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. Priority is given to new applicants or former applicants with new projects. Those applying to extend a previously funded project should provide an update on progress since the last application.
3. 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.
4. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2024.

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

Submission Procedures
The submission deadline is March 1, 2024. For the Research Grant, all applicants who are members of Memorial University (faculty, students, staff) must submit their applications through the Memorial Researcher Portal by the internal deadline specified by their Faculty or School, in advance of the Foundation’s deadline. Memorial University will submit these applications on applicants’ behalf to the Institute following for departmental and faculty review and approval. Memorial applicants should check with their Grant Facilitators or unit approvers about internal deadlines. For applicants from Memorial’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the internal deadline for review and Dean's Office sign-off is February 15, 2024. Additional information about the submission process can be found at the HSS Research Funding Tracker: https://www.hss.mun.ca/funding/opportunities/2986

External applicants must submit completed application packages to iser@mun.ca by March 1, 2024.

Fillable PDFs

Please note that we use 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 Farrell 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 email address indicated on the pdf.

To apply for a research grant:

• Fill in and digitally sign the ISER Research Grant Form.
• Fill in the Applicant section on the Letter of Appraisal (Research Grant) and then email it to the referee so they can fill in their section. These letters are sent directly by referees to both internal and external applicants.
• Internal applicants should upload their completed applications and additional materials to the Memorial Researcher Portal. External applicants should email their applications and additional materials to iser@mun.ca.

2. University/Institute Policies and Procedures

Applicants from Memorial University must follow all relevant university rates, policies and procedures associated with their applications including ethics, other required clearances and licenses, and Indigenous research. All researchers must follow Memorial’s policy on Research Impacting Indigenous Groups (RIIG).

a. Memorial’s Policy on Research Impacting Indigenous Groups (RIIG)

This policy came into effect in 2020 and applies to all research grant applications (whether applicants are internal to Memorial or external). It applies prior to submission of the application; in other words, compliance begins with the initial stages of research design and submission of funding applications involving or impacting Indigenous groups. All applications must follow this policy (if applicable to the project) to be considered for funding by the Institute of Social and Economic Research, including the policy's requirement for researchers to secure an "‘Agreement in Principle’ by appropriate representatives of an Indigenous Group”. For more information, please review the material at the Policy web page and ask for assistance from the Indigenous Research Office (indigenousresearch@mun.ca) if you require more information: https://www.mun.ca/research/Indigenous/consent.php.

Note: For internal applicants, compliance with RIIG will be checked as part of the submission to the Memorial Researcher Portal. For external applicants, please email a copy of the Agreement in Principle with your application to iser@mun.ca.

b. Ethics

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

c. 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.

d. 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 (iser@mun.ca). 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 their 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 normally 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.