Instructions for completing the FAAF

The FAAF is regularly updated. It is advised that you download the form from here for each application rather than saving the document to your desktop for re-use.

Note: Additional information, definitions, and useful links can be found at the bottom of the FAAF. An alternate format is also available upon request.

Top of the FAAF

Information/Instructions: Be sure to read information and instructions carefully. Note that there is additional information for each section available at the end of the form.

Radio Buttons: Select type of project - Grant or Contract

Externally Held Funds (blue box): If project funds are to be held, administered at, or administered by, an affiliated hospital or institute upon award, enter name of hospital or institute.

A. UM Principal Investigator (PI)

All UM researchers must hold an eligible academic appointment with a UM faculty, department, centre, institute or school to hold a grant or agreement. See list of eligible academic appointments provided.

Note that the PI is responsible to ensure that all expenses conform to Agency rules and UM policies. 

Last Name: Enter as per HR records.

First Name: Enter as per HR records.

Employee #: Enter 6-digit number as assigned by HR.

% of Effort: Enter the PI's contribution to the project.

  • If the PI is the only UM investigator on the project, then the percentage of contribution will be 100%.
  • If there are also UM Co-PI's and/or UM Co-Investigators on the project, then the percentages of all UM investigators combined must total 100%.

Department (funds held): Enter the department where funds are to be held.

  • This is typically the department of the PI's primary appointment.
  • If the funds are intended to be held in the department of the PI's secondary appointment, initiate, submit and sign the online fillable form called Request to Change Organization (ORG) on a New or Continuing AURORA Fund (aka Change of ORG) for approval by the ORS Director.
    • Note: once the online form is initiated and submitted, the form will be immediately forwarded to the PI for signature, then it will automatically be forwarded to each subsequent signatory for their signatures. Once all signatories have signed and submitted the form, it will automatically be forwarded to ORS for processing, and a signed copy will be forwarded to each signatory.
    • Contact ORS if you have questions.
  • The Change of ORG form is to ensure that both Department Heads/Directors/Deans are:
    • 1) aware that the project exists, and
    • 2) approve of the funds being held in the secondary department.

Faculty: Enter faculty corresponding with the department entered.

Phone number: Enter your 9-digit UM phone number. (Do not enter any symbols, i.e. dash, brackets, and press Tab. This will allow for the correct formatting on the form.)

Co-PI:

  • Name: Enter first and last name of UM Co-Principal Investigator per HR records.
    • Co-PI's must hold an eligible academic appointment (see list provided).
  • Department: Enter department of either primary or secondary appointment (a Change of ORG form is not required).
  • % of Effort: Enter the Co-PI's contribution to the project.
  • Click on [+] to add fields for each additional Co-PI.

B. Project Participant(s)

UM Co-Investigators: 

  • Name: Enter first and last name per HR records. 
    • Co-Investigators must hold an eligible academic appointment (see list provided). 
  • Department: Enter department of either primary or secondary appointment (a Change of ORG form is not required).
  • % of Effort: Enter the percentage of the Co-Investigator's contribution to the project.
  • Click on [+] to add fields for each additional UM Co-Investigator.

Non-UM Project Lead: If the UM PI is contributing to a multi-institutional research team where the UM PI is not the Project Lead as reported to the funding agency, then enter the Project Lead details here.

  • Name: Enter first and last name.
  • Institutional Affiliation: Enter full legal name.
  • Click on [+] to add fields for each additional Non-UM Project Lead on the project.

Non-UM Co-Investigator: Any Co-Investigator on the project that is not affiliated with the UM.

  • Name: Enter first and last name.
  • Institutional Affiliation: Enter full legal name.
  • Click on [+] to add fields for each additional Non-UM Co-Investigator.

Collaborator: Any individual in a named Collaborator role or whose role in the proposed activities is to provide a specific service (e.g., access to equipment, provision of specific reagents, training in a specialized technique, statistical analysis, access to a patient population, etc.).

  • Name: Enter first and last name.
  • Institutional Affiliation: Enter full legal name.
  • Click on [+] to add fields for each additional Collaborator on the project.

Fellowship/Studentship: Students are not eligible to hold funds; therefore, student details are entered here, and the student's advisor/supervisor is to be entered as the PI.

  • Name: Enter first and last name per HR records.
  • Department: Enter student's department.
  • Click on [+] to add fields for each additional student on the project.

C. Funding Agency

Sponsor: The name of the agency or institution who will be providing the funding. Enter the full legal name.

Originating Sponsor: If the Project Lead and funding are originating from another agency or institution, enter the full legal name.

Sponsor Program Name: 

  • Grant: Enter the sponsor-specific program name.
  • Contract: If there is no sponsor-specific program name, enter "Contract".

Program Type: From the drop-down menu, select the type that describes how funds will be used.

Matching Funds - As Per Program Requirement: If the project requires matching funds, enter the sponsor's full legal name and the amount they are contributing to the project.

Project Funds to be Transferred Externally: If project funds are being transferred outside the UM, enter the institution/partner's full legal name.

D. Project

Project Title: Enter project title as per application.

Radio Buttons: Select "yes" or "no" in response to each question:

  • Does the proposed project advance research in a Sensitive Technology Research Area?
  • Does the research involve the space sector?
  • Will this project be managed by Partners for Health & Development in Africa (PHDA)?
  • Does research involve partners from foreign countries?
    • Partnering with an academic institution?
      • If yes, enter the country name and list all the institutions being partnered with in that country.
      • Click on [+] to add fields for each additional country and institution(s).
    • Partnering with a 'not-for-profit' or 'for-profit' organization?
      • If yes, list the country name and all the organizations being partnered with in that country.
      • Click on [+] to add fields for each additional country and institution(s).
  • Will project be associated with the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals (RCFFN)?
    • If yes, enter the percentage of the project associated with RCFFN.
  • Will project use UM Research Centre/Institute and/or Health Research Affiliates resources?
    • If "yes", PI is to acquire approval for the use of facility.

Term Dates: Select start and end dates (calendar is embedded) of the funding per the sponsor program. If term dates are not specified, then approximate term dates are acceptable.

Competition Deadline:​​​​​​​ Select date of competition deadline (calendar is embedded) per sponsor program. If a competition deadline is not specified, enter "N/A".

E. Budget Summary

Total Funds & Yearly Amounts: Enter yearly amounts and total funds. Please ensure the following:

  • amounts correspond with project budget submitted with application,
  • the total requested funds does not exceed maximum amount offered by sponsor,
  • yearly amounts are correctly summed up to reflect total requested funds, and
  • institutional costs are correctly calculated and accounted for in total requested funds.

Institutional Costs: Agency may identify these costs as indirect costs or research overhead. Enter the percent of institutional costs. (See notes below and calculation instructions to the right for more information.)

Total Institutional Costs for Proposal: Enter amount of institutional costs (See notes below and calculation instructions to the right for more information).

​​​Type of Currency: Enter the type of currency to be received, i.e. CAD, USD, EURO, etc.

What are institutional costs?

Institutional costs, also known as "overhead costs", "indirect research costs", or "facilities and administrative costs", provides cost recovery for the indirect costs of sponsored research activities at the UM.

Indirect Costs: These include the use of space and services, utilities, library, central computing, insurance, common equipment, health and safety, security, custodial, financial, and administrative services, among other things. Note instructions and examples for calculating institutional costs below.

Direct Costs: These include expenses that are specific to a particular project or activity and are allowed by the sponsor. It is important to carefully review the program guidelines of the sponsor organization, but direct costs typically include salaries and benefits, materials and supplies, equipment and maintenance, project-related travel and publication costs.

Some other terms that may be found in certain program guidelines are:

  • Total direct costs – the sum of all direct research costs
  • Modified total direct costs – the total direct costs less items that are ineligible/excluded from overhead calculations.

Overhead Rates: The UM requires that all project budgets include both direct and overhead (indirect) costs whenever allowed by a sponsor. The overhead rate to use in a research budget is the maximum rate allowed. If a maximum rate is not specified, the standard UM overhead rate is 30%.

The table below shows some common overhead rates for on-campus activities, including the cost categories for which the rate is applied. For off-campus rates, contact ORS for the program. 

Sponsor

On campus rate

Cost category

Standard rate
(incl. industry)

15% - grants
30% - agreements

Total direct costs

Non-profit sponsors

15% or sponsor's limit

Varies

Tri-Agency
(CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC)

0%*

N/A

New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF)

25%

Total direct costs

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

8%

Total direct costs less equipment

US Government contracts

47.7%

Salaries and benefits only

* Indirect costs are not allowed on funds received from the Tri-Agency (NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC). Instead, the federal government provides indirect cost support to Canadian post-secondary institutions through an annual grant called the Research Support Fund.

Indirect Costs Distribution: Refer to the UM Policy: Institutional Costs of Research: Recovery and Distribution.

Institutional Costs Calculations & Examples:

Indirect costs added over and above the direct costs of research:

If the direct research costs for a project are $100,000 and the indirect costs rate is 15%, the indirect costs would be calculated as:

$100,000 x 0.15 = $15,000

Direct Costs = $100,000
Indirect Costs = $15,000
Total Budget = $115,000

Important points:

  • Round up to the nearest dollar, ensuring that your direct and indirect costs equal the total budget.
  • Ensure the Total Funds entered on the FAAF includes both the direct and indirect costs, i.e. $115,000 in example above.
  • Ensure the Yearly totals entered on the FAAF includes both the direct and indirect costs, i.e. if the above example was for 2 years with equal budget, enter $57,500 in the Year 1 and Year 2 fields.

-- OR --

Indirect costs included in maximum budget:

If the maximum budget allowed is $100,000 for both direct and indirect costs and the indirect cost rate is 15%, the budget would be calculated as:

Calculation of direct costs:
$100,000 / 1.15 = $86,957

Calculation of indirect costs:
$100,000 - $86,957 = $13,043

Direct Costs = $86,957
Indirect Costs = $13,043
Total Budget = $100,000

Important points:

  • Round up to the nearest dollar, ensuring that your direct and indirect costs equal the total budget.
  • Ensure the Total Funds entered on the FAAF includes both the direct and indirect costs, i.e. $100,000 in example above.
  • Ensure the Yearly totals entered on the FAAF includes both the direct and indirect costs, i.e. if the above example was for 2 years with equal budget, enter $50,000 in the Year 1 and Year 2 fields.

F. Ethics

Radio Buttons: Select either "yes" or "no" if the proposed project requires any of the following ethics and/or compliance approvals. 

Human Research

  • If "yes", indicate if approval is pending or attached.
  • A copy of the approval is required in ORS. (Subsequent renewal notifications are not required.)

Human Stem Cells

  • If "yes", indicate if approval is pending or attached.
  • A copy of the approval is required in ORS.
  • Stem cells ethics approvals can be incorporated under a human ethics protocol, a UM biosafety approval, or it may require a separate approval from the Stem Cell Oversight Committee (SCOC), depending on the type of stem cell research.

Vertebrate Animals

  • If "yes", indicate if approval is pending or attached.
  • A copy of the approval is required in ORS. (Subsequent renewal notifications are not required.)

Biosafety for Unfixed Biological Samples

  • If "yes", please clarify if the work will be done at a UM facility or an external facility.
  • On UM Property:
    • If “yes”, contact the Biosafety Office to submit an amendment to your lab permit.
    • Approval will be forwarded directly to ORS. Please do not forward a duplicate copy.
    • UM biosafety approvals cover research at the following facilities:
      • CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute (Floors 5 & 6)

      • Children's Hospital Research Institute of Medicine (Floors 5 & 6 of John Buhler Research Centre)

      • Health Sciences Centre Foundation (Floors 7 & 8 of John Buhler Research Centre)

      • Kleyson Institute (Floor 4)

      • Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Neutraceuticals

  • On external property:
    • A copy of the approval is required in ORS.
    • Unfixed biological lab work at the following facilities require a biosafety approval:
      • Health Sciences Centre - Children’s Hospital and Women's Hospital

      • Public Health Agency of Canada (Incl. National Microbiology Lab)

      • St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre (incl. Asper Clinical Research Institute & Paul Albrechtsen Research Centre)

      • Other universities or institutions

Environmental Impact

  • If "yes", indicate if assessment is pending or attached.
  • A copy of the assessment is required in ORS.

Controlled Goods

  • If "yes", contact the Chief Risk Officer for review.
  • This is for information purposes only. ORS does not require any documentation.

Cannabis Research

  • If "yes", contact the Cannabis Research Officer for review.
  • This is for information purposes only. ORS does not require any documentation.

Clinical Trials

  • If "yes", indicate if research involves a Clinical Trial Application to Health Canada.
  • If "yes", indicate if the sponsor responsible for the overall management is UM or another institution.

G. Financial Conflict of Interest

If you answered "yes" to the first two questions:

H. Research Location

Indicate where the majority of the research will be done.

  • Only one location may be selected.
  • For “Other”, please only include names of institutions or organizations not already listed, otherwise please select UM.

I. Required Signatures

Declaration: By signing the FAAF the signatories agree that the information contained in the FAAF, as well as on the application form for which the FAAF is being submitted, is accurate and true. Submitting inaccurate or false information in these forms is a breach of the University of Manitoba Responsible Conduct of Research Policy

digital signature is preferred on all documentation.

Principal Investigator: Signature required.

UM Co-Principal Investigator: Signature required.

  • If additional signature fields are required use the FAAF Additional Co-PI Signature Form (see quick link).
  • Be sure to include the additional signature page when submitting your application.

UM Co-Investigator: Signature required.

  • If additional signature fields are required use the FAAF Additional Co-Investigators Signature Form (see quick link). 
  • Be sure to include the additional signature page when submitting your application.

Department Head: Signature required.

  • If the unit has no Department Head, field may be left blank.
  • If the PI is also the Department Head, then the PI's one-over-one must sign.

Dean of Faculty or Director of School: Signature required. 

  • If the PI is also the Dean or Director, then the PI's one-over-one must sign.
  • College of Medicine: Forward complete application package to resmedgrants@umanitoba.ca a minimum of three days prior to the ORS deadline for the ADR's signature:
    • Once signed, the ADR's office will forward the signed application package to ORS. Please do not forward a duplicate copy.
  • Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry and Rehabilitation Sciences:  Forward complete application package to the appropriate Dean for signature.

Non UM Co-Investigator: Signature not required.

Collaborator: Signature not required.

Student: Signature not required.

Submission of Application to ORS

Avoid delays and multiple revisions by ensuring there are no errors, missing signatures or documents as these will cause the application package to be returned to the PI for corrections which may cause further delays in the review process.

Compile your application in one email as follows:

  1. Complete grant application/proposal and affiliated documents - combined in one PDF
  2. Ethics/compliance approvals - in separate PDFs
  3. FAAF - in a separate PDF

Forward complete application to the applicable email address:

General guidelines for ORS submission deadlines:

  • 7 business days prior to the program deadline for smaller, simpler and one-time grants.
  • 10 business days prior to the program deadline for larger, complex grants.

Review and Feedback

All application submissions will be forwarded to the appropriate Research Grants Officer (RGO) or Research Contracts Officer (RCO) for review and feedback. 

Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received, taking into consideration agency deadlines. Popular competitions may result in numerous submissions; therefore, it is encouraged that applications be submitted early. Please expect up to four (4) business days for processing. 

Upon receipt of the final draft, the RGO/RCO will forward the application to the Director for final signature.

Refer to the ORS Processes page for further information regarding the pre-award and post-award processes.

Contact us

Please contact one of the following for assistance: