Annex B: Arctic Research Infrastructure FundProposal and Budget - Checklist and Instructions

Applicants must use the proposal template (Annex C) to provide their information. The maximum length for a proposal is 10 pages single spaced. Letters of support do not count toward that page limit.

Applicants may use the following checklist to ensure their application is complete. The subsequent Section “Description Of The Required Sections For A Proposal” provides applicants with an overview of what is expected from them in each section.

If you require assistance or guidance in interpreting the program guidelines or in the preparation of proposals you can contact dpsa-aspd@ainc-inac.gc.ca or 819-934-9974.

Checklist for preparing a proposal

Section 1: Recipient Summary Information

• Applicant Name
• Affiliated Organization
• Name of the Facility
• Facility Owner
• Mailing Address
• Telephone
• E-mail
• Fax
• Start date of the Proposed Activities
• End Date of the Propose Activities

Section 2: Mandatory Eligibility Requirements

• Canadian-owned.
• A government, academic, or not-for-profit organization.
• The facility is located within Canada's North (Definition of ‘North' can be found in the following section).
• Existing facility supporting Arctic science and technology.

Section 3: Assessment Criteria

• Implementation Activities
• Meeting Objectives
• Facility Demand
• Project Quality
• Project Management
• Budget
• Northern Participation
• Asset Criteria (optional)
  • Letters of support
  • Green Technologies
  • Engagement of the Northern Labour Force
  • Provision for multidisciplinary activities
  • Direct or in-kind funding

Description of the Required Sections for a Proposal

Section 1: Recipient Summary Information

Applicant Name
The name of the person heading the request.

Affiliated organization
The Applicant's affiliation and/or employer.

Name of the Facility
Name of the facility in this proposal.

Facility Owner
Name of the organization that owns (or will own) the facility in question. For example, University/College, Territorial Provincial/Federal government, or not-for-profit organization.  Need not be the same as the “Affiliated organization”. The proposals should indicate which party would receive funds, if awarded, and the accountability relationship between the Applicant and the organization to be funded. If the owner would not be the organization funded, a letter of approval from the owner for the work to be carried out as described in the proposal must be supplied with the proposal.

Mailing Address
The full address of the Applicant.

Telephone
The telephone number of the Applicant.

E-mail
The e-mail address of the Applicant.

Fax
The fax number of the Applicant.

Start Date of the proposed activities
The start date of the proposed activities in the format YYYY/MM/DD.

End date of the proposed activities
The end date of the proposed activities in the format YYYY/MM/DD.

Section 2: Mandatory Eligibility Requirements and Facility Demand

• Canadian-owned.
• A government, academic, or not-for-profit organization.
• The facility is located within Canada's North. Canada's North is defined as the land and ocean based territory that lies north of the southern limit of discontinuous permafrost from northern British Columbia to northern Labrador.
• Existing facility supporting Arctic science and technology.

Please Note: In order to eligible for funding under the Arctic Science and Technology Infrastructure Program applicants must meet each of the requirements listed in this Section.

Section 3: Assessment Criteria

Please Note: All proposals will be assessed using the following criteria which are listed in the order of importance. Meeting these criteria does not necessarily guarantee funding from the Arctic Research Infrastructure Fund.

Implementation Activities

Provide a complete description of the project and how the funds will be used. Provide an overview of the proposal or a brief summary of your request and its goals including:

• Relevant background information and rationale for why funding is needed;
• How the project will meet the objectives of this program;
• Brief description of the work to be done and schedule of key activities;
• Explanation of preparatory work and professional assessments undertaken such as community consultations, engineering reports, environmental assessments and acquisition of necessary permits for the project to met legislative requirements (indicate whether or not they have been completed or initiated or remain outstanding); and,
• Evaluation mechanisms to ensure objectives of proposal are met.

It is critical that this section demonstrates an overall readiness to complete the proposed activities within two years.

Meeting Objectives

Demonstrate how the project proposed will meet the overall objectives of the fund.  The Arctic Research Infrastructure Fund's overall objective is to improve the network of science and technology (S&T) facilities that support Arctic research and deliver benefits to Northerners and Canadians through:

• Support for science and technology excellence: facilities that respond to modern science and technology infrastructure requirements;
• Science and technology solutions for Northerners and Canadians: facilities that develop, adapt, or apply science or technologies for the North in order to increase economic activity, strengthen environmental stewardship, and enhance quality of life; and,
• Economic stimulus: Facilities that create employment during both the construction phase and subsequently in the operation of the improved facilities.

Facility Demand

Please provide the following background information:

• The location of the facility and how long it has been in operation;
• The current northern science program(s) the facilities support, areas of specialty for the facility;
• The services provided (e.g. accommodation, meals, equipment, transportation, permitting, etc);
• When and for how long the facility is open each year;
• Outline how operating and maintenance costs for the facility are currently covered and describe the plan for the future. If there is commitment from a funder to cover these ongoing expenses, please include a letter of support (see asset criteria);
• How many researchers and user days the facility supports annually (i.e. 10 researchers at facility for 15 days = 150 user days per year); indicate historical trends and future projections;
• Who has access to the facility and what is the policy for access? Is this facility open to the community, all researchers in academia, government, private, and internationally, or are there restrictions;
• Describe how the proposed enhancements will support a well utilized facility in the future; and,  
• Describe any planned changes over the next five years.

Project Quality

Please indicate how the particular renovation or upgrade proposed addresses the need(s) identified, justify the scope and scale proposed, and provide evidence of the soundness of the design and engineering plans.  Indicate, as appropriate, conformance to standards such as building codes, health and safety regulations, and environmental requirements.

Project Management

Describe the organizational and governance structure to ensure the project is properly managed. This may include providing the résumé or short biography of the Project manager who will be overseeing the project outlined in the proposal, or identifying the contractor or firm that will be hired to lead the project and their qualifications.  This should include the person's or firm's experience, expertise and/or capacity to undertake the proposed activities successfully. Additionally, clearly describe how the project will be managed with regards to timelines, human resources, risk, and meeting legislative requirements (i.e. environmental assessments and acquisition of necessary permits for the project). Provide a project timeline.

Budget

Budget Information - Expenses
Provide sufficient information for reviewers to assess whether the resources requested are appropriate to the project proposed. The level of funding requested must be clearly explained and justified. The funds must be used effectively and must be essential to the completion of the proposed project. Activities and expenses must always be directly related to the project being proposed. Applicants are reminded that proposals must be requesting a minimum of $500,000 to a maximum of $20 million over two years. It is anticipated that one to two projects may be funded at the maximum amount. Please be advised that funding will be allocated up to $35 million in 2009/10 and $50 million in 2010/11 fiscal years respectively. Please Note: INAC is seeking the necessary approvals for this Fund. Should these approvals not be confirmed, applicants should note that the Call for Proposals will be cancelled and no funding will be awarded. If the Call for Proposals is cancelled, proposal preparation costs are the sole responsibility of the applicants and will not be refunded by the Government of Canada. 

Please provide budget information on the following categories and any additional areas where funding is being sought:

• Construction costs related to renovations or upgrades to the facility;
• Salaries, wages and benefits;
• Building materials and supplies;
• Fixed equipment (e.g. fume hoods);
• Facility costs related to space rental (e.g. swing space or temporary storage for materials during construction);
• Professional and service contracts; and,
• Travel.

Please note: Eligible and ineligible expenses are outlined in Sections 9.1 and 9.2 respectively in the Arctic Research Infrastructure Fund Program Guidelines.

Budgets should clearly explain and provide reasonable justifications for the proposed activities as well as demonstrate cost-effectiveness. 

Budget Information – Quotations and/or Estimates
Whenever possible, quotations are to be provided from suppliers and accredited contractors for building renovations, upgrades and design. While quotations are not required by the deadline, quotations will be required before monies can be disbursed to successful applicants. In the absence of quotations, applicants must include estimates for fixed equipment, materials, services etc. in their proposal.

Northern Participation
Explain the extent to which Northern communities and partners have been consulted in reference to the project being proposed. This section of the proposal should also provide evidence of the facility's partnerships and collaborations with Northern stakeholders, including how the proposed improvements will allow for this to occur in the future.  

Asset Criteria (Optional)
The following items are not mandatory but will be considered as assets to a proposal's overall strength.

Letters of support
Include any letters of support from prospective users (e.g. academic institutions, community associations, and government); and/or,
Include any letters of support attesting to the organization's ability to cover ongoing operating expenses related to the facility.

Letters of support can be appended to the proposal or can be sent separately by March 11, 2009 at 23:59 PST (due to the tight timelines associated with this program, no extensions will be granted). If possible, the proposal should note which letters of support are forthcoming.

Green Technologies
Provide a description of how the proposed facility will employ green technologies in its build and operation.

Engagement of the Northern Labour Force
Demonstrate how the proposal will result in the employment of Northerners, engagement of Northerners' professional services, or use of Northern suppliers or Northern firms in carrying out the contracts.

Provision for multidisciplinary activities
Include information demonstrating how the proposed facility will support multidisciplinary activities.

Direct or in-kind funding
Outline any direct or in-kind funding that will be provided to support the project being proposed.

Formatting and Submitting Proposals
For more information on the Arctic Research Infrastructure Fund or if you require assistance or guidance in preparing your proposal, contact: the Arctic Science Policy Directorate by email dpsa-aspd@ainc-inac.gc.ca or by phone at 819-934-9973.

A few guidelines regarding the formats and fonts of your proposal are provided below.

Fonts and Formatting
In preparing applications, please use the following guidelines:

• Proposals must be submitted in a Microsoft Word (*.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) format. Budget information may be sent in either of these formats or in Microsoft Excel (*.xls).
• If applicable, letters of support should be submitted in a Microsoft Word (*.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) format.
• Please do not send compressed (*.zip) files, as they are generally filtered out by the department's e-mail system.
• Text should be single-spaced, with six lines per inch or less.
• If you use a type size measure in pts, it must be 12 pts or larger. The preferred font is Arial regular 12 pt.
• Margins should be 2.5 cm all around.
• Should be submitted on 8-1/2” x11” sized paper.

Submitting Proposals

Proposals can be submitted electronically to dpsa-aspd@ainc-inac.gc.ca. Applicants are advised that due to server restrictions electronic submissions should not exceed 10 MB at the risk of being filtered out. Proposals can also be submitted on CD by mail to

Arctic Science Policy Directorate
C/O Floor: 10 15 EDDY
10 Wellington Street
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0H4

Prior to submitting your application, please ensure that you have completed all the Sections outlined in the above Checklist. The deadline for submitting proposals is Wednesday March 4, 2009 at 23:59 PST. Letters of Support will be accepted up to March 11, 2009 at 23:59 PST. Due to the tight timelines associated with this program, no extensions will be granted.