Sponsor
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
Description
Update from the NSERC–SSHRC Awards Administration Team
NSERC–SSHRC are pleased to provide an update to the COVID-19 grant extensions in-time (without funds) for 2023. The process for approving these extensions is changing, and they will only continue to accept institution-approved extensions until April 28, 2023, for grants ending on or before March 31, 2023.
This is a friendly reminder that this extension provision is not to be confused with any other initiative offered by the agencies to extend grants due to the pandemic or other funded extension initiatives, agency scholarships and fellowships provisions, etc.
As of April 1, 2023, grantees wishing to receive an extension due to delays caused by the pandemic must be requested by submitting a grant amendment form to receive agency approval. If the criteria below are satisfied, the approval process will be expedited.
Eligibility criteria includes:
- Extension requests may only be submitted for grants in their final year (including the automatic one-year extension and any other extensions included where applicable).
- A Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration (TAGFA) grant amendment form must be completed with a brief but explicit justification that this request is due to delays to research activities as a result of the pandemic.
- The grant’s annual statements of account (Form 300) must be up to date in the agency databases. Requests for extensions will not be reviewed/approved if there are outstanding annual statements of account.
- The grant holder must continue to maintain an eligible position at the administering institution for the duration of the grant including possible extension(s).
Special notes that may impact eligibility for the extension:
- If the agency has already approved a transfer to the General Research Fund (GRF) or has requested the return of residual funds for a given grant, an extension request will not be accepted or processed.
- Based on the most recent Statement of Account (SOA) and subject to agency approval, if the grant account has $501–$2,000 remaining in funds, the in-time extension will be the final extension for period of use approved for this grant. If the grant account has less that $500, grant holders are not eligible for another extension for period for the authority to use grant funds.
- Requests for longer than 12 months will not be accommodated. The agency will automatically adjust the duration to 12 months for eligible requests.
- Grants with scheduled instalments remaining are not eligible for this extension. However, if the grant holder has a build-up of funds in their grant account and they determine that the scheduled instalment for the next financial year will not be needed at that time, they are responsible for informing their administering institution that a deferral of the next instalment is necessary which will enable them to extend the authority to use the grant funds.
For more information and guidance, including the eligibility criteria, eligible programs, and notes outlined above, visit the relevant agency webpage linked below:
To submit an extension request, please email Research Financial Services (RFS) at triagency.rfs@uoguelph.ca with the subject line specifying PI Name and Account (Trust Fund) Number along with a complete Grant Amendment Form (use Section 2-B ). An incomplete form will delay the submission to Tri-Agency.