Appendix C

Student’s Manual
A Guide to Completing an NSTP Application for Funds

I Completing a Student Application for Funds

Students are responsible for completing this form. All application forms must be completed online.

The NSTP application form can be found online. There is also a “Frequently Asked Questions” page available online.

Section A : Student Information

General

If a student is applying from a Community College he/she must have completed two full years of an academic program. The student must also include a separate sheet demonstrating an intention to go on to a university education. However, if the student is enrolled at a Canadian University which has a Northern Studies Committee, the student must apply through their respective university. In this case, the student may not apply though a Northern College.

1. Status :

Students supported by training funds must be Canadian Citizens or have the legal right of a Permanent Resident in Canada. Students on student or visitor visas or any other kind of visa are ineligible.

2. Academic Level:

The student must indicate the degree and the year at the time the proposed research will be conducted. For fieldwork done in the summer, the year just completed before the research should be marked. Further information on student eligibility can be found in the Guidelines, Section IV (c): page 4.

3. Are You Applying for NSTP Funding Through Another University?:

If a student has applied for NSTP funding through more than one university because they are awaiting acceptance to a new program of study, the other university(s) applied through must be indicated in the space provided.

Section B: Discipline, Project, Role in Research

1. Discipline:

On the basis of a review of the NSTP database, disciplines have been grouped under three general science categories. Student projects should correspond to either the Human Sciences, Health Sciences, Physical Sciences, or Life Sciences. The list below each general science category, on the following page, should assist the students in selecting the discipline which corresponds with their program of study.

2. Program of Study:

As listed on the following page, students should indicate the Program of Study in which their research falls under. If using the term "other", please specify the program of study.

3. Title of Project:

Students should provide a descriptive title for their project.

4. Brief Description of Project Including: Objective, Methodology and Significance to the Student and Keyword Search:

This is a very important part of the application since it explains the student's research project and field component. As such, the student must clearly describe the project objective, the methodology, significance of the research to the student and an indication of where the student is in his/her research. The student, not the supervisor, should fill out this section. The description should not be a duplicate of another NSTP-supported project, nor should it be a copy of a project description submitted by another student. The information should be typed in the space provided.

The student should provide keywords that best apply to their research project. This information can then be used when searching the NSTP database.

5. Role in Research Project and Research Partners [8]:

The student should distinguish his/her role between field assistant and principal researcher. Graduate students should be listed as researchers and not field-assistants since the NSTP aims at providing scientific training that gives advanced students professional experience in the Canadian North.

The student must indicate who s/he will be working with in the field. Please indicate their name on the first line and the organization/university they are affiliated with on the line below. This information will assist in forming linkages for researchers working towards a common goal.

6. Fieldwork Location(s):

The student must cite the primary fieldwork location and whenever possible, note a nearby community, a settlement, a landmark such as a mountain range, lake, river, and provide the geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). This is to ensure that the student's fieldwork location falls within the NSTP geographical boundary (see map on page ii).

Section C: Period in the North, Funds

1. Estimated Number of Days in the North:

The student must indicate the period to be spent in the North, ensuring that the exact field season dates are recorded. This allows the Committee to determine the number of days the student will spend in the North, and whether the research falls within a summer or a winter project.

2. Continuing Project from Previous Year(s):

The student must also indicate whether the project is a new one, or whether it is one from the previous year(s). In the latter instance, the student must indicate whether he/she has received funding under the NSTP or another program for the same project before.

3. Total NSTP Support - Previous Year(s):

If the student was previously funded by the NSTP, enter the amount that was granted.

4. Total Expected Cost of Fieldwork Component of Project:

The student must specify the total expected cost of the fieldwork portion of his/her entire project for this year, not just the portion subsidized by NSTP funds.

5. Breakdown of NSTP Support Requested this Year:

In this section of the application the student is required to give an account of how NSTP funds will be used by providing a breakdown of expenses by transportation costs, living expenses, freight charges and interpreter fees.

6. Other Source(s) and Amount(s) of Funding and/or Support Applied for:

Given the supplemental nature of NSTP funds, it is important to identify other sources of funding and/or support, the amounts received, applied for and the amounts secured (e.g. grant, bursary, scholarship, subsidies). When quoting a supervisor’s or group grant/fund, please indicate only that portion that will be applied against the individual student research proposed and not the value of the entire grant. The disclosure of this information is important because it reflects the effort made by a student to obtain appropriate funding for the research project.

Moreover, students should note that they cannot be employed or remunerated for any portion of their research project. If they are applying for an NSTP grant, external employment or remuneration funds should not be considered a source of funding for any project. Research Assistantships or other university stipends are not considered as “employment” in this context.

Section D: Ethical Principles, Research Licence(s)/Permit(s)

Students must be acquainted with the ethical principles of doing research in the North. The student's signature confirms that he/she has read the booklet Ethical Principles for the Conduct of Research in the North and that he/she will abide by those principles.

The student must indicate what he/she has done or will do to obtain the local community's approval prior to his/her sojourn in the North, as well as which agency he/she has or will contact to obtain the requisite licence(s)/permit(s). Obtaining a research licence or permit to conduct research in the North is a legal obligation punishable by fines.

Understanding of this licencing process constitutes an important component of the student's training experience in the North. It also helps ensure that NSTP funded research will be conducted ethically, and will respect the cultural aspects of northern communities (see: Ethical Principles for the Conduct of Research in the North). The ethical principles requirement has the added benefit of ensuring each student's safety in the field, and promotes the exchange of information on northern projects among scientists and residents of the North.

The student's and the supervisor's signature confirms that the research will be conducted in accordance with the ethical principles. Student's should ensure that the supervisor's name is also typed in this section of the application.

The application form has been altered to make is easier to indicate where the student is at in the licensing process. It is important to identify where and when the licence has been applied for as well as whether the licence has been approved or if it is pending. The disclosure of this information is important because it eliminates any confusion that the representatives from the licensing agencies may have if the project is not indicated on their internal reports which they bring to the NSTP Allocation meeting.

FAILURE BY A STUDENT TO THOROUGHLY COMPLETE THIS SECTION WILL RESULT IN A REJECTION OF HIS/HER APPLICATION.

II RESEARCH PROJECTS IN NORTHERN REGIONS OF OTHER CIRCUMPOLAR COUNTRIES

In the case of students applying to undertake research in other circumpolar countries, the first step is the completion of the NSTP application. International projects should meet all the criteria that presently apply to projects in the Canadian North. In addition, the student must provide the following information on a separate sheet:

- relevancy of the foreign study to Northern Studies in Canada - - a direct link needs to be seen on how the proposed research will benefit Northern Studies in Canada;

- relevancy of the foreign study to previous and planned work by the student in the Canadian North;

- organizational and financial support provided in the host country; and,

- reference to any authorizations and licences required to conduct research in the host country.

FAILURE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION IN ALL FOUR AREAS WILL RESULT IN A REJECTION OF THE APPLICATION.

Note that this justification must be provided each time that a student plans to conduct international research. Therefore, even if the research is a continuation of previous years, the justification must be provided again.

In addition to the criteria listed above, the following geographic location directives should be applied:

• The research should be carried out in one of the seven Arctic countries as identified in the proposed Arctic Council.
• The southern limit of discontinuous permafrost (Brown Line) serves as the general boundary.
• Research projects carried out in all of Alaska, except for the "panhandle" are eligible.
• Consideration will be given for research carried out in all areas of Greenland (Denmark).
• For Iceland, eligibility will be determined on a case by case examination.
• For determination of eligibility of research carried out in Russia, the southern limit of discontinuous permafrost, north of the 58° latitude, will be the effective parameter. In addition, the entire territory of the Kamchatka Oblast, the Magadan Oblast and Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) will be considered eligible. Areas outside of the discontinuous permafrost zone but adjacent to the Arctic Ocean will be considered on a case by case basis.
• Applications for support for research in Norway, Sweden and Finland will be considered on a case by case basis ensuring that there is strong relevance to northern studies in Canada.

Footnotes:

8. Please note that for students at the graduate level Research Partners should be professionals, non-governmental organizations, or companies, etc. that actively participated in the research project. Academic supervisors, other students, and technicians do not qualify as "partners" even if they were active participants on the project. (return to source paragraph)