FAQs

What is involved when I submit a draft review?

The Research Facilitator welcomes draft proposals at any stage of development. Feel free to contact them to submit a partial or complete draft for review.  They will offer comments and suggestions, and will meet with you to go over their advice.  The Reserach Facilitator can also provide application templates and sampels of successful applications to aid the writing process.

Please contact your the Research Facilitator well in advance of deadlines - 6 months in advance of large partnership grant deadlines, and 2-3 months ahead of other deadlines.  At busy times as many as 15 people will be working with the Faciliator, and they will be extermely busy in the week prior to a grant deadline.

When should I contact Research Services?

The Office of Research Services supports research administration and ensures compliance with policies and procedures of the university and the sponsor. ORS also supports the administration of research contracts including transfer agreements, legal advice, IP, research accounting and data access agreements.  Contact ORS at ors@sfu.ca when you require advice on how to administer financial support, or if you need assistance with research contracts.

When should I contact Institutional Strategic Awards?

Institutional Strategic Awards Office (ISA) facilitates pre-award development and post-award management of the largest and most complex grants, contracts, prizes and awards at SFU.  The ISA team consists of two senior facilitators, a writing team, awards & prizes lead, CFI lead, financial analyst, and project managers. The ISA sends regular emails to faculty members and maintains a comprehensive website to provide information about programs that they support. Your Associate Dean of Research or Research Grants Facilitator will refer you to the ISA team if your proposal or award falls under ISA’s mandate. Faculty members may also contact ISA directly at: isa@sfu.ca.

Who approves and signs my research grant or contract proposals?

Research grant and contract applications typically require a combination of applicant and institutional signatures, most often from: the applicant; their Department Chair or School/Program Director; FCAT’s Associate Dean, Research and SFU Research Services. 

SFU typically requires these same signatures on the SFU signature sheet, but since granting agencies have specific requirements for different competitions, other signatures are at times required: consult ORS if you are uncertain about who should sign.

What is the internal SFU deadline for my grant?

SFU internal deadlines are set by Research Services, and allow time for review and revision of grant applications before submission. FCAT internal deadlines are five (5) business days before the internal deadline, and SFU ORS internal deadlines are three (3) business days before the funding agency’s external deadlines. These deadlines are also latest dates by which Signature Sheets should be submitted, i.e. 5 business days in advance to the FCAT Associate Dean, Research (ADR) (with Applicant and School/Program Director signatures) and 3 business days in advance to ORS (with Applicant, School/Program Director and ADR signatures).

Will the Research Grants Facilitator write my grant application?

No. The Research Grants Facilitator (RF) will work with you to develop a competitive application. The RF, as well as most university grants development personnel are generally not experts in your research proposal’s thematic area, however, they possess the necessary academic qualifications and professional grant experience/knowledge to provide guidance, advice and support in project development (including budgets), reviews, feedback and edits of drafts. They will also provide other pre-award services or resources such as discussing application strategies, providing templates, tip sheets, and sample applications, staging information sessions and workshops on grant-related matters, and liaising with internal and external stakeholders (e.g., granting agencies, SFU ISA and ORS, etc.).

Will the Research Grants Facilitator prepare my CV for grant applications?

No. The Research Grants Facilitator can provide feedback on CVs, including assessments of effectiveness in meeting grant merit criteria, but their full workload, and grants expertise do include preparing CVs for applicants. At certain times, if the budget permits, the FCAT Dean’s Office may benefit from additional resources, such as the support of coop students to help with CVs but otherwise, faculty members are requested to seek their own resources outside of the FCAT Dean’s Office for this purpose.­

Where can i get support with project implementation Post-Award?

Please visit the Office of Research Services' (ORS) award management page for a detailed breakdown of post-award resources and services. If you require further support, please reach out to the FCAT Research Coordinator.