1. PRESENTATION:

Print must be in black ink, of letter quality. Ensure you complete both Part A and Part B and provide copies as outlined on the application form.

Research proposal details begin on page B-2 of the application form and 2 additional freeform pages only are allowed for this section. These pages must be single-spaced, with no more than 6 lines per inch. Font size must be at least 12 pts. Condensed type is unacceptable. Please make sure that your name is added to the top of both of the additional pages and that the pages are consecutively numbered to fit into the full application form. All margins must be at least 1 inch in width. Please also ensure that your name is entered into the space provided on each of the other pages.

Submissions not adhering to these standards will be rejected.

Please do not submit any supplementary material, such as resumes, statements as to why the research should be funded, additional pages, etc. This material is not forwarded to reviewers and is not part of the decision-making process.

Material submitted in previous years is not available to reviewers or the Adjudication Committee.

Please send originals and copies as outlined on the application forms (Part A and Part B), to arrive by 4:00 pm December 1, 2009 to:

Tracy Stewart, Program Administrator
ACA Grants in Biodiversity
Department of Renewable Resources
751 General Services Building
University of Alberta
Edmonton Alberta, T6G 2H1
Phone: (780) 492-1903

2. BUDGET

We want a detailed budget that deals ONLY with this proposal. Thus, the total budget for this proposal cannot exceed $20,000. Funds may be used to pay direct costs of research such as employment of student assistants, travel support, rental of equipment, field subsistence, purchase of supplies and incidentals, and other research-related expenses for the student engaged in the research. Funds cannot be used for salary for the grantee or to purchase a single piece of equipment exceeding $500 in value. Ownership of capital equipment reverts to ACCRU/ACA when the student graduates.

Budgets Must Be Itemized Under the Following Subheadings:

Costs of Assistants:

Proposed Rate: Grantees may use their grant funds to employ assistants (on a full-time or part-time basis) when they are required to do research for which the grant was awarded. We follow NSERC recommendations for a minimum salary of approximately $1500/month, but we try to be flexible. Salaries over $1800/month should be justified.

Field Travel and Subsistence:

Applicants must follow (and quote) travel and vehicle rental guidelines of their home university. A flat rate of $0.30 per Km may be claimed for mileage reimbursement when private vehicles are used .

The Grant will pay up to a $10.00 per Diem for reasonable subsistence requests.

Fees associated with residence at biological field stations (e.g. University of Calgary Kananaskis Field Station) are acceptable, as well as motel accommodations (short term only).

Materials and Supplies:

Must be itemized, particularly if amount is high. You decide.

Other required expenditures:

We will not support costs related to attendance at conferences unless evidence is provided that other support will be sought or has been guaranteed. This is because some financial support to attend scientific conferences is available for graduate students at most universities upon request.

Duration of Grant

The grant is a one time payment, but is awarded for a 2 year duration.

Additional Budget Information

Other sources of funds:

The Adjudication Committee has decoupled scientific merit from budget requests. We fund based on the merit of the submitted proposal, but we do want a context for our contributions and other contributions to the overall project. Thus, if research funds are held from other sources for the Biodiversity-proposed project, the applicant should indicate how that money is to be spent versus how Biodiversity funds will be spent. If other research funds have been applied for, then applicants should indicate how those funds would compliment Biodiversity funds.

Students who have received any prior funding from ACA, or whose supervisors have received funding for any part of the proposed project, are not eligible to apply. Previous grant recipients may only apply again if they are: (a) in a new degree program, and (b) the research project is totally separate from what was ACA funded in the past.

Once an application for funding support has been submitted to the ACA Grants in Biodiversity program, the project will NOT be eligible for consideration in the ACA Grant Eligible-Conservation Fund.

Additional Support:

Do not leave this section blank, because that would tend to indicate to us that both your department and supervisor are providing nothing to the proposed research. At the least, applicants might show how the project is linked intellectually and financially to the research program of supervisors or research cooperators.

3. SUGGESTED REFEREES

Supervisors should get involved here, because Biodiversity Grant personnel spend a lot of time trying to get three suitable referees in place.

Suggested referees cannot be:

(1) a member of the applicant's Supervisory Committee

(2) former (within the last 3 years) or present research collaborator of the applicant or his/her supervisor; or

(3) a departmental colleague of the applicant or supervisor who is working in the same field as the applicant.

We want reviewers who are at arm's-length from the applicant and the proposed research.

Please provide the names and complete mailing and email addresses of at least four individuals who could provide an independent assessment of the proposal. Telephone & fax numbers are appreciated.

If this Section is not addressed appropriately (see above), the application will be returned.

4. OTHER INFORMATION

a. Research Using Animals

Researchers who use animals in their research, vertebrates in particular, must adhere to the guidelines for animal care (such as Canadian Council on Animal Care).

Required Animal Care Approvals

Any biodiversity grant that affects the potential well-being of wild animals requires that the student provide evidence that their research protocols have been approved by a CCAC (Canadian Council of Animal Care) certified animal care committee. This is part of the Federal requirements for any research institution that receives funding from NSERC, SSHRC, or CIHR. You must get CCAC approval for affecting species of higher developmental stage than octopi. Essentially this means all vertebrates, including fish. Degree of disturbance certainly includes capture, tagging, radiotelemetry, trapping, control programs, and nesting studies, but effects may be as slight as observational studies during the breeding season for bird territory estimation, or repetitive approaches to ungulates for behavioral studies. Typically, students will prepare application forms to work with animals with the assistance of their respective university's animal care committee or their University veterinarian. The student's supervisor is ultimately accountable for this certification and assurance that animal care considerations are followed.

For University of Alberta students all applications to work with animals will go through the Wildlife Committee. Details and the application form to work with wildlife will be found on the website of the University of Alberta Veterinarian's office. Complete the form with your supervisor and submit it as directed on the website by November 14, 2009. Approvals will be copied to the ACA Grants in Biodiversity Office from the University Veterinarian's office. If you have any problems, please call Dr. Don McKay in the Biosciences Animal Services at 492-5193.

For all other students, please follow the procedures in place at your own institution and ensure that the correct paperwork is submitted to the Biodiversity Office by February 15, 2010.

Funds cannot be released to successful applicants unless the animal care approvals are in place by this deadline.

b. Human Ethics

Proposals that involve observations of human behavior, or direct interviews with human subjects will require human ethics approval. This approval must be received by the Biodiversity office by February 15th 2010 or funds will not be released.

c. Research Licensing

Some research in Alberta (and all research in Provincial and National Parks) is subject to licensing or permit requirements. It is the responsibility of the award recipient to acquire necessary licenses, permits, etc. It is not necessary to send copies to the ACA Biodiversity Grant Administrator.

d. Signatures

The signature page must be completed by all applicants.

e. Signing Authority

Under most university regulations, signing authority may only be granted to a full-time employee of the university. Thus, the graduate student's (or PDF's) supervisor or designee will be the designated signing authority and trust account holder for grants to students. The signing authority will ensure that grant funds are used for the purpose(s) for which they were intended.

f. Administrative Procedures

All administrative procedures (travel advances, claims, vehicle rental, etc.) are the responsibility of the trust account holder.

g. Inappropriate or Over-expenditure and Unspent Balances

Trust account holders are responsible for reimbursing the program for any inappropriate expense or over expenditure of the trust account. Further, major changes in the intent or budget of a grant from that submitted on the original application must have prior approval from the Adjudication Committee. Unspent balances from non-renewed grants will be returned to the Committee for re-granting in subsequent years.

5. REPORTS

Year 1 and Year 2 Reports

A Year 1 (progress) report of approximately 200 to 300 words must be submitted at the end of Year 1 of the award period. A Year 2 (final) report of 200 to 300 words or less must be provided at the end of Year 2. We also request that a high quality digital image relevant to your research be submitted with each report. Research summaries and excerpts are used to feature the success of this program and the high quality work of the grant recipients.

6. Acknowledgment of Support

The ACA Grants in Biodiversity and the Alberta Conservation Association, a private not-for-profit group, should be acknowledged in all publications, reports and other results of research supported by a Biodiversity Grant. One might say "We gratefully acknowledge the ACA Grants in Biodiversity Program, which is supported by the Alberta Conservation Association", or "This research was supported by the Alberta Conservation Association through the ACA Grants in Biodiversity Program "). You get the idea; the goal is to somehow acknowledge ACA for the grant you receive. Without them, there would be no ACA Grants in Biodiversity program.

7. Schedule

Deadline for Application December 1, 2009, 4:00pm

Adjudication Process February - March 2010

Deadline for Animal Care Approvals and Human Ethics Approval February 15, 2010

Notification of Results by April 1, 2010

Funds Made Available to Grantees May 1, 2010

Year 1 (Progress) Report Due March 31, 2011

Year 2 (Final) Report Due March 31, 2012