• All Algonquin College faculty members, full-time or part-time, can apply for the RDI Project Funds as a Principal Investigator. 

• For an application to be considered by the RDI Selection Committee, it must be approved by the Faculty’s Chair and Budget Officer for any course-release hours. 

• Faculty can apply for funding from $20K – $50K for up to two (2) semesters to hire students for the applied research project that matches with the Research Themes – See Application Form at the end of this page.  

• All project applications require a partner organization. 

Research Focus Area: Safety, Security and Defense

• Objectives related to developing innovative strategies and technologies to address emerging safety challenges.
• Enhancing community resilience in the face of natural, technological, and human induced disasters
• Fostering a culture of preparedness and response in both urban and rural areas.

Research Focus Area: Sustainability

• New Technologies for Reducing Building Operating Energy
• Monitoring and Validating Building Operating Energy
• Low, Zero, or Negative Embodied Carbon Materials
• Retrofit and reuse of existing buildings
• Industrialization, Prefabrication and Optimization of Construction Practices
• Housing Affordability and Availability

• Advancing objectives related to Quantifying and Understanding Environmental Impact
• Identifying and Overcoming Adoption Barriers
• Optimizing Technology Integration (example: blockchain, IoT, data analytics) for Sustainability,
• Promoting Holistic Sustainability Strategies
• Developing Optimization Models for Sustainable Practices.

Research Focus Area: Wellness and Community Resilience

• Demonstrations of quality and innovation in early learning practice
• Contributing to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in early learning settings
• Building professional capacity, and workforce strategy
• Building leadership capacity and sustainability in the sector
• Acknowledgement of land-based learning and reconciliation in the early years
• Developing and prioritizing land-based early learning that fosters meaningful engagement with Indigenous knowledge

1. Submit Project Application Form:Download, complete and submit the form at the end of this page. Make sure your proposal outlines the project’s goals, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes. You will also be requested to submit a high-level budget along with the application form.  The project must involve an industry or community partner. Cash contributions and/or in-kind contributions from the partner are strongly encouraged but not strictly required.
2. Technical Review: The first assessment will be conducted by the Domain Experts based on the assessment criteria. Quality of Proposal (25%), Learners Engagement (25%), Partner Engagement (20%), Methods/Research Approach (20%), EDI (10%).
3. Deans’ Assessment: Projects will be evaluated based on potential for innovation, impact, and collaboration. The evaluation will also consider the project’s potential for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as its alignment with the College’s strategic priorities.
4. Results Announcement: The Research Development Institute (RDI) will notify the applicants of the funding decision. If the project is approved for funding, the applicant will receive a funding agreement, and the RDI will provide guidance and support in project management, research ethics, and other administrative matters.

Salaries

• Hiring of student researchers  
• Salaries for part-time and partial-load faculty  
• Standard Work Form Release for full-time faculty (Maximum of $ 9000/course/semester) 
  

Equipment/Consumables 

The project can spend up to 20% of the total project budget on Equipment/Consumables. These might include: 

• Literature, reports, journal articles, software,  
• Materials, supplies,  
• Equipment directly related to the execution of the project,  
• Printing of project posters for display at the yearly RE/ACTION showcase

NOTE: The total equipment cost should not exceed 20% of the project budget. 

Travel  

If required to conduct the research project e.g., field work, etc.  

Travel must follow Algonquin Travel and Travel Expenses Policies and Guidelines. 

• Participating in RE/ACTION showcase or other similar activity 
• Attend midterm check-in meeting
• Submit a final report to the Research Development Institute. The report should describe progress considering the project’s objectives. 
• Project metrics will be collected to meet NSERC reporting requirements