Ontario-China Research and Innovation Fund (OCRIF) -
2012 Ontario Call for Proposals Guidelines

Purpose
Scope
Eligibility
Application
Tenure of Grant
Grant Amount
Matching Contributions
Eligible Project Expenses
Review
Timeline For Ontario’s 2012 Call For Proposals
Ontario Application Deadlines
Timeline of China Partner’s Project Submission
Applicant’s Agreement
Application Instructions
FIPPA
Communications

 

Purpose

The Government of Ontario and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the People's Republic of China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Research and Innovation Cooperation (MOU) to promote scientific, technological and industrial research and commercialization cooperation.

Within the context of this agreement, the Government of Ontario is now launching a Call for Proposals for scientific and technological collaboration projects. The Government of Ontario and MOST will jointly invest up to $2 million ($1 million each), to support strategic bilateral research collaborations for this Call for Proposals.

Ontario funds will be disbursed to successful Ontario applicants through the Ontario-China Research and Innovation Fund (OCRIF), a program administered by the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation (MEDI). Successful co-investigators from China will be funded separately by MOST.

Scope

Objectives

To be considered for funding, projects must present a clearly-identified research focus. Networking and exploratory activities will not be supported under this program. In addition, each project must identify a key added value that the Chinese partner(s) will contribute to the project.

Priority Fields

The current call for proposals will accept projects focusing on any of the following research themes:

• Water and water-related technologies
• Neuroscience
• Stem Cells
• Hydrogen Fuel Cells

At the discretion of MEDI and MOST, future calls for proposals may focus on other priority areas identified within the MOU, including advanced health technologies, pharmaceutical research and manufacturing, bio-economy and clean technologies, digital media, information and communication technologies, and agriculture and food testing.

Eligibility

Eligible Ontario Applicants

Funding is open, on a competitive basis, to:

• Ontario publicly-assisted universities
• Ontario colleges of applied arts, science and technology
• Ontario hospital research institutes
• Not-for-profit research institutes affiliated with an Ontario university or hospital, excluding those funded primarily by business or industry
• Consortia of the above, with one institution as lead applicant, assuming responsibility and accountability for the consortium
• Other Ontario not-for-profit research institutions at the discretion of MEDI.

Ontario-based businesses can participate as private sector partners but cannot apply as a project lead applicant. Ontario applicants should direct their China partners to apply directly to MOST for funding.

Research Team Structure

A lead Ontario applicant must form a dedicated team, including at least one lead China partner and at least one Ontario-based private-sector partner. Each research team is to be structured as follows:

• Two Principal Investigators, one from Ontario and one from China, who will represent the project and be responsible for the management of the application and for the project’s internal scientific management. The Principal Investigators must be from an Eligible Applicant organization. Please refer to the above Eligible Ontario Applicants section for details.
• Each Principal Investigator will be responsible for managing the project and reporting on the scientific and financial aspects to the granting agency in their respective jurisdiction. Principal Investigators in Ontario will report to MEDI, while Principal Investigators in China will report to MOST.

Application

MEDI and MOST will conduct parallel application processes. Ontario-based organizations apply directly to MEDI. China-based organizations apply directly to MOST. For information on the Chinese application process and guidelines, please refer to MOST's website regarding the notice of the 2012 MOST and Ontario Call for Proposals: www.most.gov.cn/index.htm (information is available in Chinese only).

Tenure of Grant

Project terms should not exceed three years and are non-renewable.

Grant Amount

Successful Ontario applicants will be eligible to receive a maximum of $250,000 per project from OCRIF to fund the Ontario portion of the project. Additional project funding will be provided to the corresponding Chinese applicant on each project by MOST to fund the China portion of the project. (e.g., the maximum grant amount to be received by a project is $250,000 in Ontario and $250,000 in China, to a total of $0.5M). For a project to be considered for funding under OCRIF, each project’s lead Chinese partner is required to apply directly to MOST. OCRIF funding is conditional on the corresponding Chinese applicant receiving funding approval from MOST. Funds will be disbursed annually.

Ontario anticipates that four projects will be funded through the 2012 Call for Proposals.

Please note that Ontario’s financial assistance will not exceed 50 percent of the Ontario portion of eligible project expenditures. Ontario applicants will have to identify sources of matching cash and/or in-kind contributions for the remaining 50 percent of project costs. Letters of support from each funding partner must be included along with the application confirming both the amount of matching funding and the intended use of the contribution.

Matching Contributions

Matching contributions can consist of both cash and in-kind contributions. In-kind contributions are non-cash resources and are to be listed as part of a project's overall budget. Applicants must be able to verify the value of in-kind contributions with independent third party valuations.

In-kind contributions must:

• be essential to the implementation of the project
• represent an item or service that would otherwise have to be acquired with cash
• be priced at the lesser of fair market value or the actual cost to the donor.

In-kind contributions can include:

• equipment or related warranties
• materials and expendable supplies
• software and databases/datasets
• use of space or facilities
• salaries (including benefits) of professional, technical, analytical, or project-specific administrative personnel donated by the private sector partners
• access to unique databases or high performance computing services
• travel (costs may be limited), including per diems paid to  private sector partner employees or contractors, for essential, time-limited off-site work related to the project.

Ineligible in-kind contributions include:

• donations in the form of goodwill
• services that are usually performed for free
• salaries and benefits of staff not directly related to the project
• salaries and benefits of personnel who usually act as volunteers
• overhead costs incurred by private sector partners contributing personnel time
• standard discounts – academic or otherwise
• equity in an emerging private sector company.

Eligible Project Expenses

Eligible project expenses are actual costs directly attributable to and necessary for the completion of the project and are not associated – in whole or in part – with any other purpose.

Eligible project expenses include:

• direct costs, including salaries and benefits, facilities and equipment, management and administration
• indirect costs – the overhead costs of doing research.

The following direct costs are eligible for OCRIF funding consideration:

• Salaries and benefits of research and technical staff, which can include:
• salaries, stipends and related non-discretionary benefits of researchers and technical staff directly involved in the project and assistantships for students directly involved in the project. OCRIF will cover up to $20,000 for graduate student research assistants (Masters and PhDs) and $50,000 for postdoctoral fellows. Applicants are free to top up the stipends extended to students and postdoctoral fellows assisting the research project.
• consulting fees
• honoraria for guest lecturers.

Please note: Personnel costs can only be claimed in proportion to the time spent working on the project. Applicants may be requested to provide supporting documentation to this effect, such as time sheets from the institution(s) or certification by the faculty Dean.

Fees for consultants – defined as individuals unrelated to any of the project partners and subcontracted to provide service or knowledge of a highly specialized nature. OCRIF will cover the equivalent of the value of a consultant working full time for up to one quarter per fiscal year – must be essential to the research and/or demonstrate that they save the project time and money. Their fees should reflect reasonable market rates.

When a private sector partner provides personnel with specialized knowledge or skills, OCRIF will regard this as an in-kind contribution to be valued at the proportioned time and salary level of the individuals involved, rather than consulting.

• Management and administration, which can include: 
• salaries and benefits of management staff/personnel directly involved with the project 
• management and administration costs, including reasonable justifiable office supplies  
• telephone and internet services.
• Facilities and equipment (up to 10% of total direct costs),  which can include: 
• research equipment and supplies and computer and communication equipment, as well as software required for the project, including costs of purchase, refurbishment, transportation, extended warranties, importation, staff training for use, maintenance and operating costs (not including indirect costs such as power, insurance etc.).
• cost of renovations and alterations of existing space
• leased space or institutional contributions of space when that space is newly developed, renovated, refurbished or leased.

Please note: Equipment, supplies, software etc. must be critically and explicitly needed to carry out the project.

• Other direct project costs, which can include:  
• commercially-available consumable supplies, reagents, etc. 
• costs for dissemination of project results 
• costs of holding a workshop or seminar for project related activities  
• costs associated with outreach to collaborating universities/colleges or private sector partners for the purpose of the project, including preparation of reports and travel to meetings 
• safety-related expenses for field work, including immunizations, protective gear etc.
• reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for related fieldwork, conferences and collaborative trips 
• travel costs related to the research projects (not to exceed full economy fares)   
• other costs, such as audits of the finances of the project.

Eligible Indirect Costs

Indirect costs are overhead costs associated with conducting the research project. Both direct and indirect costs are eligible for funding consideration under this Call for Proposals. 

Applicants can allocate up to 40% of project total direct costs toward indirect (overhead) costs, in line with the institution's policy on overhead charges.

To determine the maximum amount that can be used from the total grant contribution toward overhead, please use the following formula:

Maximum overhead amount = (grant amount / 1.4) x 40%.

Please note that the OCRIF grant includes indirect costs within the total grant amount provided. For example, applicants receiving a grant of $250,000 could claim a maximum of $71,429 in indirect costs with the remaining $178,571 to be used for direct costs.

Ineligible Costs

The following costs are ineligible for OCRIF support:

• costs related to proposal development
• fees for use of equipment owned by the institution unless such fees are charged to all institutional users based on a published schedule
• costs relating to existing facilities infrastructure improvements, not specifically related to the project and/or not included in the original application
• opportunity costs
• any items or services not directly related to the project
• contract research and development (where the private sector owns the resulting intellectual property (IP)
• clinical trials
• endowed research chairs.

Review

Review Procedure

Applications will be assessed in a three-step process:

1. All Ontario applications will be evaluated by MEDI for completeness, compliance with program criteria and eligibility.
2. Ontario and China will independently review applications. Applications which meet the program criteria and eligibility will then be evaluated by independent scientific peer reviewers who will assess the project’s scientific merit, quality of research and project management characteristics.
3. Based on the first two steps, the Ontario-China Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation from MEDI and MOST will make joint decisions on successful projects to receive funding.

MEDI and MOST reserve the right to select project proposals which are mutually agreed upon. The final decisions will be communicated through letters to the Principle Investigators identified in the applications.OCRIF is a discretionary and non-entitlement program. As such, even if applicants submit complete applications and meet all OCRIF program criteria, there is no guarantee they will be awarded funding.

Evaluation Criteria

Projects will be ranked using the following criteria, which are applicable to the reviews in both Ontario and China:

OCRIF Evaluation Criteria	Scored out of 100
1. Collaboration foundation and capability Do the Ontario and China Principal Investigators (PIs) and other senior level investigators have relevant qualifications and expertise in the research field? Does each project partner have the relevant expertise required to contribute to the project? Have the Ontario team and the China team established a mutually agreed upon collaboration platform and communication channel? Is each project partner able to commit resources to ensure achievement of the project objectives?	15
2. Rationale for collaborating with China Is collaboration with China urgent and necessary? Will the collaborative team solve a relevant problem that is able to address a strategic need for Ontario and China and generate mutual benefits? Are there complementary strengths between the Ontario and China partners?	20
3. Research plan and scientific excellence Is the research plan and methodology appropriate? Will the research generate scientific breakthroughs and innovations? Is there any long and/or short-term commercialization potential of the research? Are there key steps that will lead to the potential commercialization of the research outcomes?	20
4. Results sharing and intellectual property protection Is there a mechanism to protect, manage and share research results and intellectual property rights emerging from the collaborative project?	10
5. Potential benefits for Ontario and China Are there any potential scientific benefits for Ontario and China? Will the project generate economic development benefits in commercialization, investment attraction and new, high value job creation? Is there potential for talent attraction and retention? Are there any potential social and/or other benefits?	20
6. Project implementation feasibility Are the research project milestones and deliverables appropriate to achieve project objectives? Is there qualified and appropriate project management capability to manage international research collaborations on time and within budget? Is the lead organization able to provide project resources, including staff and financial, legal and communications support to implement the project? Is the project funding sufficient to carry out the project? Is the project budget allocation appropriate to achieve the project objectives?	15

Intellectual Property

Applicants are expected to make mutually agreeable arrangements among the project partners with respect to the acquisition, protection, sharing, transfer and licensing of the intellectual property rights generated from the research.

Timeline For Ontario’s 2012 Call For Proposals

• Submission period begins: May 1, 2012
• Submission period ends: May 31, 2012
• Evaluation of projects submitted: Summer – Fall, 2012
• Selection of the projects by the Ontario-China Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation: January – February 2013
• Disclosure of results: February – March 2013
• First disbursement of financial assistance: by April 2013

Ontario Applications Deadlines

The deadline for the submission of a complete application in Ontario is May 31, 2012.

Timeline of China Partner’s Project Submission

• Submission period begins: May 1, 2012
• Submission period ends: May 31, 2012

Applicant’s Agreement

If selected to receive a grant under OCRIF, Ontario applicants must enter into an agreement with the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation which will include conditions such as:

• OCRIF funds can only be applied to the project's eligible expenditures incurred after both parties have signed an agreement.
• Project activities and deliverables cannot be changed without the written approval of MEDI.
• Projects may be subject to an audit.
• Any good and/or service to be purchased in relation to the project, with a value of more than $25,000, must go through an open procurement process before the applicant purchases the good and/or service.
• Progress reports must be submitted every year including progress on project deliverables, results, budget, and partner contributions. Reporting templates will be provided.
• Ten per cent of the total grant amount will be held back subject to all reports having been received.
• Actual project resources and expenditures will be reviewed on a regular basis and may result in an adjustment in the payment level in subsequent years.
• Projects will be required to acknowledge the Government of Ontario’s support.
• The provision of an indemnity and the requirement to maintain commercial general liability insurance.

Application Instructions

Applicants requesting OCRIF funding must follow the instructions below.

Project Proposal Copies

• Submit 6 copies of the completed application form (the original plus 5 copies).
• The original copy must be signed by an officer of the institution with authority to bind the institution.
• Applications should not be bound or stapled.
• Provide a complete electronic copy on a CD-ROM or a USB key, in MS Word format and with the associated spreadsheet template forms (provided by MEDI) in MS Excel format. Please try as much as possible to keep your electronic version in one document or clearly mark in which order the file should be printed in order to maintain the order of your original application. It is possible that the expert reviewers will see the electronic version of your application only.

General Format

• The application should be printed, single sided, on 8 1/2” x 11” white paper.
• Print must be in black and of letter quality.
• Text must be single-spaced, with no more than six lines per inch.
• Type size must be no smaller than 10 pts unless specified otherwise.
• Condensed type is not acceptable.
• Please ensure that all pages are numbered.

Preparing Applications

• In preparing the application, where indicated, use the template tables provided as attachments.
• Please adhere to the restrictions on the amount of information provided in the relevant sections of the application form.
• Use plain English and avoid technical jargon whenever possible.
• Avoid long descriptive narrative. Use bullet points or summary tables where possible.

Submitting Applications

• All completed Ontario applications must be received by the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation and/or postmarked no later than the application deadline. Late and incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Electronic applications will not be accepted as placeholders for late or pending original paper applications.
• Faxes and/or e-mail attachments will not be accepted in place of the originals.

FIPPA

Please note that the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation is subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The Act provides every person with a right of access to information in the custody or under the control of MEDI, subject to a limited set of exemptions. Section 17 of the Act provides a limited exemption for third party information that reveals a trade secret or scientific, commercial, technical, financial or labour relations information supplied in confidence where disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to result in certain harms. Any trade secret or any scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information submitted to MEDI in confidence should be clearly marked. MEDI will provide notice before granting access to a record that might contain information referred to in Section 17 so that the affected party may make representations to MEDI concerning disclosure.

The applicant is advised that the names and addresses of grant recipients, the amount of grant awards, and the purpose for which grants are awarded is information MEDI makes available to the public.

Communications

• To ensure continuity, consistency and open communication between the applicant and MEDI, 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 MEDI staff contact.

Applicants needing additional information or clarification regarding the Ontario-China 2012 Call for Proposals may contact:

ONTARIO Ms. Sandy He-Easton Senior Policy Advisor Access to Capital and Business Development Branch Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation 56 Wellesley St. W., 18th Floor Toronto, ON  M7A 2E7 Phone: +1-416-212-4545 E-mail: sandy.he-easton@ontario.ca

CHINA Mr. CHEN Jiangrui Program Officer Division of American and Oceanian Affairs Department of International Cooperation Ministry of Science and Technology 15B, Fuxing Road, Beijing 100862 The People’s Republic of China Phone: +86-10-5888-1336 E-mail: chenjr@most.cn

 

Application Form Completion Instructions

Cover Page

Please enter the following information in the table provided:

• Project Name: enter the name of your proposal. Please be concise.
• Applying Organization: enter the full legal name of the lead Ontario institution submitting the application.
• Project Manager: enter the name of the individual who will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the project.

SECTION A: GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Project Term

Please list the start date and end date for the project. Project should not be longer than three years.

2. Research Focus of Project

Please select the sector which best describes your project’s primary area of research focus.
List the project’s primary and secondary research discipline codes as per the list available on the website. Also, please select the project’s area of application code using the list provided within the application.

3. Organizational Structure of Lead Ontario Applicant

Select the option button which best identifies the organizational structure of the lead Ontario institution applying for OCRIF funding.

4. Principal Investigator for Ontario

Provide the following contact information for the Principal Investigator associated with the project:

• Name
• Title
• Department
• Institution
• Mailing Address
• City/Town
• Province
• Postal Code
• Telephone
• Fax
• E-mail address

5. Institutional Contact

Provide the contact information from the lead Institution who will be MEDI’s main point of contact for administrative matters:

• Name
• Title
• Department
• Institution
• Mailing Address
• City/Town
• Province
• Postal Code
• Telephone
• Fax
• E-mail address

6. Project Manager

Provide the following contact information for the project manager associated with the project:

• Name
• Title
• Department
• Institution
• Mailing Address
• City/Town
• Province
• Postal Code
• Telephone
• Fax
• E-mail address

This person will be will be the Ministry’s main point of contact for administrative matters relating to the project.

7. Lead China Partner

Provide the following contact information for the Chinese Principal Investigator:

• Name
• Title
• Department
• Institution
• Mailing Address
• City/Town
• Province
• Postal Code
• Telephone
• Fax
• E-mail address

Add additional tables as necessary for each institutional partner associated with the project.

8. Ontario Private Sector Partner(s)

Provide the following contact information for each Ontario private sector project partner associated with the project:

• Name
• Title
• Department
• Organization
• Mailing Address
• City/Town
• Province
• Postal Code
• Country
• Telephone
• Fax
• E-mail address

9. Total Project Team Members

Provide brief information about Ontario team members and China team members, including each member’s name, role in the project, title and organization.

10. Total Project Funding Contributions from All Project Partners

Provide funding contributions of each Ontario and Chinese project partner, including organization name, funding contribution amount and specifying whether it is a cash or in-kind contribution. Provide the total of amount of Ontario funding contributions and the total of amount of China funding contributions.

SECTION B: COLLABORATION FOUNDATION AND CAPABILITY

11. Qualifications of Principal Investigators and Co-Investigator(s)

Briefly describe the relevant qualifications of the Principal Investigators (PIs) and other senior level investigators involved in the project for both Ontario and China. Include a list of five representative achievements within the past five years (e.g., peer-reviewed publications, invention disclosures, patent applications or licenses). Please limit your answer to 500 words in 12 point type for each project lead. Attach detailed CVs of PIs and Co-Investigator(s) with information on key publications and accomplishments.

12. Role of Project Partners and Expected Contribution

Briefly explain the role each project partner will play in the project, including the collaboration capability and expected contribution to the project. Please limit your answer to 500 words in 12 point type for each partner.

13. Role of Private Sector Partner(s) and Expected Contribution

Describe the role each private sector partner will play in the project, including the collaboration capability, resource commitment and expected contribution to the project. Please limit your answer to 500 words in 12 point type.

14. Collaboration Foundation and Feasibility

Describe whether the Ontario project team and China project team have established a mutually agreed upon collaboration platform and regular communication channels. In addition, please specify whether both sides are able to commit related project resources, including talent, technology, funding and project management, to ensure both teams can implement the project and achieve project objectives.

SECTION C: RATIONALE FOR COLLABORATING WITH CHINA

15. Urgency and Necessity of Collaborating with China

Please define the scientific, economic, or social problem(s) that the research project team aims to address. Specify how the research can address a strategic need for Ontario and China. Describe the urgency and necessity of collaborating with China to provide solutions to the problem(s). Outline how the collaboration will lead to the advancement of scientific research capabilities and generate economic and social benefits for Ontario and China. Please limit your answer to 2,000 words in 12 point type.

16. Complementary Strengths between Ontario and China Teams

Specify the complementary strengths between Ontario and China teams, including: core technology strength, commercialization capabilities, leading-edge scientific theories, technical support, talent resources and market opportunities, etc. Please limit your answer to 2,000 words in 12 point type.

SECTION D: PROJECT PLAN AND SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE

17. Project Objective

Describe in no more than three lines, using simple language, the objectives and key elements of the project, including potential benefits for Ontario and China.

18. Project Abstract

Provide an abstract of the project using no more than 500 words in 12 point type and in non-technical language. Please do not include images and/or charts in the summary description.

19. Project Research Plan and Methodology

Describe the research plan and scientific methodology to be used within the context of current advances in your discipline to achieve the project objectives outlined. Please limit your answer to 10 pages in 12 point type.

20. Scientific Excellence and Innovation

Outline the uniqueness of this research project, highlighting the scientific breakthroughs and innovation involved. Specify your project’s competitive advantages over state-of-the-art research in your field or other similar solutions available in Ontario, Canada and/or the rest of the world. Please limit your answer to five pages in 12 point type.

21. Commercialization Plan

Describe the long- and/or short-term commercialization potential of the research and when the commercialization can be achieved. Please provide a brief market analysis (with both qualitative and quantitative information). Indicate who is interested in the outcome of any research and strategic alliances, partnerships, or licensing agreements you have, or plan to have, in place. Outline the key steps that will lead to the potential commercialization of the research outcomes, such as licensing the Intellectual Property (IP) rights, spinning off companies and setting up joint venture companies. Please limit your answer to 5 pages in 12 point type.

22. Communications Plan

Describe how you will communicate the project’s scientific accomplishments and activities. Please limit your answer to 500 words in 12 point type.

SECTION E: RESULTS SHARING AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION.

23. Expected Research Results

Describe the expected research results from the collaborative project, including publications, new technologies, new products, new devices, new know-how, new materials, and intellectual property rights, etc. Please limit your answer to 1,000 words in 12 point type.

24. Research Results and Intellectual Property Sharing

Describe how project partners will protect and share research results and intellectual property (IP) rights emerging from the collaborative project. Please limit your answer to 1,000 words in 12 point type.

SECTION F: POTENTIAL BENEFITS FOR ONTARIO AND CHINA

25. Potential Scientific Benefits

Outline the potential scientific benefits for Ontario and China and specify whether the project will enhance the profile of Ontario and China within the international research community and generate new intellectual property rights, patents and licenses. Limit your answer to 1,000 words in 12 point type.

26. Potential Economic Development Benefits

Describe whether the project will generate economic development benefits through the potential commercialization of the research results, investment attraction and new high value job creation in Ontario/China. Please limit your answer to 1,000 words in 12 point type.

27. Potential Talent Attraction and Retention

Describe whether the project will draw top international research talent to Ontario or attract and retain Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) in key sectors. Is a researcher (including both graduate and post-graduate) exchange or internship program a component of the project? Please limit your answer to 1,000 words in 12 point type.

28. Potential Social and Other Benefits

Describe whether the project will have a significant impact on societal needs and sectoral/regional challenges and/or generate other benefits, such as environmental benefits. Please limit your answer to 1,000 words in 12 point type.

SECTION G: PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION FEASIBILITY

29. Research Project Milestones and Deliverables

Please list major milestones, measurable deliverables and the expected month and year of completion related to outlined aspects of your project in the table provided. If selected for an OCRIF grant, these will be used to monitor and determine the project’s progress against a specific project work plan from the date of OCRIF funding to the point at which the project is fully implemented. (If necessary, please insert additional rows).

In the Commercialization Milestones and Deliverables subsection, please list major milestones and deliverables related to the execution of the Commercialization Plan during the term of the project. State the frequency of project reviews and who will be responsible for assessing IP and technology outputs and actions required. Briefly identify general follow-on steps by the Principal Investigator and/or institution after the funding period.

Please note that for research projects with long-term commercialization potential only, pre-commercialization activities are sufficient (e.g. regular reporting of your progress to your commercialization mentor).

30. Project Management

Applications must clearly outline how the project will be managed.

• Identify the project manager and other key project management staff.
• Provide a resume of the project manager (if known at the time of application).
• Describe the proposed governance structure to manage the project (e.g. Academic Committee, Board of Directors, with a manager or an executive director). The governance structure should not include Ontario government participation.
• Indicate how you plan on forming and maintaining partnerships and coordinating with relevant organizations such as industry, engineering/consulting firms, government ministries or agencies, universities, colleges, and other research institutes) and individuals.

Proposals must also outline how research capacity will be sustained after completion of the project. Please limit your answer to 1,000 words in 12 point type.

(Important: Ensure the proposed governance structure is commensurate with the size, scope and complexity of the proposed project.)

31. Project Resources

Provide an overview demonstrating the lead organization’s ability to manage and achieve the project’s objectives. Include details of the organization’s governance, staff resources, financial viability, legal and accounting services, communications infrastructure, and the geographic extent of its activities in Ontario and/or China. Please limit your answer to 1,000 words in 12 point type.

SECTION H: PROJECT FUNDING

32. Funding Sources

In the summary table provided in the application form, please indicate the sources of funding to be used to support the project, including the amount requested under OCRIF. Successful Ontario applicants will be eligible to receive $250,000 from Ontario. 

Ontario applicants should direct their lead Chinese project partner to apply for funding through the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). For further information on the Chinese application process, please visit MOST website: www.most.gov.cn/index.htm, to download application guidelines and application forms.

Applicants must provide letters confirming evidence of matching funding from all project partners providing cash or in-kind contributions to the project. Letters should detail both the value and nature of the contribution.

Budget Forms

In addition to the summary table, a budget for the proposed project must be prepared using the Excel workbook provided on the program website. The OCRIF Budget Forms consist of three separate Excel forms (Schedules A, B and C).

Applicants must complete the OCRIF Annual Budget Form (Schedule A) outlining the annual project resources and expenditures over the total project term. Please fully disclose the funding sources (e.g., federal government grants, etc.), timelines and amounts for any ongoing and anticipated funding pertaining to research that may overlap with the proposed project.

Cash and in-kind contributions from private sector partners are to be further detailed in the OCRIF Private Sector Contribution Form (Schedule B).

Applicants must also provide a detailed explanation and justification for each budget item within the OCRIF Budget Justification Form (Schedule C). Please provide sufficient information to allow reviewers to assess whether the resources requested are appropriate for the execution of your project.

For the Salaries and Benefits section, please provide the following detail:

• names of individuals involved in your project (if known)
• the portion of their time (%) expected to be spent on the project
• their function or activities in the project and explain the need for that function in the project.

For training of HQP (highly qualified personnel), provide details of program or training activities.

Administrative salaries should be included in the "Management Administration category" of the budget form.

(Important: Refer to the OCRIF Program Guidelines for further information on eligible expenses.)

SECTION I: PROJECT REVIEW

33. External Expert Reviewers

Please provide the names and contact information of three experts who could provide scientific review of your application. The suggested experts should not have a conflict of interest (CoI) with the proposal or any of the researchers associated with the proposal. (Please see CoI Agreement for Expert Reviewers). In this section, you may also provide up to two names of experts you do NOT want to provide a scientific review of your application.

Important: The Ministry reserves the right to choose reviewers and may select reviewers other than those suggested by the applicant.

If your application, or components of it, have already been peer reviewed (e.g. Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council or Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council reviews), please provide a copy of the review or the authorization to access it. Similarly, if the Investigators associated with a proposal have a record of successful applications with other granting agencies, information regarding this record should be provided.

SECTION J: SUPPORTING INFORMATION

34. Supporting Information

Please list all supporting materials submitted with the OCRIF application in the table provided, including detailed CVs of PIs and co-investigator(s), funding and support letters, letters patent, signed collaboration agreement (if applicable), etc. Insert additional rows as necessary.

SECTION K: REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Please note that successful applicants will be required to submit an annual status report detailing the significant accomplishments and performance measures of the project, along with achievement of milestones and deliverables as set out in the above project plan in a form and substance satisfactory to Ontario, certified by an officer of the Lead Institution.

Successful applicants must also provide an updated budget, which is to be submitted annually as part of regular reporting. Funds will be dispersed annually by direct deposit based on a reconciliation of year-to-date expenditures versus budget estimates, following the completion of project reporting requirements.
In addition, the Lead Institution will also be required to submit a completed final report at the end of the project term. Ten percent (10%) of the total OCRIF grant will be held back until the final report is received. Reporting requirements will be detailed in the grant agreement with successful applicants.

SECTION L: AUTHORIZATION

Please have an authorized signing officer read, sign and date the application prior to submission to MEDI.