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About the Research Support Fund
The Government of Canada's Research Support Fund (RSF), formerly called the Indirect Costs Program (ICP), provides Canadian universities and colleges with an annual grant to help pay for a portion of their hidden or indirect costs of research – administrative expenditures that support research but are not chargeable to specific research projects.
The RSF is separate from the research funding available from the federal government in the areas of health sciences, engineering, natural sciences, social sciences and humanities through its three granting agencies, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Research funded through the granting agencies is generally directly related to the research projects (e.g., equipment, research assistant salaries, research-related travel, etc.).
The RSF assists Canadian postsecondary institutions and their affiliated research hospitals and institutes with the expenses associated with managing the research funded by the three federal research granting agencies. Indirect costs include the costs of maintaining labs and equipment, library resources, regulatory requirements, and other costs affiliated with research administration. The RSF ensures that federally funded research projects are conducted in world-class facilities with the best equipment and administrative support available.
Institutions receive an annual grant through the RSF to help pay for a portion of the central and departmental administrative costs related to federally funded research. RSF funds may be used to cover new expenditures, to maintain the current level of services, or to support an institution's research environment and improve its management. The five expenditure areas are:
- Research facilities;
- Research resources;
- Management and administration of an institution's research enterprise;
- Regulatory requirements and accreditation; and
- Intellectual property and knowledge mobilization.
Examples of costs supported by the program are:
- Salaries for staff or students who provide administrative support for researchers and their projects;
- Training costs for workplace health and safety;
- Costs related to the maintenance of libraries and laboratories; and
- Administrative costs associated with getting a patent for an invention.
As part of Laurier’s commitment to transparency and clear communication, we report on the spending of RSF funds and share our institutional performance objectives.
For more information on policies and procedures related to the Research Support Fund, see Laurier's Policy 11.12: Indirect Costs of Research Policy.
Note: Martin Luther University College is affiliated with Wilfrid Laurier University. This affiliation establishes principles and objectives regarding the administration, regulation and accountability of research carried out by individuals with university appointments and others associated with the university, including students.
Research Support Fund Institutional Objectives
- 2025/26 RSF Institutional Objectives
- 2024/25 RSF Institutional Objectives
- 2023/24 RSF Institutional Objectives
- 2022/23 RSF Institutional Objectives
- 2021/22 RSF Institutional Objectives
- 2020/21 RSF Institutional Objectives
Research Support Fund Reports
- 2023/24 RSF Report
- 2022/23 RSF Report
- 2021/22 RSF Report
- 2020/21 RSF Report
- 2019/20 RSF Report
- 2018/19 RSF Report
Incremental Project Grant
The Incremental Project Grant (IPG) is a stream of the Research Support Fund (RSF) that provides eligible institutions with further support for the indirect costs of research.
The IPG provides additional support for projects in priority areas that cut across the RSF’s five existing categories of eligible expenses.
Five Expenditure Categories
Institutions have flexibility in deciding how to use their grant, provided that the funds are used for the payment of current expenditures of indirect costs attributed to federally sponsored research that falls within the following five categories:
- research facilities
- research resources
- management and administration of the institution's research enterprise
- regulatory requirements and accreditation
- intellectual property and knowledge mobilization
The expenditures for the IPG program must always adhere to the general principles of the Research Support Fund (RSF) program.
The five IPG priority areas are:
- innovation and commercialization activities
- facilities renewal, including deferred maintenance
- information resources, including digital resources, open access and databases
- equity, diversity and faculty renewal (in the context of equity, diversity and inclusion)
- research security
As part of Laurier’s commitment to transparency and clear communication, we report on the spending of IPG funds and share our institutional performance objectives.
In 2025/26, Laurier received an allocation of $31,046.
Allocation
In 2025/26, Laurier proposes allocating its IPG across the priority areas as follows:
- 0% innovation and commercialization activities;
- 0% facilities renewal, including deferred maintenance;
- 0% information resources, including digital resources, open access and databases; and
- 100% equity, diversity and faculty renewal (in the context of equity, diversity and inclusion).
Equity Diversity and Faculty Renewal
- Institutional Performance Objective: Reconciliation in research.
- Indicator: Develop community based training modules.
- Output: Community based training modules toward reconciliation in research.
- Outcome Reported at Year End: Number of community based training modules developed in 2025/2026.
In 2024/25, Laurier received an allocation of $21,135
Allocation
In 2024/25, Laurier proposes allocating its IPG across the priority areas as follows:
- 0% innovation and commercialization activities;
- 0% facilities renewal, including deferred maintenance;
- 0% information resources, including digital resources, open access and databases; and
- 100% equity, diversity and faculty renewal (in the context of equity, diversity and inclusion).
Equity Diversity and Faculty Renewal
- Institutional Performance Objective: Enhance EDI in Laurier’s research ecosystem.
- Indicator: Development of communication products related to EDI initiatives.
- Output: Communication products with a focus on EDI in research programs.
- Outcome Reported at Year End: Number of communication products with a focus on EDI in research programs in 2024/2025.
In 2023/24, Laurier received an allocation of $11,816.
Allocation
In 2023/24, Laurier proposes allocating its IPG across the priority areas as follows:
- 0% innovation and commercialization activities;
- 0% facilities renewal, including deferred maintenance;
- 0% information resources, including digital resources, open access and databases; and
- 100% equity, diversity and faculty renewal (in the context of equity, diversity and inclusion).
Equity Diversity and Faculty Renewal
- Institutional Performance Objective: Enhance EDI in Laurier’s research ecosystem.
- Indicator: Development of communication products related to EDI initiatives.
- Output: Communication products with a focus on EDI in research programs.
- Outcome Reported at Year End: Number of communication products with a focus on EDI in research programs in 2023/2024.
- Reported Outcome: During this fiscal year, communication materials were developed and promoted to the Laurier community and beyond.
In 2022/23, Laurier received an allocation of $17,302.
Allocation
In 2022/23, Laurier proposes allocating its IPG across the priority areas as follows:
- 0% innovation and commercialization activities;
- 0% facilities renewal, including deferred maintenance;
- 0% information resources, including digital resources, open access and databases; and
- 100% equity, diversity and faculty renewal (in the context of equity, diversity and inclusion).
Equity Diversity and Faculty Renewal
- Institutional Performance Objective: Enhance EDI in Laurier’s research ecosystem.
- Indicator: Development of communication products related to EDI initiatives.
- Output: Communication products with a focus on EDI in research programs.
- Outcome Reported at Year End: Number of communication products with a focus on EDI in research programs in 2022/2023.
- Reported Outcome: During this fiscal year, communication materials were captured in the field alongside Indigenous partners. Materials will be used to develop products that will highlight EDI in research.
Research Security
Research Security is categorized as a fifth priority area of the Incremental Project Grants (IPGs), introduced in 2022. Research Security funding will help to build capacity within postsecondary institutions to identify, assess and mitigate the potential risks to research security.
As part of Laurier’s commitment to transparency and clear communication, we report on the spending of IPG funds and share our institutional performance objectives.
In 2025/26, Laurier received an allocation of $72,527.
Allocation
Research Security
Enhance research security processes and procedures
- Institutional Performance Objective: Enhance research security processes and procedures to safeguard research at Laurier.
- Indicator: Identify research technology security risks and the current or needed mitigating actions.
- Output: $72,527 invested in Senior Solutions Consultant position.
- Outcome: Enhance security measures and stronger research security protocols.
In 2024/25, Laurier received an allocation of $72,563
Allocation
Research Security
Senior Solutions Consultant to support research Security
- Institutional Performance Objective:Increase research security in Laurier’s research ecosystem.
- Indicator:Support research and researchers to help navigate the IT landscape and process at Laurier to support research security.
- Output: $72,563 invested in Senior Solutions Consultant position.
- Outcome:Reduce response time and increase the number of consolations with researchers to support research security.
In 2023/24, Laurier received an allocation of $70,970.
Allocation
Research security
Senior solutions consultant to support research security
- Institutional Performance Objective: Increase research security in Laurier’s research ecosystem.
- Indicator: Support research and researchers to help navigate the IT landscape and process at Laurier to support research security.
- Output: $70,970 invested in the senior solutions consultant position.
- Targeted Outcome: Reduce response time and increase the number of consultations with researchers to support research security.
- Reported Outcome: Senior solutions consultant worked with Laurier researchers to support research security. Purchase of research security software/licenses.
In 2022/23, Laurier received an allocation of $76,611.
Allocation
Research security
Senior solutions consultant to support research security
- Institutional Performance Objective: Increase research security in Laurier’s research ecosystem.
- Indicator: Support research and researchers to help navigate the IT landscape and process at Laurier to support research security.
- Output: $76,611 invested in the senior solutions consultant position.
- Targeted Outcome: Reduce response time and increase the number of consultations with researchers to support research security.
- Reported Outcome: Delivery of research security services and one training exercise to Laurier faculty. Purchase of research security software/licenses.
Contact Us
Office of Research Services
Yellowknife Research Office