CRCEF Program and EDI Strategy

To learn more about the CRCEF program at Laurentian University, click here.

CRCEF Stage 1 & Stage 2:

For information on eligibility email VPresearch@laurentian.ca.

CRCEF Stage 3: support direct costs of research 

To learn more about eligible and ineligible expenses and to obtain the application form.

CRCEF Stage 4: wage support 

To learn more about eligible and to obtain the application form, click here.

As inclusive employers, Laurentian University, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and Health Science North Research Institute recognize that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of our entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by equity-seeking groups, and we strive to support all individuals in achieving academic and professional success. Laurentian University is a bilingual institution with a tri-cultural mandate.

In managing the CRCEF funds, Laurentian University is fully committed to comply with the CRCEF program’s equity, diversity and inclusion decision-making and allocation requirements as outlined in the Public accountability, transparency, and equity, diversity and inclusion section.  Funding support available to HQP at Stage 1, 2 and 4 will not be negatively affected by a researcher’s inability to work during the pandemic due to child/family care or increased risk related to exposure to COVID-19.

Equity-seeking groups include, but are not limited to, women, racialized minorities, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and persons from LGBTQ2+ communities. The 12-person CRCEF Allocation Committee has representation from women, LGBTQ2S+, racialized minorities, Indigenous persons, and Francophones. Members of the committee have also completed unconscious Bias Training. Additional information on the functioning of the CRCEF Allocation Committee can be found in the Terms of Reference. (link to the Terms of Reference) 

The Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund (CRCEF) was established by the Federal government, to help sustain the research enterprise at Canadian universities and health research institutions that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The temporary program was launched in June 2020 with an investment of $450 to help reduce negative impacts of the pandemic and ensure that the benefits of significant investments to date in universities and health research institutions are protected. Funding is allocated to: 

• provide wage support to universities and health research institutions, to help them retain research-related personnel during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Maximal support per eligible personnel is $847 per week for up to 24 weeks within the eligibility period of March 15, 2020 to August 29, 2020
   
• support up to 75% of extraordinary incremental costs associated with maintaining essential research-related commitments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then ramping-up to full research activities as physical distancing measures are eased and research activities can resume

The research enterprise at Laurentian University and our affiliated research institutes was impacted by COVID-19. Research activities were suspended impacting many highly qualified research persons. With support from the CRCEF many research personnel were able to be maintained and research activities have been slowly resumed at our respective organizations.  
 
The following affiliate organizations were also supported through CRCEF funds allocated to Laurentian University: 

• Northern Ontario School of Medicine (East Campus) 
• Health Sciences North Research Institute 

Stage 1 (and Stage 2 if Required)

The following steps were taken in determining distribution of Stage 1 funds: 

1. Laurentian University’s Vice-President Research and Associate Vice-President of Finance met with each Affiliate to review the formulae (Grant allocation formula) for allocation of funds to Affiliates.
    
2. Vice-President Research (or designate) and Controller (or Designate) at Laurentian University and each Affiliate had a meeting to review eligibility criteria for support at Stage 1, and discuss a strategy to identify persons eligible for the wage support.  It was agreed that a Terms of Reference would be drafted for an Allocation Committee.  The Allocation Committee would consider principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in the allocation of funds, should need exceed funding available.  The committee had members from equity seeking groups including women, LGBTQ2S+, racialized minorities, and Indigenous persons.
    
3. Laurentian University and each Affiliate worked with their Controller to identify Principal Investigators and Research Centres with non-government funding that might have highly qualified persons eligible for wage support.  Laurentian University sent email communications to all the Principal Investigators initially screened to be eligible for funding, to determine if they had paid highly qualified persons, during the eligibility period.  Email was also sent to all Research Centre Directors and Research Chairs to determine if they had paid highly qualified persons, with non-government funds, during the eligibility period. If a response was not obtained a second follow-up email was sent. Information about wage support funding was also posted on the Laurentian University website.
    
4. The CRCEF Allocation Committee met to review the list of highly qualified persons identified by the Institution and the Affiliates.  At the meeting it was determined that the persons identified would not exceed the total Stage 1 funding allocated to the Institution and the two Affiliates.  However, Stage 1 funding support submitted by one of the Affiliates was over its original allocation.  Based on email confirmation that the Vice-President Research at Laurentian University received from the CRCEF Team (that confirmed the Institute could agree to allocate more funds to the Affiliate as long as the Stage 1 funding envelope was not exceeded and all agreed) the Allocation Committee agreed to allocate additional funds to one of the Affiliates.

 
The funding envelope for Stage 1 was not fully utilized.  As per CRCEF requirements the funds provided in Stage 1 that exceeded wage support needs were held in reserve pending Stage 3 funding allocation.

Stage 3 

Allocation of Stage 3 funding will follow the same principles as summarized for Stage 1. The CRCEF Allocation Committee will: 

• confirm allocation of Stage 3 funding to each Affiliate 
• be guided by principles of equity diversity and inclusion when making final decisions on distribution of Stage 3 funding to support eligible research resumption expenses

 
To learn more about eligible and ineligible expenses for Stage 3 and to obtain the application form, click here.

Stage 4: Stage four is an extension of Stage 1 and Stage 2. Stage 4 will provide additional wage support for eligible research-related personnel by increasing the maximum duration of support from 12 to 24 weeks. Funding will be allocated to eligible institutions that demonstrate need for wage support up to a maximum of 24 weeks. 

To learn more about eligible and to obtain the application form for Stage 4, click here.

Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund

Allocation Committee

The Canada Research Continuity Emergency Fund (CRCEF) is a temporary program that has been established to help sustain the research enterprise at Canadian universities and health research institutions that have been affected by the  COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected that the program will help reduce negative impacts of the pandemic and ensure that the benefits of significant investments to date in universities and health research institutions are protected. 

Purpose:

to provide guidance on the allocate of Stage 1, Stage 3, and Stage 4 funding for the CRCEF program as per the established CRCEF program guidelines 

Recipient and Affiliates Eligible for the Program Funds
 
Recipient:

• Laurentian University

Affiliates:

• Northern Ontario School of Medicine 
• Health Sciences North Research Institute

Allocation Committee Composition: 

• Chair: Vice-President Research, Laurentian University
• Members:
  • Representatives from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine
    • Associate Dean Research, Innovation and International Relations
    • Assistant Dean Research
  • Representatives from Health Sciences North Research Institute
    • Vice-President Academic and Research Impact  
    • Manager Research Capacity & Health Innovation Cluster
    • Controller 
  • Representatives from Laurentian University 
    • Director Strategic Research Initiatives
    • Associate Vice-President Financial Services 
  • Representation from the Research Community 
    • Representative from Research Chairs
    • Representative from Senate Approved Research Center
    • Representative from the Francophone community (AVP Academic and Francophone Affairs) 
    • Representative from the Indigenous community (AVP Academic and Indigenous Affairs)

Requirements of the allocation committee as per the CRCEF guidelines:

• Members must be a group of individuals (not a sole individual) normally part of the recipient’s and affiliate’s governance structure must be responsible for making decisions on how the funds will be used.
   
• The group must have some representation from individuals from equity-seeking groups, for example, women, racialized minorities, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and persons from LGBTQ2S+ communities.
   
• The group members will have received unconscious bias training, such as the agencies’ online training
  module. **Please note: if you have not completed “Unconscious bias training”, please ensure you complete the training prior to the meeting
  • https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/equity-equite/bias/module-eng.aspx

Principles of equity diversity and inclusion (EDI) must be considered in all decisions related to the dissemination of CRCEF funds.  More specifically members of the CRCEF Allocation Committee will prioritize funding allocations to research and HQP support that:

1. Address how to limit the negative impact of unconscious bias and systemic barriers faced by members of equity-seeking groups (racialized minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, women, and persons from LGBTQ2+ communities) for both wage support and maintenance/ramp-up costs, including in cases where the need exceeds the funds provided;
    
2. Document safeguards to ensure that decisions are not negatively affected by a researcher’s inability to work during the pandemic due to child/family care or increased risk related to exposure to COVID19;
    
3. Address how to ensure that the decision-making values 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; and
    
4. Consider support for individuals who have been personally impacted by the pandemic (e.g., their own or their immediate family’s health has been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, family obligations for dependent care or limited access to medical care for persons with disabilities). 

 
Moreover, evidence shows the pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on equity-seeking groups, resulting in further inequities for these individuals regarding their research activities in the long term, and further exacerbating existing inequities and underrepresentation in the research ecosystem more broadly. Within the Laurentian University and affiliated research centre context, the CRCEF Allocation Committee will give particular attention to funding requests that will support: 

• Applicants with child care, elder care, and/or other dependent care responsibilities
• Funding requests in support of Black, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis), and Persons of Colour
• Funding requests from Francophone researchers and Francophone HQP who have been unequally impacted by COVID-19 

Furthermore, as members of the CRCEF Allocation Committee the Associate Vice-President Academic and Francophone Affairs and the Interim Associate Vice-President Academic and Indigenous Programs will ensure Laurentian’s bilingual and tricultural mandate is considered in all decision making.

As inclusive employers, Laurentian University, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and Health Science North Research Institute recognize that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of our entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by equity-seeking groups in our society, and we strive to support all individuals in achieving academic and professional success.  In managing the CRCEF funds, we commit to fully comply with the program’s equity, diversity and inclusion decision-making and allocation requirements. Equity-seeking groups include, but are not limited to, women, racialized minorities, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and persons from LGBTQ2+ communities.

Guidance concerning the allocation of Stage 1 Funds 

The purpose of the meeting is to review Stage 1 funding applications from Laurentian University, Northern Ontario School of Medicine and Health Sciences North Research Institute.  The CRCEF Allocation Committee will ensure each application is eligible and that there is no duplication between institutions.  If requests for funds is greater than the Stage 1 allocation funding available, the allocation committee will utilize principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in their decision-making to manage allocation of CRCEF funds to applicants. 

Guidance concerning the allocation of Stage 3 Funds 

The purpose is to provide guidance on the allocation of funding at Stage 3 pending information shared from CRCEF on Stage 3 eligibility.

Guidance concerning the allocation of Stage 4 Funds 

The purpose is to provide guidance on the allocation of funding at Stage 4 pending information shared from CRCEF on Stage 4 eligibility. 

Final Stage 3 Funding Meeting (Application and Reporting) 

The purpose will be to finalize requests for Stage 3 funding and make final decisions on allocation. 
 
Note: Other meetings of the CRCEF Allocation Committee may be called if required.