Cómo solicitar y administrar una beca de investigación del IDRC

IDRC launches competitive calls for proposals to fund research that is intended to achieve specific results in international development research, e.g. reducing crop losses or improving climate change adaptability.

Successful research proposals must:

• align strategically with the objectives of the call;
• present appropriate technical designs;
• complement existing programs; and
• respond to operational requirements and other considerations specific to each call.

For information on current calls, please consult the list of “Open calls” on IDRC’s website under Funding.

Solicited grants

Many institutions work directly with IDRC to develop their proposal. These institutions must ensure that all application requirements are provided to the Centre.

Unsolicited grants

IDRC rarely funds unsolicited proposals. Submitting an unsolicited proposal does not guarantee that it will be assessed. It must meet minimum requirements and propose relevant programming in order to be reviewed. Applicants may submit a preliminary proposal to IDRC for eligibility screening. Following the pre-screening stage, the applicant may be invited to submit a full proposal. 

Unless otherwise specified, the grantee must:

• produce predefined outputs or results throughout the life of the project;
• demonstrate satisfactory performance against project objectives to continue receiving project grant funds (where specified); and
• account for all funds used in the project.

Contributory grants

Typically these grants are awarded only to institutions and on the condition that the grantee makes a financial or in-kind contribution to the overall cost of the project (for example, paying salaries or assuming overhead costs). Payments are made based on the achievement of predefined outputs or results.

Non-contributory grants

In some instances, IDRC grants may be provided to an institution or to an individual with no expectation of a financial or in-kind contribution. Payments are typically made up front or in annual installments. These grants include:

Grants-in-aid

Grants-in-aid include all grants awarded to an individual (for example, travel grants, fellowships, research internships, and scholarships, in addition to research-related awards) and grants awarded to an institution where progress reporting is minimal.

Core grants

Core grants are intended to provide financial support to cover the basic (or core) organizational and administrative costs of an institution such as salaries, office costs, IT, equipment, etc.

Program grants

Program grants are similar to core grants, but the funding is limited either to one specific program, a predefined set of activities within a program, or for a purpose common to several programs.

• Does it relate to one of the Centre’s areas of focus?
• Is its intention to generate new knowledge and avoid duplication of previous research?
• Is its rationale evidence-based?

IDRC funds research in many countries in the Global South, but the Centre is bound by Canadian law, which may restrict or prohibit funding for research and organizations in specific countries and/or regions. For example, if the law limits banking transactions by Canadian financial institutions in a particular country, IDRC will not undertake any form of programming in the country.  

IDRC will not undertake any form of programming with individuals or organizations prohibited by Canadian law.

The proposing institution must have independent legal status (or “legal personality”) and be capable of contracting in its own right and name. Any applicant selected to receive IDRC funding must be financially solvent and will be subject to a financial and administrative assessment before the grant agreement is finalized.

• The Institution section provides a link to an Institutional profile questionnaire (IPQ) that requests information about your institution’s policies, procedures, and administrative and financial resources. Unless IDRC has recently (less than three years) funded an application from your institution/organization, the IPQ and legal documentation are required and should accompany your grant application. 
• The Corporate Documents section lists the legal documentation required to establish your institution/organization’s eligibility for funding, such as letters patent, articles of incorporation, or founding legislation.
• Any of the aforementioned documents or other information may be requested at a later date if they are not provided in the application package. Please refer to the call document for guidance on applying for funding through a competitive call.

Applicants must provide a research abstract, identify research partners, and indicate any parallel contributions. It is important to highlight all countries where programming activities will occur or where potential recipient institutions are located.

This section provides guidelines for the research problem and justification; objectives; methodology; project schedule; results and dissemination of findings; and the institutions and personnel involved in the project.  

• Applicants must complete IDRC’s Proposal Budget as part of their submission.
• Applications must be submitted in the applicant’s working currency (the currency in which the books of accounts are maintained). However, as a Canadian Crown Corporation, IDRC restricts all of its contractual obligations for grants and contributions to the approved Canadian dollar amount. 
• The amount of an IDRC grant is based on the forecasted costs of the project at the exchange rate between the working currency of the project and the Canadian dollar at the time the project is approved.
• Budget notes are an essential part of IDRC's due diligence and form an integral part of the approval process. The rationale and support for arriving at each budget figure allows IDRC to understand the activities to be undertaken, their impact on project costs, and the reasonability of the cost estimates.
• Without budget details that clearly support the cost estimates, the grant approval process and any subsequent financial reporting and payment cycles may be delayed. Delays in funding can impact project outcomes.
• Please note that when the law limits banking transactions by Canadian financial institutions in a particular country, IDRC will not undertake any form of programming in that country that results directly or indirectly in Canadian funds flowing to it.

Budget categories

All project costs must be allocated to the eight budget categories. Each budget category must include sufficient line items and detailed notes to relate the budget to the proposed plan of work.

1. Personnel
   Includes all remuneration, allowances, and benefits paid to project staff and advisors hired for a specific project. Note that salaries should not exceed 25% of the project budget (without a detailed rationale approved by IDRC).
2. Consultants
   Includes details of the consultants or subcontractors needed to provide expert professional advice on a fee-for-service basis.
3. Evaluation
   Includes expenses related to the systematic assessment of the project, program, policy, or strategic issue to determine progress toward achieving objectives or the quality and effects of IDRC-funded activities.
4. Equipment
   This includes equipment that has a useful life of more than one year and costs more than CA$5,000 per item. Equipment not meeting such criteria can be included as a “Research Expense”.  Please note: 
   • IDRC funds should never be used to pay any direct or indirect form of taxation for equipment purchased outside of Canada.
   • The IDRC grantee institution is responsible for all insurance coverage and IDRC does not assume responsibility for any losses.
   • Equipment should not exceed 20% of the project budget (unless a detailed rationale is pre-approved by IDRC).
5. International travel

   Includes all costs related to international travel incurred by the project personnel listed in the personnel category of the budget proposal.

   Your institution's travel-management processes should be used to make travel arrangements, but the class of travel and per diems must follow the IDRC Corporate Policy on Travel, as stipulated in the General Terms and Conditions of the Grant Agreement.

6. Training
   Includes any trainee’s registration and tuition fees; living and other allowances; research and training expenses; and travel costs during the trainee’s participation in degree or diploma programs, short courses, student fieldwork, postdoctoral training, or other scholarly activities.
7. Research expenses

   Includes all services and materials required to carry out the research.

   All research proposals submitted to IDRC must include an Open Access Plan. Costs related to publishing open access are eligible expenses budgeted under the “Research expenses” category (learn more in IDRC’s Open Access Policy).

   Where the proposal includes a competitive grant scheme, the amount allocated to the eventual sub-grantees is budgeted under this category. Similarly, when the applicant will act on behalf of a consortium or on behalf of the members of a network, transfers to the other members of the consortium or network must be budgeted under this category. In both cases, when the name of the sub-grantees is known, detailed information must be entered in the proposal budget as instructed in the template.

8. Indirect costs

   IDRC expects grantees to absorb the overhead or administrative costs of a project as part of its IDRC grantee contribution. Where an organization has a supportable indirect costs recovery policy, IDRC may allow indirect costs (see below) of up to 13% of all IDRC grantee-administered costs. The indirect cost rate proposed in the budget should not exceed the grantee’s organizational rate and should be verifiable. 

   Where a project includes sub-IDRC grantees who are administering a portion of the project, the maximum contribution may be shared between the proposing institution and the collaborating institution, but it should never exceed 13% of the total budget in aggregate. 

   Indirect project costs consist of administrative costs that are not directly related to the research. Indirect cost items are limited to:

   • salaries and benefits of personnel who support and administer the project, such as secretaries, clerks, and accountants;
   • stationery and other office supplies;
   • telecommunications (unless the nature of the project has warranted a specific budget line item for that purpose); and
   • computer equipment used for the administration or accounting of the grant disbursements.

Other donor contributions (parallel funding)

This includes the portion of funds that will be directly provided to the applicant by other international funders in support of a project that is initiated or co-initiated by IDRC.

IDRC does not administer parallel funds.

Local contribution estimates

It is a funding condition that the applicant financially contributes to the project. This is known as the recipient contribution and must be estimated and recorded in the proposal budget. The distinction between cash and/or in-kind contributions should also be reflected in the project budget:

• Cash amounts expended from the recipient’s own resources, from private grants, or from grants received from local, provincial, or national authorities for the project.
• In-kind contributions such as employee salaries, equipment, infrastructure, and overhead costs.

Disallowable expenses

Where IDRC does not have tax exemption clauses in its general country agreement with the host country, applicants must absorb the cost of all duties (at the point of entry when project-purchased goods are imported) and other forms of local direct taxation (including capital equipment taxes for physical plants and equipment). Communicate with your grant administration contact for more details.

IDRC funds cannot be used for the purchase or construction of new office space or any other building. Any leasehold improvement and/or office renovation must be approved by the Centre.

This includes:

• a profile of the project leader, including contact details;
• curriculum vitae; language skills;
• a list of key research team members; and
• organizational affiliation and role in the project.

In addition to the application form, all applicants must provide a written formal request that clearly demonstrates that the institution stands behind the proposal submitted to IDRC. The formal request can be made in the form of a letter or an email requesting funding and outlining the applicant’s commitment and contribution, either in-kind or in-cash, to the research proposal’s success.

The formal request must come from the legal signatory of the institution to which the grant document will be addressed.

Applicants with approved proposals may be asked to produce the following to determine the timing of reporting and payments[1]:

• most recent audited financial statements*;
• if not audited, the latest financial statements duly authorized by a financial officer;
• an up-to-date organization chart;
• table of contents of the policy and procedures manual, if any;
• a list of current external donors and their contributions;
• the latest annual report; and
• proof of registration to a social security scheme and/or a summary of human resources policies.

*Includes but not limited to balance sheet; statement of income and expenses, or profit and loss; notes forming part of the financial statements; auditor’s report; and auditor’s management letter.

[1] Where financial and administrative documents are available publicly via website, please provide the direct link.

This section provides essential information regarding your grant, such as the objectives of the project, the duration, the country approvals (if relevant), the names of those party to the agreement, and any special clauses or conditions that apply.

The general terms and conditions provide information on how the grant must be managed and detail the requirements that must be fulfilled as an IDRC grantee.

Part 2 should be read and understood by all employees working on the project. Particular attention should be paid to the issue of open access and intellectual property:

• IDRC places great importance on using research. All technical reporting and research outputs delivered to IDRC are considered project outputs, including grey literature (technical reports, theses, papers, workshop reports, conference proceedings, brochures, and audiovisual products), articles, books, and publications. These outputs are added to IDRC’s research library on an open-access basis. All open access-related costs should be budgeted in the proposal submitted to the Centre.  
• Familiarize yourself with the Centre’s policy on the availability of project outputs and the provisions in your grant agreement regarding patentable inventions or new intellectual property. Where new inventions are likely to occur, IDRC takes steps to enable collaborating institutions to reach an understanding regarding their ownership and use. We also ask collaborating institutions to acknowledge their intention to reach an agreement in cases where inventions are not foreseeable.
• Refer to IDRC’s Open Access Policy for information about eligible costs and guidelines on licensing and project inventions.

Project milestones are significant events that are planned during the lifecycle of the project. Typically these milestones are technical or financial reports, but they can also include country clearance and ethical clearance requirements, as well as project activities such as workshops or publications. IDRC refers to these milestones to schedule project payments. It is critical to meet milestones throughout your project to avoid delays in project payments and subsequent disruption to your research.

A clear understanding of objectives, related spending, and expected timing will keep you on course throughout the grant agreement. If you are unable to deliver within the project timeline, you must get in touch with your IDRC technical contact person (preferably before the research completion date indicated in your grant agreement). All project deliverables must be submitted to IDRC by the contract completion date stipulated in the grant agreement.

• Only expenses incurred during the project and for budgeted purposes will be reimbursed. Expenses incurred prior to the project’s commencement and after completion will not be reimbursed.
• Any reallocation from one budget category to another requires the prior approval of the IDRC technical contact person. 
• In cases where a fund supplement is approved, the grant agreement will be amended to reflect the revised budget.

Project inventions resulting from project activities funded by the Centre are governed by the Intellectual Property Rights Agreement signed between IDRC and the recipient. Recipients are obligated to report any inventions to the Centre and must enter into an agreement with IDRC in the event an invention is created.

You will be expected to provide both interim and final technical reports that detail your progress toward the project’s stated objectives. The report should help IDRC staff assess:

• the technical progress of your project; and
• the purpose and relevance of all project expenditures to date.

If work is undertaken in collaboration with other organizations, it is expected that technical reports will be prepared jointly.                     

IDRC places a high degree of importance on these reports and they are included in the Project Outputs noted in the General Terms and Conditions of the Grant Agreement.

Interim report(s)

An interim (or progress) report should provide a concise description of the activities planned and completed during the reporting period (see Guidelines for preparing interim technical reports). The exact dates of the reporting period should be clearly specified.

The following information should be provided for each project objective:

• details of the work carried out;
• results; activities planned for the next period;
• an evaluation or assessment of progress;
• an outline of problems encountered and the actions to take to address them; and
• administrative aspects (i.e., changes in staffing, organizational changes in the institution, the status of trainees supported by the project, and future training requirements).

Other research outputs may be shared (such as research papers, surveys, and questionnaires), but these outputs do not replace the required technical reports.   

The final report

The final technical report should:

• explain what was achieved with the funds;
• detail the time that was spent on the project; and
• draw lessons from the experience (see Guidelines for preparing final technical reports).

Technical reports are reviewed closely by the technical contact person identified in your grant agreement. This officer assesses the project’s progress in achieving its stated objectives and determines whether additional project payments are justified. Please contact the responsible officer identified in your grant agreement for additional information on the interim or final technical reports.

IDRC’s Financial Reporting Workbook provides guidance for preparing your financial reports. Each form captures specific financial information.

FR1:

The Project Information Summary identifies the project, specifies the reporting period, and certifies your institution’s endorsement of the accuracy of all statements made in the report.

FR2:

• The Detailed Expenses and Forecast Worksheet details all items of expenditure in each budget category and projects future expenditures, including notes to explain variations from the original budget. All variances that exceed 10% of the budgeted amount must be explained. 
• The Expense and Forecast Summary summarizes the total actual expenditures and the forecast expenditures for each major budget category, as per the details provided in the Detailed Expense and Forecast Worksheets.
• The Budget Balance Summary provides an overview pf the project’s overall expenditures and the remaining budget.

FR3:

• Section 3A – Cash Receipts and Foreign Exchange and Other Income records all payments received from IDRC and the corresponding exchange calculations.
• Sections 3B and 3C – Notice of Receipt of Parallel Funds and Disbursement of Local Contributions reports funds received from other donors, in addition to local contributions to your project.

​Financial reports must be prepared following the format in the Proposal Budget (included with IDRC’s approved grant agreement), which summarizes the details of your proposed budget in eight categories. This standardized format supports analysis and any future inquiries by IDRC.

It is important to note the following when preparing your financial reports:

• IDRC supports project costs within the allowable expense categories. 
• IDRC grantees must report total research costs. They must clearly report costs funded by IDRC, as well as costs related to the local contribution.
• The final financial report must be received on or no more than 30 days after the work completion date.
• In some cases, your project may draw funds from several donors. When additional resources are provided directly by another donor, you must reconcile expenses to the resources received from each donor in your financial report. 
• Financial reports must indicate all income resulting from the disposal of project equipment purchased with IDRC funds, or through the sale of books, publications, experimental crops, or interest earned on grant funds deposited at the bank. This income must be considered as payment (input) to the project. This input must be reported separately and considered part of IDRC’s contribution to the project.
• Financial reports must outline the actual expenditures and the forecast expenditures of your project (mandatory for interim reports).
• Financial reports must provide enough detail to assess the project’s financial situation. 
• Financial reports must be submitted to IDRC in the approved budget format and currency.

​Certification of financial report

All financial reports submitted to IDRC must be signed by the project leader AND the chief financial officer (or his/her authorized representative) of the grantee institution. Financial reports will be rejected if they are received without certification.

For additional information about financial reporting, please contact the grant administrator identified in your grant agreement.

An IDRC grantee may request additional funds for activities within the scope of the work originally approved for funding. Supplemental requests are evaluated on the basis of need, strength of justification, and availability of funds.

Exchange rate variations

IDRC restricts all contractual obligations to the Canadian dollar amount specified in the grant agreement. IDRC grantees are expected to absorb variations in the exchange rate as part of their contribution to the project.

On an exceptional basis, when exchange variations may result in significant shortfalls that could jeopardize project objectives, IDRC may consider a request for supplementary funding. Such a request must be submitted toward the end of the project lifecycle, when actual costs are known and end-of-project shortfalls can be more accurately forecast.

A project extension may be granted if additional time is required to assure adequate completion of the original scope of work. Extension requests based on a broadened scope or to use unexpended funds will not be considered. Extension requests must explain and justify the need and provide a date when the activities will be completed. This request must be submitted before the project’s work completion date. The Centre will provide a written approval in the form of an amended grant agreement.

Your institution is expected to submit a satisfactory final technical report on or before your project’s work completion date. When required, IDRC must receive the final financial report within 30 days of the project’s work completion date.

Since the completion date in your grant agreement is fixed, reporting delays are likely to cause challenges in completing your planned activities and in meeting your research goals.

• The final financial report must cover all funds expended by the project and must be submitted in the same format and detail as outlined in the grant agreement. Expenses incurred by your institution outside the grant duration will not be accepted.
• The final technical report should review the research undertaken with project funds.

Following the review and approval of both reports, IDRC will make the final payment (if applicable) and proceed with project closure. At this point, no additional funds can be made available to your project.

IDRC may terminate the project at any time if you fail to comply with the terms of your agreement (this includes reporting and other milestone deadlines).

IDRC may terminate a grant agreement in exceptional circumstances. Terminations may occur for a number of reasons, including but not limited to:

• breach of contract by the IDRC grantee;
• underperformance or poor performance by the IDRC grantee;
• impropriety on the part of the IDRC grantee;
• involvement in unlawful activities by the IDRC grantee;
• IDRC discovers duplication of effort (i.e., the research is currently being funded by another donor or a third-party has funded the same research,
• or substantially similar research, carried out by the same IDRC grantee or by other IDRC grantees);
• bankruptcy or insolvency of the IDRC grantee organization;
• research ethics issues that cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of both IDRC and the IDRC grantee;
• termination by request of the IDRC grantee because of issues that cannot be addressed by an extension or amendment to the agreement;
• IDRC or donor partner determination that the project falls outside of mandate or approved programming direction;
• loss of donor or parliamentary funding;
• introduction of new priorities, regulations, or legislation that effectively prevent IDRC from continuing its support of certain IDRC grantees or project work.

IDRC funds must be used for their originally intended purpose and any unused funds must be returned to IDRC at the end of the project. Your IDRC administrative contact can provide more information about this process.

☑ Reporting periods are clearly indicated, as stipulated in the Grant Agreement.

☑ Monetary amounts are in local currency.

☑ The report is vetted by the Project Leader and the authorized Financial Officer.
Note: the report submitted must be vetted by the Project Leader and the authorized Financial Officer so that the financial report certification by your institution (i.e. signature) can be expedited once the report is reviewed and accepted by IDRC. Please note that any delay in securing that certification will delay your next project payment.

☑ The report includes a forecast of planned expenditures for the next period.
Note: Forecast is required for interim periods. Remaining periods must be forecast as stipulated in the guideline.

☑ The budget expense line item categories match the budget submission in Part 4 (Project Budget) of the grant agreement.

☑ Variances in excess of 10% are fully explained.

☑ A list of the payments received from IDRC in local (working) currency for the period has been included.

☑ Where applicable, a list of transfers from a holding currency account to the working currency account by transaction, month, or quarter is included.
Note: This information confirms that the IDRC grantee has received the corresponding amount released by IDRC and should include all details of the transfers.

☑ All sources of project-related income have been disclosed.
Note: Other income includes, but is not limited to, interest paid on bank deposits or from the sale of publications, videos, etc. All income must be properly accounted for and reported to IDRC.

☑ Contributions received by other donors have been included, if applicable.

☑ Financial and in-kind contributions have been recorded.

Note: Please ensure that supporting documentation is maintained within your organization to support these contributions in the event that it is requested by IDRC.

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