Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund

Decision-Making Process for Distribution of Funds Received in Stage 1

The Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund (CRCEF) is a Tri-Agency program announced in May 2020 as part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan. The initial (Stage 1) focus of this fund is on the provision of wage/stipend support for eligible research personnel who were/are paid by non-governmental sources. It can cover up to 75% of salaries paid to research personnel or trainees through research projects funded by sources such as industry, foundations, etc.

To qualify for payment, salaries must have been associated with projects that have either lost industry, NGO or foundation funding or have been interrupted due to the impacts of research curtailment, between March 15 and August 29, 2020. CRCEF can fund salaries for a maximum of 12 weeks per individual within the eligibility period.

There are two main conditions for eligibility of research personnel for CRCEF Stage 1 support:

they are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (either from reduced funding or a negative impact on research activities); and
their salary or portion of salary is paid by non-governmental sources (CRCEF will provide 75% of that portion and for a maximum of $847).

For more detailed information on the CRCEF program, please visit https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/crcef-fucrc/index-eng.aspx

Affiliated health research institutions: not applicable

CRCEF Governance:

The senior level university authorized official who is ensuring that the requirements of the CRCEF program are followed is Dr Anna Redden, Dean of Research & Graduate Studies (anna.redden@acadiau.ca).

Decisions were made by a CRCEF Working Group at Acadia, and included representation from three research support administrators, and included under-represented EDI groups. All Working Group members undertook unconscious bias training as per the CRC online training module.

Support staff in the Research Office, Business Office, Human Resources Office and the Office of Advancement (re: funding from foundations) assisted in identifying, preparing, verifying and validating the personnel records used to determine eligible wage support.

EDI Decision-Making Strategy

Acadia University is a signatory to the Dimensions Charter, and in doing so, we publicly show our academic community’s commitment to further embedding equity, diversity and inclusion principles in our policies, processes and practices. Acadia is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion within its research enterprise, the removal of systemic barriers and biases, and equity, diversity and inclusion in managing CRCEF funds.

All members of Acadia’s CRCEF Working Group completed unconscious bias training and are committed to EDI principles.

Research Office staff engaged in considerable contact and follow-up with faculty, and with each other, to ensure the need for wage support captured the full range of eligible cases, including those addressing EDI principles. In the event that wage support needs exceeded CRCEF Funds allocated to Acadia, wage support was prioritised for underrepresented groups and disproportionally affected individuals (e.g. child/family care responsibilities, personnel with increased risk of exposure in the workplace). The decision-making process also prioritised research that is non-traditional or unconventional, based in Indigenous ways of knowing, outside the mainstream of the discipline, or focused on issues of gender, race or minority status.

Description of decision-making process for distribution of funds:

The Dean of Research & Graduate Studies received authorization by the VP Academic to be the institutional representative with responsibility for the CRCEF program
The Dean set up a CRCEF Working Group and all 3 members of the Group undertook Unconscious Bias training and discussed the process by which decisions would be made. Decision-making criteria were:
- Funding requests must be eligible based on the CRCEF guidelines
- In the event of need exceeding available funds, priority for funding for wage support, based on eligibility, would be given to:
  - Faculty grant holders and/or research personnel of under-represented groups and/or disproportionately affected, in accordance with EDI principles
  - Faculty grant holders with personnel conducting non-traditional or unconventional research, based in Indigenous ways of knowing, outside the mainstream of the discipline, or focused on issues of gender, race or minority status.
  - Faculty supervising international research personnel (students/post-doctoral fellows)
  - Early career researchers
- For all other requests, the 75% wage support would be reduced (equally) to meet the institution’s allocation limit for Stage 1.
The CRCEF opportunity was announced via email to all faculty and staff, and was also posted on Acadia’s public-facing webpages (https://www2.acadiau.ca/research-office.html)
Acadia’s Team Dynamic research database was used to identify ALL grant/contract holders with non-government funding in the last 6 months. These researchers, which included members of at least two under-represented groups, were contacted directly to ensure that they were aware of and understood the program, and to assist with any questions and data collection.
Members of the Working Group communicated with CRCEF staff for clarification and with specific questions related to process and eligibility
A wage support application form was developed and disseminated to ALL faculty via email. Where eligible (based on CRCEF criteria), data from these applications were entered into a comprehensive salary and wage support spreadsheet. Personnel information and salaries were confirmed by the Office of Human Resources and the Business Office.
The Working Group reviewed the compiled data and compared the list with the list of recipients of non-government funding to ensure all eligible cases were identified.
As the total of all eligible wages did not exceed the Stage 1 allocation, no prioritization of wage support was required.
Distributed funds, via the Business Office, are for wage support only.

A final report on distributed funds will be submitted at the end of the 2020/2021 financial year, as required.

Acadia will maintain detailed information on individuals supported by the program’s wage subsidy stages (e.g., full name, contact information, amount received) for a period of at least five years (until 2025-26), for financial monitoring and auditing purposes.