Research Support Fund

Every year, the Government of Canada allocates a portion of research grants from federal agencies to educational institutions called the Research Support Fund (RSF). The RSF helps colleges and universities with indirect costs related to managing research funded by the three federal research granting agencies: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Indirect costs are expenses that are not directly linked to a project, such as software, salaries, or equipment, but are necessary for maintaining operations. The Research Support Fund supports a number of indirect cost expenditures within the following categories: Research Facilities/Resources, Management and Administration, Regulatory Requirements and Intellectual Property. Eligible institutions decide how to best distribute RSF grants within their organization.

NSCC's Research Support Fund

The College's 2020-2021 RSF grant was used to pay for a percentage of research administrator salaries in the Applied Research main office. These staff members are a critical part of ensuing our research objectives are met. They are responsible for financial reports, verifying and scheduling transactions, and processing invoices and payments. Additionally, the money was used to upgrade lab space by purchasing safety equipment for research facilities. For example, some RSF funds covered the cost of a fence to restrict access to a robotic arm in one of NSCC's research labs.

Since 2000, federal grants have enabled NSCC Applied Research to build and maintain a cutting-edge research environment. The College is incredibly grateful for the years of support which have enabled NSCC to innovate within our communities and contribute to the economic growth of our province.