The Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) administers the
Canada Research. The regulations in this guide apply to the Canada Research Chairs program only.
NEW: The guidelines below no longer apply to the Canada
Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) Program and Canada 150 Research Chairs (C150) Program. A new administrative guide for these programs will be
posted in the coming months. If you have any questions regarding the
administration of the CERC and C150 programs, contact
information@cerc.gc.ca or
info@canada150.chairs-chaires.gc.ca.
Note:
For the purposes of this document, “agency” refers to one of
the three following agencies: the Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council (NSERC); the Social Sciences and Humanities Research
Council (SSHRC); or the Canadian Institutes of Health
Research (CIHR).
Accepting the chair and Start Date
Responsibilities and Accountability
Annual Funding of Awards
Use of Award Funds
Reporting and Supporting Evidence
Administrative Matters
Accepting the chair and Start Date
Notice of award and acceptance
The Secretariat sends all notices of award to the primary contact for the
institution. For its part, the institution must confirm in writing, by
providing the appropriate signatures, that it:
-
accepts the award as set out in the Notice of Award and Acceptance (NOA);
- acknowledges the start date of each chairholder’s appointment; and
- accepts the administrative regulations as laid out in this guide.
Provided there are no other conditions attached to the award, when the
Secretariat receives these confirmations it will begin payments on, or
shortly after, the effective date of the appointment.
As indicated in the NOA, chairholders are expected to participate in chairs
program
peer review
activities, if asked to do so. Institutions can establish Canada Research
chairs, in part, because other chairholders and researchers have graciously
offered their time to participate in the peer review process in the past.
Start date
Canada Research Chairs, recipients must take up the appointment within
12 months of the institution receiving the NOA. The Secretariat will
withdraw awards that are not accepted within this period.
The effective start date of a new chair may be no earlier than the first day
of the month in which notification of the award occurred. The effective
start date of a renewed chair must be the first day following the end date
of the original term.
Period of tenure
Once the chairholder starts, the awards for Tier 1 and Tier 2 Canada
Research Chairs are tenable for seven years and five years respectively.
Should a chairholder leave or be unable to perform their duties before the
award expires, the institution must notify the Secretariat.
Chairholders must be employed full time at the host institution to be
eligible to hold the chair.
Renewing a chair
A Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, which can be renewed only once, is
eligible for renewal in its sixth year. A Tier 2 Canada Research
Chair, which can be renewed only once, is eligible for renewal in its fourth
year.
A researcher who has been renewed for a second term as a Tier 1 Chair
cannot be submitted as a new Tier 1 Chair at another institution,
regardless of the number of years completed in the second term.
If a researcher resigns from a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair position at
one institution and accepts a Tier 2 Chair at another institution, he
or she cannot be renewed, regardless of the number of years in the initial
chair.
If a Canada Research Chair is not renewed, the institution can submit a
nomination for a new nominee.
Holding other chairs/awards
The following table summarizes the regulations for holding other chairs or
awards.
Non-Canadian chairholders
Foreign researchers who have been named as chairholders should apply for a
temporary work permit through an
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
visa office.
When applying for a work permit, a letter of confirmation—which may be
obtained through the Secretariat—and a letter of offer from the institution
should be sent as supporting documents.
For additional information about hiring foreign academics and general
information on taxes, social insurance number applications, spousal
employment and similar matters, please consult the
Employment and Social Development Canada
website.
Visit the
Canada Border Services Agency
website for Canadian border information and services, such as accounting for
personal effects.
Members of the chair’s team may be eligible for an expedited work permit.
For further information on the process, institutions may contact their local
International Mobility Worker Unit.
Institutions in the National Capital Region (Ottawa-Gatineau) should
strongly encourage non-Canadian chairholders to live in the same province in
which they work. This is to avoid undue hardship related to the process of
becoming a permanent resident.
Responsibilities and Accountability
TIPS keeps institutions informed by posting information on the Program Updates page
and by sending information to the institutional contacts listed on
Convergence. It is the institution’s responsibility to keep this contact
information in the portal up to date and complete. An institution can update
its institutional contacts by emailing information@cercschairs-chaires.gc.ca
or by contacting their
program officer.
Equity Officer
Institutions are required to add the contact information for their equity
officer (or equivalent) on
Convergence.
Roles and responsibilities
Chairs are awarded to institutions. The Secretariat will make quarterly
payments, through SSHRC’s finance division, on behalf of the
designated agency. Installments for future fiscal years will be subject to
availability of funds.
The administration of funds granted by an agency is carried out by the
institution and the agency. Refer to the
Tri-agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research
for chairholders’ responsibilities when applying for, or receiving
funds, and the Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research
Institutions
for more details on the administration of funds granted.
In accordance with federal laws and policies regarding grants, the
Secretariat verifies the institution’s eligibility for and entitlement
to grants.
Chairs are awarded to eligible institutions and are administered through the
institution. The institution authorizes expenditures in accordance with
agency and program policies and requirements, as outlined in the relevant
agency and program guides on their websites, or as stated as a condition of
award, and with institution policies. No one may initiate or authorize
expenditures from an award account without the institution’s delegated
authority.
Each institution establishes appropriate procedures, systems and controls to
ensure that agency and program policies and requirements are followed. The
institution has the right and responsibility to withhold and withdraw
approval of expenditures proposed by a chairholder that contravene the
agency’s or program’s requirements or the institution’s
policies and, when appropriate, to seek advice or ruling from the
Secretariat as to eligibility of expenses. Administrative, personnel and
accounting procedures must conform to the standards, practices and policies
of the institution.
The grantee, normally the institution’s president, principal or
rector, authorizes expenditures from the grant account in accordance with
program guidelines. The grantee may delegate the authorization of
expenditures to a small number of individuals. The business office of the
institution at which the chairholder is located generally administers the
chair funds. The institution must open a separate account for each grant it
receives and clearly record all payments made into and from the account, and
group them by category.
The institution must not disburse any funds on behalf of the chairholder
until all specified
certification requirements—including those in respect of animal care, human ethics and any
other requirements— have been met, and any other special permits or
licenses have been delivered.
The institution is responsible for providing chairholders with a budgetary
statement for their chair on a regular basis.
All subsequent instalments are subject to parliamentary appropriations and
the conditions that may be attached to them. TIPS and all its programs
reserve the right to defer or suspend subsequent instalments if the
parliamentary appropriations are reduced or cancelled, or if the need for
funds is not demonstrated.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
The Government of Canada and TIPS are committed to excellence
in research and research training for the benefit of Canadians. Achieving a
more equitable, diverse and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is
essential to creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research
necessary to seize opportunities and for responding to global challenges. As
such, the program is committed to the federal government’s policies on
non-discrimination and
employment equity.
Participating institutions administer funds in partnership with the agencies
and TIPS. Therefore, all institutions that accept agency
funding must make concerted efforts to meet their equity and diversity
targets and provide a supportive and inclusive workplace. This supports the
goals of equity, diversity and inclusion within the CRCP and
the broader Canadian research enterprise.
Consequences framework for institutions that do not meet the program’s
equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) requirements
The following outlines the consequences imposed on institutions in cases
where they do not meet the program’s EDI requirements.
Staggered equity deadlines
Institutions that do not meet their equity targets by the
December 2022, December 2025 and December 2027 equity target
deadlines will be limited to submitting new nominations to the program only
in cases where the candidates self-identify as belonging to one or more of
the four designated groups, and where they have an equity target to be met
for that group, until such time as their target(s) is met. Renewal
nominations may continue to be submitted during this time.
December 2029 equity target deadline
Institutions that do not meet their equity targets by the December 2029
deadline will see their total allocation of chairs reduced until the
following allocation cycle. Institutions will lose one chair allocation for
every equity target (or gap) not met by the December 2029 deadline. For
example, if an institution does not meet an equity target by two chairs, it
will lose two chair allocations. Similarly, should an institution have a gap
of two chairs for one of the four designated groups and a gap of one for
another, the institution will lose three allocations.
In the case where a chairholder ends their term early during the 18 months
before the December 2029 deadline (e.g., due to retirement, illness, moving
to another institution) and this results in an institution not meeting one
or more of their equity targets, that gap would not be counted for the
purposes of imposing consequences.
Institutional EDI action plan requirements
Institutions that do not meet the
EDI Action Plan
requirements in the first review stage of the peer review process for action
plans will be limited to submitting new nominations to the program only in
cases where the candidates self-identify as belonging to one or more of the
four designated groups, and where they have an equity target to be met for
that group, until such time as their target(s) is met. Renewal nominations
may continue to be submitted during this time.
Institutions that do not meet the EDI Action Plan requirements by the final
review stage of the peer review process for action plans will have the peer
review decisions (and, where applicable, their associated funding for chair
awards) for all new and renewal nominations submitted to the program
withheld until requirements are met.
View the
results of the institutional EDI action plan review processes.
Public accountability and transparency requirements
Institutions that do not meet the public accountability and transparency
requirements will have the peer review decisions (and, where applicable,
their associated funding for chair awards) for all new and renewal
nominations submitted to the program withheld until the requirements are
met.
See
Institutional Public Accountability and Transparency Web Pages
for more information.
The program may, in extraordinary circumstances and/or events reasonably
outside the control of the institution, provide an extension for meeting its
EDI requirements for a period not to exceed 12 months.
Recruitment and nomination process
All institutions must ensure that their recruitment and nomination processes
meet the requirements of the program as outlined below.
September 2018 update: These new requirements are an
update to the program’s
Guidelines for ensuring a fair and transparent recruitment and
nomination process
(implemented in 2011) and are being implemented as part of its
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.
Please note the following:
-
These requirements are in effect for new recruitment processes that
start after September 10, 2018.
-
If a recruitment process took place before these requirements taking
effect, an institution must submit a formal letter with its nomination
outlining exactly how the process followed the previous guidelines.
-
The program will not accept a nomination if the recruitment process
starts after September 10, 2018 and does not meet the requirements.
The Requirements for recruiting and nominating Canada Research Chairs
apply to all new nominations (including foreign nominees), whether the chair
is used for internal recruitment (only open to existing faculty) or external
recruitment (to attract new faculty), as well as when a Tier 2
chairholder is nominated to a Tier 1 Chair at the same institution.
To ensure openness and transparency with their current chairholders,
institutions must establish clear criteria to determine whether a chair will
be nominated for renewal and communicate these criteria to chairholders at
the beginning of and during their terms, as needed.
Monitoring of recruitment processes
TIPS monitors institutions’ adherence to the program’s
Requirements for nominating and recruiting Canada Research Chairs
and the
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Public Accountability and Transparency
Requirements. Institutions may be asked to provide, at any time within the 48 months
following the submission of a nomination, evidence that the nomination and
recruitment process met these requirements. See examples of requested
documentation.
The program will actively monitor to ensure that these requirements are
followed. In cases where the results of a monitoring exercise find a
recruitment process did not follow the requirements, the program reserves
the right to withdraw a nomination, suspend future payments or terminate the
award of an already active chair.
Equity Target-Setting Exercise
Institutions must establish
equity and diversity targets
to ensure individuals from the four designated groups (FDGs) (women,
Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible
minorities) participate in the program. An institution’s failure to
participate in the target-setting exercise will result in the suspension of
payments.
Institutional Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan Requirements
To remain eligible for the program, all institutions with five or more chair
allocations must develop and implement an equity, diversity and inclusion
action plan. This plan must guide their efforts for sustaining the
participation of and/or addressing the underrepresentation of individuals
(based on the
institution’s equity gaps) from the FDGs among their chair allocations. Institutions are expected to
develop the plan in collaboration with individuals from each of the FDGs,
chairholders, faculty and administrators responsible for implementing the
program at the institution.
It is important to note that institutions can only address their gaps once
chair positions become available (i.e., when their current chairholders’
terms end). However, it is expected that institutions will manage their
chair allocations carefully in order to meet their equity and diversity
targets, which includes choosing not to renew Tier 2 or Tier 1
chairholders, as necessary.
Institutions must have action plans posted on their websites as of December
15, 2017. They must also email a copy of their action plan to the program at
edi-edi@chairs-chaires.gc.ca. If an institution fails to meet these requirements by the deadlines
stipulated, the program will withhold peer review and payments for
nominations
submitted to the fall 2017 intake cycle, and to future cycles as
necessary, until the requirements are fulfilled.
Institutions must inform TIPS when they revise or update their action plans
by emailing
edi-edi@chairs-chaires.gc.ca.
On May 30 of each year (for the 2022 annual reporting
requirements, the deadline has been extended to June 30, 2022),
institutions are required to report to the program on the progress made in
implementing their action plans and meeting their objectives by:
The action plan must include, at a minimum, the following components:
1) Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Objectives and Measurement
Strategies
-
impactful equity, diversity and inclusion objectives, indicators, and
actions that will enable swift progress towards:
-
addressing disadvantages that individuals from FDGs currently
experience; and
-
meeting the institution’s equity and diversity targets and goals by
December 2019—aggressive objectives must be set based on the
number of chair allocations that are (or will become) available at the
institution within the 18 to 24 months following the
implementation of the plan on December 15, 2017.
-
objectives should be S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, aligned with the
wanted outcome, realistic and timely), and include a measurement strategy
for monitoring, reporting on progress and course correcting if necessary,
based on:
-
an employment systems review to identify the extent to which the
institution’s current recruitment practices are open and
transparent; barriers or practices that could be having an adverse
effect on the employment of individuals from the FDGs; and corrective
measures that will be taken to address systematic inequities (an
example of corrective measures that could be taken by institutions in
Ontario is provided on the
Ontario Human Rights Commission website);
-
a comparative review—by gender, designated group and field of
research—of the level of institutional support (e.g., protected time
for research, salary and benefits, additional research funds, office
space, mentoring, administrative support, equipment, etc.) provided to
all current chairholders, including measures to address systemic
inequities;
-
an environmental scan to gauge the health of the institution’s
current workplace environment and the impact that this may be having
(either positive or negative) on the institution’s ability to
meet its equity, diversity and inclusion objectives, and measures that
will be taken to address any issues raised; and
-
the institution’s unique challenges based on its characteristics
(e.g., size, language requirements, geographic location, etc.) in
meeting its targets, and how these will be managed and mitigated.
2) Management of Canada Research Chair Allocations
Provide a description of:
-
the institution’s policies and processes for recruiting Canada
Research chairholders and all safeguards that are in place to ensure that
these practices are open and transparent;
-
how the institution manages its allocation of chairs and who is involved
in these decisions (e.g., committee(s), vice-president level
administrators, deans / department heads);
-
the institution’s decision-making process for determining in which
faculty, department, research area to allocate its chair positions and who
approves these decisions;
-
the decision-making process for how the institution chooses to use the
corridor of flexibility
in managing its allocation of chairs, and who approves these decisions;
-
the decision-making process and criteria for determining whether
Tier 2 and Tier 1 chairholders will be submitted for renewal and
who is involved in these decisions;
-
the process and criteria for deciding whether to advance individuals from
a Tier 2 Chair to a Tier 1 Chair and who is involved in these
decisions;
-
the process and criteria for deciding which chairholder(s) will be phased
out in the case where the institution loses a chair due to the
re-allocation process
and who is involved in these decisions;
-
the decision-making process for determining what level of support is
provided to chairholders (e.g., protected time for research, salary and
benefits, additional research funds, office space, mentoring,
administrative support, equipment, etc.) and who within the institution is
involved in these decisions;
-
safeguards taken to ensure that individuals from the FDGs are not
disadvantaged in negotiations related to the level of institutional
support provided to them (e.g., protected time for research, salary and
benefits, additional research funds, office space, mentoring,
administrative support, equipment, etc.);
-
measures to ensure that individuals from the FDGs are not disadvantaged
when applying to a chair position in cases where they have career gaps due
to parental or health-related leaves or for the care and nurturing of
family members; and
-
training and development activities related to unconscious bias, equity,
diversity and inclusion for administrators and faculty involved in the
recruitment and nomination processes for chair positions (acknowledging
that research has shown unconscious bias can have adverse, unintended and
negative impacts on the overall success/career of individuals, especially
those from the FDGs).
3) Collection of Equity and Diversity Data
Provide a description of:
-
the institution’s processes and strategies for collecting and
protecting data on the FDGs (both applicants to chair positions and
successful candidates);
-
the institution’s strategies for encouraging individuals to
self-identify as a member of the FDGs; and
-
an example of the institution’s self-identification form as an
appendix.
4) Retention and Inclusivity
Provide a description of:
-
how the institution provides a supportive and inclusive workplace for all
chairholders (including those from the FDGs) and how this is monitored
(e.g., survey of chairholders, monitoring why chairholders leave the
institution);
-
the procedures, policies and supports in place that enable the retention
of individuals from the FDGs;
-
the process by which the institution manages complaints from its
chairholders/faculty related to equity within the program;
-
the contact information of an individual or individuals at the institution
responsible for addressing any equity concerns/complaints regarding the
management of the institution’s chair allocations; and
-
a mechanism for how concerns/complaints are monitored, addressed and
reported to senior management.
Equity, diversity and inclusion public accountability and transparency
requirements
To be eligible for the program, all participating institutions must clearly
publish on their
public accountability web pages
information related to the management of their chair allocations, as
outlined below, and submit an
attestation form
indicating that this task has been completed each year when requested by the
program.
If an institution fails to meet these requirements by the deadlines
stipulated,
the program will withhold peer review and payments for nominations
submitted to the program until the requirements are fulfilled. Institutions may be subject to additional measures to enforce compliance,
at the discretion of the program’s governance committees.
These public accountability and transparency requirements include:
-
an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) commitment statement related to
the CRCP and institution’s broader research enterprise;
-
a strategy for raising awareness within the institution of its commitment
to and the benefits of EDI within the CRCP and the broader research
enterprise;
-
a link to the CRCP’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Requirements and Practices page;
-
a link to the 2019 Addendum to the 2006 Canadian Human Rights Settlement Agreement;
-
a link to the Program Statistics page;
-
an overview of the governance plan for approval of the institutional EDI
action plan;
-
for institutions with five or more allocations, a copy of their current
EDI action plan (institutions must inform TIPS if they will revise or
update their plans by emailing edi-edi@chairs-chaires.gc.ca);
-
a copy of the latest Equity, Diversity and Inclusion progress report*, to report on progress made in implementing the EDI action plan and
meeting equity targets and objectives;
-
contact information for the individual or individuals who are responsible
for implementing the institution’s EDI agenda and can respond to
questions or concerns related to EDI;
-
a description of how EDI concerns received by the institution are
monitored, addressed and reported to senior management;
-
the institution’s equity targets and gaps for each of the four
designated groups (or a link to the program’s equity target data), taking into consideration that all numbers less than five must be
withheld to protect the privacy of chairholders, unless all of the
institution’s chairholders give explicit permission to share the
data (this applies to data shared in the institution’s EDI action
plans and corresponding annual progress reports);
-
all policies that govern the staffing of Canada Research Chair positions
at the institution (other than the CRCP’s policies);
-
the institution’s CRCP utilization spreadsheet, which outlines how
many chair allocations the institution has, how many are filled and by
which chairholders (with their term end and start dates), type of flex moves used, and which allocations are available;
-
a link to the program’s requirements for recruiting and nominating Canada
Research Chairs;
-
a section with links to the advertisements for all chair positions for
external recruitment;
-
a section with links to the advertisements for all chair positions for
internal recruitment processes; and
-
a section with links, if applicable, to transparency statements for
Tier 1 third-term nominations or emergency retention nominations.
Please note, all advertisements must meet the program’s requirements and must be publicly available on the institution’s website for
at least three years.
Employment security conditions and wage increases
In cases where the award covers the chairholder’s entire salary, the
Secretariat expects the institution to provide for the chairholder’s
employment security as it does for other faculty members of comparable
seniority. As for general and merit wage increases, the institution must
plan for employment security within the chair’s budget and distribute the
resources in such a way that sufficient funds are available in future years
to allow for such increases.
Dedicated research time
The chairs programs expects that institutions provide chairholders with all
the support they need to ensure the success of their work, such as dedicated
time for research (e.g., by reducing the teaching load or releasing the
researcher from certain administrative duties). While the programs do not
stipulate that a certain percentage of dedicated time be provided, many
institutions ensure that chairholders are able to devote a minimum of 50% of
their work time to research. Note: the cost of a teaching replacement is an
eligible expense except while the chairholder is on leave.
Canada Research Chairs in senior administrative positions
Some researchers can deliver at a level expected of a Canada Research Chair
while also being in senior level administrative positions. Accordingly, the
program does not have a formal policy prohibiting chairholders from holding
these types of positions. However, it is the responsibility of the
institution (in collaboration with the chairholder) to ensure that
chairholders who hold senior administrative positions have time for research
so that they can carry out their program of research at the level expected
of a Canada Research Chair. Chairholders who have difficulty meeting their
research objectives because of a lack of time to devote to research run the
risk of not being renewed.
Deviation from proposed activities and/or budget
All conditions specified in the award notification and relevant program
requirements must be respected. Unless otherwise specified, grantees may
generally deviate from the proposed research activities and/or schedules.
Furthermore, institutions are not required to adhere strictly to the
allocation of funds set out in the nomination so long as they use their
award for the broad purpose for which it was originally awarded.
Financial monitoring of accounts
Representatives of the agencies and the Secretariat will periodically review
the institutions’ financial administration to:
-
assess the effectiveness of policies, systems and internal controls within
the institution;
-
confirm that the institution fulfils its research grant funds management
responsibilities as outlined in the
Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research
Institutions;
-
ascertain the level of confidence that research funds are used in
accordance with tri-agency requirements; and
-
share and disseminate information on guidelines and expectations for the
continuous improvement of research fund management.
Non-compliance
Institutions and chairholders are responsible for using award funds in
accordance with the policies of the agencies, including the
Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration, agency grants and awards guides, and this guide; and for providing true,
complete and accurate information on documentation for expenditures from
award accounts.
Using award funds for purposes inconsistent with the policies of the
agencies; misappropriating award funds; contravening agency financial
policies, namely the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide, agency
grants and awards guides, and this guide; or providing incomplete,
inaccurate or false information on documentation for expenditures from award
accounts all constitute breaches of the agencies’ policies.
For information on how the agencies address allegations of breaches of the
Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide or other Agency policies, refer to the Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research
(section 6.1). Matters involving financial mismanagement, where there is
evidence of fraud or other unlawful activity, are referred to the
appropriate authorities as per the Treasury Board
Directive on Losses of Money or Property.
Acknowledgment
Support for research provided by both chairs programs is an investment by
Canadian taxpayers. The programs’ accountability regarding this use of
award funds includes informing the public about who receives the support,
the type of research that will be conducted and how funds will be
administered.
Chairholders are required to use their
chairholder title
and
acknowledge the chairs program
in publications arising from the supported research, in conference or
congress materials, and on equipment and facilities purchased and/or
developed with award funds.
Institutions are expected to follow the
Public Communication Guidelines for Universities.
In addition, institutions should make every effort to ensure that
chairholders acknowledge the support of the Canada Research chairs program.
Intellectual property and patents
The chairs programs and the agencies:
-
do not retain or claim any ownership of, or exploitation or proprietary
rights to, intellectual property, copyright or inventions
developed/resulting from research supported with program funds; and
-
do not pass judgment on the eventual commercial success of the research.
The institution must disclose to its chairholders its policies on
intellectual property rights and ownership arising from supported research.
This requirement for disclosure is not intended to supersede any policy on
disclosure that the institution might already have in place.
Should chairholders decide to pursue commercialization of any results of the
research, including all partnered initiatives, they must adhere to
institutional and agency policies governing the assignment of intellectual
property.
Open access
The programs are committed to making the findings of the research they fund
easily accessible to the widest possible audience at the earliest possible
opportunity. Open access allows the results of research to have the greatest
impact. It is based on the idea that the products of research (i.e.,
full-text publications and research data) should be available to the user
free of charge and without restrictions. To support this commitment, the
agencies developed a
Tri-agency Open Access Policy on Publications. Please refer to the policy for more details on how to comply with its
requirements.
Responsible conduct of research
The programs requires institutions and chairholders to respect and comply
with the
Tri-agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research.
The agencies regard as misconduct any action that is inconsistent with
integrity and ethics as defined in this framework.
Ownership of collections and specimens
Scientifically valuable collections of animal, culture, plant or geological
specimens, or archaeological artifacts collected by an authorized
representative in receipt of award funds are the property of the
institution. These collections must be held in trust for the research
community, which should have reasonable access to them. Such collections
must be deposited as quickly as possible in an appropriate repository.
However, the programs’ policy on ownership of collections or specimens
does not supersede any federal or provincial legislation on this issue.
The programs’ intent is not to restrict standard and recognized
procedures of exchange of material and specimens between researchers and
institutions, but to better ensure their ongoing good condition and future
availability.
Annual Funding of Awards
Communication of results
The Secretariat will:
-
provide the institution with copies of all available reviews of their
nominations with the expectation that they will be shared with nominees or
chairholders; and
-
provide the results to the designated research and business officials in
each institution for all nominations submitted from their institution.
Note: The above information is provided in the strictest
confidence. Institutions must ensure that personal information about the
nominee or chairholder generated in the context of a nomination is protected
and that it is not used or disclosed for any new purpose without the
individual’s consent. The Secretariat does not publish or otherwise
disclose details related to unsuccessful nominations.
In addition, for successful nominations only, the Secretariat will post
limited information on its website, and in some cases on the appropriate
agency website (e.g., the name of the nominee, department, institution,
amount awarded, field of research, chair title, and in some instances a
summary of the research proposal prepared by the nominee for public
release).
Over-expenditures
The programs and the agencies are not responsible for funding expenditures
or commitments by chairholders that exceed award funds applied to the
chairholder’s account at the institution for current and prior fiscal
periods. These are the responsibility of the institution.
Continuing eligibility
To comply with government policy, the programs must confirm the
chairholder’s continued eligibility before releasing future
instalments to the institution. To remain eligible, the chairholder must be
employed full time at the institution. Once a year, the programs will
communicate with the institution’s research office and/or business
office to confirm that the chairholders continue to meet the eligibility
criteria.
If a chairholder’s eligibility changes at any time during the tenure
of an award, the institution must contact the Secretariat immediately. These
changes can include a change in a chairholder’s employment status
(e.g., from full professor to professor emeritus, from full time to part
time, or due to retirement, dismissal or resignation, taking a position
outside of Canada, or other reason).
Extension period for use of funds beyond the award period
The program permits a phase-out period after the chair end date of not more
than six months for the payment of outstanding commitments from the funds
remaining in the chairholder’s account. This period allows
chairholders to bring research activities to a close.
In the event of a chairholder’s death, this period may be extended to
12 months.
The phase-out period is limited to the payment of outstanding commitments
that were incurred before the end of the award period. No new commitments or
expenditures may be authorized from the award account for any activity
taking place after the chair end date.
The chairholder’s salary and non-discretionary benefits are not
eligible expenses during the phase-out period; these commitments are
eligible, however, if the chair is lost in the
re-allocation process.
At the end of the phase-out period, the institution must submit a final
statement of account (Form 300).
Extensions to the phase-out period are not permitted.
If funds remain in the account at the end of the phase-out period, refer to
the section on Residual balances.
Deactivation of a Canada Research Chair due to re-allocation
If an institution’s performance decreases relative to other
institutions to the extent that the institution’s chair allocation is
reduced through the
re-allocation process, the Secretariat will
reclaim
the lost chair allocations through various mechanisms.
Use of Award Funds
Preamble
The following are guidelines to assist chairholders and institutional
administrators in their interpretation of the acceptable use of award funds.
The list of examples is not exhaustive. Chairholders are encouraged to
communicate with their pertinent institutional contacts (e.g., financial
officer, research grants officer).
If an institution is unsure whether an expenditure is eligible, it must
contact the
Secretariat.
General principles
Award funds must contribute to the costs of the chairholder and the program
of research for which the funds were awarded. The funds must be used
effectively and economically, and the expenses must be essential for the
chair for which the funds were awarded.
Contributions to shared expenses must be directly attributable to the funded
chairholder’s research program, and be accepted and authorized by the
institution.
In the absence of a written program policy, the institutional policy (e.g.,
per diem rates for travel) is to be applied. In the presence of both a
program and an institutional policy, the program requires compliance with
the pertinent program policy. The institution has the right and
responsibility to withhold payment of expenses submitted for reimbursement
by the chairholder that contravene program and agency requirements or
institutional policies.
Retroactive expenses
Recruitment costs and relocation expenses for chairholders can be claimed
retroactively.
Expenses incurred between the date of accepting the
Notice of Award and Acceptance and the chair start date are
eligible, with the exception of those expenses related to the chairholder’s
salary and indirect costs.
Payment of all expenditures related to the award may begin on or after the
chair start date.
| Expenditure |
Eligibility Date |
| Recruitment costs and relocation expenses |
Any time |
| Chairholder’s salary and indirect costs |
On or after the chair start date |
| Any other expense |
As soon as the Notice of Award and Acceptance is accepted |
No other expenses except for those outlined above may be charged
retroactively during the award period. All other expenses must be charged to
the award account in the fiscal year the expense was incurred.
Eligibility of research personnel
Except for the chairholder, everyone employed through chair funds must be a
citizen or permanent resident of Canada, or must hold a valid Canadian
employment visa or work permit issued by the Government of Canada.
The exception is if the chairholder demonstrates that the research requires
hiring someone from outside Canada. In such cases, the chairholder must
follow the federal regulations of
Employment and Social Development Canada, which stipulate that employees working in Canada who are not Canadian
citizens or permanent residents must comply with all federal employment
regulations.
As the employer, the institution is responsible for ensuring that these
conditions are met.
Indirect costs
Institutions may use a reasonable portion of chair funds
(calculated based on a rational methodology) to pay for the indirect costs
related to its chairholders’ research. Expenses used for this purpose
must contribute to the costs of supporting the institution’s
chairholders and their programs of research. This portion of the award must
only be used to pay for eligible expenses as outlined on the
Research Support Fund website.
Compensation-related expenses
Persons who receive a salary from a Canada Research Chairs are not
considered program employees, scholars or fellows.
Institutional non-discretionary benefits normally include long- and
short-term disability insurance; life insurance; pension benefits; medical,
vision and dental care benefits; and parental leave. Institutional
non-discretionary benefits must not contravene agency guidelines.
The $20,000 research stipend for first-term Tier 2 Chairs cannot be
used toward the chairholder’s salary. The stipend can only be used for
direct costs
of the chairholder’s research.
Eligible expenses
-
the chairholder’s salary and the actual cost of related federal,
provincial and institutional non-discretionary benefits (including bonuses
or merit-based increases);
-
the salaries and non-discretionary benefits of members of the
chairholder’s team (students at all levels, postdoctoral
researchers, research associates, technicians, clerks, secretaries or
research assistants)—no minimums or maximums apply to stipends aside from
those dictated by institutional policy, and agency policy;
-
the costs of a teaching replacement for the chairholder, including
compensation to a department for one of its faculty members to teach a
chairholder’s courses*.
Other types of eligible expenses
- the cost of professional and technical services;
- consulting fees (**see exception below);
-
fees paid for the purpose of participant recruitment, such as modest
incentives to consider participation (i.e., to establish a potential
participant pool), where approved by a Research Ethics Board;
-
fees paid to research participants, such as modest incentives for
participation, where approved by a Research Ethics Board;
- subcontract costs;
-
clerical salaries directly related to dissemination activities, including
manuscript preparation;
- honoraria for guest lecturers.
Ineligible expenses
-
any part of the salary or consulting fee** to persons whose status would
make them eligible to apply for grants from one of the three federal
research funding agencies. However, an exception is made in cases where
the person is teaching one or more of the chairholder’s courses
(*see above);
-
a research time stipend for a member of the chair’s research team;
- the salary of a faculty member other than the chairholder;
-
the salary of anyone who is not a member of the chairholder’s
research team;
-
the cost of a teaching replacement while the chairholder is on leave;
-
the cost of technical services from a company owned by a faculty member
who is eligible to apply for funding from any one of the three federal
agencies;
- death benefits and any other discretionary benefit;
- discretionary severance and separation packages; and
-
the $20,000 research stipend cannot be used toward the chairholder’s
salary.
Travel and subsistence costs
Travel and subsistence costs (meals and accommodation) include reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses for field work, research conferences, collaborative
trips, archival work and historical research, for the chairholder, research
personnel and students working with the chairholder, and visiting
researchers.
Eligible expenses
-
travel and subsistence costs (meals and accommodation) for the chairholder
and any members of the research team;
-
air travel, which must be claimed at the most economical rate available,
not to exceed full economy fare;
- travel cancellation insurance and seat reservation charges;
-
travel health insurance for the chairholder and any members of the
research team who do not receive any such benefits from their institution
and/or other sources;
-
safety-related expenses for field work, such as protective gear,
immunizations, etc.;
-
entry visa fees (for the chairholder and/or members of the research team)
when required for the purpose of research;
-
travel and accommodation expenses for speakers invited to conferences and
workshops;
-
childcare expenses while a chairholder who is a nursing mother or single
parent is travelling:
-
the eligible cost for a single parent is limited to overnight
childcare costs incurred while the chairholder is travelling;
-
the eligible cost for a nursing mother who is travelling with a child
is limited to the customary cost of childcare and airfare if
applicable.
Note: If travelling with a caregiver, travel and
accommodation cost can be claimed in lieu of and up to the equivalent of
childcare costs.
Ineligible expenses
-
commuting costs of chairholders and associated research personnel between
their residence and place of employment, or between two places of
employment;
- passport and immigration fees;
-
costs associated with thesis examination/defence, including external
examiner costs;
-
reimbursement for airfare purchased with personal frequent flyer points
programs.
Recruitment and relocation expenses
Eligible expenses
- recruitment costs, but only for funded chairholders;
-
relocation expenses, including travel costs up to the value of economy
airfare for the chairholder and their immediate family, members of the
research team and their immediate families, as well as the cost of
transporting the families’ household effects;
-
travel and subsistence (food, lodging) costs for the chairholder and one
accompanying individual for a four-day trip to arrange accommodations
(rental or purchase) in advance of moving;
-
travel and subsistence (food, lodging) costs for members of the
chairholder’s research team and one accompanying individual per
member, for a four-day trip to arrange accommodations (rental or purchase)
in advance of moving;
-
food and lodging costs for the chairholder, members of the research team
and their families during their travel to the city of the host
institution, if they drive instead of fly.
These expenses can be recovered retroactively.
Sabbatical/research leave
Eligible expenses
-
costs related to a vehicle necessary for field work (with prior
institutional approval; the vehicle must be licensed and insured during
the sabbatical period);
-
direct research expenses, including research assistance, bench fees and
field work expenses, including travel and accommodations, when supported
by appropriate documentation;
-
transportation costs to move research equipment or material to and from
the sabbatical location;
- travel costs to attend conferences;
-
the costs of travel between the home institution and the sabbatical
location, limited to one return trip ticket, except in unusual
circumstances.
Ineligible expenses
-
costs of transporting research personnel to and from a chairholder’s
sabbatical location for supervisory or academic purposes;
-
costs of transporting the chairholder to the home institution for
supervisory or academic purposes;
- living expenses;
-
the travel costs of a chairholder’s family member or research team
member from the chairholder’s home institution to the sabbatical
location.
Equipment and supplies
For computers and electronic communications, refer to the
Computers and electronic communications section.
Eligible expenses
-
research equipment and supplies. See the
List of Eligible and Non-eligible Expenses for Stationery and Office
Supplies
for additional information.
-
the cost of acquiring, operating and maintaining research equipment,
research vehicles and other resources required for research (not including
costs covered by funds received from the Canada Foundation for
Innovation);
-
Note: Only small equipment (i.e., pieces of equipment
costing less than $7,000) may be purchased with funds from the
programs.
-
travel costs to visit manufacturers to make major equipment purchases;
- transportation costs for purchased equipment;
- extended warranties for equipment;
-
brokerage and customs charges for the importation of equipment and
supplies;
-
the costs of training staff to use equipment or a specialized facility.
Ineligible expenses
- insurance costs for equipment and research vehicles;
-
costs for the construction, renovation or rental of laboratories or
supporting facilities;
-
supplies from a company owned by a faculty member who is eligible to apply
for funding from any one of the three federal agencies.
Computers and electronic communications
Eligible expenses
-
computers, tablets, modems, emerging technology and other hardware and/or
specialized software required for the research not normally provided by
the institution, with adequate justification;
- monthly charges for the use of the institution’s Internet;
-
cellular phones, smartphone or other electronic devices when they are
necessary for research purposes (e.g., data collection), and/or for
personnel safety reasons, with adequate justification;
-
monthly plan fees for electronic devices when being used for the research
purposes (e.g., data collection) and/or for personal safety reasons only.
Ineligible expenses
- home Internet costs;
- standard monthly connection or rental costs of telephones;
- connection or installation of lines (telephone or other links);
- voice mail;
-
library acquisitions, computer and other information services provided to
all members of an institution.
Dissemination of research results
Eligible expenses
-
costs of developing Web-based information, including website maintenance
fees;
-
costs associated with the dissemination of research findings (through
traditional venues as well as videos or CD-ROMs);
-
page charges for articles published, including costs associated with
ensuring open access to the findings (e.g., costs of publishing in an open
access journal or of making a journal article open access);
- costs of preparing a research manuscript for publication;
- translation costs associated with dissemination of findings;
-
costs of holding a workshop or seminar whose activities relate directly to
the funded research (including non-alcoholic refreshments and meal costs).
Services and miscellaneous expenses
Eligible expenses
-
recruitment costs for research personnel, such as advertising and airfare
for candidates;
- costs for safe disposal of waste;
-
costs for the purchase of books or periodicals, specialized office
supplies, computing equipment and information services not formally
provided by the institution to all its academic and research staff;
-
costs involved in providing personnel with professional training and/or
development in novel techniques required for the conduct of the research
project;
- specialized courses with adequate justification;
-
hospitality costs (non-alcoholic refreshments or meals) for networking
purposes in the context of formal courtesy between the chairholder and
guest researchers and research-related activities in the context of
assemblies that facilitate and contribute to achieving the research
objectives (e.g., chairholder meetings with partners, stakeholders, guest
researchers);
-
costs of membership in professional associations or scientific societies,
if necessary for the research program/project;
-
monthly parking fees for vehicles specifically required for field work,
and only for months when field work was conducted.
Ineligible expenses
- costs of alcohol;
-
costs of entertainment, hospitality and gifts, other than those specified
above, such as regular interactions with colleagues from the institution
and personnel meetings;
- costs related to staff awards and recognition;
-
education-related costs, such as thesis preparation, tuition and course
fees, leading up to a degree;
-
costs related to professional training or development, such as computer
and language training;
- costs involved in the preparation of teaching materials;
-
costs of basic services, such as heat, light, water, compressed air,
distilled water, vacuums and janitorial services supplied to all
laboratories in a research facility (see
indirect costs );
- insurance costs for buildings and equipment;
-
costs associated with regulatory compliance, including ethical review,
biohazard or radiation safety, environmental assessments, or provincial or
municipal regulations and by-laws (see
indirect costs).;
-
monthly parking fees for vehicles, unless specifically required for field
work;
- sales taxes to which an exemption or rebate applies;
- costs of regular clothing;
- patenting expenses;
- costs of moving a laboratory.
Reporting and Supporting Evidence
Reporting requirements for Canada Research Chairs Program
Institutions
Institutions must submit the following reports as required by the program
(submission details are sent by email to all participating institutions
annually):
-
An
institutional report
that provides information on the management of their Canada Research
Chairs and progress in meeting the objectives of their strategic research
plan. An institution’s failure to submit the institutional report will
result in the suspension of payments until the report has been received.
The report must be submitted by October 31, 2023 and cover the
period of April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023.
-
An
Institutional Support Form
for each of their chairholders by October 31, 2023, that outlines the
funding provided by the institution between
April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, in support of the
chair (excluding any funding provided by external organizations, grant
funding agencies, the Canada Research Chairs Program, the associated CFI
funding and CFI matching funds).
-
An annual statement of account for each Canada Research Chairs award
account, using the standard agency statement of account (Form 300) (PDF, 14KB), that details how the award funds were spent. The
statement of account, signed by the institution president, principal,
rector or authorized delegate, is due at SSHRC’s finance division by
June 30 each year. This annual statement of account must indicate all
outstanding commitments.
Previews of these reports can be found
here.
Institutions must also meet annual
public accountability and transparency requirements
outlined above.
Chairholders
Chairholders are required to complete a
chairholder report. The report must be submitted by October 31, 2023, and cover the
period of April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023.
All chairholders must complete a report unless they have been in the
position for fewer than 12 months, their mandate is being renewed
(please see example outlined in the table below) or they were on leave
(maternity leave, parental leave, extended illness or need for the care and
nurturing of immediate family members) during the reporting period or are
currently on leave.
Example of annual reporting exemption for recently renewed chairholders
| Renewal submission deadline |
Exempted for submission of Annual Report 2022-23, due
October 31, 2023
|
| October 2022 |
Yes |
| April 2023 |
Yes |
Chairholders holding Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) funding can no
longer access the CFI’s project progress report forms through the chairs
website. If a chairholder has a CFI component to their chair, they must
access these forms through the CFI portal. Note that the reporting timelines
and requirements may differ from those of the Secretariat.
Supporting evidence
For each award, the institution and/or the chairholder must keep complete
and accurate records on the use of program funding, including verifiable
audit trails with complete supporting documentation for each transaction,
for a minimum of seven years.
The institution is responsible for authorizing expenditures from the award
account in accordance with the requirements, grant conditions and policies
of the institution and program. No other party may initiate or authorize
expenditures from an account without the institution’s written
delegated authority.
All claims must have the institutional representative’s or
delegate’s signature. The signatures certify that:
-
all expenditures on the claim are for the purpose for which the grant was
awarded;
-
all expenditures on the claim are
eligible expenses;
- all goods and/or services have been received;
-
the charges included have not been claimed for reimbursement from other
sources; and
-
reimbursements for expenditures received from other sources or
institutions have been disclosed to the administering institution.
Supporting documentation must be retained for all expenditures charged to
the grant accounts. Such documentation includes:
-
salaries or stipends paid to chairholders, students and research
personnel:
-
signed records regarding personnel paid from award funds, including
names, categories, salary levels, affiliation to the award;
- length of time supported in each case; and
- details of employee benefits charged and relevant calculations;
-
equipment and supplies:
- supplier invoices indicating details of purchases;
- prices paid;
-
internal expense allocations or shared expenditures:
- documentation indicating the exact charges made to the account;
- the method of calculation or attribution; and
-
the chairholder’s authorization for those charges made to the
account;
-
hospitality for networking and research-related activities:
- the dates of the events;
- number of participants;
- purpose of the event; and
-
counter signature by the department head or dean for hospitality
expenses claimed by the chairholder.
-
incentives paid for research recruitment and participation:
- supplier invoices indicating details of incentive purchases;
-
the application to a Research Ethics Board (REB) detailing incentive
plan (method of distribution, value of incentives, number of people
receiving incentive);
- the REB approval of the incentive; and
-
proof of payment of incentives (e.g., signed receipts, coded list of
recipients, attestation of researcher and/or others involved in
incentive payment).
Individuals claiming travel-related expenses from an award must prepare a
separate claim for each trip.
These travel expense claims must also conform to the standard travel
policies and procedures of the chairholder’s institution. For
claimants other than the chairholder, their affiliation with the
chairholder’s research group must be specified. If the traveller is a
student, the travel expense claim must be signed by the chairholder. In the
event that the traveller is the chairholder or a visiting researcher, the
expense claim
must be countersigned by the department head or dean
confirming the relevance of the travel to the research being funded.
The travel expense claim must include the following information:
- purpose of trip;
- dates and destinations (person or location visited);
-
official supporting documentation (e.g., prospectus or program, indicating
the dates of conferences and workshops);
- details of daily claims for expenditures relating to those visits;
- details of any vehicle used;
-
receipts, such as hotel invoices and car rental agreements (credit cards
slips are not valid receipts); and
-
air travel ticket receipts and boarding passes (if available) or any other
evidence that supports travel expenses claimed (e.g., a written
attestation from the chairholder).
Administrative Matters
Ownership of items purchased with award funds
All items purchased with award funds belongs to the institution and not to
the individual chairholder, unless the funding agency or program agrees
otherwise in writing, or unless doing so would be contrary to a legislated
requirement. As owner, the institution is responsible for ensuring that the
equipment is used to support the chairholder’s research program.
Decisions on the use and management of the equipment must be made jointly
between the institution and the chairholder or user group.
For the institution’s responsibilities related to equipment and
facilities, consult Section 3.8: Ownership of Equipment and Facilities of
the
Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research
Institutions.
Relocation of a chairholder to an eligible Canadian institution
Chairs awards are not transferable from one institution to another, nor can
funds from one chair be transferred to another.
Moving equipment or an unexpended equipment grant
All equipment purchased with awards funds belongs to the institution and not
to the individual chairholder, unless the funding agency or program agrees
otherwise in writing, or unless doing so would be contrary to a legislated
requirement. If the chairholder is moving to another Canadian institution
and wishes to move equipment purchased with awards funds, the former
institution may, in its discretion, give permission for such a move. The
agencies encourage the institution to accede to such a request, provided the
equipment is not necessary to other researchers at the former institution.
If an institution gives permission to transfer or loan equipment to another
eligible institution, the primary institution retains ownership of the
equipment or facilities. A letter of agreement should confirm ownership of
the equipment/facilities and the associated responsibilities, how the
equipment/facilities will be used and what access researchers from each
institution will have.
An institution may transfer ownership of equipment or facilities to another
eligible institution through a gift or sale. A letter of agreement from the
other institution agreeing to abide by the terms under which the funds for
the equipment or facilities were granted should be in place before the
transfer takes place. Proceeds from any sale of equipment purchased, or
facilities established, with funds granted by the agency or program should
be used for research-related purposes.
For the roles and responsibilities of the institution with regard to the
transfer of equipment, consult Section 3.8: Ownership of Equipment and
Facilities of the
Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research
Institutions.
Deferral of instalment or annual commitment payments
Government policy states that agencies cannot pay instalments/annual
commitments in advance of need; they can provide funds only to correspond
with the cash flow requirements of the chairholder’s research program.
If the institution has a buildup of funds in an award account due to a
slowdown or delay in the research (for example, extended leaves
[sick/maternity/parental leave], difficulty in hiring staff) and believes
that the scheduled instalment/annual commitment for the next financial year
will not be needed at that time, the institution should request a deferral
of the next instalment/annual commitment from the program.
Deferring instalments/annual commitments does not adversely affect the
review of the chairholder’s next nomination (if applicable) but rather
demonstrates good fiscal management of award funds. Note that the end date
of the award will not be adjusted.
The Secretariat may defer, or even hold back, a grantee’s next
instalment/annual commitment if, in its sole discretion, it has judged that
the grantee’s buildup of funds in the award account has not been
properly justified, that the need for funds has not been demonstrated, or
that issues have been identified during the period of tenure.
Early termination of a chair award
The chairholder, the institution and, in cases of non-compliance, the
program, may terminate a chair award early.
When a chair award is terminated, the institution must promptly notify the
Secretariat, which will in turn, advise the appropriate agency’s
finance division.
The six month phase-out period is applicable in
these cases.
The institution must promptly submit a letter stating the date and reason
for termination to the Secretariat by email (information@chairs-chaires.gc.ca).
The institution must also submit the following documents to the
program’s finance department by email (grantsadministration@nserc-crsng.gc.ca):
-
a detailed list of outstanding commitments made by the chairholder prior
to termination, including employment contracts/agreements for research
personnel, using
Form 303; and
-
a
statement of account (Form 300).
The chairholder must complete an online exit survey. The Secretariat will
provide them with a link to the survey by email. The chairholder can
download an example of
the exit survey. This document is provided for reference only.
In all cases of early termination of Canada Research Chairs, the institution
may replace the person leaving the chair following a
transparent, open and equitable recruitment process. A new nomination for a new term of either five or seven years must be
submitted to the Secretariat for evaluation according to the established
criteria. Institutions are free to take advantage of the “corridor of flexibility” in the allocation formula to decide the tier and discipline of the
new Canada Research Chair nominee.
Leaves
The institution must give the Secretariat prior notice of any leaves taken
by its chairholders.
Chairholders are eligible for sabbatical leave, vacation time, long-term
disability, maternity or parental leave, compassionate leave and other types
of leaves, in accordance with their institution’s policies.
While a period of leave may not exceed one year, a chairholder may take more
than one leave period during the tenure of his/her award, as long as there
are a minimum of two academic terms between each. The Secretariat reserves
the right to terminate the award of a chair who takes consecutive leaves.
If the conditions of the leave comply with the institution’s policies and if
the leave is a paid leave (with full or partial salary), the payments to the
institution will continue. Chair funds may only be used to cover the
institution’s share of the paid leave for the period involved. If this
represents less than 100% of the salary component of the chair budget, the
unspent salary funds may be redirected to other research expenses incurred
by the chair.
If the leave is unpaid, the payments to the institution will continue, but
the chairholder’s salary will not be counted as an eligible expense for the
duration of the leave. These unspent salary funds may be redirected to other
research expenses incurred by the chair.
A researcher may accept a chair award while on leave, but the period of
leave cannot extend beyond 12 months.
Apart from the exceptions explained below, the period of tenure of a chair
will not be extended to accommodate a period of leave. Any
residual funds may, however, be transferred to the
next fiscal year, but not beyond the end date of the award.
Maternity, Parental, Medical or Family Medical Leaves
The general institutional policies relating to maternity, parental, medical
or family medical leave apply.
The chairholder may take up to a two-year leave, in cases
of:
- maternity leave;
- parental leave;
- extended illness; or
- need for the care and nurturing of immediate family members.
The program recognizes the need for and the importance of these types of
leaves, and that career interruptions like these can affect a
chairholders’ research program. For these types of leave only, the
program provides flexibility in its payments to the institution. The
original amount of chair funding will remain unchanged.
For leaves one year or less, the institution and chairholder can choose to:
- continue or defer payments for the entire duration of the leave;
-
continue payments for part of the leave, and defer them for the remaining
period; or
-
switch between continuing and deferring payments for any number of months
at a time throughout the leave. For example, the institution may choose
for payments to be continued for three months, deferred for the following
four months and then continued for the remaining five months.
For leaves longer than one year, the institution and chairholder can choose
to:
- defer payments for the entire duration of the leave;
-
continue payments for the entire first year and defer them for the
remaining period;
-
continue payments for part of the first year and defer them for the
remaining period; or
-
switch between continuing and deferring payments for any number of months
at a time during the first year. For example, the institution may choose
for payments to be continued for two months, deferred for the following
four months, continued for the next three months, then deferred for the
remaining duration of the leave.
Payments are automatically deferred in the second year of a leave. However,
in certain cases, payments can be continued in the second year if there is a
strong justification from the institution.
For these types of leaves, the period of tenure of the chair can be extended
by the equivalent period of the leave, upon request. Consequently, the
renewal date, if applicable, will also be extended.
In very exceptional circumstances, the extension of a
renewal date
may be considered for compassionate reasons. These would be strictly limited
to an extended illness or the need for the care and nurturing of the
chairholder’s immediate family members, where for legitimate reasons
the individual could not, or did not take official leave. A strong
justification for the extension must be provided by the institution
outlining the extraordinary circumstances and why a formal leave was not
taken. In some cases, corresponding documentation may be requested.
For these types of leaves only, chairholders may transition back to work on
a part-time basis for a determinate period of time (12 months or less). The
same rules outlined in the Leaves section above apply
regarding the payment of salary during this period.
Chairholders as electoral candidates
In accordance with the Secretariat’s leave policy, the institution
must inform the Secretariat if a chairholder is participating as a candidate
in any election (municipal, provincial or federal). Each institution must
refer to its own leave policy to determine whether the chairholder’s salary
is an eligible expense during their candidacy.
If the individual is successful in the election, the chair will be
terminated immediately and the phase-out period of six months for the
payment of outstanding commitments from the balance in the chair’s
account will apply.
If the chairholder is not successful, the leave may be terminated at the
request of the institution.
Note that chairholders may continue to use their title during their
candidacy.
Paid maternity and parental leave for graduate students and postdoctoral
researchers
The three chairs programs permits paid maternity or parental leaves to be
paid out of awards to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers for a
maximum duration of 12 months.
The programs does not provide additional funds beyond the original value of
the award for this expenditure.
Residual balances
Funds remaining at the end of the
six month phase-out period must be returned to
SSHRC’s finance division by cheque (addressed to “Receiver
General”), which will credit them to the appropriate agency
for refund to the federal government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Residual funds cannot be transferred into the institution’s General
Research Fund.
When a Canada Research Chair is renewed, the residual funds are to be
automatically transferred into the new account of the renewed Chair. This
procedure also applies to Tier 2 chairholders who are advanced to a
Tier 1 chair where there is no break in funding between the two periods
of tenure.