Memorial University of Research Support Fund (formerly known as Indirect Costs Grant) Report 2016-17

The grant provided through the Government of Research Support Fund (RSF) is essential to Memorial’s research success. Funding is allocated among a variety of activities that support the research enterprise. In 2016-17, Memorial received $4,319,741. The distribution of this funding is outlined in the chart below.

Total 2016-17 Research Support Fund (formerly known as Indirect Costs Grant) $4,319,741

Research Facilities (19%)

Research Resources (8%)

Management and Administration (62%) Regulatory Requirements and Accreditation (6%) Intellectual Property (5%) Eligible expenditure Institutional Performance Indicator Output Outcomes reported at year end category Objective 1) Research Facilities Improve network capacity with Capacity, stability and Investment in infrastructure ACORN- NL Connectivity map upgrades to core infrastructure redundancy increase and Reports on network usage, was updated June 12, 2017 and additional client connectivity uptime and availability is available for release should it environments be required. Memorial’s data Increase ITS Security maturity centre is currently supported by ranking. 2, 80KVA UPS systems on South Campus in the Henrietta Harvey building. There is also one 80KVA UPS on the North side (redundant data Centre).

Continuation of ACEnet as the ACEnet usage statistics. Expansion of MUN's Virtual The ITS data centre backs up mechanism for research Server and Storage >483.34 TB support in Atlantic Canada Investigate a CANARIE link Volume of data backup Roadmap for network CANARIE network utilization upgrade for TPMI (Halifax to HH) connectivity for Halifax to St. remained constant from August John's to April with an average of 387.72 M inbound and 52.53 M outbound CANARIE Network Uptime is estimated to be 98.95% based on the list of outages over the last year.

Continue infrastructure planning Project the status on the build. Network infrastructure planning Projects are progressing. Core (Core Science for new facilities Science final drawings are and Animal Care) (Core Science, Animal Care. completed. Re-engaging on it in June 2018. Repair of research equipment Equipment that is in usable Productive research activity. In 2016/17 the RSF did not have and the maintenance of facilities condition to fund any major equipment with the Faculty of Science. repairs in the Faculty of Science, so some funds were used for costs associated with technical support to maintain computers used for research and research equipment; database maintenance; web site maintenance; and other IT related issues.

Final installation of growth Installation of research Growth chambers operational. Growth chambers are currently chambers associated with the infrastructure Access acquired to greenhouse. being installed in the former BERI lab. Potential acquisition of RecPlex on Grenfell campus. greenhouse space on Grenfell campus. Ongoing science lab renovations and social science space.

Increase the availability of Number of shared research Categorizing research space as Over $17K was spent on research space by space made available 'Shared'. renovations to the Gown Room sharing access across throughout the institution. to convert this space into throughout the institution Research Space for the School of Human Kinetics. Renovation of laboratory in Renovations needed to More suitable and efficient Repairs to various research Faculty of Medicine to laboratory space space for research and the laboratories in the Faculty of consolidate and optimize training of highly qualified Medicine to improve research space and activities of personnel. functionality, including: faculty members (Dr. Kensuke plastering, and painting, Hirasawa, development of shelving, plumbing, and various Level 3 research space and level other improvements/upgrades. 6, relocation of glass wash and sterilization facility). Provide suitable space and Effective use of space and Portion of research related Productivity has continued to renovated space of research resources of research / finance funding used for renewal increase in this area with the accounts administration to staff to allow the sharing of and renovation of existing Faculty of Engineering. accommodate increased number information. facilities to allow collaborative of staff to monitor the work environment for staff. postaward administration of grants and contracts in the Faculty of Engineering.

Maintenance of equipment The life expectancy of Equipment is more useful. Purchase of livestreaming purchased to improve and equipment will be extended with equipment to enable broadcast preserve efficiency in the School regular maintenance. of performances and creative of Music. activity. Maintenance to DF Cook Recital Hall (purchase of lights (bulbs) and new podium. Maintenance to Music Electronic Acoustic Research Lab (purchase of adapters).

To continue to roll out The number of rooms with air To have all rodents housed in All rodents (mice and rats) are improvements in air quality, quality improvements. IVC's, and to have all now housed in IVC’s in the biocontainment and bio Improved breeding performance rodent rooms equipped with Biotechnology facility. Not all exclusion through the purchase expected either a Biosafety cabinet or a rooms have Biosafety cabinets and maintenance of additional mobile change station or mobile change stations yet, individually ventilated caging but the use of the IVC’s has (IVC's) for mice and rats for the resulted in improved air quality. Biotechnology facility, along with animal transfer stations in Animal Care Services.

To address the deficiency in Ventilated caging for rats, as Sufficient emergency power to Emergency power has been emergency power in well as zebrafish racks ensure there will be no animal provided to the zebrafish room several animal housing rooms require emergency power to be welfare issues in the event of and to the rat rooms in the and procedure spaces within the safeguarded against power failures affecting regular Health Sciences facility. There is Health Sciences Center animal animal distress and loss, which power still a gap in provision of facility. would in turn affect emergency power at the research outcomes and output Biotechnology building and in HSC mouse rooms, though mice can survive for up to 72 hours without active ventilation to the cages. E-power is planned for all areas of the Animal Resource Center.

Maintain stable reliable Equipment downtime; service Research productivity. Maintained 99.9% availability temperature regulated calls. with ITS recording a 5 minute operating environment for outage in the 2017 year. research equipment.

Certification of Fume Hoods and Fume hoods and biological A safe working environment Technical Services’ client Biological safety cabinets safety cabinets fully certified appropriate to the work being satisfaction maintained above conducted 90% All Fume Hoods and Bio-Safety Cabinets have been certified and kept in service. Operating Cryogenics facility Reliable supply of cryogen Ensuring productive research LHe & LN2 supply maintained, programs critical repairs performed and maintenance training completed.

Maintaining OSC refrigeration Laboratory equipment Reliable equipment ensures OSC Refrigeration Plant fully system maintained productive research programs, operational and protects data integrity 2) Research Resources Improve facilities and enhance Amount of data stored within Improved support for HPC ACENET saw an average inbound security efforts in the SAN environment increases. ‐ITS security audit results transfer rate of 14.82Mbits/sec, support of research. Provide Volume (Terabytes) of research with a peak of 1.11Gbits/sec, upgraded infrastructure in storage used and an average outbound rate support of Research data of 7.63 Mbits/sec with a peak of backup. Provide support and 198 Mbits/sec for the year 2016- metrics for the Torngat HPC 2017. research cluster in Earth Sciences Operationalize the project "fast Collaboration among faculty, Fast track to Research Fast Track to Research program track to research" as a funders and industry partners. established has been revised, in mechanism for connecting collaboration with ACOA, and researchers, funders and will be resubmitted. industry. Increase the availability to Amount of equipment listed in Catalogue research equipment Over $33K was spent on shared research equipment in HKR by the database available for available for shared access. equipment for the School of cataloguing and creating a shared access. Human Kinetics and Recreation. database of shared resources This including a stimulators, jump mats, computers, etc. To create new research Number of research proposals Number of discrete publications This year the Libraries Open dissemination vehicles for and grants in which Memorial (print or electronic) produced Access Author’s Fund paid sharing extended research Libraries agrees to assist in under Memorial Libraries author processing charges results that do not align research dissemination Imprint supporting the publication of 67 with commercial publisher peer-reviewed OA scholarly criteria for publication in articles by Memorial traditional sponsored researchers. Two monograph publications. titles were published under the Libraries imprint. Provide secure on site access at Contributions of funds by FoM Functional Research Data Centre The Faculty of Medicine has MUN to Canadian Statistical to MUN's operation of Research at MUN. seven faculty members and six Data. Data Centre ‐ Statistics Canada. students with a number of on- going projects at the MUN's Research Data Centre. Support current capacity (at a Number of individuals accessing Provide $22,500 to MUN branch Number of users and volume of minimum) and create data and volume of usage. RDC. data accessed in 16/17 increased further capacity for Memorial over 15/16 users of Statistics Canada data at MUN branch RDC

Creation of a new database to Collection of proposals made Portion of research support The Faculty of Engineering track successful and non‐ available as a reference and funding used for input of data. continues to find funding successful proposals in the assistance for the development opportunities for researchers to Faculty of Engineering and of new proposals submit proposals Applied Sciences.

To outfit surgical spaces with Surgical suites operational and Improved training for animal ACS staff has been trained to new surgical tables and with related standard users train research technical staff in equipment in Animal Care operating procedures in place. ‐Safer work practices basic techniques. The new large Services. ‐Reduction of variability in animal anesthesia equipment, surgical studies donated by Eastern Health, has been serviced and certified. It has been deployed for numerous research and teaching protocols and is a significant improvement over the outdated equipment used previously. There is excellent feedback from users, and improved health and safety for staff, research and teaching personnel. A portion of the Research Support dollars goes to ongoing equipment maintenance. Support for the research Research holdings in the Dr. CR Research Support Fund grant Research Support Fund grant holdings at the Dr. CR Barrett Library meet the needs invested in library invested in library holdings as an Barrett Library, particularly with of current and proposed Marine holdings as an additional budget additional budget allocation the new master program in Institute programs allocation estimated to be estimated to be $14,000. marine spatial planning and $14,000 Subscription costs for the proposed masters and PhD Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries programs in fisheries science Abstracts (ASFA) is currently $12,000 and is cost shared between the Marine Institute and the QEII Library. The full cost of this subscription will come from MI for 2016/17. The use of this periodical index can be monitored for usage by the database administrator. Any funds remaining will be invested in other library materials.

3) Management and ITS staffing hours in support of Percentage of FTE time Adequately managed research On a typical day ITS has >95% administration of an Research Data Backup managing research data backups data backup success rate. 318 nodes, 305 institution’s research managed by ITS environment successful backups, 5 failed enterprise backups.

ITS staff hours in support of Percentage of FTE time Network availability for research Network availability for campus Research Specific Network managing research networks activities remains at 98.5%. ITS has Administration managed by ITS recorded a 5 minute outage in this period. Increase the volume of grants Number of grants and awards Research Support Fund to Grants and Contracts Facilitation and award applications at applications processed support more grants‐writing Officer has been hired at Grenfell Campus. workshops for faculty Grenfell Campus and is working with researchers. Enhance Research, marketing, Print and social media Grants and Contracts Facilitation communications and support for highlighting researchers Officer has been hired at research activity, including Grenfell Campus and is working student research at Grenfell with researchers. Campus. Increase the volume of grants Decreased time to review grants External research support RSF supported the replacement and awards applications review and contracts provided to the institution. hiring of a retired grants in the Faculty of Science. Increased success rate for facilitation officer in the Faculty applications of Science which is decreasing the time to review grants and contracts for faculty members. Travel to applicable conferences External research support Increased research capacity as RSF supported annual for Grants Facilitation Officer in provided to the institution. evidenced by peer reviewed membership registrations and the Faculty of Science. publications and conference attendance for communications, and the continuing education of grants training of highly qualified facilitation officers in the Faculty personnel. of Science.

The Office of the Vice‐President Various metrics have been A portion of RSF provides Annual reporting to be (Research) is responsible for developed for annual operational support to the VPR completed on metrics associated overseeing and tracking the measurement through the office and other units with SRIP by September 2017. growth, development and creation of SRIP. Examples with the VPR portfolio to assist promotion of research activities include # grants/contracts with salary costs and undertaken at Memorial. The processed and awarded each operations which in turn Strategic Research Intensity Plan year, growth of publications and supports the research (SRIP) 2014‐2020 was developed artistic creations per faculty unit enterprise.‐A portion of the to build upon Memorial's per year, # chairs at Memorial, Research Support Fund assists Strategic Research Framework increase in # of master and to provide an integrated doctoral graduates per year, Tri with the operational costs of the approach for strengthening and Agency success rates. Vice‐President growing all aspects of research (Research) office for costs including scholarship and associated with the Plan's creative activities. production (generation and promotion) and implementation (salary costs) of those in support of the research enterprise.

Ensure continuity of laboratory Number of laboratories in Portion of RSF allocated to direct Year-over-year consistency in operations within "CREAIT" operation and FTE's dedicated to laboratory salary cost to ensure contribution to scientific Memorial's "Core Research instrument and equipment efficient operation of core research as measured by Equipment and operation research stability in the number of Instrumentation Training Number of clients served and equipment and instrument laboratory users and internal Network" number of students training at Memorial and external recoveries. This is trained in operation of significant in the context of equipment / instrumentation increasingly challenging research Number of contributions to and business environments and research publications effectively supports the CREAIT Network as offering high, cost- effective laboratory research. Using highly skilled, technical Number of analyses performed Reduced unit costs for lab Highly trained and competent staff in CREAIT in support of and research projects Impacted performance and increased laboratory professionals research output and strategic access to analytical laboratory representing a strategic research outcomes. services investment in scientific capacity: contribution to student training in support of academic programming and scientific excellence. Strategic RSF investment in scientific personnel combined with cost rationalization initiatives contribute to sustainable laboratory operations and scientific research output and outcomes. Increase the internal processing Number of grants and awards Portion of Research Support A total of 89 Clinical Trials Grant and legal reviews of grants and applications processed in Fund invested in the cost of in- Funded Research awards using in‐house FY 2016‐17. house and legal reviews. administrative and legal staff in Eastern Regional Health Authority.

Enhance processing and internal Ease of use by researchers and Feedback from users and New Funding Opportunities approval of grants and awards in administrators and improve processing metrics Database launched in May 2017. RGCS by continuing to upgrade transparency for processing and the Institution’s electronic identifying funding information system with opportunities. Phase II of a researcher portal and deployment of a new funding opportunities database.

Support for completion of grant Grant facilitation for faculty Assistance with completion of Three Grant Facilitator staff applications in the Faculty of members and highly qualified grant applications and positions maintained in the Medicine. personnel proposals Faculty of Medicine during FY16- 17. They assisted with the formulation of grants to both government agencies e.g. CFI, NSERC, CIHR; and non- governmental agencies e.g. Heart and Stroke, Canadian Cancer Society. Support for research enterprise Human resources for purchase Placement of orders from Procurement position in the of research related expendables researchers for laboratory Faculty of Medicine provided material ongoing purchasing and administrative support to over 60 research faculty.

Increase the professional Professional satisfaction Portion of Research Support Grants facilitator in the School of knowledge of the Grants Fund utilized to have Grants Pharmacy attended 2 webinars Facilitator in the School of Facilitator participate in offered by CAURA Pharmacy. professional development webinars. Support research grants Number of grants and awards Provide balance of award above Continued use of staff services coordinating capacity and applications processed and $22,500 to administrative staff for funding applications by expand to more in‐depth grants‐ number of individuals support. faculty in HSS; crafting capacity through staff researchers submitting salaries in the Faculty of applications. Submission of Humanities and Social Sciences. higher‐quality applications. Hire additional staff resources to Increased number of proposals Portion of Research Support The visits to the FEAS website assist with the preparation of submitted Fund used towards research continue proposals for grants and ‐New enhanced website that staff salaries. contracts, and annual research better presents FEAS report. research activities, and annual research report Research promotion and Increase in grants and Travel to research based Filming of Music, Media and international collaborations international reputation for conferences to facilitate grant Place Research Centre's lecture faculty applications series for broadcast completed by Studio Coordinator. Digitization of multiple recordings for CD (research promotion) also completed by Studio Coordinator. To address organizational gaps Operational shortcomings have A portion of the Research The administrative support in skills training in Animal Care been identified in a Support Fund will go towards position in ACS has been Services. number of areas including effective staffing to ensure that modified, and has been staffed Development and roll‐out of support for the Animal the new animal facility is with an individual with some standard operating procedures, Resources Center project, for completed in a timely manner. project management as well as administrative training, and for the The new facility is experience. The incumbent assistance for the extremely Director. needed to enable improved provides administrative support tight schedule for the Animal research conditions. Delivering for the project Steering Resource Center. on time is needed to qualify for Committee in addition to her federal matching dollars. principle role supporting the unit and the Director.

Contract renewal and Number of grants and awards Portion of Research Support Continued tracking of metrics to professional development of the applications processed in Fund grant invested in renewal highlight increasing numbers of Research Officer to increase the FY 2016‐2017. and professional development. grant and contracts processed volume of grants and awards and research intensity and applications processed in the success in the Faculty of Faculty of Business Business Administration. Administration. These funds will be used to fund Number of grants and awards Number of grants and awards or Funds were used towards the or hire staff members, such as a applications processed in total dollar value of the grants hire of a Grants Facilitation grants facilitation officer, to FY 2016‐2017 and awards issued to Faculty Officer in the Faculty of Increase the volume of grants members will increase. Education, 0.6 FTE in October and award applications 2016 for FY17. GFO has been completed and submitted by the working on establishing a Faculty of Education. framework of support for the faculty, previously there has been no internal guidance in place. Will track metrics going forward to determine if there is an increase in research awards/dollar value received. Position is now 1.0 FTE since April 2017 to be fully utilized in FY18 to increase the number of applications out, including a CRC Tier II application.

Increase the volume of grants Number of grants and awards The Research Support Fund The RSF was used to partially and awards for faculty members applications processed and grant will be utilized to provide fund the salary costs associated in the School of Social Work. awarded to Social Work faculty support for the completion of with our Grants Facilitator in the members in FY 2016‐17 grant and award applications/ School of Social Work. This research proposals. Specifically position was implemented in to support November 2015 and since that the salary and benefits of a time we have had 17 successful grants facilitator internal and external research grant awards which represents a significant increase in research productivity. 4) Regulatory Development of an Information Revised IM Policy, Ensuring IM standards, guidelines and The Office of the CIO in requirements and Management legislation is upheld tools to support the consultation with Memorial accreditation Program for Memorial. protection of information and University’s Policy the security of IT systems and Office created the services at Memorial. new Information Management Policy to provide policy direction for the management and protection of university records. The Information management policy approved by Board of Regents in July 2016 A portion of the Research The service provided by ICEHR to A portion of the Research The Interdisciplinary Committee Support Fund is provided researchers at Support Fund ensures that on Ethics in Human Research to the Interdisciplinary Memorial University the ICEHR office is properly received 240 ethics applications Committee on Ethics in ‐Institutional compliance in staffed and operationally for fiscal year April 1, 2016 - Human Research (ICEHR) Office. terms of ethics/ supported to carry out its March 31, 2017. Applications are The ICEHR Office compliance regulations. regulatory functions to ensure submitted by researchers via normally receives proposals for compliance Memorial’s Researcher Portal. research in the social sciences, humanities, sciences and engineering, including some health‐related research in these areas, originating at the St. John’s campus.

Fume hood inspection fees and Passing of annual inspection Creating a safe working The Faculty of Science was biological safety cabinet environment appropriate to the compliant with federal certification fees work being conducted. regulations by maintaining annual inspections of all fumehoods and biological safety cabinets. Ongoing support for Grenfell Number of applications to GCREB outputs. Research Office continues to Campus Research GCREB for new and renewal of provide support to the Grenfell Ethics Board (GCREB). clearances. Research Ethics Board Ensure research activities are Successful completion of Successfully completed theses The number of scholarly appropriate to the thesis graduate student thesis degrees and peer reviewed publications, reports, patents requirements of graduate as per the Faculty growth plan. dissemination such as journal and other forms of scholarly student degree programs in the and conference papers. output continues to increase. Faculty of Engineering. Maintain functionality of lab ‐Reduction maintenance calls Portion of Research Support Maintained compliance with space in Pharmacy and ensure ‐Reduction downtime of Fund grant utilized to meet OHS and other regulatory adherence to regulations equipment regulatory requirements: Annual standards. Exception – eyewash ‐Maintain appropriate safety inspection of fume hoods, fire stations but this is pan university level in labs extinguishers, lab telephones, issue and working chemical disposal. collaboratively with Medicine to determine a solution

To continue with the project to Board of Regents approval for Shovel in the ground by Q4 2016 The Design-Development phase develop a replacement animal funding for the design was awarded and work has facility, the Animal Resource development of the project. progressed well, but more Centre (ARC) Senior administration slowly than anticipated, in part classification of infrastructure due to the change in scope. The priorities the scope was changed design has gone out for to add the program from the construction tender. The existing Biotechnology facility expectation is that work will start Q3 2017. Project budget approved by President, along with application for federal matching dollars under the Strategic Infrastructure Plan

Improve the support to the Improved ACC workflow Position filled The challenges of the new ethics Institutional Animal Care processes for both the Principal awards software, implemented Committee by creating a by RGCS, have required a dedicated Animal Care Investigators and committee dedicated IACC staff member. Committee Coordinator role. members Ongoing assessment continues regarding the need for a full- time regulatory committee coordinator, especially given gaps in other program areas, and in the current budgetary reductions. At present, the position is definitely required.

5) Intellectual 1) Maintain and sustain an office 1 ) Staffing level 1 ) ‐ # of FTE's 137 Technology and Knowledge Property of licensing and IP 2 ) Execution of new licence 2 ) ‐ # of licence agreements Transfer activities including Professionals who are agreements executed Intellectual Property responsible for technology 3a ) Creation of new spin‐off 3a ) ‐ # of spin‐off companies assignments; licenses; Grant of transfer and industry liaison companies created Rights; and Material Transfer 2 ) Successfully commercialize 3b ) Support provided to existing 3b ) ‐ # of existing Spin‐off Agreements. As well as 7 new university spin‐offs companies supported spin-off companies formed; and technologies 23 spin-off companies 3 ) Support and create spin‐off supported. companies utilizing university technologies

Develop and deliver workshops Number of workshops. Research funding to support Materials on the new MUN targeted to faculty on workshops. intellectual property regulations Intellectual Property. have been disseminated. We are awaiting the roll-out of the final version of the regulations.

Increase the number of Number of graduate students, Expansion of Research Database Although HKR has seen more publications, articles, etc. in the collaborations, research grants to include listings of graduate student publications School of Human Kinetics and etc. per faculty member. publications, articles etc. per etc., these are primarily being Recreation. faculty member. funded through faculty research grants

Transfer of knowledge to the Number of attendees. Portion of funding used towards FEAS continues to create community and travel costs of opportunities for transfer of industry through outreach speakers and meet / greet at the knowledge. In addition to the events like "Speaking of conclusion of “Speaking of Engineering Engineering Lecture" series ‐ functions. Lecture” series, FEAS now offers open to the general public. an Annual Research Day for graduate students to showcase their research