The Premier S Research Excellence Awards Program

The Premier S Research Excellence Awards Program

THE PREMIER’S RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARDS PROGRAM

PROGRAM INFORMATION & APPLICATION FORM

INTRODUCTION

Background

In the May 5, 1998 Ontario Budget speech, the Minister of Finance announced the Premier’s Research Excellence Awards (PREA) to help gifted researchers (i.e., principal investigators at universities, colleges, hospitals, research institutes) attract talented graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and research associates to their research teams.

Beginning in 1998-99, the Province will contribute a total of $50 million over a 10 year period. Research institutions or the private sector are expected to match the provincial contribution by providing an additional $25 million, for a total of $75 million to be awarded to researchers over the 10 years.

Program Objectives

The objectives of the Premier’s Research Excellence Awards program (PREA) are:

to improve Ontario’s ability to attract and keep highly talented young researchers and graduate students, and conduct state-of-the-art research; and

to enhance the development of promising researchers and students.

Focus of the PREA Program

The Premier’s Research Excellence Awards program will focus on the excellence of the applicant’s demonstrated research and/or research potential and the importance/promise of the applicant’s area of research.

All disciplines are eligible for support, but the PREA program will focus primarily on the physical, natural, and life sciences, engineering, mathematics, health sciences, and environmental sciences.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants will be restricted to full-time faculty or principal investigators (PI) who are active researchers, and who typically have received their first full-time appointment as principal investigator within an eight year period prior to their application.

To be considered for review, the application must be supported by the applicant’s Department Head or Department Chair, the applicant’s Dean or equivalent, and by the CEO of the institution. Furthermore, where the award is intended to be used for support to graduate students and the institution does not itself grant degrees (e.g., hospitals), the application must be supported by the CEO of the university to which the applicant’s institution is affiliated.

Successful applicants must hold a regular, on-going position with Ontario universities, colleges of applied arts and technology,hospitals or not-for-profit research institutes affiliated with a university or with a college of applied arts and technology, at the time of receipt of award.

To be eligible for support through this award, post-doctoral fellows must be within the first two years of the doctoral degree; graduate students can be supported for the first two years of a master’s program, or for the first four years of a doctoral program.

Researchers receiving awards, and their institutions, will be accountable to the Government for the appropriate spending of the award.

Eligible Partner Contributions

Each approved application shall be matched by a contribution equivalent to a minimum of 50% of the value of the provincial award contribution (i.e., 2/3 of the total award will come from the province, and 1/3 of the total award shall be from the partner contribution). The institution shall be responsible for ensuring that the partner contribution is in place at the time the award is taken up.

Partner contributions shall be in cash. Tuition scholarships to graduate students from the University are eligible. Awards from federal granting councils (NSERC, MRC, SSHRC), provincial awards (e.g., ORDCF) are not eligible partner contributions.

The names of an individual award may recognize a private sector contributor providing all of the matching contribution.

Eligible Expenses

The main priority of the PREA program is to help gifted researchers (principal investigators) attract talented graduate students, post-doctoral fellows (PDF’s) and research associates (scientists, engineers, etc.) to their research teams.

Eligible expenses will include:

salaries and benefits of the graduate students, PDF’s, and research associates

travel and related expenses for individuals, for attendance at conferences, workshops or seminars

travel and related expenses for individuals related directly to offsite research activities, i.e., field research, consultations with other research groups.

NOTE: Salaries and benefits or expenses for the principal investigator/applicant are not eligible. Funds are not to be used for the purchase of supplies or equipment or for the operation of equipment and facilities.

Contract Research

Awards are not intended to support salaries or expenses of individuals hired for the sole purpose of performing contract research projects (for which the intellectual property is owned by the contractor).

APPLICATION EVALUATION

Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis, according to the excellence of the applicant’s research potential as demonstrated by scientific and academic contributions to date, and the importance/promise of the proposed research area. A review process will be used to assess the quality of the application.

Proposal evaluation will be the responsibility of an small advisory board appointed by the Minister of Energy, Science and Technology. The Board will bring final recommendations to the Minister of Energy, Science and Technology for approval.

AWARD PARAMETERS

1.The Province’s contribution to an individual award shall typically be of the order of $100,000 (for a total award [PREA amount plus matching contribution] of $150,000).

2.An individual award is expected to be spent within five years of receipt.

3.An individual applicant researcher may only apply for one PREA award at a time, and may only receive one such award during his/her career.

4.There will be no restriction on the ability of the Award recipient to receive other (non-PREA) awards.

5.The award will be administered by the institution on behalf of the successful applicant. The institution will sign a funding agreement with the Government, on behalf of the applicant; the agreement will stipulate requirements for reporting on how the funds are spent.

6.The university/institution shall ensure that the maximum support for individual graduate students and/or post-doctoral fellows supported by the PREA award is in keeping with the levels established by other award/grant programs.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE - SECOND COMPETITION

1.Three copies of the completed application form, and an electronic version (e-mail or disk) of the completed form (in Word Perfect 6.1 or Microsoft Word 7.0) should be sent to:

Premier’s Research Excellence Awards Program

c/o Andrew Tomingas

Science and Technology Division

Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology

56 Wellesley Street W., 11th Floor

Toronto, Ontario M7A 2E7

Telephone: 416-314-3808

Facsimile: 416-314-8224

2.The deadline for the second competition is May 1, 1999

NOTE:

1.Please use the form provided.

2.12 point font must be used.

3.Page length restrictions for appendices must be observed.

4.Supporting letters may be fax copies with originals to follow.

5.Do not fax the application form to the Ministry.

  1. Refer also to “A Message from the Chair of the PREA Board and Guidelines update from the PREA Secretariat.”

PREMIER’S RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARDS

APPLICATION FORM

1. / NAME OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
(PI) Applicant
PI’s Title(s)
2. / DESCRIPTION OF PI
(< 100 words)
(Personal profile and main accomplishments, area(s) of expertise etc.)
3. / PI since (year)
4. / DEPARTMENTAL AFFILIATION(S)
5. / TITLE OF PROPOSAL
6. / MAILING ADDRESS - PI
7. / TELEPHONE - PI
8. / FACSIMILE - PI
9. / E-MAIL - PI
10. / LEAD INSTITUTION (for purpose of application)
Institution Contact Name:
11. / INSTITUTION
Mailing Address
12. / INSTITUTION CONTACT Telephone #
13. / INSTITUTION CONTACT
Facsimile
14. / INSTITUTION CONTACT
E-mail
15. / DEGREES EARNED (PI) / DegreeYear
Discipline
University
DegreeYear
Discipline
University
DegreeYear
Discipline
University
DegreeYear
Discipline
University
16. / ACADEMIC OR RESEARCH POSITIONS HELD BY PI
Please indicate if position was full-time/part-time.
Please include current position. / Position
Institution
Department/Academic Unit
Dates
Position
Institution
Department/Academic Unit
Dates
Position
Institution
Department/Academic Unit
Dates
Position
Institution
Department/Academic Unit
Dates
Position
Institution
Department/Academic Unit
Dates
Position
Institution
Department/Academic Unit
Dates
(If insufficient space, please add a page at the end of the application.
17. / TOTAL GRANTS AND/OR CONTRACTS supporting PI’s research, scholarly or creative activities over the past five years. / Indicate title, source and amount of each grant. Include personnel awards, if applicable.
Sum total the number of, and monetary value ($CDN) of research grants as:
i. PI; and
ii. co-applicant.
Please attach as Appendix A
18. / CURRICULUM VITAE - PI / Please attach as Appendix B. Include research papers published in books or reviewed journals, and invited lectures and presentations. Include special prizes or awards (over and above grants outlined in Section 17. Provide table with the number of peer reviewed journal publications (i.e., as principal author, co-principal author and collaborator), number of citations, number of patents.
Select the 5 most important publications, and indicate rationale.
Maximum Length - 5 pages.
19. / AMOUNT REQUESTED FROM PREA
20. / AMOUNT PROVIDED BY MATCHING SOURCE / Applicant must attach letter from institution and/or private sector source(s) guaranteeing a matching contribution of a minimum of 50% of the amount requested from PREA. (Letter may be faxed with original to follow.)
Note: If a single private sector donor agrees to contribute the entire matching amount, and if the applicant is successful, the name of the donor may be included in the name of the award -if desired.
21. / BUDGET / Please attach budget to show how award (i.e., PREA amount plus matching contribution) would be spent; attach as Appendix C. Show anticipated cash flow requirements. (See sample budget attached.)
22. / RESEARCH PLAN (PI) / Describe the research plan for which you would be hiring additional graduate students, post doctoral fellows or other research associates. Attach as Appendix D. Discussion to include the following:
i. Purpose of the proposed research;
ii. Proposed research activity;
iii. Anticipated outcome of the proposed research; and
iv. Possible impact of the proposed research.
Include 150 word summary in non-technical (“lay”) language.
Maximum length - 2 pages.
23. / REFERENCES / The institution/applicant will provide (as Appendix E) three or more letters of reference directed to the institution, which strongly support the excellence, importance and promise of the applicant’s research. Letters should indicate the impact of the research, e.g., in terms of contribution to knowledge, social or economic benefits. (Letters may be faxed with originals to follow.)
It is recommended that letters be from senior colleagues, external researchers of international stature familiar with the applicant’s work, corporate sponsors, etc. Letters should not be from thesis supervisors or co-investigators.
24. / SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT (PI)
25. / NAME AND SIGNATURE OF THE DEPARTMENT HEAD OR DEPARTMENT CHAIR
and
DEAN OF FACULTY OR EQUIVALENT / Name:
Title:
Signature:
Name:
Title:
Signature:
26. / NAME AND SIGNATURE OF THE CEO OF THE INSTITUTION. / Name:
Title:
Institution:
Signature:
27. / IF FUNDS ARE TO SUPPORT GRADUATE STUDENTS, AND IF THE INSTITUTION DOES NOT, ITSELF, GRANT DEGREES, PLEASE PROVIDE NAME AND SIGNATURE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE AFFILIATED UNIVERSITY . / Name:
Title:
Institution:
Signature:
PREMIER’S RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD
TOTAL EXPENDITURE BUDGET (PREA + matching contribution)
Expense Item / YEAR 1 / YEAR 2 / YEAR 3 / YEAR 4 / YEAR 5 / TOTAL
1 / Research Associate[1] / Salary
Benefits
Travel/Accommodation[2]
Fees[3]
2 / Research Associate / Salary
Benefits
Travel/ Accommodation
Fees
3 / Research Associate / Salary
Benefits
Travel/Accommodation
Fees
4 / Research Associate / Salary
Benefits
Travel/Accommodation
Fees
5 / Research Associate / Salary
Benefits
Travel/Accommodation
Fees
TOTALS

[1]Post-doctoral fellow, graduate student, research assistant/associate

[2]Travel and accommodation expenses for associate participation in conferences, workshops, special training, consultations, field research

[3]Fees for conferences, workshops, special training.