Tri-Council Harmonization:
the Nuts and Bolts
CAGS Annual Conference
Montreal, November 4, 2013
Presented by Gordana Krcevinac,
Director, Tri-Council CGS Harmonization Project
Agenda
Why Harmonize?
CGS Background
Design Phase
Engagement with Stakeholders
Delivering the Harmonized CGS
program
• Implementation Timelines
• Questions
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Why Harmonize?
3
Ensure continued Tri-agency leadership within a
changing context for research training and
research-intensive careers
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Remove barriers to innovation
Respond to community and student feedback
Better use of Peer Review resources
Eliminate administrative duplication
Strengthen tri-agency collaboration
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CGS Background
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2003
• CGS is introduced by the Federal government
• $105M/year to support Canada’s best and brightest graduate students to
study in Canada
• 2,000 Master’s and 2,000 Doctoral Scholarships awarded across Tri-Agency
2007
• Additional $27M investment
• 2,500 Master’s and 2,500 Doctoral Scholarships awarded across Tri-Agency
• CGS Canada Graduate Scholarships were renamed in recognition of
outstanding researchers and entrepreneurs, Alexander Graham Bell (NSERC),
Frederick Banting and Charles Best (CIHR) and Joseph-Armand Bombardier
(SSRHC)
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Previous CGS Master’s Competition Processes
University
Agency
Agency
University
Agency
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Current CGS Doctoral Competition Processes
University
Agency
Agency
A
University
A
A
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Harmonization Background
2008
• Introduction of the Vanier doctoral scholarships (167/year)
2010
• Introduction of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships (70/year)
2012
• Tri-Council Harmonization Project Team established
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The Vanier-Banting Secretariat
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One application platform
One application form
Same adjudication criteria
Shared websites
Tri-Council Governance
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CGS Distribution by Agency
Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) Awards
$17.5K (1 year) for Master’s (M)
Master’s
*
SSHRC $22.3M
$35K (up to 3years) for Doctoral (D)
Distribution of Awards by Agency
NSERC $14M
SSHRC: M: 1300, D: 1300
CIHR $7M
NSERC: M: 800, D: 800
CIHR: M: 400, D: 400
Doctoral*
SSHRC $45.5M
NSERC $28M
CIHR $14M
*Total annual CGS expenditures by agency
Michael Smith – Foreign Study Supplement
– Up to $6K, for six months to study abroad. Must hold a CGS.
125 - SSHRC
80 - NSERC
45 - CIHR
Number of awards available per year per council
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Overall Direct Funding for Training
SSHRC
NSERC
Total Direct funding for
training (all levels:
undergrad up to
postdoctoral)
Total Direct funding for
training (all levels: undergrad
up to postdoctoral)
$116M
CIHR
Total Direct funding
for training (all
levels: undergrad up
to Postdoctoral)
$55M
$115M
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Summary of Training / Talent Budgets
SSHRC
CGS-M
CGS-D
CGS-Total
MSFSS
SSHRC-D
Vanier
Banting
PDF
Direct Total
NSERC
$22.8M CGS-M
$45.5M CGS-D
$68.3M CGS-Total
$750.0K MSFSS
$22.9M PGS-M
PGS-D
PGS-Total
$8.3M Vanier
$3.2M Banting
Undergrad SRA
IPS-M
IPS-D
IPS-Total
$11.6M PDF
$115.0M Direct Total
CREATE (indirect)
Students supported
indirectly through
Grants (2500)
Grand Total
Students supported
indirectly through
$40M Grants (18500)
$155M
Grand Total
CIHR
$14.0M CGS-M
$28.0M CGS-D
$42.0M CGS-Total
$480.0K MSFSS
$2.2M DFSA
$28.2M
$30.4M
$8.3M Vanier
$3.2M Banting
$13.7M
$3.1M
$2.5M
$5.6M
$12.3M PDF
$116.0M Direct Total
$19.8M STIHR (indirect)
$7.0M
$14.0M
$21.0M
$270.0K
$1.1M
$8.3M
$3.2M
$21.0M
$54.8M
$15.6M
Students supported
indirectly through
$282M Grants ()
$130.1M
* Does not include CIHR Strategic
$417.8M Grand
Total
$199.7M
Awards
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Design Phase
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Task of CGS Harmonization Project Team
• Critically examine the way the three agencies
are delivering CGS M and D and similar
programs
• Rethink some of the program fundamentals
• Evaluate the results from recent consultations
carried out by the agencies
• Redesign
• Implement
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Harmonization Project - Core Principles
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Integration
Simplicity
Quality of service
Excellence
Accountability
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Design Objectives
• Simpler application and adjudication procedures and
processes for graduate students and post-secondary
institutions
• Greater cross-agency alignment of key funding opportunity
characteristics, such as eligibility and selection criteria, and
key deadline dates
• The opportunity for partnering Canadian post-secondary
institutions to better use the scholarships as a tool for
recruitment of top students
• New opportunities for both the institutions and the agencies
to achieve administrative streamlining and efficiencies in a
context of limited operating funds
• More effective use of peer review resources
• Cost savings, greater flexibility and removal of unnecessary
barriers to work that spans the mandates of the agencies
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Proposed Design Elements: CGS Master’s
• Eliminate agency level reviews
• Consolidate recruitment and award decision at
the level of the institution
• Review Allocation formula
• Awards paid through grants to institutions
• NSERC would forego tenure abroad for its PGS
awards
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Incoming VS Outgoing Model
Incoming = Students apply for a CGS scholarship
through the university they wish to attend
Outgoing = Students apply for a CGS scholarship
through the university they are currently
registered
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Why an Incoming Model?
• Universities can use CGS as a recruitment tool
• Helps universities retain their top students
• Pursue strategic objectives aligned with
institutional strengths
• Use the scholarships to support the
development of new and innovative research
programs of study
• Increased efficiency by eliminating the Direct
Applicant category
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Proposed Design Elements: CGS Doctoral
The new model would apply to CGS and agency specific
Doctoral awards and would include redefining:
• Single Window Application portal, CCV
• Common eligibility, review process and selection
process
• Common policies, rules and regulations,practices
• Review of formula for quota calculation
• Post award
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Application Portal
• Agencies have agreed to use the Research
Portal as the single application portal.
• Resources have been allocated to create a
common on-line platform
• 3 Components of the application:
1) CCV
2) Application information
3) Attachments
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Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements
• Integrate elements of the MSFSS into the CGS
application to simplify and create efficiencies
• Devolve the process further to include
eligibility review at the institution
• Introduce other adjustments to raise awareness
about the program and increase demand
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Engagement with
Stakeholders
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Engagement Activities
• Online discussion guide: 2000 visitors during
consultation period
• Email: feedback received from students,
administrators, researchers, Deans
• Survey: responses from 69 SLOs and 52 institutions
• Face-to-face meetings: met with 26 representatives
from stakeholder associations whose focus is on
graduate education
• Advisory Committee: provided advice on design
• Presentations: at conferences and other gatherings
• Internal consultation: with tri-agency staff
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Engagement Feedback
• Project seen as timely, has the potential to improve the
system for all users
• Enthusiasm for the harmonization of CGS-single window
model
• Support for national deadlines
• Support flexibility with subject matter eligibility
• Apprehension about incoming model and increase in
work load for institutions
• Concerns about change to allocation formula and
impacts on institutions
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Delivering the Harmonized
CGS program
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Application Process
Single application portal-Research Portal
Adoption of the Canadian Common CV
Single Application Form
University Administrator Portal
Harmonization of research training objectives,
eligibility and selection criteria
• Adoption of national deadlines
• Harmonized program policies, rules &
regulations, post-award, virtual merit review
practices
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Harmonized CGS Master’s Program
• Adoption of the incoming model
• Students can apply to up to 5 institutions
• Selection process will move from a two-stage to a one
stage process
• Universities will manage the selection process and
award scholarships-agency no longer conduct
centralized national selection processes
• Delegation of subject matter eligibility screening to
universities
• Universities will receive allocations of CGS awards, by
agency. Calculation formula based on current average
distribution of the number of awards held at each
institution (location of tenure) over the past 3 years.
Allocation in effect for 3 years.
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Current Master’s Competition Processes
University
Direct Applicants
TriAgency
University
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Proposed Tri-Council Master’s Processes
Agency
Allocations
Agency Agency
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Harmonized CGS Doctoral Program
National competitions
Single application portal-Research Portal
Adoption of the Canadian Common CV
Adoption of co-management model by all agencies
(change to CIHR process) Quota of applications
remain in 2013
• Formula for calculating quotas to be reviewed
• National deadlines
• Virtual selection process
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CIHR
DRA/DFSA
NSERC
PGS D
CGS D
SSHRC D
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Award Allocations
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2,500 Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS M) awards available each year
CIHR- 400 awards , NSERC- 800 awards, SSHRC-1300 awards
These allocations have been determined for the 2014–2016 competitions
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Formula for calculating awards allocations is based on the average distribution of
the number of CGS M awards held at each university (location of tenure of awards)
for recent competition years
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Universities must award the scholarships according to their CGS M allocations by
year and by agency
– Allocations are not transferable to a subsequent year nor to awards for another
agency
– Allocations will not change over the three years
Agencies will work over the fall months on developing process for awarding
allocations to newcomers
Agencies will review the formula for calculating award allocations
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Administrative Changes
• Removal of structural barriers at the agencies level re
subject matter eligibility
• Streamline post award by working directly with
universities
• Streamline award payments to institutions
• Streamline reporting requirements
• Adopt a nimble tri-agency programs governing structure
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Agencies:
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Roles and Responsibilities
Deliver the CGS program;
Provide Universities with a framework of policies and guidelines that govern
the CGS program;
Provide Universities with allocations of CGS M awards;
Provide Universities with harmonized tools to manage the selection process
and the awards for CGS M Program, including:
• A common Web-based application portal (the Research Portal);
• Guidelines for the selection and administration of the awards at the
Universities;
• The Terms and Conditions of the Awards to provide to successful
candidates;
Provide distinct Agency reports to the Canadian Parliament on the use of
CGS funds and outcomes related to the program;
Reserve the right to interpret and enforce the policies and guidelines
governing the CGS M Program set out in their published materials.
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Roles and Responsibilities
Universities:
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Administer the selection process to award the CGS M;
Abide by the policies and guidelines that govern the CGS M Program;
Agree to the roles and responsibilities described in this document;
Inform applicants of results;
Manage and administering the awards;
Use the Agencies’ tools in support of the delivery of the CGS M
Program;
Report to the Agencies on the use of CGS M funds and outcomes related
to the program, by each Agency’s mandate area;
Comply with the Agreement (Agreement on the Administration of
Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions) including the
Framework (Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research).
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Announcement of Results/Offers
• Administrator Portal
• April 1st: Single deadline for announcing
results/posting offers
• Nimble process
• Available year round
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Reporting/Monitoring/Post-Award
Harmonization work continues :
• Award Holder’s Guide
• Policies (Parental leave, etc…)
• Financial Administration/Reporting
• Allocations/Quotas Review
• MS-FSS
• CGS Doctoral harmonization
• SLO working group/
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Tri-agency Web Page
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Research Portal
picture
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Implementation Timelines
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Proposed Timelines
2012
2013
Launch TriCouncil
Harmonizati
on Project
(DONE)
• Confirm CGS M
Design (DONE)
• Implement
changes to CGS
M program
(DONE)
2014-2015
• Confirm Design
Harmonized CGS
Program
• Review
Allocation/Quota
Formulae
• Complete CGS
Evaluation
• Complete Vanier
Evaluation
• CIHR developing
training/career
strategy
2015-16
• Implement changes
to CGS Doctoral
program
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Important Deadlines
Mid-September: Research Portal Open
Early November: SLO Research Portal Open
December 1st: Deadline for submitting
CGS M applications
April 1st:
Competition Results are
announced
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Questions?
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Thank you!
Please contact the CGS Harmonization
Team if you have any questions or
feedback:
Harmonization@CGS-BESC.gc.ca
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