Research Support Fund (RSF)

Research is the cornerstone of a knowledge based economy, and contributes significantly to the quality of life for Canadians. The federal government invests in research in the sciences, health, social sciences, and humanities through its three granting agencies.

Grants from these agencies are used to fund the direct costs of research, items such as salaries of research assistants, equipment, and consumable materials required to conduct the research. However, these grants do not cover the hidden indirect costs of research, including the maintenance of research infrastructure and the costs associated with the administration of grants. The Research Support Fund (formerly known as the indirect costs program) is an annual grant made to the institution to ensure that its federally funded research projects are conducted in well-maintained, world-class infrastructure and with the best administrative support available.

Examples of the indirect costs of research supported by the fund include:

  • the operation and maintenance of facilities that support research, including equipment upgrades and utility costs;
  • the management of research grants;
  • assistance in the preparation of grant applications;
  • protection of intellectual property, commercialization and licensing of technologies derived from research activity;
  • regulation and safety compliance (including human ethics, animal care, biosafety and biosecurity, and environmental assessment);
  • acquiring research resources including library holdings, computers and datasets;
  • the dissemination and promotion of research outcomes; 

Trinity Western University recognizes that the funds received from the Research Support Fund are derived from the taxes paid annually by Canadians.  We are committed to the use of these resources in the most efficient and ethical way possible, to maximize the quality and value of research conducted at Trinity Western to Canadians. 

For further information concerning:

Affiliated Organizations

  • Associated Canadian Theological Schools (ACTS)
  • Canadian Institute of Linguistics
  • Catholic Pacific College

Allocation Overview

At Trinity Western University, the Research Support Fund grant is applied to offset indirect costs in the following categories: 


Research Support Fund Allocation Overview 2024-2025
 
Research Facilities 3,000
Research Resources 21,000
Management and Administration of the Institution's Research Enterprise 172,429
Regulatory Requirements & Accreditation 29,000
Intellectual Property & Knowledge Mobilization 21,000
Total Research Support Fund Grant 246,429

Research Resources

The Research Support Fund assists researchers at Trinity Western University by enabling access to library holdings at multiple institutions, as well as information technology resources including research data sets and repositories. 

Management and Administration

The Research Support Fund covers the salaries of personnel that assist in the preparation of research grant proposals, infrastructure grant proposals, daily administration of research grants, preparation of financial and outcomes reports, strategic research planning, and the promotion of research activity and outcomes. 

Regulatory Requirements and Accreditation

A significant portion of research conducted at Trinity Western University requires animal studies, research on human subjects, or the use of biohazardous materials.  For this reason, a significant portion of the Research Support Fund is applied to provide administrative support to the research ethics review committees, and to ethics training of faculty and student researchers, ensuring that research conducted at Trinity Western adheres to best practices. 

Intellectual Property

Some of the Research Support Fund is used to cover the administrative and legal costs associated with the development of commercial contracts, multi-institutional intellectual property agreements, and licensing agreements. 

Research Facilities

At Trinity Western University, research facilities are maintained by the faculties/schools in which they are housed. Some material costs associated with the operation of research equipment are supported by the Research Support Fund. Equipment upgrades, maintenance and operating costs associated with research infrastructure acquired through grants from the Canada Foundation for Innovation are supported through a grant from the Infrastructure Operating Fund.

Annual RSF (Formerly ICP) Outcomes