% (equivalent to $1000) of the funding provided by the Ministry. Funding provided by the institution and/or partner organization may not be used for youth outreach. Activities associated with youth outreach are to be undertaken during each year of the project. All project activities are to be free to youth and the general public. No registration or admission fees can be charged and project activities cannot be incorporated into an existing program for which an admission or registration fee is applied.

Applicants are encouraged to include in their youth outreach plans:

• Face-to-face contact between youth and researchers;
• Hands-on research and innovation experiences;
• Mentorship of youth; and
• Development of experiments or research projects with youth.

Researchers can:

• Engage youth audiences, as well as educators and the general public, both on-campus and in the community;
• Expand current outreach activities, or start new initiatives that are free to youth and the public;
• Partner with other researchers to undertake a broader outreach initiative;
• Participate in outreach activities operated by other organizations, such as science awareness organizations provided no fee is charged; and
• Involve undergraduate and graduate students in outreach program design and delivery. 

Eligible Expenses for Youth Outreach

Eligible expenses include:

• The costs of coordinating, developing and delivering youth outreach activities such as speaking opportunities, lecture series, workshops and demonstrations, student competitions and lab mentorships; and
• Consumable supplies and the development of working models.

Ineligible Expenses for Youth Outreach

Ineligible expenses include:

• Expenses paid to a third party to coordinate, develop or deliver youth outreach activities;
• The development of magazines, books, curriculum documents, courses or multi-media, including new websites;
• The purchase of commercially available equipment, such as computers or software, or the cost of staging conferences; or
• Honoraria or salaries for high school student co-operative education or summer high school student positions.

Review Process

The ERA application and review process includes the following steps:

• Institutions submit Notices of Intent (NoI) on behalf of their researchers;
• Institutions submit complete application packages, including letters of reference, by the deadline;
• Ministry staff review applications for completeness;
• A Panel of Chairs determine applicants’ eligibility;
• Eligible applications are forwarded to peer review panels for an expert review;
• Review panels make recommendations to the Ontario Research Fund (ORF) Advisory Board;
• ORF Advisory Board makes recommendations to the Minister;
• Minister makes final decisions;
• ERA decisions are communicated to the Vice-President of Research and the Institutional Contact of the applicant institution.
• Panel comments are provided to applicants (sample panel comments)

Note:

• The Ministry reserves the right to choose reviewers and to assign applications to an appropriate panel;
• There is no appeal of decisions, including decisions regarding the eligibility of the application;
• The ERA program is a discretionary, non-entitlement program; and
• Funding is awarded on a competitive basis.

Evaluation Criteria

Early Researcher Awards applications will be evaluated based on four weighted criteria; Excellence of the Researcher, Quality of the Research, Development of Research Talent, and Strategic Value to Ontario. The applications will be ranked as exceptional, excellent, very strong, strong, moderate, or insufficient on these four weighted criteria.

Below is a summary of the Round 7 ERA Evaluation Criteria:

Excellence of the Researcher (40%)

With respect to the researcher’s career stage and field of study, the researcher’s accomplishments demonstrate excellence of the researcher in terms of:

• Academic and employment record
• Research grants and awards received
• Publication record
• Other areas of research productivity
• Researcher current and potential standing for excellence in the research field based on research plans and letters of reference
• Independence from previous supervisor regarding publication record
• Independent peer-reviewed funding

Quality of Research (30%)

Based on the research proposal, the quality of research is evaluated in terms of:

• Excellence of proposed research
• Originality of proposed research
• Clarity of research proposal
• Relevance of methodology

Development of Research Talent (20%)

Demonstrates potential for highly qualified personnel (HQP) training based on:

• Development of research knowledge of members of research team
• Skills development of team
• Training is unique and leading edge
• Past experience in HQP training

Strategic Value for Ontario (10%)

Proposed research program demonstrates potential for strategic value for Ontario based on the Ontario Innovation Agenda, including but not limited to:

• Social and/or cultural benefits
• Knowledge transfer
• Economic benefits
• Ability to enhance the province’s profile in the global academic community
• Anticipated impact on the Ontario Innovation Agenda’s focus areas:
• bio-economy, clean technologies
• advanced health technologies
• digital media and information and communication technologies

Application Procedure

A Notice of Intent is to be submitted via email by 4 pm Friday, October 7, 2011.

Complete application packages must be received by the Ministry or post-marked on, or before 4 pm Monday, November 14, 2011.

All submitted material (paper copies and electronic copies) must be assembled in the order detailed below.

A complete application includes:

1. An original signed letter from the institution, and/or the partner confirming the amount of matching support and date of planned contributions;
2. A copy of the completed and signed application form;
3. Appendix A - Proposed Research (Maximum of 5 pages excluding references and appendixes) (section 14);
4. Appendix B - Completed Budget Table (section 16); and
5. Appendix C - Research Productivity and Recognition - Researcher’s Full CV (section 20)

Applicants must submit to the Ministry by the deadline: Paper Copy: One (1) original signed and complete ERA application Four (4) copies of the complete ERA application Three (3) original signed letters of reference, in sealed and signed envelopes CD or memory stick: One (1) copy of the ERA application form only in MS Word document One (1) electronic document (PDF) of the complete application Note: Please assemble the complete electronic PDF file into one document in the order described above (#a-e).

 

Preparing Applications

• In preparing the application, fill in the templates that are provided in the application form.
• Observe all restrictions on the amount of information or number of pages indicated in the relevant sections of the application form.
• Information that does not fit within the stated limits will not be forwarded for review.
• Page limit restrictions exclude references in the research proposal.
• Use clear language and avoid technical jargon. All technical terms must be internationally understood. 
• Any additional information provided after the deadline will not be forwarded for review.

General Format

• The application should be printed, double-sided, on 8 1/2” x 11” white paper.
• Application copies should be three-hole punched and double sided but not bound or stapled. Please use clips to hold copies together.
• Print must be in black and of letter quality.
• Text must be single-spaced, with no more than six lines per inch.
• Arial 12 point font must be used.
• Funding amounts should be in Canadian dollars, with no cents.

Classification Codes for Area of Research and Research Discipline

• For coding purposes please add the CFI area code and CFI discipline code in the appropriate area of the application.

Appendix C: Research Productivity and Recognition – Researcher’s Full CV

• List all research contributions, using separate headings to identify peer-reviewed journals, books, conference proceedings, invited lectures and presentations, technical reports, theses, and other publications. 
• List research contributions, beginning with the most recent, and starting each entry on a new line.
• For published contributions, list the full authorship as it appears in the original publication, year, title, name and volume of the publication, and the first and last page numbers. For publications in press, indicate the date of acceptance. For publications submitted, indicate the journal to which they were submitted. Do not include papers in preparation.
• Use boldface to indicate students who are co-authors on the contributions listed.
• Underline previous graduate and post-doctoral supervisors. 
• List the number of citations at the end of each publication. Exclude self-citations in the application.
• List any patents indicating which patents are applied for and which are granted.
• List any other examples of research productivity.
• List other evidence of recognition, such as a prize, or leadership of a committee etc.
• List past trainees and indicate current employment/academic status.
• Provide a table with the number of citations of peer-reviewed articles and the number of independent publications.

Letters of Reference:

• Accompanying the ERA application package, provide three original signed letters of reference in sealed and signed envelopes.
• The letters should address the Round 8 ERA Evaluation Criteria: Excellence of the Researcher, Quality of the Research, Development of Research Talent, and Strategic Value for Ontario).
• It is recommended that referees have access to the applicant’s research proposal and full CV.
• One of the reference letters must be from a former supervisor, mentor, collaborator or corporate sponsor familiar with the researcher.
• Two of the reference letters must be from arm’s length sources (i.e., arm’s length referees must not have a conflict of interest by having a personal link with the researcher, or by being, currently, or within the last five years, a colleague, a research collaborator or a corporate sponsor of the researcher).
• It is recommended that the arm’s length letters be from researchers of international stature familiar with the researcher’s work. 
• In order to keep the letters sealed and confidential, it is recommended that references be asked to send their letter in a sealed and signed envelope clearly marked with “ERA reference for (insert applicant’s name on envelope)” within another envelope addressed to the research office.
• Letters may be ineligible if they are not submitted in a sealed and signed envelope.  
• Submit only three (3) reference letters. Any letters from referees not identified on the application form will not be considered by the review panel (see section 22).
• All original signed letters must be received by the application deadline.

Where to Send Completed Applications

Applications should be sent to:

Early Researcher Awards Program
Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation
Research Branch
56 Wellesley Street West, 7th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M7A 2E7

Deadlines

The Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation requires institutional research offices to email a Notice of Intent (NoI) for each ERA applicant in MS Word format by 4:00 pm Friday October 7, 2011.  Submission of a NoI is not binding and will not be assessed by the Ministry. However, the NoI is an important part of the ERA review process as it allows the Ministry to commence the selection of appropriate panel reviewers.

Complete application packages for Round 8 including three (3) original letters of reference in sealed and signed envelopes must be received by the Ministry or post-marked on or before 4:00 pm Monday, November 14, 2011.  

Grant Agreement

The ERA will be administered by the research institution on behalf of the researcher. The institution will sign a contract with the Ministry detailing the terms and conditions for the award. These include, but are not limited to the following:

• Budget, including the matching contribution;
• Schedule of payments;
• Milestones, deliverables and performance measures;
• Reports required, including progress and financial reports;
• Youth outreach; and
• Communications.

The ERA contract must comply with the guidelines established by the Government of Ontario for the management of public funds.

Contact Us

To ensure continuity, consistency and open communication between the applicant and ERA program staff, all inquiries/discussions during the application, review, and post-award processes are to be coordinated by the lead institution's named contact and the assigned ERA program staff. 

Please contact the following staff for additional information or clarification:

Caitlyn Tindale 416-314-2528 Awards@mri.gov.on.ca

or

Alison Hughes (416) 327-3280 Awards@mri.gov.on.ca

Additional Information

The Ministry expects program applicants and participating research institutions to maintain the highest standards of research integrity. Research institutions are to have policies and procedures in place that govern research integrity. Institutions must advise the Ministry of the outcome of any investigation pertinent to the Ministry that may be carried out by the institution.

Ethical and Safety Requirements

Institutions must undertake the responsibility to ensure any experimentation will be acceptable on ethical and safety grounds.

• Research involving human subjects must comply with the Tri-Council Policy Statements: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans .
• In the case of laboratory animal experimentation, the institution must comply with the guidelines and policies of the Canadian Council on Animal Care .
• Any research involving human pluripotent stem cells must adhere to the Guidelines for Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research .
• Institutions must ensure that any research involving databases containing personal information adheres to ethical and legal requirements relating to privacy, confidentiality and security of the database information.
• Any research involving biohazards must adhere to the standards outlined in the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Laboratory biosafety guidelines .
• Research involving radioactive materials must comply with Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission regulations .

Please note that the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation is subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Personal information contained in the application is collected under the authority of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade Act. This information may be shared with members of the Ontario Research Fund Advisory Board, the Panel of Chairs, the Review Panel, and others for the purpose of administering the Early Researcher Awards program.  Questions about this information collection should be directed to the Manager, Research Talent and Awards, 56 Wellesley Street West, 7th Floor, Toronto, ON M7A 2E7 or call (416) 314-8209.