Summary of Strategic Research Plan
Date President/CEO
Institution
Affiliated Institutions. List other organizations that are federated with, or associated with, the institution and included in the institutional plans.
Designated contact for this summary Name: Tel. number: E-mail: Fax number:
Submission of summary to the CFI This is:
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the first submission to the CFI
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an update of a previous submission
Signature. I hereby certify that the attached summary of the institutional research and research training development plans represents the planning framework for the CFI applications submitted and endorsed by this institution.
President or CEO of institution (or authorized representative)
Date
For universities applying to the CFI and the CRC.
Guidelines for preparation of the Strategic Research Plan Summary (SRP) Each University must submit a summary of their Strategic Research Plan (SRP) that will be posted on the Program Web site. It is expected that this summary will require no more than two to five pages. Universities with many affiliated institutes may wish to discuss the length of the document with the CFI. The SRP Summary must: • • • • • • • outline the major objectives of the Strategic Research Plan; outline major thrusts for research and research training; focus on those areas for which the University intends to deploy Chairs and/or Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) support (include a table indicating how many Tier I and Tier II Chairs are planned for each thrust); briefly describe what the University has done to support the development of research and research training in these areas and what it intends to do in the future for these and for the new areas of research it intends to develop; briefly mention planned inter-institutional and inter-sectoral collaborations; briefly describe how success in meeting the objectives will be assessed; briefly describe the planning and approval process at the University (and indicate the involvement of affiliated institutions).
Guidelines for preparation of the Strategic Research Plan Each University must submit a plan focusing on how Chairs will be deployed to attract and retain researchers who are recognized internationally as leaders in their field and how CFI infrastructure funds will be used (if the University chooses to integrate both plans at this point). The University may want to address the following in the preparation of its Strategic Research Plan (a document of between five and ten pages is suggested). Universities with many affiliated institutes may wish to discuss the length of the document with the CFI. (These should be treated as suggestions, not directives.) A first section in the SRP could: • • describe the major objectives of the plan; identify the selected research thrusts in which the University intends to develop or maintain excellence; include a table showing the number of Tier I and Tier II Chairs planned for each thrust and to which council pool these Chairs are assigned (indicate the time period covered in the plan - e.g., one year or longer);
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estimate how many Chairs the University will offer to outstanding researchers already at the University to enhance the opportunities available to them and retain them; note how many will be offered to researchers in Canada and how many to researchers from outside Canada; if appropriate, explain why the proposed allocation deviates from the initial allocation in terms of Tier I/Tier II balance and discipline group (see instructions below); describe how success in meeting the objectives will be assessed; and describe the planning and approval process at the University (and indicate the involvement of affiliated institutions).
Some universities may have only one major research thrust; others may have several. For each thrust or broad area of research, universities may wish to address the following questions: 1. What are the major objectives to be pursued? 2. What are the current strengths of the University in each of the areas being pursued? In areas where the University is already very strong, explain how the research chair(s) will make the difference. In areas where the University wishes to develop strengths, describe the various measures that will be taken to reinforce these areas. 3. To what extent is the University planning to use collaboration, partnership, and networking with other institutions to help achieve these goals? Is it already involved in collaboration, partnership or networking in the area? For example, is it involved in a network of centres of excellence in these or related areas? 4. How does the University propose to use funding from the Chairs Program, granting agency programs, the CFI, outside resources and its own resources to accomplish its objectives? 5. What are the expected observable outcomes of achieving the objectives? What are the expected results that will tell the University that it has met its goals and is achieving international status? What results (milestones) will be evident four years (for Tier II chairs) or six years (for Tier I chairs) after Chair appointments have been taken up (to aid in evaluating the program and appointments for renewal)? By definition, the allocation of Chairs is based on past research successes, not on future priorities. Therefore, exceptionally, Strategic Research Plans may propose a different Chair allocation by discipline group, explaining why the focus is on the selected areas. Similarly, the Strategic Research Plan should normally reflect the 50/50 distribution of Chairs between Tier I and Tier II available through the allocation.
However, since universities are at different points in their faculty renewal process and in their development of poles of excellence, they may wish to propose a different allocation by tier (as long as the total cost is the same and as long as the balance between Tier I and Tier II is re-established in subsequent years).
For all institutions eligible to apply only to the CFI.
Strategic Research Plan Summary Use 2 to 5 pages to present a summary of your institutional research and research training development plan. In your summary: • • • • • • • outline the major objectives of the Strategic Research Plan; outline major thrusts for research and research training; focus on those areas for which the institution intends to request support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation; briefly describe what the Institution has done to support the development of research and research training in the priority areas and what it intends to do in the future for these and for the new areas of research it intends to develop; briefly mention planned inter-institutional and inter-sectoral collaborations; briefly describe how success in meeting the objectives will be assessed; briefly describe the planning and approval process at the Institution (and indicate the involvement of affiliated institutions).
Since most Institutions have evolving plans, the CFI will accept revised summaries once a year throughout the CFI's lifetime. The plans will be made available to assessment committees.