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Research Support Fund
Last Update: March 4, 2026
Canada
Supports Canadian postsecondary institutions with federally funded research administration
Grant and Funding
Overview
The Research Support Fund provides annual grants of up to nearly $400 million to Canadian postsecondary institutions and their affiliated research hospitals and institutes to cover a portion of the central and departmental administrative costs associated with federally funded research. Eligible activities include maintaining research facilities, providing administrative support, ensuring regulatory compliance, and promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Conduct research
Eligible Funding
- No Condition
Timeline
- Open Date : April 11, 2025
- Closing date : May 21, 2025
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- Educational services
- Health care and social assistance
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- Public or Parapublic institution
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Canadians
Activities funded
- Enhancement and maintenance of research facilities and laboratories to support federally funded research.
- Implementation of research management and administrative support systems.
- Development and promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives within research environments.
- Knowledge transfer activities connecting academic research outcomes to private, public, or non-profit sectors.
- Support for activities that ensure compliance with regulatory and ethical standards in research.
Examples of admissible projects:
$ 87,000
Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training for research communities
$ 175,000
Implementing central software for research compliance management
$ 390,000
Upgrading laboratory infrastructure for genomics research projects
Eligibility
- The applicant must be a Canadian postsecondary institution or its affiliated research hospital or institute.
- The institution must have received research funding from one of the three federal research funding agencies (CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC) in one of the three most recent fiscal years.
- The institution must be authorized by a provincial or territorial government to grant its own university degrees, applied degrees, or postsecondary diplomas.
- The institution must have conferred degrees in the two years before applying, or will confer degrees in the application year or the following three years.
- The applicant institution must be not-for-profit and must not receive operating funding through any other institution.
Who is eligible?
- Canadian postsecondary institutions
- Affiliated research hospitals
- Affiliated research institutes
Who is not eligible
- For-profit organizations and private companies.
- Organizations that are not Canadian postsecondary institutions or their affiliated research hospitals and institutes.
- Institutions that receive operating funding through another institution.
- Institutions that are not authorized to grant their own degrees or diplomas.
Eligible expenses
- Salaries for staff or students providing administrative support to research projects.
- Training costs related to workplace health and safety, and the promotion of equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
- Costs for the maintenance and operation of libraries and laboratories.
- Administrative costs for obtaining patents for inventions.
- Expenses for research facilities and equipment necessary for federally funded research.
- Costs for up-to-date knowledge resources and research databases.
- Management and administrative expenses tied to the institution’s research enterprise.
- Costs to meet regulatory and ethical standards.
- Expenses for intellectual property management and knowledge transfer to external sectors.
Eligible geographic areas
- Canadian postsecondary institutions and their affiliated organizations.
How to apply
1
Verify institutional eligibility
- Review eligibility criteria for the Research Support Fund
- Confirm your institution has received research funding from one of the three federal granting agencies
- Verify degree-granting, not-for-profit status, and degree conferral records
2
Receive and acknowledge invitation
- Receive invitation from TIPS confirming eligibility
- Note the notional grant amount communicated by TIPS
- Keep official contacts in Convergence up to date
3
Prepare application documents
- Organize and update institutional affiliation agreements if applicable
- Gather information on research conducted at affiliate organizations
- Prepare list of all affiliates, using full official names
4
Complete the online application
- Log into the Convergence portal as a Research Administrator
- Select the current fiscal year and view the grant amount
- Complete all sections of the electronic Application Form
- Indicate planned spending in each eligible expense category
5
Review and validate application
- Ensure the institution's website meets accountability and public acknowledgment application-phase requirements
- Review entered data and documentation for accuracy
- Senior Official or RSF Delegate reviews application for completeness
6
Submit the application
- Senior Official accepts the Terms and conditions in Convergence
- Submit the completed application before the published deadline
7
Await results notification
- Receive confirmation from TIPS of submission receipt
- Wait for notification of results and Notice of Award
Additional information
- The RSF program is administered by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) within SSHRC.
- Institutions must re-apply annually to receive continued funding support.
- The RSF grants are awarded for a single year and institutions must meet reporting requirements to remain eligible.
- Affiliated organizations must have formal agreements in place to be included in the grant calculation.
Contacts
information@rsf-fsr.gc.ca
613-995-4273
