On May 15, 2020, the Government of Canada announced the Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund (CRCEF) as part of its COVID-19 Economic Response Plan. This temporary, needs-based program has been established to help sustain the research enterprise at Canadian universities and health research institutions that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stage 3 of the Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund (CRCEF) has now been launched.  Please see details/application instructions below which outlines the internal process by which research leads (Principal Investigators) can apply for funds.

1. CRCEF Program

Stage 3 provides support for extraordinary incremental costs associated with maintaining essential research-related commitments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then ramping-up to full research activities as physical distancing measures are eased and research activities can resume. (Eligible expenses are identified below).  The OHRIs allocation of this national program is $1,688,104.93.  Please note that we are able to request additional funds beyond this, if we have the proper justification. 

Only direct costs of research are eligible. Stage 3 funding will be awarded to support direct costs associated with maintenance and ramp-up of research activities. Applicants must justify the need for the funds based on actual costs that have been incurred or costs that will be incurred between March 15 and November 15, 2020. (Please note that in order to meet this eligibility period any new transactions (i.e. Purchase Order Request) must be incurred by November 15th.)

2. Internal Application Process

As per the Program guidelines, the OHRI is implementing an open and transparent process for the internal allocation of Stage 3 funds to researchers which invites applications from research leads (Principal Investigators and Scientific Directors of research platforms).

As stated in that email you would have received on October 15^th, your complete application must be submitted to CRCEFfunding@ohri.ca by noon on November 23^rd.   Late applications will not be accepted.  Please note the deadlines set around this program come directly from the Federal Government.

Please note that the minimum amount that can be requested is $250 per transaction. Eligible/Ineligible expenses are listed at the end of this email as well as in the application spreadsheet attached.  The OHRI Finance Team will validate the actual costs incurred.  This information will then be compiled and sent to uOttawa by November 27^th  

If you have any questions on the application process, please contact Robert Lajeunesse (rlajeunesse@ohri.ca) for further information

If you have any questions on eligible expenses, please contact Tara Lerer (tlerer@ohri.ca) or Sheila De Marinis (sdemarinis@ohri.ca) for further information

For more information: https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/crcef-fucrc/index-eng.aspx

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Eligible Expenses

Eligible expenses include costs associated with the following categories:

a) Maintenance costs:

• Costs incurred within the eligible period and associated with maintaining essential research-related activities during the pandemic that are exceptional and incremental to those already covered by existing sources of funds, funded at up to 75%. This includes:
  • animal and specimen care through the crisis period;
  • maintenance of equipment, software, cohorts, datasets, including warranties, licenses and service contracts;
  • technological equipment for remote access to maintain assets; and
  • safety equipment for personnel dedicated to maintenance.

• Animal per diems for research maintenance and animal purchase costs to ramp-up the population

b) Ramp-up costs:

• Costs incurred within the eligible period and associated with full ramp-up of research activities, as physical distancing measures are eased and research activities can resume. Only costs that are exceptional and incremental to those already covered by existing sources of funds will be supported, at up to 75%. Eligible expenses include those incurred at the project level and associated with:
  • re-organizing the research environment and activities;
  • additional costs to bring the research back to its pre-pandemic level, including experiments or related to the restart of collections and datasets (e.g., population-based, environmental);
  • user fees charged by shared platforms to researchers to restart research activities (e.g., animal- care facilities, digital labs);
  • re-scheduling and restarting human and clinical trials;
  • exceptional costs to access special facilities, shared platforms and resources, knowledge transfer meetings and workshops;
  • restarting, reassembling and safety checks of equipment and facilities;
  • reacquiring lost and donated laboratory and field supplies and equipment, reagents, perishable materials, laboratory animal and other living specimens; and
  • personal protective equipment and related items for research personnel.

c) Salaries of Research Personnel

• Please note; any salary claimed in Stage 3 must meet all eligibility criteria, including having to be for exceptional and incremental costs that would not have been incurred were it not for the pandemic
• The salaries of research personnel can be eligible for partial reimbursement up to 75% by CRCEF at Stage 3 for the period of August 30, 2020 to November 15, 2020.
• Salary support is eligible if the expenses claimed are not covered by CRCEF Stage 1, COVID-19 research support from the federal research funding agencies, Canada Foundation for Innovation, and other broad-based federal COVID-19 measures (e.g., the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy).

d) Internet connection, land line, cell phone connection, and equipment for working remotely within the eligible period

• Costs incurred within the eligible period and associated with maintaining essential research-related activities during the pandemic that are exceptional and incremental to those already covered by existing sources of funds, funded at up to 75%.

Ineligible Expenses

Ineligible Expenses include costs associated with the following categories:

• Salary Costs that do not meet item C) criteria above

CRCEF Stage 3 Funding – Assessment Criteria

OHRI allocation for Stage 3 = $1,688,105

Initial Assessment:

Upon receipt of each funding request, the Finance team will review the listed expenses:

to ensure they are eligible per program guidelines,

to ensure they appear reasonable, and

to confirm the requester has provided evidence the costs are exceptional and incremental and would not have been incurred in the absence of the pandemic. 

If the total funding requests are within the OHRI allocation of $1,688,105:

All requests meeting the criteria in the Initial Assessment will be put forward for funding

If the total funding requests exceed the OHRI allocation of $1,688,105:

The OHRI will submit a request to the CRCEF program for additional funds to cover all requests that pass the Initial Assessment. However, extra funding is not guaranteed. As a contingency should we not receive extra funding, the Finance team will conduct a further assessment using the following criteria:

Priority will be given to requests from early career researchers.  “Early career” shall be defined in accordance with Tri-Council guidelines – ie. a researcher who has held a full-time independent research appointment for a period of 0 to 5 years (60 months) – N.B. this has been suggested by the CRCEF program as a possible criterion for assessment

In keeping with the CRCEF program’s commitment to EDI principles, institutions have been asked to consider support for individuals who have been personally impacted by the pandemic (eg. their own or their immediate family’s health has been impacted by COVID-19, family obligations for dependent care, etc.).  Requesters will be asked to identify any such issues in the funding request form.  Where such issues are noted and appropriately justified, priority will be given to those funding requests.

All remaining funding requests will be reduced proportionately by the percentage that they in total exceed the remainder of the OHRI allocation.  For example:

Total requests received from OHRI PIs =  $1,800,000
OHRI Allocation = $1,688,105
Early Career Researcher requests = $300,000
Requests from those personally impacted by COVID = $200,000

OHRI Allocation less Early Career requests less Personal Impact requests = $1,688,105 - $300,000 - $200,000 = $1,188,105 (Remaining Allocation)

Total Requests less Early Career requests less Personal Impact requests = $1,800,000 - $300,000 - $200,000 = $1,300,000 (Total Remaining Requests)

Percentage by which Total Remaining Requests exceeds Remaining Allocation = ($1,300,000 - $1,188,105) / $1,300,000 = 8.6%

Therefore, all remaining funding requests will be reduced by 8.6%.