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 concepts 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 Award (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.

Eligible applicants
Funding provided
Eligible partner contributions
Ineligible partner contributions
Eligible expenditures
Ineligible expenditures
Review process
Evaluation criteria
Application procedure
Classification codes for areas of research and research disciplines
Youth research and innovation outreach
Where to send completed applications
Application deadline
Grant agreement
Contact us
Service Standard
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, 2009; and
• No more than 10 years from having completed their first Doctor of Philosophy, Medical Doctor or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, as of July 1, 2009;
• Researchers may receive only one ERA during their career;
• Recipients of a Premier’s Research Excellence Award or the Premier’s Discovery Award are not eligible to apply for an ERA;
• Researchers who are or have been Tier 1 Canada Research Chairs are not eligible to apply for an ERA.

Note:

• Section 9 of the application allows the applicant to provide the review panel with details on special circumstances or interruptions.
• Research associate positions and post-doctoral fellowships are not considered eligible interruptions.
• The Ministry of Research and Innovation (the Ministry) generally defines independent academic research appointment as a position where a researcher from an eligible institution 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 academic independence from previous supervisors demonstrated;
• Researchers who are not successful may submit an application, in a later competition, providing they continue to meet all eligibility requirements.

Eligible Institutions Include the Following Publicly Funded Research Institutions:

• Ontario publicly-assisted universities;
• Ontario colleges of applied arts and technology;
• Ontario research hospitals; and
• Not-for-profit Ontario research institutes associated with an Ontario university or an Ontario hospital, excluding those funded primarily by business, industry or federal and provincial governments.

 

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 private sector partner.
• The funds are to be used over a period of up to five years to fund eligible expenses for a research team of undergraduate and 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 sector contributions, are eligible;
• Partner institutions and private sector partners must submit a letter as proof of their contribution with the application package.

Ineligible Partner Contributions

Ineligible partner contributions include the following:

• 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. 

Review Process

The ERA application and review process includes the following steps:

• Notice of Intent (NoI) and formal application which are received by the competition deadline dates announced for the program;
• Ministry staff review applications for completeness;
• Panel of Chairs review applicant’s 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; and
• Applicant institutions are notified of the decisions.

Note:

• The Ministry reserves the right to choose reviewers;
• There is no appeal of decisions including decisions regarding the eligibility of the application; and
• ERA decisions will be communicated to the Vice-President of Research and the Research Director of the applicant institution.
• Feedback is provided to the applicant’s institution in the form of a letter with panel comments.

Evaluation Criteria

The ERA program is a discretionary, non-entitlement program. Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis. Applications will be judged according to the:

Excellence of the researcher

• Researcher’s accomplishments based on academic and employment record, research grants and awards received, publications and other examples of research productivity;
• Researcher’s current standing and potential for excellence in the research field based on research plans and letters of reference;
• Demonstrated independence from previous supervisor regarding publication; and
• Demonstrated independent peer-reviewed funding.

Quality of the research

• Excellence and originality of the proposed research based on the research plan; and
• Clarity of research proposal and relevance of methodology.

Development of research talent

• Development of research knowledge and skills based on the training plan for members of the research team, as well as past experience.

Strategic Value to Ontario

• Applicants from all disciplines are encouraged to apply and should demonstrate that the anticipated research results are of strategic value to Ontario.
• Strategic value includes but is not limited to the potential for:
  
  
• Economic benefit
• Social and/or cultural benefit;
• Knowledge transfer;
• Ability to enhance the province’s profile in the global academic community; and
• Anticipated impact on bio-economy and clean technologies, advanced health technologies, pharmaceutical research and manufacturing, and digital media and information and communication technologies.

Application Procedure

Institutional research offices must submit by email a copy of each applicant’s NoI to the Ministry before 4 pm on Friday, October 2, 2009. The NOI is not binding and will not be assessed by the Ministry but it is an important part of the application process.

The application deadline for Round 6 is 4 pm Thursday, November 12, 2009. Complete application packages must be received or post marked on or before the deadline by the Ministry.
The application package must contain the following:

• A signed letter from the institution and, where applicable, signed letter(s) from private sector partner(s) confirming the matching funds.
• One (1) signed original and four (4) copies of the completed application form which has been signed by the researcher, the Department Head, the Dean of the Faculty and the President/CEO of the researcher’s institution and, where necessary, by the President of the affiliated university;
• Three (3) original signed letters of reference, in signed and sealed envelopes;
• The name and a short biography of the referees must be completed on the application form. 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;
• Two(2) of the three(3) reference letters must be from arms-length referees, preferably of international stature;
• One CD or memory stick of each application containing a PDF of the following items in this order:
  
  
  • Letter from institution
  • Matching fund letter
  • Application form
  • Budget form- Appendix A 
  • Proposed Research (section 8b)
  • Research productivity and recognition (section 14)
• Letters may be ineligible if they are not submitted in a sealed envelope.  

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.
• Listing research contributions and citations:
  
  
• 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.

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.
• Submit only three (3) reference letters. Any letters from referees not identified on the application form will not be considered by the review panel.
• Use clear language and avoid technical jargon. All technical terms must be internationally understood.  ERA panels are multidisciplinary and the application will be reviewed by panel members that are within and outside of your specific field of research. The content and language of the proposal should be clear and understood by people outside of your field.
• Completed applications, including original letters of reference, must be received or post-marked by the posted application deadline date.
• Any additional information provided after the deadline will not be forwarded for review.

 

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.

 

Youth Research and Innovation Outreach

Applicants are required to undertake annual youth research and innovation outreach activities and may use up to 1% (equivalent to $1000) of the funding provided by the Ministry. Funding provided by the partner institution and/or industry may not be used for youth outreach.  All project activities are to be free to youth and the general public. Therefore, 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 research 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.
• The primary target audience is high school students as they are most receptive to in-depth mentorship experiences. 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; and
• Involve undergraduate and graduate students in outreach program design and delivery. 

Eligible Expenses for Youth Outreach

• 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

• 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 to stage conferences; or
• Honoraria or salaries for high school student co-operative education or summer high school student positions.

 

Where to Send Completed Applications

Applications should be sent to:

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

Application Deadline

The NoI is to be collected and submitted by the institutional research office, and a copy must be emailed to the Ministry before 4:00 pm Friday, October 2, 2009. The NoI is not binding and will not be assessed by the Ministry but it is an important part of the application process.

Applications for Round 6 must be received by the Ministry or post-marked on or before 4:00pm Thursday, November 12, 2009. 

Grant Agreement

The ERA will be administered by the research institution on behalf of the researcher. The institution will sign a grant agreement 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 research and innovation 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:

Carlene Harris
(416) 326-9632
Awards@mri.gov.on.ca
Or
Stephanie Holbik
(416) 314-8209
Awards@mri.gov.on.ca

Service Standard

The Ministry of Research and Innovation is committed to making timely decisions on all complete Early Researcher Award applications once submitted. The Ministry will use its best efforts to notify applicants of a decision within 5 months from the application deadline.

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.

Please note that the Ministry of Research 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.