News

Due to the COVID-19 emergency, all international travel is banned. Domestic travel, while allowed, is strongly discouraged.

Internally-adjudicated grants

Due to the inability to fulfill the purpose of the awarded funds, we will be recalling all active awards for the Impact and SSHRC (SIG) Exchange streams. Faculty members who hold active awards will be contacted directly with instructions on the next steps. The ORS has made the decision not to allow conference-switching (i.e., attending a different conference from that which was the subject of the original award). Further, no extensions will be granted to existing Impact and SIG-Exchange awards.

Travel using Seed or SIG-Explore (project) funds is on hold until further notice.

We have made the decision not to release a call for applications under the Impact or SIG-Exchange streams in April and May, 2020. Project grants under the Seed and SIG-Explore streams will continue normally (more information coming soon). All streams are expected to resume in September, 2020.

Travel using external grants

Faculty members who hold external research grants must abide by the conditions below as if these were internal grants. Any travel for conferences or for research collaborations must be put on hold immediately. For grants ending within the next few months, we expect the Tri-Agency to release information on possible extensions soon. Please, check Inside CUE for more news, as they become available.

Eligibility of expenses

We are aware of the magnitude of the emergency, and the burden it imposes on faculty members who are currently holding awards for conference travel, in particular under the Impact and/or SIG-Exchange programs, and those wishing to travel using external grant funds.

The Tri-Agency recently released information on travel using research funds, which we have posted on Inside CUE. We will follow on their footsteps and will implement the following on internal research grants for dissemination (conference travel), effective immediately:

1. All expenses incurred for travel from this date on will not be allowed. Please, do not pay for any costs related to travel to a conference starting from now, as these will not be allowed as eligible expenses.
2. Non-recoverable expenses incurred prior to this date (March 19th) may be eligible for reimbursement. However, we ask that awardees try to recoup all of the costs that they have paid for up until this date, including registration fees, flights, prepaid accommodations and other.
3. Most conference organizers have allowed cancellations and refunds, but some have moved their conferences online. If this is the case, and you still wish to attend via teleconference, please notify the Office of Research Services as soon as possible, with the information that is available at the time. The ORS will advise you on how to proceed.
4. The ORS is operating as a virtual office at the moment, and is unable to process travel expense claims. Once operations resume, we will be able to process these.

Please, stay safe and healthy. Follow updates on CUE response to this emergency via Inside CUE, our webpage and social media.