To help you find the answer you’re looking for, the following frequently asked questions are divided into four categories: international agreements, international budgeting, Principal Investigator fees, and project implementation.
International Agreements
- What should be reviewed and negotiated?
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Carleton International supports the Principal Investigator with the more formal aspects of entering a new partnership.
We review and negotiate:
- Prime agreements
- Incoming sub-awards from international universities
- Request for proposals for international contracts
- International MOUs for multi-country projects
- Institutional signature
If Carleton University is the prime recipient, OVPRI and Research Financial Services is required to be involved on an administrative level until the project is completed.
Carleton International also provides templates to support the research teams that have to develop and negotiate sub-agreements with their international collaborators:
- Sub-awards to individuals that participated in developing the proposal
- Consultancy contracts for independent contractors are done through eShop
- Contracts for research service providers, also through eShop
- Contact the Research Contracts and Agreements Officer if your project is ready to develop a sub-agreement
- How do I request subaward, subcontract, or post-award support?
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Click here to download illustrated step-by-step instructions.
For more information, please contact the Research Contracts and Agreements Officer.
- What are the considerations when applying for funds from the UK and Europe?
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When working with funders and universities in the UK and Europe, we are required to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations to which they are bound.
If you’re at the proposal stage, please contact the Manager, International Projects to discuss this matter.
- Who will administer the post-award finances?
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The post-award financial administration will be done by Research Financial Services.
- How do I budget for a consortium with several partners in a multi-year international research project?
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Use this budget template if you have a multi-year international project that involves sub-agreements with multiple institutions.
- Can I add a project coordinator to my budget to help implement a large international research project?
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First, check the funding criteria of the sponsor. If you are applying as the Principal Investigator, the international funders are less restrictive regarding the categories of direct costs.
In a multi-year project that includes building upon international partnerships, facilitation of several international interactions, sub-awards to partner organizations, and research administration, it makes sense to include a post for an international project coordinator. This will be a grant-funded employee. Carleton International will guide you on how to plan the salary, and terms and conditions at the budgeting stage. Contact the Manager, International Projects to consider this option.
- How do I include the indirect cost of research/overhead in my budget?
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Click here to learn more about calculating the indirect costs of research.
Please note that we do not have a NICRA (negotiated indirect cost of research administration, essentially an audit from the US federal system), so if you are receiving a sub-award from a US university, or are applying directly for federal funding, we have to default to 10 percent. However, if you are budgeting for a foundation, then you go with the foundation rules.
If the indirect cost is “inclusive” in the total, then you can use the following formula.
Example: $100,000*20/120=$16,666.66. The total direct cost is therefore $83,333.33.
- What are the budgetary considerations of having an international collaborator?
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When a multi-party consortium proposal is being developed, the partnerships (if not already mature) are under construction. Some consideration needs to be given at the proposal stage.
It is important for the Principal Investigator (PI) to consider:
- How partners in the network or consortium will be contributing to the research objectives and how they will be remunerated
- How the funds will be transmitted and how Carleton will be able to remain accountable for the partnership
- PIs should reach out to the Manager, International Projects at the proposal development stage of an international partnership
- What are the budgetary considerations when hiring research staff or students, or appointing an independent contractor?
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Please visit Coris’s Paying Research Personnel webpage for more information on hiring research staff or students. Or click here if you’re hiring a post-doctoral fellow.
If you’re appointing an independent contractor, visit the university’s Independent Contractor and Consultant webpages. Please note that it is important to not mis-classify these positions. In certain cases, they should be hired as employees instead.
Click here to learn more about making payments to individuals and businesses, and tax regulations.
- What are PI fees and how can they be used in my grant?
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PI fees are what the Principal Investigator is charging in addition to their normal salary, presumably because the project will require additional work above the 40% of time allocated to research in the CUASA Collective Agreement. In this case, the PI can charge whatever they want, however, they will need to cover any extended health benefits and workplace safety insurance associated with payment (about 2%) that do not have a maximum limit. The rest of the benefits are based on normal salary and do not scale with a temporarily increased salary.
PI fees can also be used when acquiring a teaching release (see following drop-box).
- How do I acquire a teaching release and what are the budgetary considerations?
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Contact your Department Chair/Director and Associate Dean of Research and International (ADRI) for approval. A teaching release needs to be budgeted in your project, the cost of which can be confirmed by the Chair/Director and ADRI. When completing the CU Authorization list, you must add the teaching release into the request for approval. Most proposals need to be signed by the university’s authorized signatory for international.
Budgetary considerations:
- Course buyout: This occurs when a faculty members wants to be freed from teaching a course so that they can dedicate more time to their project. In this case, the budget would have to cover the cost of a replacement contract instructor.
- Salary recovery: In this case, the university would receive compensation for the PI’s time working on their project. The budget should be based on the PI’s salary, plus approximately 18% fringe benefits.
- Can I arrange for the PI funds to be paid into a research account to be used at my discretion?
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No. Canada Revenue Agency does not allow this.
- How do I calculate research income and opt into fringe benefits as an adjunct research professor?
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An adjunct research professor can apply for research funds and will be appointed on a grant contract for the grant term period. Please contact the Manager, International Projects to assist with these calculations. The adjust research professor’s payroll profile needs to be approved by the Department Chair/Director.
Choose the annual/monthly/hourly salary. If the employment is more than a 0.5FTE and longer than 6 months, the adjust research professor may opt into extended health benefits and other fringe benefits. The fringe benefits rate is 18 percent, while employer contribution (the grantor’s contribution) is 14 percent, which is paid to Canada Pension Plan, EHB, etc. In other words, a fully-funded grant employee salary requires a further 22% for fringe benefits and statutory deductions.
- Where can I get help on project management?
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Many funders, especially those involved in development research, usually require a project to have a logical framework in the proposal stage. Carleton International can provide guidance, however, if your research proposal does not have such a framework, please reach out to the Manager, International Projects for help.
Projects with monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks are able to identify what evidence needs to be collected in order to meet the performance-based criteria of the donor agency and collect key performance indicators for the project’s own strategic planning. M&E is key to improving the project implementation and its strategies for continuing the work through future planning and proposals.
International Budgeting
Principal Investigator (PI) Fees
Project Implementation
For any questions, please contact:
Heloise Emdon
Manager, International Projects
Carleton International
Email: Heloise.Emdon@carleton.ca
Asli Eran
Research Facilitator, International Initiatives
Carleton International
Email: Asli.Eran@carleton.ca
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