Research Support Fund
The objective of the Research Support Fund is to assist Canadian post-secondary institutions with the expenses associated with managing the research funded by the three federal research granting agencies:
- the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR);
- the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC); and
- the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
The Research Support Fund helps universities, colleges, and their affiliated research hospitals and institutes to maintain a world-class research environment, and can be used to:
- Maintain modern labs and equipment;
- Provide access to up-to-date knowledge resources;
- Provide research management and administrative support;
- Meet regulatory and ethical standards; or
- Transfer knowledge from academia to the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
At Trent University, Research Support Funding (formerly Indirect Costs) is invested in facilities, resources, management and administration, regulatory requirements and accreditation, and intellectual property.
The Research Support Fund replaced the Indirect Costs Program as of April 1, 2015. The transition of the Indirect Costs Program to the Research Support Fund is in response to the Economic Action Plan 2013, in which the government committed to examining the Indirect Costs Program, in consultation with the postsecondary sector, to ensure that the program was meeting its objective of reinforcing excellence in postsecondary research. The review, which drew on academic literature, previous program evaluations, and financial and administrative data, and solicited the views of a range of stakeholders from the higher education sector, found the Indirect Costs Program to be generally achieving its objective of reinforcing excellence in postsecondary research, but underscored awareness challenges associated with the program. The transition to the Research Support Fund is being made to better reflect the program's intended outcomes, improve institutional reporting measures, and enhance the visibility of this important federal investment in support of Canadian research.
Indirect costs
The total cost of research is made up of the direct costs of research plus the indirect costs of research. Indirect costs are sometimes referred to as “overhead” or “facilities and administration cost”. All research incurs indirect costs. The indirect costs of research are institutional costs that benefit and support research and the research enterprise.
Indirect costs are those that are difficult or unable to attribute directly to a particular project, but are real and necessary for the conduct of research. They can include:
- infrastructure and space maintenance
- research support services including central research and financial services and personnel
- environmental health and safety supports and resources
- regulatory certification requirements
- resources such as library and computer information services
Research Support Fund Impact
The Research Support Fund fuels Trent University’s research excellence by strengthening the infrastructure behind discovery. From maintaining core facilities and expanding digital resources to streamlining grant administration and supporting ethical compliance, RSF investments ensure researchers and students have the tools, training, and systems they need to innovate, collaborate, and lead.
Rapid Access, Real Impact: Trent Library Team Earns Innovation Award
The Library Services Team received Trent's 2024-2025 Team Innovation Award for their work on resource sharing and course readings. The implementation of Rapid Inter-Library Loans reduced article delivery times to 12 hours on average. Our Course Reading List service has helped to provide seamless access to course materials for students, while reducing textbook costs and saving time for faculty. Research and innovation at Trent University, including the Trent University Library and Archives, are supported in part by the Government of Canada’s Research Support Fund, which helps sustain the infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and ethical standards essential to enabling excellence in research alongside grants from federal funding agencies CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC.
Breaking Barriers: New Create Centre Redefines Entrepreneurship at Trent
Trent University has launched the Create Centre for Entrepreneurship, a student-centred entrepreneurship and innovation space designed to equip students and faculty from all disciplines with the skills, connections and confidence to lead change in their communities and careers.
“The Create Centre for Entrepreneurship reflects the spirit of Trent – collaborative, student-centred and deeply engaged with the world around us,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University. “Our goal is to challenge the conventional ideas around what entrepreneurship means, allowing every student to think differently and take risks, and make a meaningful impact.”
Create offers a fresh take on entrepreneurship, breaking down traditional barriers that often limit access only to students and faculty with pre-existing business ideas. Instead, the Centre provides an inclusive entry point to explore problem-solving, leadership and collaboration, in addition to supporting the start-up and spin-out of companies based on intellectual property created by students and faculty at Trent.
The Create Centre for Entrepreneurship will serve as a connector between students and faculty, existing programming and services at Trent, as well as the business sectors in both Peterborough and Durham. In addition to skill-building and mentorship, students will gain access to networking opportunities, hands-on experiences and curated programming.
The Centre’s physical space is now open in Bata Library on the fourth floor, which is known as the Moore Innovation Hub made possible through the generosity of Dr. David Moore '93 (hon) and Joan Moore. The University also plans to expand the Create Centre for Entrepreneurship programming to Trent Durham GTA.
Research and innovation at Trent University are supported in part by the Government of Canada’s Research Support Fund, which helps sustain the infrastructure, regulatory compliance, and ethical standards essential to enabling excellence in research alongside grants from federal funding agencies CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC.