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 RSF to cover the indirect operating expenses to 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.
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 |
Hotıì ts’eeda |
Institute for Circumpolar Health Research |
2025/2026 |
$962,291 |
$273,704 |
$597,260 |
$91,327 |
2024/2025 |
$1,006,828 |
$305,529 |
$629,905 |
$71,393 |
2023/2024 |
$962,900 |
$225,494 |
$687,309 |
$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.
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 |
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 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 |
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
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.
Research Security Performance Objectives for 2023-2024
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 |