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Overview

Research and Knowledge Development Fund

• Introduction
• About the fund
• Objectives of the RKDF
• Major types of funding under the RKDF
• Funding limits and funding period
• Eligibility
• Eligible activities
• Eligible costs
• Key considerations
• Conditions

Introduction

The National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC) is located within Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada. The NCPC is responsible for implementing the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS).

Crime prevention through social development (CPSD) is the foundation of the NCPS. It represents a long-term, proactive and cost-effective approach that focuses on the complex social, economic and cultural processes that contribute to crime and victimization. This approach tackles individual, family and community risk factors that can lead to crime and victimization. It addresses factors such as domestic violence, ineffective parenting, substance abuse, low literacy skills and poverty -- factors that place people at high risk of coming into contact with the law as offenders, as victims, or both.

The key objectives of the NCPS are to:

• Increase sustainable community action in support of CPSD
• Develop and share knowledge of effective crime prevention strategies
• Coordinate multi-level support for crime prevention efforts

About the fund

The Research and Knowledge Development Fund (RKDF) is a key element in the NCPS. It supports a range of research activities, demonstration projects, knowledge transfer initiatives and evaluations that:

• identify and analyze gaps in the current body of knowledge relating to crime prevention in Canada
• create new knowledge in areas where gaps have been identified
• synthesize the results of existing research
• contribute to a growing awareness and recognition of promising practices and models for community-based crime prevention

The findings/results of the RKDF projects, in appropriate instances, will lead to the development and dissemination of resources and products that will enhance public awareness, understanding and practice of crime prevention, nationally and internationally. Funding will also support activities that strengthen and enhance linkages between the NCPC and individual academics and academic institutions, crime prevention researchers and practitioners, and specialists from non-governmental organizations.

Objectives of the RKDF

The objectives of the RKDF are to:

• Identify, develop, support and evaluate promising community-based crime prevention models of potential Canada-wide significance

• Support research, including community-based action research, and other activities related to the compilation of evidence on crime prevention and victimization, with particular emphasis on social development approaches

• Promote and facilitate linkages with crime prevention researchers, practitioners and communities

• Support and promote the advancement of effective approaches to crime prevention at the international level

Major types of funding under the RKDF

• Research projects
• Demonstration projects with associated evaluations
• Knowledge transfer projects

Funding limits and funding period

• RKDF projects may be funded using one of two funding vehicles: grant or contribution.

• A grant is a transfer payment which is not subject to auditing but for which eligibility and entitlement is verified and for which the recipient needs to meet pre-conditions. The maximum grant per recipient for an individual project is $100,000 per year.

• A contribution is a conditional transfer payment for a specified purpose pursuant to a contribution agreement. It is subject to being accounted for and auditing. The maximum contribution per recipient for an individual project is $500,000 per year.

• In cases where a recipient is managing multiple projects, the overall maximum financial support a recipient can receive per fiscal year is $1,500,000 in contribution and $300,000 in grant funding. Using an assessment tool, the NCPC will determine when it is appropriate to use a grant and when it is appropriate to use a contribution.

• The RKDF cannot fund 100% of project costs. Organizations seeking funding from the RKDF must make in-kind and/or financial contributions to the project. Where applicable, organizations seeking funding are also expected to obtain in-kind and/or financial contributions from other sources.

• The duration of an agreement cannot extend beyond March 31, 2010.

• Applicants must recognize that NCPC funding ceases upon project completion and that the NCPC will not contribute to the continuation of projects after the specified completion date.

Eligibility

Funds may be provided to the following recipients:

• National, provincial, territorial, municipal, Aboriginal community or professional organizations, societies and associations which have voluntarily associated themselves for a not-for-profit purpose, and which have the mandate to represent their membership or community
• Canadian educational institutions/boards of education
• Networks of academics, academic institutions and centres of excellence
• Provincial, territorial, municipal and regional governments
• Aboriginal and non-status governments, organizations and communities
• Provincial, municipal and Aboriginal police services
• International not-for-profit organizations, including bodies associated/affiliated with organizations of which Canada is a member, which have as their purpose supporting crime prevention and community safety
• Not-for-profit organizations and associations in the private sector

Crown corporations, for-profit businesses and individuals are not eligible for funding from the NCPC.

Eligible activities

• Activities related to the identification, design, development, delivery and evaluation of demonstration projects that enhance knowledge about CPSD and strengthen capacity to undertake related interventions
• Research activities to assess the nature, scope and impact of key crime prevention and victimization issues in Canada
• Community-based action research that enhances knowledge of social development approaches to crime prevention
• Data collection and analysis
• Gap analysis, research surveys and literature reviews
• International research activities that identify and assess gaps in understanding and knowledge and inform the development of promising crime prevention models and practices
• Activities that promote collaboration among crime prevention researchers, academics, academic institutions, centres of excellence, practitioners and community organizations
• Activities related to the development and dissemination of evidence-based resources, tools and products
• Public education/awareness activities that draw upon an evidence base and that advance knowledge and practice of crime prevention as an effective approach to intervention
• Support for crime prevention organizations that coordinate and advance Canada’s role in crime prevention nationally and internationally

Eligible costs

Funds may be used only for expenses directly related to the activities of the project identified in either the original budgetary submission or a subsequent budget approved by PSEPC. When required, the project sponsor must include a budget item for audits of financial statements.

Eligible expenses include:

• Fees and disbursements
• Salaries and wage for permanent or temporary professional, clerical, technical and administrative services, including contributions to the Canada Employment Insurance Commission, the Canada Pension Plan, the Workers' Compensation Board, the provincial pension plan or other employee benefit plans
• Services for personnel administration, accounting and bookkeeping, processing lawyers' accounts and audit fees
• Honoraria, defined as time-limited remuneration for a volunteer service or participation in a project that is consistent with, and essential to the attainment of, the project’s objectives
• Rent, normal utilities such as electricity, heat, water and telephone, maintenance of offices and other buildings and taxes
• Office equipment and minor capital acquisitions net of disposal (less than $5,000 per acquisition)
• Insurance on buildings, equipment, materials and fidelity bonds
• Supplies and materials, shipping charges, stationery, postage, printing, licenses and other fees
• Travel and living expenses directly related to project development, implementation and evaluation
• Training programs
• Computer services, library expenses, research costs and collection and analysis of statistics
• Advertising the availability of services
• Costs directly related to administration of third-party evaluations
• Project costs associated with promoting and testing crime prevention models and/or research activities
• Costs associated with the development and dissemination (including translation) of knowledge/evidence-based resources and products
• Administrative expenses as agreed to by the parties, not to exceed 15%
• Costs in support of public education/awareness (including translation) and associated communication activities

Ineligible costs

• Costs associated with the ongoing operations of the organization, institution or group
• Hospitality, defined as the provision of a reception offering refreshments, meals and sometimes entertainment to guests. (Refreshments refer to beverages and light snacks.)
• Major capital expenditures (more than $5,000 per acquisition)

Key considerations

• Funds are limited; therefore, it is not possible to provide funding to all applicants. Priority is given to proposals that are likely to obtain concrete results and to provide strong evidence to support the results.

• The NCPC will concentrate funding in key priority areas and towards knowledge gaps in order to effectively make the most of public funds. These priorities are intended to serve as a guide and do not exclude new and emerging issues.

• Demonstration project proposals must be developed and submitted in conjunction with an evaluator to ensure that the project objectives and activities are realistic and are amenable to a rigorous evaluation. The results of the project evaluation will be publicly disseminated with a view to increasing the knowledge on a particular issue or intervention. It is very important to secure a credible evaluator when developing your project.

• Funding for an existing program or a follow-up project to a previously funded and completed project is possible as long as it makes a significant addition to the work accomplished in the initial project. Officials will require the previous project’s final report and/or project evaluation results to assess the merit of the follow-up project proposal.

• The NCPC cannot support projects that duplicate existing programs in the same community or the duplication of programs and services funded by another federal government department or level of government.

Conditions

• Contribution Agreements
  In the event that your project is selected for contribution funding, you will be expected to sign a Contribution Agreement with the NCPC. It will include the terms and conditions of the agreement, the amount of funding, the length of the agreement and the work plan as developed by the applicant. Before accepting the Contribution Agreement, carefully consider the terms and conditions.

• Grants
  In the event that your project is selected for grant funding, you will be expected to sign a letter of expectation with the NCPC. The letter of expectation will outline how the grant is to be used in fulfilling the expectations of the NCPC, which are based on the application. The letter also outlines the obligations of the project sponsor. Before accepting the grant, carefully consider the terms and conditions.