Additional Application Criteria
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
Many Canadian funding agencies have committed to achieving a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive research ecosystem.
An applicant may be prompted to describe EDI considerations in relation to the research design, team composition, recruitment practices that will be employed, training that will be provided, and efforts that will be employed to create an inclusive research environment.
If you plan to submit a grant application, you will want to review the Resource below.
If you have been hired as a student Research Assistant, it is expected that the PI will strive to create an inclusive research environment and provide you with training and mentorship. (Module 4 will address Research Conduct – Rights and Responsibilities. in more detail.)
Resource: EDI Handbook
The Centre for Research & Innovation has created an EDI Handbook for Researchers. This resource includes specific strategies researchers can use when drafting a grant application and includes numerous links to resources for further learning on the topic of EDI.
This handbook and other materials can be accessed from the CRI Research Playlist.
If you are not a college employee (e.g. a student who has been hired by CRI), you may not be able to access this content. Contact CRI for assistance.
Resource Data Management (RDM)
Increasingly, funding agencies and journals are requiring applicants to submit Data Management Plans (DMPs) as a condition of funding or publication. RDM refers to the processes applied through the lifecycle of a research project to guide the collection, documentation, storage, sharing and preservation of research data.
If you plan to submit a grant application, you may need to submit a Pre-Award DMP. You will want to utilize the Resource below.
If you have been hired as a student Research Assistant, the Principal Investigator may invite you to view or even collaborate on the ongoing development of the project’s DMP.
(Data Management Planning will also be addressed in Module 4.)
Resource: Data Management Assistant
Research design is the strategy used to combine different components of the research process in coherent ways.
Team composition is the span of knowledge and expertise present in a group of researchers.
Recruitment practices are the methods by which new researchers are evaluated and added to a research team.
Research training is the development of new skills and knowledge by less experienced researchers, usually through the mentorship of their more experienced peers.
The research environment encompasses the goals, emphases, culture, etc. of the research team.
A data management plan is a document that details how a researcher intends to manage their research during and after the project.
Data collection is the process of gathering data and applying measurable criteria to it.
Data documentation pairs collected information with the contextual information necessary to make full use of it.
Data storage is the retention of documented information while assuring its accessibility to all necessary groups.
Data sharing is the process of making information available to users, and/or organizations.
Data preservation is the management of data to ensure its stability and accessibility for as long as is necessary.