RESEARCH EXCELLENCE PROGRAM FAQS

• What is different in Round 4 of the Ontario Research Fund - Research Excellence (ORF-RE) program from Round 3?
• What is the "Start-date" for eligible expenditures under the ORF-RE program?
• Do philanthropic and foundation contributions qualify as private sector contributions?
• Will the ORF-RE match money received through federal government agencies such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF)?
• Would the industrial portion of an NSERC Collaborative Research and Development (NSERC-CRD) grant be considered an eligible private sector partner contribution for an ORF-RE project?
• Could a blended formula be considered if the private sector partner (PSP) made up the larger component of the 2/3 institutional funding?
• What is considered a new private sector partner (PSP) contribution, especially as it relates to multi-year PSP commitment?
• How is a private sector partner (PSP) in-kind contribution valued in the case of a PSP employee contributing his/her time towards the project?
• Do the private sector partners (PSPs) have to be secured and committed as of the Notice of Internet (NoI) deadline (May 15, 2009)?
• Is the 1% cost for Youth Outreach activities a definite number?
• Does the ORF match endowments?
• How do you define the Round 4 focus areas?
• What does the Ministry mean when it states that projects have to be sustainable?
• How much can a final proposal deviate from a Notice of Intent?
• In the case of a proposal re-submission to a current or later round, do the peer-review panels get to see the comments made on proposals from the previous rounds and/or does the Ministry re-use the comments provided by reviewers in the previous round?
• If a proposal spans more than one discipline, how does the Ministry decide which peer-review panel will adjudicate it?
• Are applicants consulted with respect to panel compositions?

Q. What is different in Round 4 of the Ontario Research Fund - Research Excellence (ORF-RE) program from Round 3?

A. There is one notable change. While research proposals in all disciplines are eligible for ORF-RE Round 4, the Ministry particularly encourages collaborative projects across institutions and disciplines from the following focus areas, as outlined in the Ontario Innovation Agenda:

• Bio-economy and clean technologies;
• Advanced health technologies; and
• Digital media and information & communications technologies.

Q. What is the "Start-date" for eligible expenditures under the ORF-RE program?

A. The "Start-date" for eligible expenditures of ORF-RE projects is fixed as of the date of the Award Notification Letter. In exceptional circumstances and depending on the merits of the proposal and recommendation from the review panels, the ORF Board may advise and direct Ministry staff to negotiate an earlier “Start-date”. If an earlier “Start-date” is allowed it will not be any earlier than the date of the call for proposals for that round of competition. For ORF-RE Round 4, this date is March 13, 2009.

Q. Do philanthropic and foundation contributions qualify as private sector contributions?

A. No. In Round 4 philanthropic and foundation contributions do not qualify as private sector contributions. However, they may be used as a part of institutional contribution. Please note that the ORF Board may consider a “blended” funding formula in cases of exceptional scientific merit where the institution and its private sector partners, in combination, make up 2/3 of the required funding.

Q. Will the ORF-RE match money received through federal government agencies such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF)?

A. Yes. These grants will be matched by ORF-RE and considered as an institutional contribution.

Q. Would the industrial portion of an NSERC Collaborative Research and Development (NSERC-CRD) grant be considered an eligible private sector partner contribution for an ORF-RE project?

A. The industry portion of an NSERC CRD and an NSERC Industrial Research Chair (NSERC- IRC) will be considered as an eligible private sector contribution to an ORF-RE project. The NSERC portion will be considered as an institutional contribution. This funding arrangement must be disclosed at the time of application.

Note that all federal government grants must have been made for the purpose of the research area that is now the focus of the ORF-RE proposal. Only the portion of such grants that falls within the window of eligibility for contributions and expenditures will be considered.

Q. Could a blended formula be considered if the private sector partner (PSP) made up the larger component of the 2/3 institutional funding?

A. Yes.  Under the ORF-RE Round 4 Program Guidelines, the ORF Board may consider a "blended" funding formula in cases, where the institution and its PSPs, in combination, make up 2/3 of the required funding.  The PSPs may contribute the larger proportion of the co-funding.

Q. What is considered a new private sector partner (PSP) contribution, especially as it relates to multi-year PSP commitment?

A. The ORF-RE Program Guidelines outline the windows of eligibility for “unexpended PSP contributions” and the start date for project expenditures.  Unexpended PSP contributions are allowed within a period of 12 months from the application submission deadline (for ORF-RE Round 4, this date is August 1, 2008).

Expenditures in an ORF-RE project are eligible only from the negotiated Start Date of the project.  The earliest allowable expenditure date for Round 4 is March  13, 2009.

PSP contributions have to be made specifically towards the RE project in question. In cases of multi-year PSP contributions, where the original contribution date and some years fall outside the window of eligibility for such contributions but where a few years remain that fall within the window of eligibility, a letter of support from the PSP will be required clearly indicating that the PSP is supporting the new project and directing the remaining eligible years contributions to the new project.

For example:  Original contribution made in June 2005 for a 5 year period.  This contribution would be deemed ineligible since it was not originally made to the new ORF-RE project and was outside the window of eligibility of August 1, 2008 for Round 4.  If the project wanted to use contributions left over after August 1, 2008, a letter from the PSP would be required indicated that it supports such a move.  Note, that no monies of this contribution can be spent on the project until March 13, 2009, at the earliest.

Q. How is a private sector partner (PSP) in-kind contribution valued in the case of a PSP employee contributing his/her time towards the project?

A. Such a contribution is valued as the employee’s salary, proportional to the employee’s time spent on the project.

Q. Do the private sector partners (PSPs) have to be secured and committed as of the Notice of Internet (NoI) deadline (May 15, 2009)?

A. No. The PSPs do not have to be secured of the NoI deadline. They have to be secured as of the full application deadline of July 31, 2009.

Q. Is the 1% cost for Youth Outreach activities a definite number?

A. Successful applicants may use up to 1% of the ORF grant to undertake annual youth science and technology outreach activities.  The 1% dedicated to Youth Outreach activities does not require a match from the institution or private sector. 

Q. Does the ORF match endowments?

A. No.  The ORF does not match endowments. It may, however, match the interest earned from the endowment if contributed by the institution to the ORF-RE project.

Q. How do you define the Round 4 focus areas?

A. For a definition of the Round 4 focus areas, please refer to the Ontario Innovation Agenda.

Q. What does the Ministry mean when it states that projects have to be sustainable?

A. Projects funded under the Research Excellence program should be sustainable past the government-funding period (typically 4 or 5 years).  The Private Sector Partner investment and revenues generated through Intellectual Property disposition (license or sale) should sustain the project past the Research Excellence funding.

Q. How much can a final proposal deviate from a Notice of Intent?

A. Notices of Intent (NoI) are not binding and are not adjudicated. They serve the purpose of allowing potential applicants to see who else in their related field is conducting similar research and thus influence collaboration.  While it is understood that a project’s particulars, including scope, budget, title and research team, may change somewhat as a result of new collaboration, it is expected that the main theme and/or focus will not deviate “drastically” – i.e. not take a totally different focus, between the NoI and the final application.

Q. In the case of a proposal re-submission to a current or later round, do the peer-review panels get to see the comments made on proposals from the previous rounds and/or does the Ministry re-use the comments provided by reviewers in the previous round?

A. No.  Written comments provided by expert and Panel reviewers in one round are not re-used from round to round.  ORF-RE applications stand on their own merits in each Round.  Applicants who are re-submitting an application to a later round may choose to refer to comments made by peer-review panels in a previous round, to demonstrate that concerns expressed by the panel have been addressed in the new application.  This may be done in the application’s cover letter.

Q. If a proposal spans more than one discipline, how does the Ministry decide which peer-review panel will adjudicate it?

A. The Ministry welcomes inter-disciplinary proposals. In the case of an inter-disciplinary proposal, the Ministry will endeavour to obtain written reviews from experts with complementary knowledge of all the disciplines represented in the proposal. The decision to place a proposal in a specific panel is made in consultation with the panel Chairs. The Ministry may also call on outside or inter-panel expertise to assist in adjudicating the proposal.

Q. Are applicants consulted with respect to panel compositions?

A. No. Applicants are not consulted with respect to panel compositions. Panel membership is established with the assistance of the ORF-Advisory Board and subsequently in consultation with the panel Chairs.  Final selections are based on the expertise required to adjudicate each ORF-RE Round’s particular set of proposals.