2012 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 (LIF) 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.  Please note that for the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) 2012 Leading Edge Fund/New Initiatives Fund (LEF/NIF), the CFI has chosen to focus primarily on keeping previous CFI investments at the leading edge, therefore at least two-thirds of the available CFI budget will be awarded to meritorious LEF proposals.  For further information, please review the CFI guidelines for the 2012 Leading Edge and New Initiatives Funds Competition .

The ORF program is a competitive, non-entitlement program.  The ORF will not automatically match the 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.

Eligible Applicants

Ontario institutions that are eligible to apply to the CFI Leading Edge Fund or New Initiatives Fund and meet the requirements listed below are also eligible to apply to the Ontario Research Fund for Large Infrastructure Funds.

Funding is open, on a competitive basis, to:

• Ontario publicly assisted universities
• Ontario colleges of applied arts 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 the ORF Advisory Board

A Not-for-profit research institution seeking eligibility for ORF-RI funding must demonstrate that: 

• It is not an agency of the federal government, a provincial government, a territorial government, or a for-profit organization 
• It demonstrated its capacity to conduct research
• It does not receive ongoing funding from the province

The following organizations will not be considered eligible and cannot apply for, or receive, ORF funding:

• For-profit organizations and agencies of for-profit entities
• Federal departments, departmental corporations, parent Crown corporations, or wholly-owned subsidiaries of parent Crown corporations
• Provincial or territorial departments, agencies, or Crown corporations, as defined in the Government Agency Establishment and Accountability Directive (except for universities, colleges, other educational institutions, or hospitals)
• Non-profit corporations that have been established by any of the above

Eligible Infrastructure

This fund is intended to support significant research infrastructure made up of a single item or a collection of items.

An eligible infrastructure project involves the modernization, acquisition, or development of applied research or technology development infrastructure.  Minor construction or renovations essential for housing the ORF infrastructure are also deemed eligible. As per CFI’s 2012 LEF/NIF guidelines construction costs to build new space will not be eligible in this competition.

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.

Proposals from any one of the three High Performance Computing Consortia [HPCVL (High Performance Computing Virtual Laboratory), SciNet, and SHARCNET (Shared Hierarchical Academic Research Computing NETwork)] in Ontario must be accompanied by a signed letter from all three members.

MEDI-funded research infrastructure will represent a new capital asset and provide a new or improved applied research or technology development capability for the recipient.

To be considered eligible, in-kind contributions from external partners and cash expenditures by the institution must have taken place on or after the date provided in the CFI Calls for Proposals. 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 percent toward the total eligible costs. The research institution is responsible for obtaining at least 60 percent 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 MEDI award, then the ORF contribution will decrease accordingly.

Grants received from other Ontario government ministries or agencies cannot be used to match ORF funding.

Eligible Partner Contributions

Only contributions to the eligible costs of projects described above can be counted as partner contributions.

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 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 Economic Development and Innovation", available from the Ministry (please contact kevin.dilamarter@ontario.ca to obtain this form). 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-LIF 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-LIF, 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 applying to the ORF-Large Infrastructure Fund (ORF-LIF) are required to submit one Notice of Intent (NOI) per project and a full application.

The ORF-LIF NOI form is available on the ORF website.  Institutions must ensure that the total value of the NOIs being submitted is no higher than twenty percent (20%) above its total CFI Envelope. 

• The NOI includes a one paragraph (500 words) project overview that will be posted on the ORF-RI website to help institutions and potential partners identify opportunities for meaningful collaboration.
• The Ministry will coordinate a strategic value review of the NOIs to assess the benefits to Ontario.  Feedback on the NOIs will be provided to applicants prior to MEDI’s and CFI’s full application deadline. See Assessment Criteria and Review Process for full information regarding the review process.
• The NOI is non-binding. After the NOI deadline institutions may choose to submit alternate applications, however, these applicants will not benefit from a strategic value review prior to the application deadline and these applicants will not have their NOIs posted on the ORF-RI website.

The Ministry requests that an electronic copy of the CFI Notice of Intent be sent to the Ministry by February 10th, 2012.

The deadline for the NOI is December 7th, 2011 while the deadline for the full application is May 25, 2012.  See the Timelines section below for relevant competition deadlines.

Submission of Applications

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 one photocopy and one electronic copy (not scanned); and
• one hardcopy and   one electronic version (not scanned) of the New Initiatives Fund (NIF) or Leading Edge Fund (LEF) application to the CFI, together with all supporting materials provided with that application (e.g., finance module,  CV, letters of support).

See the Timelines section below for relevant competition deadlines.

Assessment Criteria and Review Process

Expert Review

CFI will establish expert review committees to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the proposals in relation to CFI’s expert review criteria (see CFI’s Call for Proposals).  The results from the expert review processes will inform MEDI’s Ontario Strategic Value Review and funding decisions.

Ontario 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 the NOIs and full applications to assess the benefits to Ontario.  Feedback on the NOIs will be provided to applicants prior to MEDI’s and the CFI’s full application deadline.

NOIs and full applications 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 and digital media and information & communications.

The Ministry will establish strategic value 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 January 2012 for the NOIs and late summer/early fall 2012 for the full applications and will be informed by the CFI 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 (ORF) 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 Economic Development and Innovation.  These recommendations will inform provincial funding decisions and will be shared with the CFI as provincial input into their adjudication process.

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; and
• Digital media and information & communications technologies.

Regional and National Projects

The lead Ontario institution seeking provincial funding for a national project must submit an ORF application for the Ontario component of the project, explicitly demonstrating the project’s benefits to Ontario especially if the project will be located outside of Ontario (how the strategic review criteria will be met - i.e.: what is the Return on Investment 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 national project.

ORF Awards

Following the completion of the CFI adjudication process, the ORF Advisory Board will make funding recommendations to the Minister of Economic Development and Innovation. The final funding decision rests with the Minister of Economic Development and Innovation.  The Minister may approve applications, approve subject to terms and conditions, or decline applications at his sole discretion.  ORF funding decisions are expected in January 2013.

Timelines

Milestone	Date
Notice of Intent (NOI) Deadline	December 7th, 2011
Ontario Strategic Value Review of the NOIs	January 2012
Electronic copy of the CFI Notice of Intent sent to MEDI	February 10, 2012
MEDI NOI Feedback sent to Institutions	February 17th, 2012
Full Application Deadline	May 25th, 2012
MEDI Funding Decision	January 2013

Award Agreements

Approved applicants will enter into a Grant Agreement with the Ministry of Economic Development 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 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.

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.

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.

Service Standard

The Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation is committed to making timely decisions on all Complete Applications once submitted. The Ministry will use its best efforts to notify Applicants of decision within three months from CFI’s approval of projects.

Program Contact

If you have questions about the ORF-LIF program, please contact:

Kevin Dilamarter
Tel: 416-327-4842
Email: kevin.dilamarter@ontario.ca

Lesley Cunningham
Tel: 416-314-0633
Email: lesley.cunningham@ontario.ca

Linked Documents

Ontario’s Innovation Agenda
2012 Large Infrastructure NOIs (PDF - 916KB)
Application Form (DOC - 287KB)
Classification Codes for Research Disciplines (PDF - 15KB)
Classification Codes for Areas of Application (PDF - 16KB)
Frequently Asked Questions

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

The Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation is subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The information and documentation provided to the Ministry of Economic Development 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 Economic Development and Innovation having an appropriation approved by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the fiscal year in which the disbursement is to be made.