Research Support Fund Public Disclosures and Acknowledgement

Indirect costs of research

The cost of research includes both direct and indirect costs. Indirect costs include the operational costs that underpin an institution’s research activities (i.e. management and administration of research; finances; maintaining research space and libraries; utilities costs for research space; ethics reviews; liability insurance; safety compliance; development and promotion of equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives and practices; and management of intellectual property, among other costs). The services that give rise to indirect costs are institutionally based and are not specific to individual research grants.

Research Support Fund program

The Research Support Fund (RSF) is a tri-agency initiative of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The RSF assists Canadian postsecondary institutions in offsetting some of the indirect costs involved in administering tri-agency funded research, helping institutions ensure that their federally-funded research projects are conducted in world-class facilities with the best equipment and administrative support available. RSF funds are to assist with expenses in five major categories:

1. Research Facilities
2. Research Resources
3. Management and Administration of the Institution’s Research Enterprise
4. Regulatory Requirements and Accreditation
5. Intellectual Property and Knowledge Mobilization

For more information:

• About the program
• Eligible expenses

Allocation of funds

Sheridan’s RSF allocation is calculated using an algorithm based on a three-year rolling average of the funding the College is awarded from the tri-agency. In 2024–25, Sheridan received $66,057. At Sheridan, RSF funds are fully allocated towards Management and Administration of the Institution’s Research Enterprise, specifically salaries and benefits for staff who work on grant applications and administer funded proposals, and education and training for research administration staff.