Funding

1
Funding

• CPSC 699

2
Message

• Funding is an important part of academic career
• Developing funding application skills early on
  will lead to academic success
• Funding proposals can and do help in achieving
  career milestones and shaping ones research

3
Presentation structure

• Sources of funding
• Structure of funding application
• Funding agencies and types of funds

4
Funding why important

• Provides researchers and student salaries
• Allows to disseminate knowledge through
  conference/summer school participation
• Allows to support unique programs (international
  exchange, new laboratories, unique research)

5
Where funds come from?

• Grants
• Government
• Federal
• Provincial
• industry
• scholarships

• research contracts
• Donations

6
Overhead
grant
your research
overhead
department
university
faculty
7
Which skills are essential

• Topic not too broad, not too specific
• Know your audience!
• Dont overstate your achievements
• Never include any statements that are
  questionable or not verifiable
• Writing proposal sometimes as important as
  performing research itself!

8
Application structure

• two main parts
• The proposal
• standard part I (title, objectives, career
  accomplishments)
• written proposal in part II
• formatting as important as presentation!
• Curriculum vitae
• Keep it current!
• Can be other parts special circumstances, ethics
  approval,

9
Evaluation

• depends on program
• committees for each area of specialization
• applications go to referees
• committee reads application and referees comments

• committee deliberates and makes awards

10
Proposal target

• consider grant program
• address the goals of the program for which you
  are applying
• NSERC Discovery is a place for more versatile and
  innovative work

• SPG requires you to address specific strategic
  needs in Canada
• always support with evidence of excellence
• You
• Your accomplishments

11
Writing

• consider target audience
• committee
• varied backgrounds
• must be able to understand your proposal
• referees
• experts
• want to see details

12
Scholarships

• variety of application formats
• generally three criteria
• Candidates record (GPA, publications)
• Proposal
• Outreach

13
Candidate record

• demonstrate that you are worthy of a scholarship
• GPA and transcripts
• references
• choose good referees
• work/research experience
• publications

14
The proposal

• written document, usually short
• consider your audience
• the key to any good writing
• who reviews scholarship applications?
• educated, but not expert
• avoid jargon

15
Template

• introduce area and purpose of your work
• why is it important
• your plan to advance knowledge
• specific targets for advancement
• timeline

16
Who will read it?

• committee members are all
• expert in one area, not necessarily yours
• intelligent
• do not rely on committee being expert in your
  area
• if you are in computer science, how would you
  explain the significance of your work to somebody
  in kinesiology?

17
Main source of funding in Canada

• Natural Science and Engineering Research Council
• primary source of federal funding in Canada for
  Science and Engineering
• Discovery grants
• Strategic grants and other programs
• no overhead

18
Industry participation

• beyond discovery grants, most NSERC grants
  require industry participation
• Industry both supports and benefits from joint
  research
• Types of contribution cash or in-kind
• NSERC matches industry contribution (11, 12
  ration)

19
Other federal sources

• NCE
• networked centres of excellence
• e.g., IRIS, GEOIDE
• university-directed research
• Precarn
• company formed by NSERC
• University/industry collaboration
• industry directed

• SSHRC
• social sciences an humanities research council
• CHIR
• Canadian institutes for health research

20
Other granting agencies

• PIMS Pacific Institute for Mathematics
• MITACS -The Mathematics of Information Technology
  and Complex Systems
• iCORE Informatics Circle of Research Excellence
• University Research Services

21
Research contracts

• undertaken to perform research for a client
• client directs research
• statement of work
• deliverables
• budget
• must deliver on contract to get paid
• overhead is 40

22
Dates

• NSERC
• fall
• apply through department or as individual
• Alberta Ingenuity
• Jan 15, 2008
• start preparation much earlier
• University Open Scholarship -January

23
Preparation

• Practice good writing skills
• Describe your ideas in 1 sentence, 1 paragraph, 1
  page
• Argument and illustrate your point
• Proofread your proposal and ask your colleagues
  of opinion
• Attend writing workship/seminar
• Practice!

24
Summary

• Funding is indeed a very an important part of
  academic career as it allows to advance research
  and take risks
• Writing funding application is a skill that can
  be developed follow guidelines, proof read
• Practice, Practice, Practice!
• Funding proposals do help in achieving career
  milestones and shaping ones research!

25
Sources

• Own experience in writing proposals
• Chapter 1 web site
• Jeff Boyd presentation on funding (partially,
  with permission)