Research Support Fund
What is the Research Support Fund?
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 Tri-Council agencies (CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC). The annual grant helps institutions manage the financial demands of the indirect costs of research. By easing the institutional financial burden, the Research Support Fund helps the university create an environment where researchers can focus on their research, collaborate with colleagues, and translate their discoveries and innovations.
What are the indirect costs of research?
In order for research projects to step off the pages of the funding application and come alive in an active, collaborative environment, there is a host of everyday, practical requirements that must be addressed and in place. These requirements, that may not be directly obvious, have associated costs; these are the indirect costs of research. Some of the specific costs include those behind-the-scenes expenses incurred by the university supporting the day-to-day research enterprise. Without heat, electricity, computer and network maintenance or administrative staff, research projects would be near impossible to complete. Costs incurred to keep the lights on, maintain database servers, or the wear-and-tear maintenance for lab space all contribute to the indirect cost of research.
Contact:
Office of the VP Research research@ucalgary.ca
Government of Canada Research Support Fund
In 2003, the Government of Canada introduced the Indirect Costs Program to help post-secondary institutions offset the less obvious costs of research. The Indirect Costs Program will be completed after the 2014-2015 fiscal year. For future years, the program will be replaced by the Research Support Fund.
In May 2016, The U15 Executive Heads agreed to the following statement on the indirect costs of research. Read more.
Calculation of the Research Support Fund Grant
The University of Calgary's Research Support Fund allocation is calculated based on Tri-Council (CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC) funding awarded in the three most recent years for which data are available.
RSF Expenditure Categories
In 2025-26 UCalgary received a $15.2 M grant (excluding the Incremental Project Grant) dedicated to five expenditure categories:
Affiliated Institutions
- Acute Care Alberta
- Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute
- Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre
- Alberta Health Services (AHS)
- Alberta Children's Hospital
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Centre
- Alberta Precision Laboratories (formerly Calgary Lab Services)
- Arthur Child Cancer Centre (formerly Tom Baker Cancer Centre)
- Foothills Hospital
- Medicine Hat Regional Hospital
- Peter Lougheed Centre
- Richmond Road Diagnostic & Treatment Centre
- Rockyview General Hospital
- Sheldon M. Chumir Centre
- South Calgary Health Centre
- Sunridge Professional Centre
- Alberta Sulphur Research Limited (ASRL)
- Assisted Living Alberta
- Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (Western Canadian Universities Marine Sciences Society)
- Canadian Institute of Resources Law (CIRL)
- Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family
- Carbon Management Canada Inc. (formerly Carbon Management Canada Research Institutes Inc.)
- Innovate Calgary
- University Technologies International Inc.
- UTI Limited Partnership
- UTI Commercial Trust
- Platform Calgary (formerly Calgary Technologies Inc.)
- PolicyWise
- Primary Care Alberta
- Recovery Alberta
- The Arctic Institute of North America (AINA)
- The Van Horne Institute
- TRIUMF
- Vecova Centre for Disability Services and Research
Incremental Project Grants (IPG)
2025-26 Institutional Performance Objectives (pdf)
2025-26 Institutional Performance Objectives for Research Security (pdf)
Past Funding
Calculation of the Research Support Fund Grant
In 2024-2025 UCalgary received a $15.1 M grant (including the Incremental Project Grant) dedicated to five expenditure categories, with additional funds received $1.25M for Research Security.
2024-2025 RSF Performance Indicators and Target Outcomes (pdf)
2024-2025 IPG Performance Objectives (pdf)
2024-2025 IPG Performance Objectives - Research Security (pdf)
In 2023-2024 UCalgary received a $17.99M grant (including the Incremental Project Grant) dedicated to five expenditure categories, with additional funds received $1.22M for Research Security.
2023-24 RSF Outcomes Report (pdf)
2023-24 IPG Performance Objectives Report (pdf)
2023-24 IPG Research Security Performance Objectives Report (pdf)
2023-24 RSF Performance Indicators and Target Outcomes (pdf)
2023-24 IPG Institutional Performance Objectives (pdf)
2023-24 IPG Institutional Performance Objectives for Research Security (pdf)
Calculation of the Research Support Fund Grant
In 2022-2023 UCalgary received a $17.43 M grant (including the Incremental Project Grant) dedicated to five expenditure categories, with additional funds received $1.17M for Research Security.
View 2022-23 Performance Indicators and Target Outcomes
View 2022-23 RSF Outcomes Report
View 2022-23 IPG Performance Objectives Report
View 2022-23 IPG Performance Objectives Report - Research Security
Calculation of the Research Support Fund Grant
In 2021-2022 UCalgary received a $16.95 M grant (including the Incremental Project Grant) dedicated to five expenditure categories.
View 2021-22 Performance Indicators and Target Outcomes.
Calculation of the Research Support Fund Grant
In 2020-2021 UCalgary received a $16.02 M grant (including the Incremental Project Grant) dedicated to five expenditure categories.
View 2020-21 Performance Indicators and Target Outcomes
Calculation of the Research Support Fund Grant
In 2019-2020 UCalgary received a $15.28 M grant (including the Incremental Project Grant) dedicated to five expenditure categories.
View 2019-20 Performance Indicators and Target Outcomes.
Calculation of the Research Support Fund Grant
In 2018/2019 UCalgary received a $14.3M grant, including the Incremental Project Grant, dedicated to five expenditure categories.
Research Support in Action
Life-changing field course at Kluane Lake Research Station
October 29, 2024
Students embark on a week-long field camp to Kluane Lake Research Station to gain insights into the challenges of life’s essentials in isolated Yukon community as part of the Sustainable Systems Engineering program.
Read more
New module streamlines the process for legal agreements
April 2, 2024
The new CSM Legal module streamlines the request and review process for legal agreements, empowering UCalgary researchers and our legal team to manage these tasks more efficiently.
Read more
Barrier Lake Field Station supports unique research access
October 3, 2023
The Barrier Lake Field Station allows researchers and students to easily visit nearby mountain sites to collect data for research on climate change and alpine lakes.
Read more
UCalgary partnership extends benefits of health research to more communities across Alberta
June 29, 2022
Cutting-edge technology underpins expanded reach of important clinical trial on use of clot-busting drugs for acute ischemic stroke treatment
Podcast explores connections between research and innovation
September 21, 2021
[now innovating] shapes conversations toward transforming discoveries into solutions, products, and services
REB Exchange streamlines multi-site research in Alberta
August 31, 2021
We are excited to announce the release of REB Exchange (REBX), a new ethics solution that integrates the ARISE (UAlberta) and IRISS (UCalgary) platforms to enable streamlined multi-site research, with a true single Board of Record model in Alberta.
Team sees Indigenous research as heart work, not hard work
May 14, 2021
Indigenous Research Support Team set to support Indigenous research 'in a good way'
Knowledge Engagement team develops toolkit for researchers to measure impact
May 26, 2021
Initiative demonstrates UCalgary’s commitment to research impact assessment
Introducing UCalgary’s Indigenous Research Support Team
October 30, 2020
New office provides Indigenous research and scholarship guidance
Student storytellers celebrate UCalgary innovators
April 15, 2020
Storytellers showcase campus changemakers in Innovation Untold contest
How do you inspire students to innovate? FutureU
January 28, 2020
New experiential learning program helps UCalgary students find their place in a rapidly changing world
UCalgary launches first entrepreneurship training program for women
November 13, 2019
Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking strengthens university's women-led innovation ecosystem
It takes a village to raise a research project
July 18, 2018
Researchers and administration work together on community-based gang prevention program
Why one family has participated in more than a dozen research studies
June 15, 2018
Participate in Research website offers volunteer opportunities for families to give back to the community and learn about science
Director Liz Scarratt helps researchers secure funding: 'In the end, what I do is based on connections with other people'
May 17, 2018
How the renewed Academic and Research Plans shape our workplace at University of Calgary