Small Equipment Grants

Important dates

Overview

The Small Equipment Grant (SEG) stream aims to help Alberta institutions attract and retain outstanding talent in the context of significant international competition.

The SEG supports leading edge research infrastructure that enables talented faculty to undertake innovative research programs.

Applications should align with the Alberta Technology and Innovation Strategy provincial priorities. They should address strategic infrastructure needs to maintain or enhance the competitiveness of a proponent’s and institution’s research programs.

Funding

RCP will fund up to 40% of the total eligible project costs for successful applications.

Eligible applicants

Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions recognized by CFI as eligible.

Eligible applicants include institutions that have a CFI John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) award. Submissions are restricted to:

• October 2023 JELF Award winners
• February 2024 JELF Award winners
• June 2024 JELF submissions

Proposal associated with CFI-JELF partnerships, for which a decision is expected at or prior to the November 2024 CFI Board meeting, are eligible. Eligible joint JELF partnerships include:

• Canadian Research Chairs (CRC)
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Council (NSERC)
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

If an application is declined at the CFI, it will be removed from the CII competition.

Applications must follow CFI guidelines on eligibility, in-kind contributions, eligible expenditures and funding partners.

See the CFI’s Policy and Program Guide for more details.

How to apply

The RCP is institutional in nature. Applications must be completed by researchers and submitted by the institution.

Submitting proposals

The proposal should clearly present the project’s merits and excellence. Provide enough information to enable reviewers to evaluate the proposal according to the assessment criteria and competition objectives. Do not include scanned copies of documents, other than signature pages.

The proposal package must include the following:

1. A cover letter authorized by a designated institutional representative which includes:
   1. the institution’s endorsement of the proposed projects
   2. a confirmation that all research endeavours and partnerships outlined within the proposed applications will uphold measures to safeguard research advancements 
2. A listing the individual application submissions using the provided RCP Application Submission Template.
3. PDF of each full application. Each PDF application must contain the following in order:
   1. RCP Alberta Alignment Module
   2. CFI Application
   3. Research Security Requirements
   4. Curriculum Vitae (where required by the CFI)

In cases where projects have been granted conditional funding by the CFI, the applicant institution is required to promptly submit the notice of removed conditions once they have been cleared by the CFI. Failure to submit the notice may impact the funding decision. 

Note: Application submissions must be uploaded via a secure portal. Institutions must email [email protected] at least 2 weeks prior to the proposal submission deadline to receive access to the portal.

If you must make changes to the team leaders or applicant institution after submitting a proposal, email [email protected] as soon as possible. This is to avoid introducing potential conflicts of interest with reviewers.

After you apply

RCP’s Multidisciplinary Review Panel will review your application. The review process occurs in 3 stages:

1. Expert review (where applicable, CFI expert reviews are used).
2. Independent review by the Multidisciplinary Review Panel.
3. Decisions by the Minister of Technology and Innovation.

Reporting requirements

Awarded projects will be given a contractual grant agreement. This agreement outlines the terms and conditions of support and must be signed by both parties prior to the release of payment.

As a part of this agreement, institutions must regularly report on the financial status of projects and on the outcomes achieved.

The schedule and reporting requirements will be outlined in the agreement. Both parties must agree to any significant variations in project scope or other requirements of the contract.

Documents and templates

• RCP Guidelines
• RCP NOI and Application Submission Template
• RCP Alberta Alignment Module – for use in the application package to report on program alignment
• RCP Financial Report Template – for reporting requirements of awarded projects –  Only use this template if there is no CFI financial report for the period.
• RCP Outcomes Report Template – for reporting requirements of awarded projects
• Alberta Technology and Innovation Strategy
• CFI's Policy and Program Guide – for further information on the CFI

Contact

Connect with us if you have inquires, requests and reporting submissions:
Email: [email protected]