ISER Research Grant

ISER Research Grants (up to $8,000 each) are available to Memorial University graduate students and faculty members, as well as independent scholars and faculty members from other Universities, to help defray the costs of such items as travel, subsistence, research assistance and materials and supplies for carrying out an approved research project; capital expenditures are not eligible. Applications are evaluated by an Awards Panel according to their relevance to the ISER mandate and the merits of the proposals and the applicants. HSS applicants are given priority. The Awards Panel recommends which applicants to fund and in what amounts. The recommendations are made to the Executive Committee which makes the final decisions.

Notes:

  1. An applicant will be limited to a maximum of two research grants over a three-year period.
  2. Applicants for ISER Fellowships who are applying for a research grant to complement their research may use the fellowship application form. There is no need to submit a separate research grant application.
  3. The deadline to apply is Feburary 10.

Please note: Applications for travel to conferences and its related expenses will not be accepted as this is not the mandate of ISER.

Information for Applicants

1. Graduate Student Researchers

If you are a graduate student research grant recipient, Smallwood/ISER will release the research grant funds to your supervisor as the account holder. This is in keeping with the practice of other research units at Memorial. You will be listed as the awardee and are responsible for putting the application into the researcher portal.

2. Allowable Expenses

Only eligible/allowable expenses as per the unit/university policy can be considered. This should include (but not be limited to) consumable expenses, travel, vehicle rentals, scientific analysis and other specialized services, employment etc. If uncertain about an “allowable expense,” please consult the Administrative Assistant. Ineligible expenses that are accidentally included will be subtracted from the approved funding allotted to a grantee.

Travel Expenses:
Expenses are reimbursed according to the Memorial University Travel Policy: https://www.mun.ca/finance/sections/travel.php, at the rates outlined in the university’s Schedule of Reimbursable Expenses: https://www.mun.ca/policy/browse/policies/view.php?policy=317

Research Assistants:
Research/Student Assistants are paid at Memorial’s undergraduate and graduate student rates. A time sheet recording the specific hours worked needs to be submitted for each student assistant.

Smallwood/ISER normally limits graduate students’ hiring of assistants to those providing essential fieldwork assistance or highly specialized skills.

Reimbursement of Expenses:
Expenses can only be reimbursed for the period of the grant. Invoices or receipts must be dated between the initiation of the grant and its end date.

Deviations:
Grantees are expected to conform to their approved budget. In cases where a grantee’s expenses (or proposed expenses) deviate from those outlined in his/her initial budget, they must request a deviation in writing, providing justification for the change. Requests are sent to the Administrative Assistant and decided on by the Administrative Assistant and/or Director.

Ineligible Expenses:
- There is no remuneration for “Self Work” at any rate of pay.
- Smallwood/ISER does not fund the purchase of equipment.
- Smallwood/ISER does not fund travel to conferences.

3. Extensions

All funds must be spent within the year of the award. Only in exceptional circumstances will an extension be permitted. Requests should be made to the Administrative Assistant and are decided on by the Director.

4. Ethics

Memorial University is committed to ensuing that research is conducted following the highest standards of ethical conduct and scholarly integrity. All Smallwood/ISER funded research involving human subject must conform to Memorial University’s policy, Ethics of Research Involving Human Participants: https://www.mun.ca/policy/browse/policies/view.php?policy=214

Research funds will not be released to HSS grantees until their application has been successfully submitted to Memorial University’s Researcher Portal, has undergone the subsequent administrative review process, and obtained departmental, Faculty and Research Grant and Contact Services (RGCS) approvals. Researchers must access the Researcher Portal at: https://rpresources.mun.ca within 30 days of the receipt of their funding notification. For questions concerning the Portal, please contact the Grants Facilitation Officer for HSS, at HSSResearchGrants@mun.ca.

Those doing Indigenous research should consult Memorial University’s webpage on Indigenous research: https://www.mun.ca/research/Indigenous/consent.php. Please note that Memorial’s Research Impacting Indigenous Groups Policy requires that an Agreement in Principle (CDP) be obtained before funding is sought. Proof of CDP must accompany the ISER research grant application.

5. Fillable PDFs

Please note that for this competition we are using fillable PDFs and digital signatures. Steps for using these pdfs are given below. If you need further help please consult this guide or email Allan at afarrell@mun.ca for help with technical questions.

  1. Before attempting to fill in these pdfs download and save them on your computer - do not attempt to fill them in using your browser.
  2. Once downloaded and saved, open the pdf in Adobe Reader (please use the latest version available) and fill it in. If you don't have the free Adobe Reader, please download it from the Adobe website.
  3. Once the form has been filled in, click on the digital signature box at the end of the form (the box with the little red tag on it) and then either create a new digital signature if you have not digitally signed a pdf before, or use an existing digital signature to sign the pdf. NOTE: Do not sign the pdf until the form is completed and ready for emailing; signing the pdf and then changing the fields will invalidate the document.
  4. Then forward the pdf to the emaill address indicated on the pdf.

To apply for a research grant: