The Research Support Fund (RSF) Program assists Canadian postsecondary institutions and their affiliates with the expenses associated with managing any research funded by the three federal research granting agencies:
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR);
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC);
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
The Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) is responsible for the day-to-day governance and administration of this program. For more information please visit the Research Support Fund website.
Research Support Fund at the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research
The RSF program helps to cover a portion of the indirect costs of research. These are necessary expenses that support the research environment but cannot be directly attributed to specific projects. Indirect costs play a vital role in ensuring the success of the various research projects that take place at ICHR. These costs include maintaining safe and functional research spaces; providing access to modern knowledge resources and digital tools; supporting research management, financial oversight, and administrative infrastructure; meeting regulatory and ethical standards; and facilitating knowledge sharing between academia and private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.
In 2025–2026, ICHR received a total of $232,167.20 in RSF funding through two affiliated academic institutions:
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Aurora College: $91,327.20
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University of Toronto: $140,840.00
2025-2026 Research Support Fund Performance Objectives
RSF funds were invested in two eligible program expenditure categories: Management and Administration of an Institution’s Research Enterprise (94%) and Research Facilities (6%), with the following breakdown:
2026-2027 Research Support Fund Performance Objectives
