Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund

Funding is currently available for UM researchers from CRCEF Stage 3 to recover incurred costs associated with the maintenance and ramp-up of research activities supported by governmental or non-governmental sources.

The application process and link, communicated November 9, 2020, to all researchers and Affilliates via email, will be based on the direct costs of research (actual costs) that are extraordinary and incremental to those already covered by existing funds and have been incurred between March 15, 2020 to November 15, 2020. 

Applicants must justify the need for the funds and all eligible expenses MUST BE CHARGED by Nov 12, 2020 to receive reimbursement, up to maximum of 75%.

Eligible Expenses Criteria at Stage 3:

• Unanticipated additional costs that would not have been incurred in the absence of the COVID-19 pandemic and cannot be funded by existing sources of funds
• For direct costs associated with maintenance and ramp-up of research activities
• Costs borne by research projects
• Approved by the institutional decision-making group identified for CRCEF

Costs associated with the following categories:

Maintenance Costs - Costs incurred associated with maintaining essential research-related activities during the pandemic that are exceptional and incremental to those already covered by existing sources of funds. 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
• safety equipment for personnel dedicated to maintenance.

Ramp-up Costs - Costs incurred associated with full ramp-up of research activities, as physical distancing measures are eased and research activities can resume. This includes:

• 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);
• re-scheduling and restarting human and clinical trials;
• exceptional costs to access special facilities, 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 (replacement costs)
• personal protective equipment and related items for research personnel.

As with Stages 1 and 2, Stage 4, funds will be used exclusively for wage support for research personnel whose salaries were adversely affected by COVID-19 and who are paid in part or in whole by non-governmental sources.

Stage 4 funding will extend the period of wage support for eligible research personnel by increasing the maximum duration of support from 12 weeks to 24 weeks, during the March 15 to August 29, 2020 period.

The allocation process for distribution of the CRCEF Stage 4 Wage Support followed the same process as the CRCEF Stage 1 Wage Support.

The VP Research and International office, Human Resources and Research Accounting used internal financial data to identify eligible research funds from non-government sources and research-related personnel costs during the programs' eligibility period.   

UM together with their affiliates submitted a Stage 4 application to CRCEF on November 30, 2020 and included:

• UM and Affiliates’ CRCEF Stage 4 request amount
• The number of personnel requiring extended support, listed by category (graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and other research personnel) for UM and Affiliates
• UM and Affiliates’ confirmation of the program’s requirements

CRCEF Stage 4 Request:   $2,820,493

Decisions for the allocation of CRCEF funds within UM will be made by CRCEF EDI Decision Committee. This diverse, interdisciplinary body incorporates knowledge of research across a broad range of fields and includes representation from all of the marginalized groups. All members received unconscious bias training and are committed to respecting the principles of responsible stewardship, public accountability and equity, diversity, and inclusion in all stages of the program.

The committee provides an accountable and transparent governance structure for making decisions on how the CRCEF funds will be used following Tri-Agency direction and is responsible for:

• Developing and overseeing a strategy for EDI decision making for the use of funds
• Advising on UM CRCEF process and controls
• Making recommendations to the Vice-President (Research and International) for final approval of UM requirements at Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3 and Stage 4 of the CRCEF program

The CRCEF EDI Decision Committee is composed of the following individuals:  

• Dr. Digvir Jayas, Vice-President (Research and International)
• Rowena Krentz, Director, Office of the VP (Research and International)
• Laura Deen, Senior Budget Officer, Office of the VP (Research and International)
• Dr. Neil Watkins, Director, Research institute in Oncology and Hematology/CancerCare Manitoba
• Dr. Terry Klassen, CEO and Scientific Director, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba
• Dr. Paul Beaudin, Director, Research and Innovation, Shared Health, Health Sciences Centre
• Dr. Grant Pierce, Executive Director, Research, St. Boniface Hospital

Researchers:

• Dr. Trust Beta, Professor and Canada Research Chair, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
• Dr. Marcia Friesen, Associate Dean (Design Education), Price Faculty of Engineering
• Dr. Frank Deer, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair, Faculty of Education
• Dr. Pooneh Maghoul, Associate Professor, Price Faculty of Engineering
• Dr. Robert Mizzi, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education
• Dr. Neeloffer Mookherjee, Associate Professor, College of Medicine
• Dr. Samar Safi-Harb, Professor and Canada Research Chair, Faculty of Science
• Dr. Barbara Triggs-Raine, Professor, Max Rady College of Medicine
• Dr. Feiyue Wang, Professor and Canada Research Chair; Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources

Resources:

• Francia Esquerra, Senior Research Accountant, Research and Special Fund Accounting
• Casey Gooch, Assistant Manager, Research and Special Fund Accounting
• Geoffrey Hui, Human Resources System Analyst
• Tracy Mohr, Director, Office of Research Services
• Valerie Williams, Human Resources Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Facilitator

Stage 1 and 2: Claims submitted did not exceed the funds allocated to UM. All eligible requests were given the same consideration and were supported to the maximum amount allowable under the CRCEF funding guidelines. Our internal identification process used financial data to identify eligible research funds from non-government sources and research-related personnel costs during the program’s eligibility period.  Any unconscious bias was unlikely to occur.

Stage 3: Should the amount of submitted claims exceed available funds, UM will implement the following safeguards and strategies:

• UM established a fair and open application form to all researchers, Faculties and affiliates to assist with the prioritization and decision-making process (one application per research project).  The application form includes:
  • The opportunity for self-identification (applicants can choose not to respond)
  • Confirmation from researchers/PIs that they are submitting eligible costs due to the impact of COVID and/or research curtailment
  • Expense details (date incurred, description, full amount, maintenance or ramp-up selection)
  • Brief justification for the need of the expense
  • Total of the eligible costs submitted by category
  • 75% calculation of the funding requested by category for approval by the committee

• Adjudication of funding requests will be determined by the CRCEF EDI Decision Committee, which is a diverse, interdisciplinary committee with representation of individuals from all of the marginalized groups and who have received unconscious bias training (see above).
• We will ensure the evaluation criteria does not create barriers to access for individuals from (racialized minorities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, women, and persons from 2STLGBQ+ communities).
• Acknowledgement that individuals from marginalized groups may be disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. We will carefully consider our support for individuals who have been personally impacted by the pandemic (e.g., their own or their immediate family’s health has been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, family obligations for dependent care or limited access to medical care for persons with disabilities).
• Ensure decisions are not negatively affected by a researcher’s inability to work during the pandemic due to child/family care or increased risk related to exposure to COVID-19.
  • Acknowledge that certain individuals, including those from equity-deserving groups, may be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19
  • Give special consideration to researchers who have been personally impacted by the pandemic (e.g., their own or their immediate family’s health has been directly impacted by COVID-19)
  • Reserve funds to support early career researchers
  • Provide support for researchers who may require accommodations or additional assistance to apply
• Ensure decision-making values research that is non-traditional or unconventional, based in Indigenous ways of knowing, outside the mainstream of the discipline, or focused on issues of gender, race or minority status.
  • Incorporate knowledge of research across a broad range of fields through diverse representation on the CRCEF EDI Decision Committee
  • Fairly consider all request regardless of research area or focus
  • Give priority to projects for which the impacts of COVID-19 are likely to have had the greatest impact
  • Provide opportunities for applicants to demonstrate need and provide additional context to explain their requests

Stage 4: The same consideration and process will be followed as in Stage 1 to the maximum amount allowable under the CRCEF funding guidelines.  Any unconscious bias is unlikely to occur.