Indigenous Grants and Funding
IRST Toolbox | Engage with Research
Responsible Research Applications
Indigenous research is a distinct and specialised and transdisciplinary area of scholarly inquiry that requires additional expertise, resources, and relationship-building beyond what is typically expected of researchers. Grounded in ethical, reciprocal collaboration with Indigenous communities and upholds Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, being, and connecting. Accordingly, Indigenous research grant proposals should demonstrate a deep commitment to meaningful engagement, community-informed processes across all stages of the work to be successful in research funding competitions.
Recognizing this, many research funders have begun establishing Indigenous research-specific evaluation criteria that often emphasize sustained relationships with Indigenous communities, community relevance and benefit, and the protection and promotion of Indigenous data sovereignty. Increasingly, funders expect applicants to clearly outline how their research aligns with the principles of Chapter 9 of the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS-2), which outlines the ethical framework for research involving First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples in Canada.
To support researchers in preparing competitive and responsible Indigenous research grant applications, the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST) highlights four major elements that should be addressed:
Describe how Indigenous communities, organizations, or collaborators are involved throughout the research process, from project conception to dissemination. Your application should contain details about how you have engaged community to date, as well as what your plans are for community engagement moving forward.
Community engaged research often requires longer timelines and financial resources for community engagement activities. An Indigenous research wise practice is to ensure that any expected additional time and resources are accounted for in your proposal budgets. Remember to consider all the potential costs that may arise, including expenses related to community engagement, travel, cultural protocols, and honoraria.
Articulate how the research will benefit the community, respond to community-identified priorities, and contribute to long-term capacity-building (e.g., skills development, co-learning, local employment).
Explain how the project will respect Indigenous data stewardship in accordance with community-relevant data sovereignty frameworks. There are over thirty (and growing) different Indigenous Data Sovereignty frameworks that can be used, depending on the community/ies you are working with. The most common frameworks are:
- The First Nations Principles of OCAP®
- Principles of Ethical Métis Research (MC, 2011)
- National Inuit Strategy on Research (ITK, 2018)
- CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance (2018)
IRST recommends that researchers consider how to make the results of their studies accessible, reusable, and valuable to community to ensure the research is impactful.
Detail how Indigenous perspectives, knowledge systems, worldviews, or methodological frameworks inform the research design, analysis, and interpretation.
Key Takeaway: Be Proactive
While not all research proposals will have space to address every element in depth, applicants are encouraged to engage with these considerations as comprehensively as possible. Research funding agencies increasingly value proposals that demonstrate an integrated ethical approach to Indigenous research.
Importantly, many of these considerations will be required in full at the research ethics submission stage following funding approval. Proactively incorporating these elements into your funding proposal strengthens both your application and your research ethics foundation. IRST is available to support UCalgary researchers at any and all stages of the grant development and submission process.
Learn about upcoming Indigenous research funding opportunities through the IRST: