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CFREF Eligible and Ineligible Expenses

This concise guide has been synthesized for the benefit of Connected Minds members, offering a quick reference to the most important eligible and ineligible expenses under the CFREF program. While this list highlights key points, we encourage members to refer to the full CFREF Administration Guide available  for comprehensive details. If you have any questions or need clarification regarding specific expenditures, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Connected Minds office for assistance. 

Eligible Expenses: 

• Salaries and Benefits:
  • New Faculty and Research Team: Salaries, benefits (including bonuses or merit-based increases), and stipends for visiting researchers. Also covers recruitment and relocation costs for these roles. 
  • Teaching Replacements: Costs for replacing faculty who are appointed due to the grant, ensuring they can focus on research. 
• Professional and Technical Services:
  • Consulting Fees: Payment for external expertise.
  • Participant Recruitment: Modest incentives approved by an ethics board for research participant recruitment. 
  • Dissemination: Costs associated with preparing manuscripts, web-based information, and translation for research dissemination. 
• Travel and Subsistence:
  • Research-Related Travel: Fieldwork, conferences, and collaborative trips, including travel insurance and safety-related expenses (e.g., protective gear). 
  • Childcare During Travel: Costs for single parents or nursing mothers traveling for research. 
  • All travel arrangements should prioritize the most direct and economical options available, considering all circumstances.
• Equipment and Supplies:
  • Research Equipment: Purchase, maintenance, and transportation costs for small research equipment (under $300,000), with exceptions made for critical needs with proper justification. 
  • Training and Access: Costs for training on equipment use and fees for access to specialized equipment.
• Dissemination and Networking:
  • Workshops and Seminars: Costs of organizing research-related events, including non-alcoholic refreshments.
  • Publishing:  Page charges for open-access publications and costs related to research dissemination (e.g., web maintenance, CD-ROMs). 
• Miscellaneous:
  • Recruitment Costs: Advertising and travel expenses for recruiting research personnel. 
  • Professional Development: Costs involved in professional training and development in novel techniques required for the research. 

Ineligible Expenses: 

• Faculty Salaries Not Attributable to the Grant:
  • Non-Grant Faculty Salaries: Salaries of faculty not recruited due to the grant, including research time stipends for these individuals. 
  • Leave Replacements: Costs of replacing faculty during leave are not covered. 
• Personal and Commuting Costs:
  • Commuting Expenses: Costs of travel between home and work or between two places of employment. 
  • Immigration and Passport Fees: Passport and visa costs, and immigration-related fees, such as work permits. 
  • Personal Travel: Airfare purchased using personal frequent flyer points programs, and costs related to thesis examination and defense. 
• Entertainment and Gifts:
  • Alcohol and Entertainment: Costs of alcohol, entertainment, and gifts outside of specific research-related hospitality. 
  • Regular Interactions: Costs associated with regular interactions, such as meals or refreshments during routine meetings with colleagues or staff, are not covered. 
• Non-Research Related Costs:
  • General Overhead: Costs related to general institutional overhead not specific to CFREF-funded research, such as insurance for buildings and vehicles. 
  • Regulatory Compliance: Costs associated with ethical review, biohazard safety, environmental assessments, and similar regulatory compliance.
  • Education-Related Costs: Expenses like tuition, course fees, thesis preparation, and costs associated with the preparation of teaching materials. 
  • Personal Technology and Services: Standard monthly costs for telephones, home internet, voicemail, and library acquisitions that are typically provided to all members of an institution. 
• Capital and Infrastructure Expenses:
  • Building and Facility Costs: Capital expenditures for new buildings or major facilities, operating costs for research infrastructure already supported by other sources like the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). 
  • Laboratory Renovations: Costs for renovating, moving, or renting laboratories unless covered within the allowable indirect costs. 
• Indirect Costs Not Attributable to CFREF Research:
  • Non-Specific Indirect Costs: Costs that cannot be directly attributed to the CFREF-funded research, such as general administrative costs and utilities.