The Research Support Fund (formerly the Federal Indirect Costs Program) is a Government of Canada funding program to assist Canadian post-secondary institutions in offsetting the cost of administering research awards from the three federal granting councils (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research). Brock University receives funding support for the indirect costs incurred on Tri-Council funded research through the program.

A thriving research culture must be supported by a vast infrastructure that is often taken for granted. Laboratories require light and heat to operate, equipment needs to be maintained, library collections are built and cultivated to aid faculty and students in their research. Brock’s hundreds of researchers come to the Office of Research Services for assistance in filling out their grant applications, advice on how to comply with spending and financial requirements, navigating the system of ethical review and compliance, and providing expertise to empower researchers in realizing the outputs, outcomes, and impacts of their scholarly work.

All of these things essential to research activities – heat, light, library materials, the establishment and functioning of a system of ethical review and compliance, management and administrative services and other indirect costs – cost money, yet most research grants do not provide additional funds to help a university defray these costs. As a result, over time the research activity puts a strain on the institution’s budget.

Click here for more information about the Research Support Fund.

See Brock University’s Planned Usage of the Research Support Fund and Objectives 2023-2024

See Brock University’s Report on Research Fund Objectives 2022-2023

See Brock University’s Report on Research Fund Objectives 2021-2022.

See Brock University’s Report on Research Fund Objectives 2020-2021.

                   Brock University RSF Expenditures 2020-21

See Brock University’s Report on Research Support Fund Objectives 2019-20.

See Brock University’s Report on Research Support Fund Objectives 2018-19.

2018-19 Actual Expenditures Graph

In 2024-2025, Brock University’s Research Support Fund (RSF) grant is $2,589,299. Brock’s RSF funding will be allocated in the following five areas: 

Facilities (4.3%): RSF funds will be used to upgrade laboratory and other research space to meet researchers’ urgent needs. A portion of these funds will support the update and ongoing maintenance of institutional websites that profile research accomplishments, build research partnerships and provide researchers with the forms, guidelines and other documents they need for their work. 

Resources (4.8%): RSF funds will support the licensing of tools that accelerate the research process by integrating funding, collaborator discovery, and publishing opportunities (Pivot). These tools connect researchers to financial support by leveraging the most comprehensive global source of sponsored funding opportunities and provide scholarly profiles to match researchers with financial partners and collaborators. Additionally, licenses for a research survey instrument (Qualtrics) and MatLab will also be purchased to enable researchers across campus to collect critical data. The funds also support memberships to the Digital Research Alliance of Canada, the Canadian Research Knowledge Network, and the Conversation Canada. 

Management and Administration (64%): RSF funds are a key component of the Office of Research Services’ budget, which provides researchers access to Research Officers, accounting and other professional research staff who assist them with grant writing and oversee their financial compliance and reporting. 

Regulatory Requirements and Accreditation (8.1%): RSF funds will be used to support the operation of the Research Ethics Board (REB), the Animal Care and Use Committee, Research Safety, and additional regulatory accreditations and certifications as required (e.g., Cannabis Licensing through CTLS). 

Intellectual property and Commercialization (18.8%): RSF funds have allowed Brock University to meet rapidly expanding needs in the fields of intellectual property, patenting, technology transfer, and commercialization. Funding received in 2024-2025 will support the salaries of staff in the Partnerships, Innovation and Intellectual Property Advancement team, including legal counsel who advises on IP management strategies. These staff build research partnerships between Brock researchers, industry and community groups and develop identify avenues for the advancement of new technologies. 

Brock University’s affiliated organization is the Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary. 

See: Brock University’s Research Support Fund Objectives-2024-25.

The Research Support Fund’s Research Security priority area focuses on enhancing the security and integrity of research activities conducted within academic institutions and research organizations. Recognizing the critical importance of protecting research from various risks and threats, this priority area aims to establish robust measures, protocols, and systems to safeguard the confidentiality, availability, and authenticity of research data, infrastructure, and intellectual property.

See:

• Research Security Objectives and Indicators 2024-2025
• Research Security Objectives and Indicators 2023-2024
• Research Security Objectives and Indicators 2022-2023
• Research Security Outcomes Report 2022-2023

Brock University is pleased to announce the launch of the Tri-Agencies’ Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) competition for 2024-2025. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Canadian Health Institutes (CIHR) offer this program. USRA’s objectives are to nurture students’ interests and to help develop their potential for a research career in the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and health sciences. The awards provide research work experience that complements students’ undergraduate studies in an academic setting. Qualified self-identified Indigenous and Black student researchers are encouraged to apply for NSERC USRAs.

At the present time, both the SSHRC and CIHR USRAs are exclusively for self-identified Black student researchers. The numbers of SSHRC and CIHR students are determined by the federal government through its Undergraduate Student Research Awards allocations.

Students interested in applying for this opportunity must fill out the USRA Application Form Part A, while their supervisors must fill out the USRA Application Form Part B. Both students and supervisors must also complete their respective NSERC Form 202. Before applying, please carefully read the Brock University Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) Guidelines 2024–2025.

Deadline: Monday, February 26, 2024, 5 p.m. ET.

Match of Minds Program 2024 

The Match of Minds program provides research employment opportunities for students across all faculties as well as non-faculty units, which are intended to expand their potential to participate in research. The program also encourages the development of skills and abilities of students for future employment, in turn also improving the quality of Research Assistants available to faculty researchers at the graduate level.

The application process is online and includes completion of an application form that can be found on the Online Portal (login required – supervisors initiate the process). The program offers up to $5000 for student employment. Students can be employed between May 1 and April 30 each year.

The application is in two parts. When the supervisor submits their portion, the student will receive a notification to complete their portion. It is therefore recommended that the applicant and the student review the ​Match of Minds Program Syllabus 2024​​​​​​​ before beginning the application. Supervisors are advised to ensure that the student has sufficient time to prepare their portion of the application (two weeks in advance of the deadline is recommended).

The deadline for applications is March 1, 2024. 

For inquiries, please contact Jasmine Little, Manager, Sponsored Research & Internal Programs, jlittle3@brocku.ca

Open to BUFA members who are Early Career Researchers and recognizes research excellence, contribution to the training of future researchers, and strong performance in attracting external funding, as appropriate for the nominee’s career stage.

Value: $5,000.   

For more information, the syllabus, and deadlines please visit our Internal Sharepoint ECRCA site. 

Previous award winners:

• 2024 – Jianbo Gao, Chemistry
• 2023 – Asif Khowaja, Health Sciences
• 2022 – Karen Patte, Health Sciences
• 2021 – Rebecca MacPherson, Health Sciences

Recognizes BUFA members who have held an appointment for more than 5 years, whose distinguished research or creative activity (appropriate to the nominee’s discipline and faculty) demonstrates outstanding research achievements, contributions to the training of future researchers, and strong scholarly or creative performance.

Value: $10,000.  

For more information, the syllabus, and deadlines please visit our Internal Sharepoint DRCA site. 

Previous award winners:

• 2024 – V Kumar, Goodman School of Business
• 2023 – Dirk De Clercq, Goodman School of Business
• 2022 – Andrea Doucet, Sociology/ Women’s & Gender Studies and Canada Research Chair in Gender, Work and Care
• 2021 – Bareket Falk, Kinesiology
• 2020 – Angela Evans, Psychology
• 2019 – no selection
• 2018 – Liette Vasseur, Biological Sciences
• 2017 – Stephen Cheung, Kinesiology
• 2016 – Robert Dimand, Economics
• 2015 – Cathy Mondloch, Psychology
• 2014 – Tony Bogaert, Health Sciences
• 2013 – Michael Bidochka, Biological Sciences
• 2012 – Diane Dupont, Economics
• 2011 – Vincenzo De Luca, Biological Sciences
• 2010 – Dorothy Griffiths, Child and Youth Studies
• 2009 – Teena Willoughby, Psychology
• 2008 – Maurice Feldman, Child and Youth Studies
• 2007 – Stefan Brudzynski, Psychology
• 2006 – Panagiota (Nota) Klentrou, Physical Education and KinesiologyJohn Hay, Community Health Sciences
• 2005 – Tomas Hudlicky, Chemistry
• 2004 – Jack Adams-Webber, Psychology
• 2003 – Douglas Bruce, Biological Sciences
• 2002 – Mohammed Dore, Economics
• 2001 – Sandra Beckett, Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures

Intended to encourage and sustain high levels of scholarly performance for BUFA members who have made, or will make, exceptional contributions in their field. The awardee will undertake a defined, three-year program of research or creative work that will lead to a significant development in scholarship (e.g., a scholarly monograph or a state-of-the-art review that may lead to a seminal series of scholarly lectures).

Value: $20,000 per year for 3 years.   

For more information, the syllabus, and deadlines please visit our Internal Sharepoint CCRE site. 

Previous Chairholders:

• 2023 – Rebecca MacPherson, Health Sciences
• 2022 – Caitlin Mahy, Psychology
• 2021 – Dawn Trussell, Sport Management
• 2020 – Angela Evans, Psychology
• 2019 – Nicole Goodman, Political Science
• 2018 – Tony Volk, Child and Youth Studies
• 2017 – Kendra Coulter, Labour Studies
• 2016 – Theocharis Stamatatos, Chemistry
• 2015 – Gordon Hodson, Psychology
• 2014 – Gregory Betts, English Language and Literature
• 2013 – Michael Pisaric, Geography
• 2012 – Bareket Falk, Kinesiology
• 2011 – Glenn J Tattersall, Biological Sciences; Sherryl Vint, English Language & Literature
• 2010 – Christine Daigle, Philosophy
• 2009 – Panagiota (Nota) Klentrou, Kinesiology
• 2008 – Uwe Brand, Earth Sciences; Ryan Plummer, Tourism & Environment; Fereidoon Razavi, Physics; Mark Spencer, History
• 2007 – Michael Ashton, Psychology; Dirk De Clercq, Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources, Entrepreneurship and Ethics; John Hay, Community Health Sciences; Hans-Georg Moeller, Philosophy
• 2006 – Diane Dupont, Economics; Teena Willoughby, Psychology
• 2005 – Maurice Feldman, Child and Youth Studies; Pierre Lizee, Political Science; Bulent Menguc, Marketing, International Business and Strategy
• 2004 – Carolyn Hafer, Psychology; Andrew McDonald, History; Kirill Samokhin, Physics
• 2003 – Tony Bogaert, Community Health Sciences; Barry Grant, Communication, Popular Culture and Film; Arthur van der Est, Chemistry
• 2002 – Ian Brindle, Chemistry; Robert Dimand, Economics; David Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, History
• 2001 – Sandra Beckett, Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures; Douglas Bruce, Biological Sciences; Maureen Reedyk, Physics; Elizabeth Sauer, English Language and Literature

The Brock University Commercialization Policy sets out Brock University’s commitment to supporting the mobilization, dissemination, and commercialization of researcher-generated intellectual property (IP), in order to maximize the impact of university research, scholarship, and creative activity, while serving societal needs and the interests of IP creators, the University, and its research partners. This policy advises University faculty, staff, and students on the services and resources available to support them with commercialization.