LARGE INFRASTRUCTURE FUND PROGRAM GUIDELINES
The Ontario Research Fund - Research Infrastructure (ORF-RI) program ensures that Ontario’s publicly funded research institutes continue to have competitive, state-of-the-art infrastructure to engage in world-leading research and technology development.
The Large Infrastructure Fund component of the ORF-RI program assists institutions in capitalizing on their research strengths by investing in facilities that bring together researchers from a range of disciplines, technology experts and industry partners to generate new ideas, stimulate technology development and support the growth of strong regional economies.
The ORF will contribute a maximum of 40% towards the total eligible costs, and the research institution is responsible for obtaining at least 60% from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (through the Leading Edge and New Initiatives Funds), any private funding partners, or its own resources.
The ORF program is a competitive, non-entitlement program. The ORF will not automatically match Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) awards to Ontario institutions. ORF funding decisions will be based on scientific excellence and strategic value to Ontario. This will help to ensure alignment with the Ontario Innovation Agenda, and ensure that the province is extracting value from research investments and seizing opportunities for global leadership.
Eligible Applicants
Ontario institutions that are eligible to apply to the CFI Leading Edge Fund or New Initiatives Fund are also eligible to apply to the Ontario Research Fund for Large Infrastructure Funds.
Eligible Projects
The Ministry recognizes the importance of investing in both discovery research to acquire new knowledge and maintain a diversified based of high-quality research capability across disciplines, as well as applied research which leads to new products and services and other economic development activities.
The Ministry recognizes the important role colleges of applied arts and technology play in the overall innovation ecosystem. Colleges are encouraged to put forward projects that build their capacity for research or technology development.
Priority Areas
While research and technology development proposals in all disciplines are eligible for funding, the Ministry particularly encourages collaborative projects across institutions and disciplines from the following targeted areas of strength highlighted in the Ontario Innovation Agenda:
- Bio-economy and clean technologies;
- Advanced health technologies;
- Digital media and information & communications technologies; and,
- Pharmaceutical research and manufacturing.
Regional and National Projects
The Ministry encourages regional and national projects that build on the strengths of Ontario institutions and on partnerships established through previous investments. Regional and National projects should meet the CFI requirements for regional and national project designation.
Regional projects should also align with provincial targeted areas as defined in the Ontario Innovation Agenda and/or present exceptional opportunities for research and technology development where Ontario can seize global leadership.
The lead Ontario institution seeking provincial funding for a regional/national project must submit an ORF application for the Ontario component of the project, demonstrating the project’s benefits to Ontario. Institutions should ensure that out-of-province partners submit funding applications to their respective governments for their components of the regional/national project.
The ORF proposal should also identify the role, responsibilities and financial commitments of each of the Ontario institutions and demonstrate that the ORF funding requested is in line with the level of participation of the Ontario institution(s) in the regional/national project.
Youth Science and Technology Outreach
The Ministry recognizes the importance of engaging young people in science and technology in growing a culture of innovation. Where possible and appropriate, institutions are encouraged to open up facilities for youth outreach activities being undertaken by Ontario researchers through the Ministry’s research, talent development and outreach programs.
Eligible Infrastructure
An eligible infrastructure project involves the modernization, acquisition, or development of research infrastructure. When completed, such a project represents a new capital asset and provides new or improved research capabilities, research tools or research facilities.
Eligible infrastructure includes equipment, specimens, scientific collections, computer software, information databases, communication linkages, and other intangible properties, used or to be used primarily for carrying on research. Constructions and renovations essential for housing the infrastructure effectively are also considered eligible.
In-kind contributions from project partners and cash expenditures by the institution must have taken place on or after January 1, 2007 to be considered eligible. Expenditures are considered incurred when goods are received, services have been rendered, or work has been performed.
Final determination of an item's eligibility rests with the ORF, which may make eligibility subject to terms, conditions and limits as set out in the Grant Agreement.
Funding
The ORF will contribute a maximum of 40% toward the total eligible costs. The research institution is responsible for obtaining at least 60% from the CFI, any private funding partners, or its own resources.
Final determination of the level of provincial funding rests with the ORF. If the project cost decreases after the dates of the MRI award, then the ORF contribution will decrease accordingly.
Specific-purpose grants received from Ontario government ministries or agencies cannot be used as a match for ORF funding.
Eligible Partner Contributions
Only contributions to the eligible costs of projects described above can be counted as partner contributions.
The one exception is a donation of real property, if it is deemed essential to the infrastructure project.
A specific partner contribution that has already been used to leverage or match funds for another capital project at the institution will not be recognized as an eligible matching contribution to an ORF-RI program.
In-Kind Contributions
In-kind contributions are defined as non-monetary resources that external partners provide to eligible projects.
Eligible in-kind contributions include the value of:
- capital items that eligible external partners donate to the institution, such as equipment and facilities;
- certain non-capital eligible costs needed to bring the infrastructure into service, eg. professional services and training; and,
- title to real property to be transferred to the institution (unless ownership has been transferred to the institution at the time the application is submitted).
The ORF retains the right to determine eligibility of any in-kind contribution. ORF may make eligibility subject to terms, conditions and limits.
Assessing the Value of In-Kind Contributions
The ORF policy for assessing and documenting the value of in-kind contributions will be addressed in detail in the Grant Agreement. As a general rule, the ORF will adopt CFI's policy.
The ORF reserves the right to make the final determination of the eligibility and value of in-kind contributions, to disallow expenditures, and reduce the ORF award. To avoid a situation where in-kind contributions may later be deemed ineligible or incorrectly valued, institutions are advised to contact Ministry staff early in the process to confirm the eligibility and valuation of an in-kind contribution.
Intellectual Property
The ORF does not claim any ownership or rights to any IP resulting from ORF-RI funded projects. Such rights are to be determined by the lead institution in accordance with its current IP policy. In cases where a consortium of applicants exists, the policy, as dictated in the Inter-Institutional Agreement between the consortium members, will dictate the IP policy.
Applicants are expected to make mutually agreeable commercialization arrangements with their private sector partners, and to demonstrate how the economic benefits of the proposal extend beyond the private sector partners.
Information Sharing Between CFI and ORF
Before submitting an application to ORF, institutions must complete and submit a form "Release of Information by the Canada Foundation for Innovation to the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation", available from the Ministry. Institutions that have already submitted a form do not need to resubmit.
The release form ensures that institutions understand that:
- Applicants will be required to request that CFI release to the Ministry, on a confidential basis, all review material related to the project.
- The proposal review carried out by the CFI will be an important component of the ORF-RI's assessment;
- Ministry staff may attend meetings with expert committees regarding their review of projects;
- It is necessary to streamline and harmonize the ongoing administration and monitoring of successful projects with the CFI;
- The CFI will release to ORF-RI, on a confidential basis, ongoing progress and financial information; and,
- Ministry staff may attend financial monitoring/audit visits, as well as site visits to review project progress and impact.
Sharing of information with the Ministry begins immediately.
Applications for ORF Large Infrastructure Funding
Eligible institutions requesting ORF-RI Large Infrastructure funding are required to submit one Notice of Intent to Submit an Application (NOI) per project by June 30, 2008 and a full application by October 24, 2008.
A one paragraph (500 words) overview is required with each Notice of Intent and will be posted on the ORF-RI website to help institutions identify opportunities for meaningful collaboration on projects with similar research topics or with similar objectives.
Application forms are available on the Ontario Research Fund website.
Meetings with Institutions (May to July 2008)
In the interest of engaging institutions early in the application development process, the Ministry will be holding information exchange meetings with eligible institutions to discuss: institutional and provincial priorities; institutional, regional and national projects; and the institution’s overall approach to this competition. Meetings will take place with the Vice Presidents of Research (or equivalent level) and MRI Senior Management from May to the end of July 2008.
Where possible, the preference would be to meet with institutions together with their affiliated research hospitals to gain a better understanding of the institution’s overall approach to the competition. However, the Ministry appreciates that this could be logistically challenging given the number of affiliated research hospitals/volume of proposals and will defer to the institution’s policies for affiliated research institutes.
In order to set up a meeting, please contact Tim Franklin, Research Officer, Research Branch, Ministry of Research and Innovation at tim.franklin@ontario.ca or (416) 325-1827.
Submission of Applications (due Oct 24, 2008)
Eligible institutions may apply for ORF support for a specific proposal for Large Infrastructure Funds by submitting:
- a completed and signed ORF-RI application form, together with six photocopies and one electronic copy; and
- six copies of the New Initiatives Fund (NIF) or Leading Edge Fund (LEF) application to the CFI, together with all supporting materials provided with that application.
Assessment Criteria and Review Process
The Ministry will review each application to the ORF and the corresponding CFI application materials for accuracy, completeness and relevance to program objectives and selection criteria.
Proposals will be evaluated based on scientific merit and strategic value to Ontario. In order to be considered for funding, projects must demonstrate excellence in research and technology development.
Scientific Review
Where possible, the Ministry will work with CFI to reduce duplication of efforts and administrative burdens on the institutions. The peer review process to assess the scientific merits of proposals will be managed by CFI with active Ministry participation.
A joint CFI/MRI scientific review process will also ensure that CFI and the province have a common reference point in evaluating the strategic value of proposals and engaging in discussions on federal/provincial priorities.
Proposals will be evaluated, to a degree appropriate to their size and complexity, based on the following CFI/MRI scientific review criteria:
- Quality of the research or technology development and need for the infrastructure
- Quality, innovation and transformative potential of the research or technology development;
- Ability of the principal user(s) to capitalize on the proposed research and technology development opportunities;
- Appropriateness of the infrastructure in meeting the proposed research or technology development activities, and its complementarity to other existing infrastructure, where appropriate; and,
- Effective ongoing management, operation, and maintenance of the infrastructure.
- Contribution to strengthening the capacity for innovation
- Enhance the institutional capacity in its strategic research priority areas;
- Create a sustainable regional or national capacity for innovation that is internationally competitive;
- Attract and retain the best researchers or those with the highest potential;
- Create a stimulating and enriched environment for training highly qualified personnel for research and other careers; and,
- Strengthen multidisciplinary approaches and collaborations among researchers, as well as partnerships with different institutions and sectors.
CFI will establish expert review committees to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the proposals in relation to the scientific review criteria. Expert review committee meetings are expected to take place from November 2008 to February 2009.
Strategic Value Review
The Ministry recognizes the importance of extracting value from research investments and in seizing opportunities for global leadership. These concepts are key to the Government of Ontario’s Innovation Agenda – Seizing Global Opportunities.
To that end, the Ministry will coordinate a strategic value review of proposals to assess the benefits to Ontario. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following strategic value criteria, to the degree appropriate given the size, complexity and nature of the project:
- Economic Impact
- The degree to which the proposed research or technology development is likely to strengthen Ontario’s economy by leading to increased investments, job creation, new products and services, and increasing existing R&D or industrial strength. Applied research and technology development projects must demonstrate a clear commercialization implementation plan, which includes evidence of commercialization potential, a market analysis, licensing agreements and strategic alliances and partnerships.
- Societal Impact:
- The degree to which the proposed research or technology development is likely to lead to benefits to society, health, the environment, quality of life or public policy.
- Ontario’s Visibility in the Scientific Community/Impact in Priority Areas:
- The degree to which the proposed research or technology development is likely to enhance the province’s profile in the global scientific community and/or advance Ontario’s strengths in bio-economy/clean technology, advanced health technologies, digital media and information & communications technologies or pharmaceutical research and manufacturing.
The Ministry will establish strategic review committees to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the proposals in relation to the strategic value review criteria. Strategic value review meetings are expected to take place in February/March 2009 and will be informed by the expert scientific reviews, as well as input from other ministries with sectoral responsibilities.
The strategic review committees will consist of experts from academia and industry. Members will be chosen for their capacity to assess proposals based on the scientific and strategic value review criteria, and for their broad understanding of Ontario’s research and innovation environment. The final composition and number of committees will depend on the applications received.
The strategic review committees will advise the Ontario Research Fund Advisory Board on the strategic value of the proposals.
The ORF Advisory Board will consider the advice of the strategic review committees and make recommendations to the Minister of Research and Innovation. These recommendations will inform provincial funding decisions and will be shared with the CFI as provincial input into their adjudication process.
ORF Awards
The final funding decision rests with the Minister of Research and Innovation. The Minister may approve applications, approve subject to terms and conditions, or decline applications at his sole discretion.
ORF awards are expected in July 2009.
Timelines
Date |
Activity |
| May to July 2008 | Notice of Intent (NOI) Meetings with Ministry |
| June 30, 2008 | NOI submitted |
| July 2008 | Posting of NOI lists on Ministry website |
| October 24, 2008 | Applications submitted |
| November 2008 – February 2009 | Expert Committees Meetings |
| February/March 2009 | Provincial Strategic Value Review Meetings |
| March 2009 | Provincial input to CFI |
| July 2009 | MRI funding decisions |
Award Agreements
Approved applicants will enter into a Grant Agreement with the Ministry of Research and Innovation. The Grant Agreement stipulates terms and conditions governing the payment of the ORF grant, including:
- project budget;
- project management;
- communications strategies monitoring and reporting requirements, including annual progress reporting, audits and financial reports;
- milestone and performance measures;
- mode and schedule of payments; and,
- contract termination.
Ownership and Control of Assets Funded by the ORF
Ownership and control of the assets acquired with the grant funds, including research equipment or buildings related to a funded ORF project, must remain with the institution for a period of five years after acquisition and installation in the case of equipment, or five years from the date of occupancy in the case of a building.
In the case of a project with a multi-institutional composition or consortium, the inter-institutional agreement should dictate the arrangements made with regard to the ownership, control and disposal of research equipment and other assets.
Research equipment and other assets must be located at an eligible research institution, unless it can be successfully shown that an alternate location provides the most effective placement of the equipment or other assets. Any change in location requires a notification to the ORF and may require the approval of the ORF.
Disbursement of Funds
Approved projects will be paid through a Request for Disbursement process. The ORF-RI grant is subject to a 10% holdback, which will be disbursed after the final ORF review of the project’s impact, finances and fulfillment of project objectives.
Communications
To ensure continuity, consistency and open communication between the applicant and the ORF-RI, the institution's project officer and the assigned ORF advisor will coordinate all project-related discussions.
Program Contact
If you have questions about the ORF-RI program, please contact:
Yassar Muttaqi
Tel: 416-314-0633
Email: 
Linked Documents
CFI Policy on Assessing the Value of Items Involving In-kind Contributions
Classification Codes for Research Disciplines
Classification Codes for Areas of Application
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
The Ministry of Research and Innovation is subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The information and documentation provided to the Ministry of Research and Innovation may be shared with members of the ORF Advisory Board, the Review Panels, expert reviewers and others for the purposes of administering the ORF program.
This program may be subject to change.
Grant disbursements are subject to the Ministry of Research and Innovation having an appropriation approved by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the fiscal year in which the disbursement is to be made.
