The Research Support Fund assists Canadian postsecondary institutions and their affiliated research hospitals and institutes with the expenses associated with managing the research funded by the three federal research granting agencies (Tri-Agencies):
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR);
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC); and
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
Research Support Fund grants 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; and transfer knowledge from academia to the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. For more information please visit the Research Support Fund website.
Affiliated Institutions
In 2018, Aurora College formalized an agreement with Hotıì ts’eeda (HT), the Strategic Patient Oriented Research Program (SPOR) Support for Patient Oriented Research and Trials (SUPPORT) Unit for the Northwest Territories, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and hosted by the Tłįchǫ Government to administer Research Support Funds. To learn how Hotıì ts’eeda has allocated its RSF to cover the indirect operating expenses and support research projects visit: https://nwtspor.ca/about/research-support-fund-accountability
In 2020, Aurora College formalized an agreement with the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research (ICHR), an independent, non-profit organization actively engaged in research, research facilitation, training, synthesis, exchange and dissemination within the Northwest Territories. To learn how the ICHR has allocated its RSF to cover the indirect operating expenses and support research projects visit: https://www.ichr.ca/research/research-support-fund/.
Research Support Fund at Aurora College
Aurora College utilizes Research Support Funds to cover the indirect costs associated with research. These research funds are administered through the Aurora Research Institute, the research division of Aurora College. These indirect costs are real and ongoing operational expenses not directly linked to specific research projects. Examples include library resources, electricity, administrative functions, facilities upkeep, and building maintenance. Institutions have the flexibility to allocate these funds across five expenditure categories.
The Five Expenditure Categories include:
- Research facilities
- Research resources
- Management and administration of an institution’s research enterprise
- Regulatory requirements and accreditation
- Intellectual property and knowledge mobilization
Since 2017, the Research Support Funds received by Aurora College have been used to support the research administration work and research administration systems of the Research Services Office, as well as library resources at the Western Arctic Research Centre.
Research Support Fund Grant Amounts 2017-2026
Year |
Total Amount Received |
Aurora College |
HT |
ICHR |
2025/2026 |
$962,291 |
$303,566.15 |
$567,397.40 |
$91,327 |
2024/2025 |
$1,006,828 |
$337,024.32 |
$598,410.21 |
$71,393 |
2023/2024 |
$963,994 |
$259,859.00 |
$652,944 |
$50,097 |
2022/2023 |
$937,311 |
$200,079 |
$709,767 |
$27,465 |
2021/2022 |
$851,150 |
$125,080 |
$718,630 |
$7,440 |
2020/2021 |
$593,051 |
$76,717 |
$516,334 |
- |
2019/2020 |
$321,043 |
$43,109 |
$277,934 |
- |
2018/2019 |
$48,440 |
$48,440 |
- |
- |
2017/2018 |
$31,466 |
$31,466 |
- |
-
|
For its 2025-2026 Research Support Fund allocation, Aurora College plans to spend 1.7% on research facilities, 0.5% on research resources, 92.0% on the management and administration of its research enterprise, and 5.8% on regulatory requirements and accreditation.
This table shows how the funds have been allocated under each of the five expenditure categories for the past five years (values include those of Aurora College's affiliated institutions):
Year |
Research Facilities |
Research Resources |
Management & Administration |
Regulatory Requirements & Accreditation |
Intellectual Property & Knowledge Mobilization |
Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024-2025 |
$253,636.15 |
$375.00 |
$662,802.81 |
$71393.23 |
$18620.81 |
$1,006,828.00 |
2023-2024 |
$267,548.00 |
$263.67 |
$692,901.01 |
$3,281.32 |
$0.00 |
$963,994.00 |
2022-2023 |
$212,930.00 |
$0.00 |
$684,365.00 |
$0.00 |
$40,016.00 |
$937,311.00 |
2021-2022 |
$269,324.00 |
$0.00 |
$581,826.00 |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
$851,150.00 |
2020-2021 |
$283,983.70 |
$0.00 |
$309,067.30 |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
$593,051.00 |
The following tables show how Aurora College has allocated its Research Support Funds to support institutional performance objectives, presented with corresponding indicators. Please see the affiliate organization's websites to view their performance objectives and outcomes over the years.
2025/26 Research Support Fund Performance Objectives
Eligible Expenditure Category |
Institutional Output |
Institutional Performance Objective |
Performance Indicator |
Targeted Outcomes |
Outcomes Reported at Year End |
Research Facilities |
Research facilities’ equipment maintenance |
Support maintenance costs of research equipment at research centres |
Research equipment at three research centres meets research staff, research student, and visiting researchers’ needs |
Decrease the downtime of research equipment |
|
Research Resources |
Library software licences |
Improve virtual communications around research data management |
The number of staff and research partners who participate in library-supported research data management and related training sessions |
Increase the number of staff and research partners participating in virtual training for data handling |
|
Management and Administration of Research Enterprise |
Research administration staff and research administration software licences |
Retain full-time research administration staffMaintain research administration software |
Retain full-time Research Grant CoordinatorRetain full-time Research Development FacilitatorMaintain research management software to support research administration activities |
Research Services Office will provide effective support for staff researchers to lesson their time burden of research administration dutiesImprove institutional tracking and reporting on research programs |
|
Regulatory Requirements / Accreditations |
Regulatory requirements and accreditation committees |
Provide salary support for Research Ethics Committee (REC) members |
REC members are actively involved in virtual and in-person meetings throughout the year |
REC provides regular engagement and training opportunities for its committee members |
|
2024/25 Research Support Fund Performance Objectives
Eligible Expenditure Category |
Institutional Output |
Institutional Performance Objective |
Performance Indicator |
Target Outcome |
Outcomes Reported at Year End |
Research Facilities |
$25,616 invested in equipment operation and upkeep |
Supported the operation and upkeep costs of research equipment |
Sustained operation of equipment at research centres |
Limited the amount of downtime of essential equipment |
Two of the three research centres received funds to support their facilities' ongoing operation and upkeep costs to support research equipment |
Research Resources |
$375 invested for research data management services to the library |
Invested in the library's annual costs that enable research access to Research Data Management (RDM) training |
The training of staff and partners in RDM |
Increased the number of staff and research partners participating in virtual training for data handling |
Library retained membership with Digital Research Alliance and its services (e.g. Data Management Planning Assistant); library staff trained researchers in RDM processes |
Management and Administration of Research Enterprise |
$292,413 invested towards research support salaries and management software |
Hired and retained full-time research administration staff; maintained research administration software |
Retention and hiring of Research Services Office staff; improved reporting and tracking of research programs |
Provided support for staff researchers to lesson burden of research administration |
Retained full-time Research Grant Coordinator; hired full-time Research Development Facilitator; maintained grant reporting software |
Intellectual Property and Knowledge Mobilization |
$18,621 invested in knowledge mobilization activities |
Promoted results of NWT-led science research to a broader audience |
Increased data interoperability to support knowledge mobilization opportunities |
Increased discoverability of Northern science knowledge |
Data scientist hired for data cleaning, integrating, analyzing, and visualizing |
2023/24 Research Support Fund Performance Objectives
Eligible Expenditure Category |
Institutional Output |
Institutional Performance Objective |
Performance Indicator |
Target Outcome |
Outcomes Reported at Year End |
Management and administration of research enterprise |
Investment into salaries for research administration staffInvestment into research administration software |
Full-time fesearch administration staffResearch administration software |
Full-time research administrator on staffSoftware eases burden of research administrationImproved reporting and tracking of research programs |
Research Services Office provides quality support for staff researchers to lesson time burden of research administrationExpanded institutional reporting capabilities |
Full-time research administration staff supporting researchersAdministration software in place |
Intellectual property and knowledge mobilization |
Knowledge mobilization projects |
Promote research led by NWT academic and Indigenous scholars to a broader audience |
Execution of knowledge mobilization projects that address performance objective |
Increased discoverability of northern science and Indigenous knowledge |
Increased sharing of information for northern research programs |
2022/23 Research Support Fund Performance Objectives
Eligible Expenditure Category |
Institutional Output |
Institutional Performance Objective |
Performance Indicator |
Target Outcome |
Outcomes Reported at Year End |
Management and administration of research enterprise |
Investment into salaries for research administration staffInvestment into research administration software |
Full-time research administration staffResearch administration software |
Full time research administrator on staffSoftware eases burden of research administrationImproved reporting and tracking of research programs |
Research Services Office provides high quality support for staff researchers to lesson time burden of research administrationExpanded institutional reporting capabilities |
Full-time research administration staff supporting researchersAdministration Software in place |
Intellectual property and knowledge mobilization |
Knowledge mobilization projects |
Promote research led by NWT academic and Indigenous scholars to a broader audience |
Execution of knowledge mobilization projects that address performance objective |
Increased discoverability of northern science and Indigenous knowledge |
Increased sharing of information for northern research programs |
2021/22 Research Support Fund Performance Objectives
Eligible Expenditure Category |
Institutional Output |
Institutional Performance Objective |
Performance Indicator |
Target Outcome |
Outcomes Reported at Year End |
Management and administration of research enterprise |
Investment into salaries for research administration staffInvestment into research administration software |
Full-time research administration staffResearch administration software |
Full-time research administrator on staffSoftware eases burden of research administrationImproved reporting and tracking of research programs |
Research Services Office provides quality support for staff researchers to lesson time burden of research administrationExpanded institutional reporting capabilities |
Full-time research administration staff supporting researchersROMEO Process Pathways research administration software in place |
Intellectual property and knowledge mobilization |
Knowledge mobilization projects |
Promote research led by NWT academic and Indigenous scholars to a broader audience |
Execution of knowledge mobilization projects that address performance objective |
Increased discoverability of northern science and Indigenous knowledge |
Increased sharing of information for northern research programs |
2020/21 Research Support Fund Performance Objectives
Eligible Expenditure Category |
Institutional Output |
Institutional Performance Objective |
Performance Indicator |
Target Outcome |
Outcomes Reported at Year End |
Management and administration of research enterprise |
Investment into salaries for research administration staffInvestment into research administration software |
Full-time research administration staffResearch administration software |
Full-time research administrator on staffSoftware eases burden of research administrationImproved reporting and tracking of research programs |
Research Services Office provides quality support for staff researchers to lesson time burden of research administrationExpanded institutional reporting capabilities |
Full-time research administration staff supporting researchersROMEO Process Pathways research administration software in place |
Research Security Performance Objectives
2025-2026
Aurora College’s research division, the Aurora Research Institute (ARI), is developing an ARI Research Plan. One plan objective is to ‘ensure research security’ across the institution. To support this, the ARI’s Research Services Office and the college’s Information Systems and Technology department will assess potential institutional research security risks . Mitigation strategies can be developed and incorporated into ARI’s Research Plan, then target outcomes and reported outcomes can be reviewed annually.
Expenditure Category |
Institutional Output |
Performance Objective |
Performance Indicator |
Target Outcomes |
Reported Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Research Security |
$1,046 invested in review of research security risks |
Improve research security at the institution |
Identify research security risks and vulnerabilities, identify mitigation strategies |
Complete research security section for ARI Research Plan |
|
2023-2024
Aurora College carried out a review of its Information Systems and Technology resources and developed a comprehensive internal Technology Strategy and Roadmap. This initiative encompassed the audit and review of institutional security measures and data management protocols. For the fiscal year of 2023-2024, the College received a budget allocation of $1,094 that supported its research security initiatives.
Project Title |
Output |
Performance Objective |
Performance Indicator |
Target Outcome |
Outcomes Reported at Year End |
Aurora College Technology Strategy and Roadmap |
Review of institutional information and technology structures |
Improve data security at the institution |
Identify security risks and vulnerabilities |
Complete institutional audit and develop a roadmap for improvements |
Improved data security at the collegeIdentified security risks and vulnerabilitiesTrained staff to identify security risks / vulnerabilities and develop mitigation plan |
Investment Stories
2024-2025: Research Support Fund and Aurora College's Research Services Office
Aurora College is the public college of the Northwest Territories (NWT). As a northern institution, the college provides education, training, and research services that are rooted in northern lands, traditions, communities, and people. Its mandate is to provide a broad spectrum of post-secondary and adult education that is relevant to the needs of residents, communities, and the NWT labour market.
The college’s research division, the Aurora Research Institute (ARI), has a mandate to improve the quality of life for NWT residents by applying scientific, technological, and Indigenous knowledge to solve northern problems and advance social and economic goals. Funds provided through the Research Support Fund grant supports the ARI’s ability to staff two full-time positions: a Research Grants Coordinator and a Research Grants Facilitator. These positions, housed in the Research Services Office, provides assistance and support related to the college’s research and its administration.
The Facilitator is responsible for developing, supporting, facilitating, and expanding research activities at the college. They also offer training and professional development activities related to research grant development and writing. The Coordinator is responsible for managing research administration processes and grant tracking for research projects and activities taking place across the Aurora College research community. The Coordinator identifies and promotes research funding opportunities and provides administrative support for staff and students involved in research grant and funding applications.
To promote and maintain a strong research environment, these positions also facilitate institutional research grants and awards programs. Their strategic record-keeping of internal and external grant application submissions and awards is critical for tracking analytical and performance metrics related to institutional research activities. They monitor institutional research administration processes and provide guidance so that activities meet national requirements and standards, helping to ensure competent reporting, financial transparency, and institutional accountability.
RSF and Aurora Research Institute Centres
In 2024-2025, the Aurora College’s Research Support Fund supported the operating costs of its research centres in Yellowknife (North Slave Research Centre) and Inuvik (Western Arctic Research Centre), enabling the purchase of materials and supplies used in the operation of research equipment (i.e. laboratory consumables), as well as necessary furniture required to support the college research facilities’ operations. These investments allow the research community working in the Northwest Territories to access, use, and benefit from specialized northern research equipment and facilities, enabling and enhancing their important work.