Post-award

Managing a Research Grant at Simon Fraser University

FCAT researchers who are successful in receiving a research funding award, will generally receive a Notice of Decision by the grant funder informing them of their successful grant, as well as terms and amounts of funding or conclude a Research Agreement (for research contracts) with their funder and with the support of the Office of Research Services (ORS). 

After receiving their grant/award Notice of Decision information, principal investigators (PIs) and their teams must follow a set of processes to lead their projects and manage their research funds. SFU benefits from the support of several offices during this Post-Award Management stage of a research grant. More information can be found on the ORS website at:

• Managing Your Award
• Compliance and Safety
• Research Ethics
• Reporting and Monitoring

Note for Tri-Agency Grants (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR): Please note that as of April 2020, the new Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration (TAGFA) has come into effect. 

In addition, the SFU Library offers several scholarly publishing and open access resources to support faculty and student researchers in publishing their research, promoting their work online and through the media, and measuring the impact and visibility of their scholarship. More information can be found on the SFU Library webpage on Scholarly Publishing and Open Access.

Faculty members receive strong support and/or information on how to manage their research grants within their schools or programs. Please consult each school/program staff directory for this purpose:

• School of Interactive Arts and Technology 
• School of Communication 
• School for the Contemporary Arts 
• Publishing Program
• The Centre for Digital Media

Additional information on the FCAT Research website FAQs under Managing a Research Grant.

Safeguarding Your Research

The Government of Canada has released a suite of tools and information for researchers on protecting their research data and intellectual property from theft or misuse.

The “Safeguarding Your Research” portal will help researchers self-evaluate and take actions to mitigate the risks of theft or misuse of knowledge and results associated with research, partnerships and international travel. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of such tools; there have been repeated efforts to gain illegal access to Canadian research on a COVID-19 vaccine.

Universities Canada and the U15 have also developed practical tools to help researchers consider security risks that can be associated with international research partnerships and travel.

Source: This information was provided by the SFU Office of the VP, Research & International to faculty and graduate students on October 5, 2020.