IISD-ELA Announces New Support Grant for Highly Qualified Personnel

In partnership with Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Trent University, IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) has established a pilot (2017–2018) competitive grant program to support research activities of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP)₁ at the IISD-ELA research station in northwestern Ontario.

 

The support grant will help to defray all, or a portion of, IISD-ELA research station facility fees for HQP. IISD-ELA facility fees cover the cost of housing, meals, laboratory space and field equipment (boats, motors, ATVs, snowmobiles, etc.) for researchers while working at the IISD-ELA field station in northwestern Ontario. Current fees range between $99.50 and $142/day depending on the length of the stay.

 

HQP support grants are intended to increase numbers of HQP conducting research at the IISD-ELA research station and increase the accessibly of IISD-ELA to HQP that could not otherwise obtain support for the IISD-ELA facility fees. HQP support grants are NOT designed to defray IISD-ELA facility fees already budgeted within existing grants, but they can be used to increase the number of HQP or the duration of onsite research above those budgeted for in existing grants.

 

Grant applications must originate from and will be awarded to Principal Investigators. Facility fee support will be provided in the form of credits at the IISD-ELA facility and are not transferable among Principal Investigators. Facility fee credits may not be carried over from one research year to the next. The IISD-ELA anticipates awarding a total of up to $30,000/year of credits for the two-year pilot program.

 

Initial applications for the 2017 field season are due on June 21, 2017. Later applications may be accepted if the full grant budget is not allocated following this first intake. Applications for the 2018 field season are due on March 31, 2018. Applicants are asked to provide the following materials:

 

1. A one-page summary of the proposed research.
2. A curriculum vitae for the Principal Investigator (a current NSERC Form-100 or CCV is acceptable), including contact information.
3. A brief budget justification, including requests for facility fee support (number of days, HQP and anticipated timing). Based on demand and available funds, the selection committee may offer to provide funding to meet some or all of an applicant’s request. Please indicate the minimum number of days of facility Fee support that could be utilized.
4. A description of external support for research being conducted at IISD-ELA, including funds provided for facility fees. Where facility fees have been budgeted within an existing grant, please provide a clear justification of the need for additional personnel or duration of research.

 

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

 

1. Quality of the research proposal
2. Availability of alternative research funds for work at the IISD-ELA
3. Researchers and HQP new to IISD-ELA
4. Research conducted outside of the May–August peak period

 

₁ NSERC defines HQP as graduate, post-graduate and advanced undergraduate training (e.g., Honours theses).

 

Please send applications and direct inquiries to Michael Paterson, Senior Scientist, IISD-ELA at mpaterson@iisd-ela.org.