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

• 2022/23 RSF Institutional Objectives
• 2021/22 RSF Institutional Objectives
• 2020/21 RSF Institutional Objectives
• 2019/20 RSF Institutional Objectives
• 2018/19 RSF Institutional Objectives
• 2017/18 RSF Institutional Objectives

Research Support Fund Reports

• 2021/22 RSF Report
• 2020/21 RSF Report
• 2019/20 RSF Report
• 2018/19 RSF Report
• 2017/18 RSF Report
• 2016/17 RSF Report
• 2015/16 RSF Report
• 2014/15 RSF Report
• 2013/14 RSF Report
• 2012/13 RSF Report