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 homegrown talent here and seize opportunities for global leadership.  These concepts are key to the Government of Ontario’s Innovation Agenda.

Ontario’s universities, colleges, 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 program (ERA) helps promising, recently-appointed Ontario researchers build their research teams of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants and associates. 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
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);
• actively involved in conducting research that has been supported by peer-reviewed funding;
• no more than five years from having started their independent academic research career, as of July 1, 2008; 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, 2008.

The following publicly funded research institutions are eligible:

• 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 or industry.

Please note:

• 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 Tier 1 Canada Research Chairs are not eligible to apply for an ERA.
• Researchers who are not successful may resubmit in a later competition as long as they continue to meet all eligibility requirements.

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 graduate students, undergraduates, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants and associates.
• 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 graduate students and fellowships to post-doctoral fellows on the research team are eligible, as are private sector contributions.
• Partner institutions, and private sector partners, must submit a letter as proof of contribution.

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 (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 research associates, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students in master’s or doctoral programs, and undergraduate research assistants 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. Research assistants and associates, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows 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); and
• visiting fellows.

Review process

The ERA application and review process includes the following steps:

• NoI and applications are received by the competition deadline dates announced for this program;
• Ministry staff review applications for completeness;
• 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
• Institutions are notified of the decisions.

Please note:

• The Ministry reserves the right to choose reviewers;
• Applications that do not conform to the application guidelines may be rejected; and
• ERA approvals will be communicated to the Vice-President of Research and the Research Director of the institution.

Evaluation criteria

The ERA program is a 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; and
• researcher’s current standing and potential for excellence in the research field based on research plans and letters of reference.

Quality of the research

• excellence and originality of the proposed research based on the research plan

Development of research talent

• development of research knowledge and skills based on the training plan for members of the research team

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;
• 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 Notice of Intent (NoI) to the Ministry before 4 p.m. on October 10, 2008. The NOI is not binding and will not be assessed by the Ministry but it is a mandatory part of the application process.

The application deadline for Round 5 is 4 p.m November 28, 2008. Complete application packages must be received by the Ministry before this time.

The application package must contain the following:

• A 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 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 (applicant’s name)” within another envelope addressed to the research office; and
• A signed letter from the institution and, where applicable, signed letter(s) from private sector partner(s) confirming the matching funds.

Application copies

• The Application package should contain:
  
  
• One signed original and 8 copies of the completed application package, including appendix A - career summary sheet;
• One CD containing the completed application in Word;
• One .pdf of the signed letter from the institution or private sector partner(s) concerning matching funding; and
• Three letters of reference in signed and sealed envelopes. Letters may be ineligible if they are not submitted in a sealed envelope.

General Format

• The application should be printed, single sided, on 8 1/2” x 11” white paper.
• Applications should be three-hole punched 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. Margins must be at least 1 inch.
• Times New Roman 12 point font must be used. Condensed type is not acceptable.
• Funding amounts should be in Canadian dollars, with no cents.
• Listing publications 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. List the sources of funding for each contribution and use parentheses to indicate the primary one.
• Exclude self-citations in the application.

Preparing Applications

• In preparing the application, fill in the templates that are provided in the application form.
• All submitted material must be packaged in the order presented 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 include references in the research proposal.
• Submit only three 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.
• Completed applications, including original letters of reference, must be received by the posted application deadline date. Late application submissions will not be accepted.
• 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% of the ERA ($1000) during the term of the award.

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 local community;
• expand current outreach activities, or start new initiatives with an emphasis on activities that are free to youth and the public;
• partner with other researchers in the institution to undertake a broader outreach initiative;
• participate in outreach activities operated by other organizations, such as science awareness organizations; and
• involve 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;
• 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; 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 Notice of Intent (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 October 10, 2008. The NOI is not binding and will not be assessed by the Ministry but it is a mandatory part of the application process.

Applications for Round 5 must be received by to the Ministry by before 4:00pm on November 28, 2008.

Grant Agreement

The ERA will be administered by the institution on behalf of the researcher. The institution will sign a grant agreement with the Ministry that addresses 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;
• Research training;
• Youth outreach; and
• Communications, including information on the Ministry website.

The ERA contract must comply with 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:

Lesley Cunningham
(416) 325-9333
Awards@mri.gov.on.ca

Or

Stephanie Holbik
(416) 314-8209
Awards@mri.gov.on.ca

Additional information

The Ministry expects that program applicants and participating research institutions will 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 review panel, and others for the purpose of administering the Early Researcher Awards program.