What is a Grant? A Contract? An Agreement?

Researchers typically apply for Grants. Agencies such as NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR and Michael Smith Foundation all award grants. Other agencies and Foundations also awards research grants. These are typified by a competitive application process, and defined time for the work to be done in and defined costs allowances and budgets. UBC may be required to make quarterly, but more typically annual, financial reporting to the funding agency.

There are a number of alternatives to the traditional grant funding. These include Collaborative Research Agreements, Grants-in-Aid and Government Contracts. More details can be found, with description of each, at the UILO website.

Who is eligible to hold funding at UBC?

Not everyone can hold a “grant”! Policy 87 defines who can hold a grant (though the limitation of being able to open a PG). This is limited to (point 3.2.3.1) members of the permanent academic staff, normally those appointments at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher. Accounts may be opened for Lecturers or Research Associates, if eligible by the funder and at the specific request of the Dean [Principal], who confirms that the term of the member’s appointment covers the full term of the grant or contract. Accounts will not be opened for Post Doctoral or other Fellows, students or visitors. Please note; this regulation supersedes ANY agency regulations regarding eligibility.

UBC does not have a comprehensive policy on research grant elibility at the present time.  In a desire to provide clear guidance to the CFIS community about the type of investigator the Faculty wishes to endorse as participants in funded research project CFIS is in the process of developing comprehensive research grant eligiblity guidelines that honour the basic tenets of Policy 87 and the UBC signature policy, but which also go beyond it to support the kind of research culture we want to cultivate.  This requires the consideration of a number of factors but will ultimiately allow the Unit Directors to make a case, addressing the various issues for non tenured stream faculty members to lead and manage research grants.  Currently adjunct professors are not permitted to apply for research grants as the primary applicant or PI without the exclusive permission of the Unit Director and Principal.

How does UBC handle these differently?

Grants are dealt with in a straight forward manner – the PI has the authority to sign, and then Unit Director and Principal sign as per the “Getting Signatures” section. Other types of agreement are handled slightly differently. It is recommend that you talk to both the Senior Research Grants Officer at CFIS and Mario Kasapi, Senior Manager, UILO (mario.kasapi@uilo.ubc.ca, tel: 604-822-8996 ). Please note – as a PI on a Contract, you are not permitted to sign of behalf of UBC. Only a designated signatory at UBC may do this.

Overhead: UBC’s regulations and your obligations

Overhead is something of a contentious issue. Many see it as a “grab” by UBC, this I not the case! Overhead is collected for two purposes; 1) it reflects true cost of research at UBC, and 2) as a means of “Risk Management” on agreements that have exit clauses that may affect the payment schedule, for example.

As a researcher, it is your responsibility to include Overhead as a line-item in the budgets of grants (thought typically grants do not generate overhead), agreements and contracts. If you do not, UBC may collect the Overhead in any case, thus reducing your budget amount. UBC has fixed Overhead rates, and some agencies have their own rates. If the agency does not allow Overhead (i.e. a specific condition of award) UBC will not force you to pay overhead. However, if there is no restriction, you are required to claim overhead at the rates outlined in the UILO link above.

Many ask what happens to this Overhead that is collected. UBC keeps 50% of net cash collected. The other 50% will be passed onto CFIS. Of this, CFIS will retain 25% (i.e. 12.5% of net Overhead), the remainder being passed back to the Head of Department of the originating PI.