The Research Project Grant program is designed to support research on subjects related to occupational health and safety (OHS), innovative subjects, or emerging OHS problems. The IRSST seeks projects that:
- contribute to the advancement of knowledge;
- address needs expressed by workplaces or the OHS network; or
- focus on problems identified by the researchers.
All IRSST-funded projects must yield possible solutions or recommendations for improving occupational injury prevention, rehabilitation, and the sustainable return to work of injured workers.
The IRSST encourages an interdisciplinary approach in the execution of the research. The maximum duration of the grant is three years, for a total amount of $360,000, excluding indirect expenses. Projects whose research subject concerns OHS and that are co-funded by other organizations may be submitted to the IRSST for funding.
Eligibility Requirements
These grants serve to fund projects proposed either by IRSST researchers or researchers from Québec post-secondary educational institutions or research institutions. Applicants must:
- be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
- have a PhD or the equivalent; and
- hold a professor or researcher position.
Grant Applications
All funding applications must be made using the following forms:
All forms may be completed in English, except for the Résumé page, which must be submitted in French.
Important Dates
Letter of Intent:
- Deadline: September 19, 2022, 11:59 p.m. EDT
- Announcement of letters of intent retained: November 28, 2022
Full Application:
- Deadline: January 30, 2023, 11:59 p.m. EST
- Announcement of results: June 20, 2023
Submission of Letters of Intent
Steps in the Application Process
- Submission of letters of intent: Applications submit a lettre d’intention [Letter of Intent] by e-mail to subventionsIRSST@IRSSTirsst.qc.ca.
- Administrative verification: The Research Fund and Partnership Division verifies all letters of intent to determine their compliance with the eligibility requirements.
- Selection of letters of intent by the IRSST’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB): Based on their evaluation of the pertinence and priority nature of the projects proposed, the members of the SAB select the qualifying letters of intent and ask the applicants to submit a research protocol. The SAB takes the following aspects into account when evaluating the pertinence of the grant applications: the importance of the problem studied (statistical or empirical data when the sector studied employs few workers or is emerging) and new knowledge developed; the short-, medium-, and long-term benefits for workplaces; the potential for generalizing the benefits for all workplaces; and, when applicable, the equity-based (labour/management) participation of the workplaces. The financial participation of industry partners is also considered an asset when the project has innovation or commercial potential.
- Submission of research protocols: Applicants whose letters of intent are retained are then asked to submit a research protocol, by e-mail, to subventionsIRSST@IRSSTirsst.qc.ca.
- Scientific evaluation of protocols: The research protocols are submitted to a panel of experts for evaluation.
- Final decision: Based on the results of the scientific evaluation and on the SAB’s recommendations, the Board of Directors authorizes the funding of the selected projects, according to the budgets available.
- Positive notice of funding: A positive notice of funding is sent to the applicants whose research projects have been selected, and they are asked to confirm their acceptance within ten (10) working days of receipt of this notice. The reviewers’ comments are sent to the applicants whose projects are not retained.
Funding Procedures
The maximum amount for a research project grant is $360,000, excluding indirect research expenses, for a maximum period of three (3) years.
The general guidelines for the IRSST’s grant programs and the various forms (lettre d’intention, protocole de recherche) [letter of intent, research protocol] provide details on eligible expenses. Please refer to these guidelines.
Payments
Depending on the duration of the research project and the size of the budget, payments can be made in different ways. For more information in this regard, please refer to the general guidelines for the IRSST’s grant programs.
Deadline for Using the Funds
Research funds awarded for activities such as correcting the final deliverable, presenting the results at conferences or colloquia, and meeting with information intermediaries and partners in the study, may be used for up to six (6) months after the date on which the final deliverable is submitted.
Unspent Balance
Upon completion of the research project, any unspent balance must be returned to the IRSST’s Research Fund and Partnership Division within three (3) months of the deadline for using the funds.
Sharing of Information
To maintain sound management of its funds, the IRSST reserves the right to share information on the applications it receives with other funding agencies to prevent duplicate funding.
Progress Report
Progress reports are used to monitor the progress of all IRSST-funded research and to ensure that the work performed is consistent with the research protocol.
Final report
The purpose of the final report is to make the results of IRSST research studies available to clients who are likely to be interested in or benefit from them. Recipients of an IRSST grant may choose to write their final report using one of the four templates provided, depending on the nature of the project. As a rule, the final report is published by the IRSST.
Templates
Additional Resource