There are typically two types of sponsored research awards: Research Grant and Research Contract. The most important difference between a contract and a grant lies in whether the researcher is legally obligated to deliver specific outcomes.

When it comes to research agreements, there are various types that cater to different needs and circumstances. Some common research agreement types include:

To hold research funding at uOttawa, a Principal Investigator/researcher must meet the conditions outlined in section 6.1 of Policy-48 Administration of Research Grants and Contracts:

• The individual must have an academic appointment or employment relationship with the University for the full duration of the Research Grant or Research Contract;
• The individual must be eligible according to the Research sponsor’s policies and/or requirements; and
• The administering Faculty and /or academic unit accepts full responsibility for the oversight, performance, financial management and administration of research funds and any research agreement.
• Such other conditions as the Vice-President, Research and Innovation may establish in light of the circumstances of the proposed research.

Before a Principal Investigator begins discussions with sponsors and funding agencies, they must consult with the Research Advisor within their faculty. As set out in section 4.1 (b) of Procedure 29-3 established pursuant to Policy 48, the Research Advisor is there to assist in the completion the application, gather the necessary documents, and secure internal approvals.

Click for the contact information of the faculties' Research Advisors.

All contracts and all applications requiring institutional approval/signature must be submitted at least 10 business days before the deadline.

Research Contract Process

1. Email sent to the RMS Contracts Intake inbox with all relevant documents/information.
   • This includes:
     • The signed RE form
     • A copy of project proposal
     • A draft of the agreement/contract (if applicable)
     • Details on the submission deadline of your proposal (if applicable)
     • Any other relevant documents to help the RMS team fully understand your request
2. The contract is assigned to the applicable OVPRI office.
3. The responsibilities and terms of the contract are reviewed and negotiated.
4. A sponsored grant/contract agreement is drafted.

Depending on the nature of the application/contract and the source of funding, the application and/ or contract might be assigned to one of the three offices at the OVPRI responsible for pre-award support, contract negotiations and authorized signature.

For support in negotiating and executing the application/contract, researchers are to send an email requesting assistance from Research Management Services (RMS) to the RMS Intake inbox and we will review the submission and send it to the appropriate office within OVPRI.

All submissions must include:

• The editable version of the draft agreement (if provided by the sponsor/funding agency)
• A proposal/application/statement of work detailing the work

All revenue-bearing agreements must also include:

• A detailed budget
• The completed and signed RE form:
  • The research advisor in the researcher's faculty can guide them through the RE approval process.

Researchers must log into eAwards to access and complete the RE form.

The eAwards portal is part of an institutional grants and contracts management software and database that helps researchers and administrators manage and track research funding portfolios, from application through to approval, certification and awarding of funds.

The University of Ottawa supports the outside professional activities of faculty members, since they improve their effectiveness as scholars and teachers. However, these activities must be consistent with the faculty member’s commitment to fulfilling their responsibilities to uOttawa. Each faculty member’s primary professional responsibility is to uOttawa. As a result, faculty members must remain mindful of potential conflicts that may arise between their external professional pursuits and their duties as a faculty member (see APUO Collective Agreement Article 33.b (i)).

Before including outside professional activities in a contract budget, faculty members must seek approval from the Dean of their faculty, who will assess whether such outside professional activity conflicts with the member's responsibilities to uOttawa (APUO Collective Agreement Article 33.b (ii)).

Pursuant to section 3.2 of Procedure 29-6 established pursuant to Policy 48, if an individual, as the Principal Investigator, is directly receiving payments for professional services they are providing and for their expertise, they must seek approval from their faculty Dean and provide a clear and detailed breakdown in the form of a budget table.

Researchers who receive professional fees or other compensation directly for their professional expertise under a research contract are obligated to inform Research Management Services or the applicable OVPRI unit when submitting the proposal/application/research contract for review and negotiation.

If a Principal Investigator is to perform professional services through a personal contract (in which uOttawa is not listed as a party), they must assume the costs of using uOttawa facilities and they cannot use the services of uOttawa’s administrative offices.

Should the external professional activities require the use of uOttawa’s facilities, equipment, supplies, or services, the Principal Investigator would be responsible for covering any additional costs incurred, unless otherwise approved by the Dean (APUO Collective Agreement Article 33.c).

All budgets for contracts or grants shall include the cost of University overhead and the indirect costs of research unless these costs have been documented by sponsor policy as an ineligible expense or as a condition of the application for the specific funding program in question.

“Indirect costs” or “Overhead Rate” reflect the costs incurred by the University to support research. It is important that these costs be covered to ensure that the University’s research functions properly. Payment of these costs helps offset administrative services for research, University research programs, competitions, chairs, prizes, and University maintenance costs. 

According to section 3.1 of the Procedure 29-5 established pursuant to Policy 48, Indirect Costs/Overhead Rate is determined by the Office of the Vice-President Research and Innovation (OVPRI) based on national and provincial standards.

Explore various overhead rates for different research contract categories.

Prior to engaging in negotiations with funding agencies regarding eligible indirect costs, it is essential that the researcher notify the OVPRI office handling your file. The OVPRI office is responsible for negotiating directly with the funding agency to determine indirect costs. Failing to do so could potentially result in a change in the final funding amount you receive.

All research-related agreements and documents, including award letters for grants, must be negotiated and executed by the designated staff within the OVPRI (Board By-law No. 3).

Please note that the Dean, Vice-Dean, Departmental chair or Principal Investigator DO NOT have signing authority for research agreements such as Collaboration Research Agreements, Data Sharing Agreements, Material Transfer Agreements etc. This includes interinstitutional agreements, partnership agreements, research contracts and research-related service contracts.

If a faculty member (whether Principal Investigator or an administering faculty personnel) drafts, reviews, negotiates and/or signs a research contract, this document will NOT be accepted by OVPRI for the purposes of establishing research accounts. Bringing in designated OVPRI staff from the start prevents the need to re-negotiate agreements.

Once the research contract has been signed by all parties, a Research Grants & Awards Specialists will open a research account for the project. Each Faculty has a designated Research Grants & Awards Specialists at RMS.

Once the account has been activated, the Principal Investigator can access the project’s financial information through the Workday portal (uOttawa login required).

Minor changes (between 5% and 10%) normally do not need external approval, but this will depend on the contract. Budgetary changes that exceed 10% may require approval and negotiation with the sponsor. If the researcher intends to change the project budget after the contract has been signed, they must contact the contract office (RMS, ISS, IREX) managing their contract.