Frequently Asked Questions

R&D Main Page

These commonly asked questions may help you to better understand the application process for funding.

1. What do you mean by environmental assessment?
2. What is the purpose of the R&D Program?
3. Who can apply for funding under this Program?
4. Is there a maximum or minimum funding level per proposal?
5. What are the eligible expenses I can include in the budget section of my proposal?
6. What should I consider when developing the project time line?
7. One of the requirements of the proposal is the signature of "a person with signing authority for the organization". What do you mean by this?
8. What is the procedure for submitting my proposal?
9. How are the proposals evaluated?
10. Who owns the intellectual property developed as a result of my research?

1. What do you mean by environmental assessment?

Environmental assessment (EA), also known as environmental impact assessment (EIA), is a planning and decision-making tool used to support informed decisions. Often, this planning and decision-making process is applied to projects through provisions contained within the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (the Act). There is also a provision in the Act for applying environmental assessment principles to programs, policies and plans undertaken by the federal government (known as Strategic Environmental Assessment).

The Agency's mission is to "provide Canadians with high-quality federal environmental assessments that contribute to informed decision making in support of sustainable development". Federal environmental assessments of projects are required under the Act. The Act is premised on the principle of self-assessment, which means that the government department or agency that has to make a decision related to the project (as a proponent, funder, landowner, or regulator) must ensure that an environmental assessment is conducted. The Agency's role is to provide advice and support to federal departments and proponents on process issues related to the conduct of environmental assessments. (For more information on the Agency's roles and responsibilities, see the annual Report on Plans and Priorities.)

Environmental assessments are not environmental site assessments that are used to identify the nature and extent of contaminants on a specific site. Nor are environmental assessments the same as environmental audits that are used to evaluate the environmental management and regulatory compliance of a specific operation.

2. What is the purpose of the Agency's R&D Program?

The purpose of the R&D Program is to help the federal government meet future challenges and improve the practice of environmental assessment (EA) in a manner which is relevant, credible, efficient, and encourages innovation and excellence.

The Program aims to improve the practice and methods of EA, rather than the scientific information that is part of the EA of specific projects. If you are seeking funding for science-based research, please contact one of the relevant science-based federal departments, such as Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Natural Resources Canada, etc.

The R&D Program addresses both research and development. Research is exploratory work that is carried out in an area to better understand the implications for environmental assessment in general and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act in particular. Development uses the information produced by the research phase and carries it forward so it can be used by interested parties, including policy makers, decision makers, and EA practitioners. In 2005, the Program shifted its focus to development to explore the practical applications of environmental assessment.

The Program is intended to stimulate new research in environmental assessment by individuals and organizations that are identified below. New research means research that is not already underway or completed. The research projects proposed for funding under the Program must be unbiased (i.e., does not advocate a particular point of view) and balanced (looks at both sides of an issue).

3. Who can apply for funding under this Program?

Canadian individuals or organizations from the following categories, either by themselves or in partnership with others, can submit a research proposal to be considered for funding by the Agency's R&D Program:

• Provincial, municipal, local governments or Aboriginal governments and public agencies;
• Not-for-profit organizations such as charitable and voluntary organizations, professional associations, environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), and educational institutions;
• Aboriginal peoples' organizations and associations;
• Local organizations such as community associations and groups, seniors’ and youth groups, and service clubs;
• For-profit organizations, such as small businesses, companies, corporations and industry associations; and
• International and intergovernmental organizations and foreign governments.

This Program is not intended to replace existing federal research initiatives. However, not-for-profit research institutes can apply, even if they are partially funded by the federal government.

An applicant must be a legal entity, such as an individual or an incorporated group or body; otherwise, they cannot sign the Contribution Agreement should their proposal be selected for funding by the Agency.

If a proposal is submitted on behalf of more than one organization, then it must be signed by a representative of each organization on whose behalf it has been submitted. If the project is selected for funding, the Contribution Agreement must also be signed by the all organizations who submitted the proposal.

4. Is there a maximum or minimum funding level per proposal?

The Agency will fund up to two projects per year, for approximately up to $75,000 per project. There are, however, no minimum, or average funding levels set by the Agency for funding awards. As part of the research proposal, the researcher(s) must indicate the resources required to carry out the research. The Agency will only fund those expenses considered to be eligible expenses. (Please see next question or the Eligible Expenses section in the Contribution Agreement.)

If a proposal is selected for funding, the Agency will review the proposed budget and determine whether the costs set out in it are reasonable. The Agency may choose to re-negotiate the budget with the researcher(s) prior to signing the Contribution Agreement.

5. What are the eligible expenses I can include in the budget section of my proposal?

You can claim the following as eligible expenses from the Agency's R&D Program:

• Salaries, wages and related expenses such as employee benefits;
• Operating expenses such as rent, utilities, materials and supplies;
• Management, finance, administration and other overhead costs;
• Professional editing and translation costs;
• Travel and accommodations, in accordance with Treasury Board and Agency policies and guidelines; and
• Other costs that the Agency considers to be necessary in order for the recipient(s) to carry out the activities required of it under the Contribution Agreement.

GST or HST is an eligible expense only if, as a result of carrying out the activities described in the proposal, you are charged either tax by a third party. The contribution paid by the Agency is not subject to GST or HST because the Agency does not receive either property or a service in return for its contribution.

6. What should I consider when developing the project time line?

When developing a timeline for a research project, the date for the final draft of your report must be calculated taking into account all of the following steps:

1. The timeline must begin after the Agency announces the funding recipients.
2. Be realistic about how long it will take to gather and analyze the necessary information. Please take into account certain times of year when people may be less available, such as Christmas and during the summer.
3. Take into account that the research report will undergo a peer review process which usually requires one month. This is to provide reviewers sufficient time to review the research report and prepare their comments.
4. The researcher will need an additional 4 weeks to respond appropriately to all the issues and comments raised in the peer review.
5. Once the content of the document has been finalized, the researcher is responsible for ensuring that it undergoes a stylistic edit by a professional editor (this is further explained in the Author's Guidelines), and the researcher is responsible for making the appropriate changes. This will normally require an additional month.
6. Once the report is final in one official language, the researcher is responsible for ensuring that it is translated (this is further defined in the Author's Guidelines). This will normally require an additional month.
7. Once the content of the document is edited, translated and final, the document is ready to be submitted to the Agency (this is further defined in the Author's Guidelines). This will normally require an additional month.

These items combined require approximately four to six months to complete. That is in addition to the time it will take you to conduct research and complete your report.

7. One of the requirements of the proposal is the signature of "a person with signing authority for the organization". What do you mean by this?

In some organizations, the lead researcher may not have the legal authority to sign documents that make commitments on behalf of the organization. For example, in universities although professors lead the research team which conducts the research described in the proposal, they do not have the authority to sign contribution agreements; most often, it is the university's Office of Research that can do so.

It is necessary to ensure that the Office of Research is aware of the proposal submission, and is willing to sign the Contribution Agreement with the Agency if the proposal is selected for funding. This ensures that for each project the Contribution Agreement is signed and the research is underway as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the research can be significantly delayed for administrative reasons, affecting timelines and perhaps requiring the researcher to produce the same research within a significantly shorter time period.

8. What is the procedure for submitting my proposal?

The complete procedure for submitting a research proposal is outlined in the Annual Call for Proposals posted on the Agency Web site. Seven (7) copies of the complete proposal together with any supporting documents, such as letter(s) confirming a partnership with another organization with respect to the project described in the proposal, are received at the Agency by 5:00 p.m. on the due date indicated in the Call for Proposals. You can send your complete package by messenger to:

Research and Development Program
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
160 Elgin Street, 22^nd Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3

Faxed or e-mailed proposals will not be considered.

9. How are the proposals evaluated?

The first step involves reviewing each proposal to determine whether it meets the following criteria:

1. Were seven copies of the proposal received at the Agency by 5:00 p.m. EST on or before the due date identified in the Call for Proposals?
2. Does it address one (or more) of the Program's priority areas for research identified in the Call for Proposals?
3. Does it clearly address an issue with respect to the practice and methods of environmental assessment (see Questions 1 & 2)?
4. Does it contain all the information requirements identified in the Proposal Format Guidelines?
5. Does it contain required acknowledgments related to the Contribution Agreement, the Guidelines for Authors, letters of support (if applicable), and acknowledgment by the lead researcher that the proposal involves research yet to be undertaken, as opposed to in progress or already completed

Proposals which pass this initial screening are passed on to the Evaluation Committee for review. Their role is to review the proposals against set criteria and recommend to the Agency the projects to be funded.

The Committee will evaluate the proposals based on the following criteria:

1. A clear, accurate and concise statement of the problem or issue to be addressed.
2. The suitability or quality of the statement of the problem or issue as it relates to the priority area to be addressed, including the relevance and timeliness of the proposed research to the priority area it is intended to advance.
3. The objectives of the research project, the extent to which the objectives are clear, relevant and realistic.
4. A clear description of the research methodology, the suitability and feasibility of the methodology to the stated objectives.
5. The extent to which the project will contribute to an improved understanding of the issue.
6. How and to what extent the proposed research will contribute towards improving the practice of environmental assessment.
7. The quality or extent of the lead researcher's past research experience.
8. The quality and cost effectiveness of the business plan including key project milestones, specific activities and associated dates.
9. The quality and cost of the business plan and proposed budget, and the extent to which the proposed budget is in keeping with the methodology.
10. The extent to which the research project includes collaboration with other stakeholder groups. Evidence, if any, of other sources of funding or letters of support from other federal departments or agencies, and the respective amounts if applicable. If the research proposal involves a partnership with another organization, a letter confirming a partnership with that organization is attached.
11. The extent to which the project will contribute to capacity building with respect to EA in Canada by contributing new information to the priority area or by adding significant new knowledge to the area. Has a target audience for the technology/ knowledge resulting from this proposal been identified and/or contacted?

10. Who owns the intellectual property developed as a result of my research?

The intellectual property developed as a result of the research funded by the Agency's R&D Program remains the property of the funding recipient as defined in the Contribution Agreement. Funding provided by the R&D Program is a contribution to a research project rather than a contract for the production of a research product (such as a report, seminar, electronic tool, etc.).

The Agency attaches a disclaimer to all research reports posted on the Web site stating that the views, conclusions and recommendations expressed in the reports are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency or the Government of Canada.