(Deadline for application: April 30, 2019)

The STFX Extension Department’s Centre for Employment Innovation (CEI) invites applications for funding support to carry out research projects on Employment Innovation.

Framing its work within a social determinants of health lens, and an asset-based community development focus, the CEI brings people and knowledge together by: facilitating community-based, practitioner-led research; fostering an environment for collaboration and shared learning; and, strengthening governance and distributed leadership for the employment services ecosystem. Together, these efforts support innovations for a skilled, resilient and productive workforce, and workplaces, across NS… and beyond.”

Key dates:

April 10, 2019 – information session for interested applicants (please RSVP to cei@stfx.ca – details will also be posted to the website above)

April 30, 2019 – submission deadline (noon). Submit PDF package to cei@stfx.ca

May 7, 2019 – decisions returned to applicants

August 31, 2020 – deadline to complete the project

Note: Depending on available funds, a second call for proposals may be issued in August / September 2019, with the same deadline of August 31, 2020 to complete the project.

Funds available:

The maximum funding for each project is $7,500; in the first round, up to 6 projects will be funded.

Applicant Eligibility:

  • Any individual who holds one of the following appointments at STFX (and who will continue to hold an eligible appointment for the duration of the project) are eligible to apply: full-time faculty, part-time faculty, limited-term faculty, post-doctoral fellows, Coady staff, other research staff, adjunct / senior research appointees. Student applicants are NOT eligible for this funding stream.
  • Applications submitted by individuals (with community / partner) or teams (with community / partner) are welcome.

Project Activity Eligibility:

The Extension Department seeks to strengthen employment innovation activities, build capacity for communities and community-based partners, provide knowledge translation and mobilization for outcomes that contribute to the overall mandate of the Centre for Employment Innovation and the Extension Department. Projects will have strong links to diversity and inclusion, social innovation, social enterprise, community (economic) development, social determinants of health, and social equity/justice.

  • Projects must show evidence of being community-based or community-led.
  • Projects must be based in Nova Scotia.
  • Projects must have active involvement of one or more communities or community-based partners.
  • Communities may be (but are not limited to):
    • Municipalities, First Nations, or regional bodies such as health authorities, education authorities, service delivery agencies with representation from municipalities, etc.
    • Communities of cultural, language or geographical representation, including African Canadians, African Nova Scotians, recent immigrants, persons with disability, youth, older adults, etc.
  • Community-based organizations may be:
    • NGOs, service organizations, informal (unregistered) but recognized “groups”, individual schools /clinics / service providers, labour market or employment support / delivery organizations including provincial departments / agencies, etc.

Application Details:

  • Application form (please see attachment)
  • Proposal attachment (max 2 pages; ¾” margins all around, 11 pt font), with the following headings:
    • Purpose / Objectives
    • Background and Context
    • Activities / Timeline
    • Description of Community / Partner(s) and their Role in the Project
    • Expected Outcomes / Capacity Building
    • Knowledge Translation and Knowledge Mobilization Activities (clear statement of audience(s) and the tools / approaches used to reach them)
  • Budget justification attachment (max 1 page, in addition to the 2 pages above), detailing costs and justifying why each expense is needed:
    • It is expected, but not required, to have undergraduate/ graduate students involved in the project. If no students will be involved, explain why.
    • If you have matching funds from any source (such as within STFX or from any other external source) other than from the participating community / partner, please state at the end of this section. Matching funds are not required.
  • CV/resume of primary applicant (any format, no page limit; no material required for any co-applicants).
  • Support letter (max 1 page) from community / partner organization, which must include:
    • A statement confirming that they have discussed the project idea with the applicant and agree to its purpose and their participation in the project.
    • A descriptive paragraph of how / in what ways, they will be active in the project (this may include what tasks they will do and/or what information / resources they will provide).
    • A statement of the expected outcomes or benefits they hope for as a result of their involvement in the project.
    • A statement of any direct cash or in-kind support they are providing to the project, and its value (optional, no requirement to provide anything, but it is strongly encouraged).
    • Must be signed by a recognized representative where appropriate, which may include, for example, an executive director, councilor, or community leader.

Submission Instructions:

  1. Download and save the Employment Innovation Application Form.
  2. Complete all sections (form-fillable).
  3. Save as PDF or print, scan and save as PDF. Combine with the required file attachments.
  4. Use file name LASTNAME_EmpInnApp_April2019.pdf and email to cei@stfx.ca. This should be the last name of the lead applicant.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria:

  • Alignment with Employment Innovation program purpose – 40%
  • Role and involvement of community / partner – 20%
  • Clarity of proposed project / workplan – 15%
  • Clarity of expected outcomes / capacity building in community – 10%
  • Appropriate knowledge mobilization / knowledge translation activities – 10%
  • Appropriate budget relative to proposed activities – 5%

Eligible Costs:

  • Student wages (minimum $15/hr plus 11% for undergraduates, higher for Masters’ and PhD students). Note: Including students is strongly encouraged but not required.
  • Non-student wages (support for a community-based researcher)
  • Professional fees (such as translators, technical or design experts, etc.)
  • Travel for research purposes
  • Honoraria / participant costs
  • Workshop costs (for research purposes)
  • Research supplies
  • Knowledge translation (turning research findings into tools or usable information)
  • Knowledge mobilization (presenting research findings to community or stakeholders, within Nova Scotia only, or using tools such as webinars to deliver information)

Ineligible Costs:

  • Capital purchases such as computers
  • Alcohol purchases
  • Salary / remuneration for applicant / team member
  • Salary / remuneration for a staff person of a community partner organization
  • Cell phone charges
  • Indirect costs / overhead / administration fees

Matching funds:

  • Matching funds are not required. If you have matching funds from any source (such as within STFX or from any other external source) other than the participating community / partner, please state and describe in the budget justification section.
  • Communities / partners are strongly encouraged, but are not required, to provide cash or in-kind support, where appropriate.
  • Examples of in-kind support include, but are not limited to:
    • Staff time devoted to doing tasks in the project.
    • Volunteer time devoted to doing tasks in the project.
    • Provision of space (at no charge, but normally there would be a charge to rent that space, for example).
    • Access to existing equipment, tools, computers etc., that normally would not be provided to others or only provided to others at a cost.
  • Examples of cash support include, but are not limited to (there must be an actual cash transaction by the community/partner to provide it):
    • Purchasing or supplying food, meals and nutrition breaks.
    • Purchasing meeting or workshop supplies.
    • Providing mileage or travel reimbursement for staff or members from within their own budgets or resources.

Other Relevant Information:

Inquiries:

Any and all questions concerning any aspect of this funding call should be directed to:

Paula Romanow, Manager Applied Research
Centre for Employment Innovation, STFX Extension Department
Coady Building Room 270, promanow@stfx.ca, 902-867-2135
Or by visiting, www.stfxemploymentinnovation.ca

Successful applicants will be required to:

  • Participate in an informal, mid-year “check-in” meeting with Extension staff to discuss progress.
  • Submit a brief end of project report within 30 days of project completion (details to follow).
  • Participate (along with their community partners) in a half-day “community of learning” event hosted by the Extension Department in Fall 2020 (details to follow).

Administration of funds:

Funds will be administered directly by the Extension Department. Successful applicants will be provided with details on how to file expense claims, conduct payroll authorization, and monitor account status, separately.

Examples of relevant / appropriate projects include (but are not limited to):

  • Pure research projects (for example, investigating the appropriateness of a possible initiative or solution, or documenting evidence of need or opportunity)
  • Applied research projects (for example, assessing the feasibility of a possible initiative or solution)
  • Demonstration projects (for example, trying a new idea)
  • Evaluation projects (for example, assessing the effectiveness of an existing initiative)
  • Action-oriented projects (for example, carrying out one or more activities related to employment innovation)