Office of Research and Innovation Services
Community of Research Excellence Development Opportunities
(CREDO) Grant
Application Instructions
Fall 2015 Competition
1.
General Guidelines
Applicants are encouraged to make use of Research Services in the preparation of their
application, both through consultation with the Grants Facilitator for the Social Sciences and
Humanities and through the review of previous successful applications (on file in Research
Services). Complete the online application form available through the BRIDGE, including
ALL requested information as applicable. List any and all co-applicants and provide contact
information as requested. Attach the proposal as one .PDF file, as per the following
instructions:
2.
Attachment Instructions
The attachment proposal should be clear and concise, justify the use of all funding and
provide all requested information. Though brief, the proposals must provide a theoretical
rationale, clarify the project’s unique contribution to the field, and provide a clear and
concise explication of methodology and a clear dissemination plan as appropriate. The goal
of CREDO is to increase an applicant’s chance of success in future external funding
competitions. Applicants should prepare their attachments within that in mind.
Attachment must be in .PDF format, black ink, body text in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font,
name at the top right corner of every page and MUST include the following sections:

Summary of Proposed Research (ONE PAGE MAXIMUM)
The applicant should clearly and briefly state the program’s aims and
significance, including a clear justification of how the research will lead to
significant outcomes. Such outcomes (such as shedding new light or producing
new evidence on an important problem, investigating a new methodology,
advancing conceptual understanding or operational practice and/or informing
governmental policy or community practice) must not be confused with outputs
(such as publication of research results, conduct of workshops and conferences
and/or production of issues papers or public submissions).
The applicant must also explain how the outcomes of the proposed research will
directly lead to a comprehensive and competitive external grant application. For
example, the work proposed might improve a publication record and/or constitute
the first stage in a larger investigation such as a feasibility study, proof of concept,
a literature review and/ or primary research.

Research Description (FIVE PAGE MAXIMUM)
Write your proposal in clear, plain language. Avoid jargon, acronyms and highly
technical terms. The adjudication committee is multidisciplinary, and not all
committee members will have an intimate knowledge of the subject matter of all
proposals. Organize the detailed description under the following headlines:
o Objectives: Detail the research question that will be addressed by the
project, the goal of the proposed research, and the anticipated significance
and impact of the project.
o Context: Describe the relationship of the proposed project within the
current context of the discipline, including literature review and theoretical
approach. This section should include a summary of your ongoing
research program, as well as how the proposed project will advance that
research within the described context.
o Methodology: Outline how you will undertake the research and achieve
the stated objectives by providing a clear work plan and timeline. Be clear
about your methodological approach, including an explanation of why
your chosen approach is best suited to your project. Include as appropriate,
the hypothesis or concept to be explored, the procedures of data gathering
or program development and the role and activities of all participants,
including the role of students and how they will benefit. Be sure to include
your proposed methods of knowledge mobilization.
o Addendums: If your application requires relevant support material that
reflects your research practice and clearly connects to and explains your
proposal, you are required to include a ONE PAGE addendum to the
Detailed Description iteming the materials you are including and why
submitting them is essential to the committee’s understanding of your
work and the proposed project. If support material cannot be included in
the PDF, it should be sent/delivered to Mary Butterfield who will ensure
the committee has an opportunity to examine it. Please not that given the
limited time the committee has for review, submitting extraneous
materials is highly discouraged.
 Budget
Complete the budget page provided on the ORIS website (Research Services 
Forms  Internal grant budget page) and include it in the attachment. Budget
requests shall be for a maximum of $23,000 over the program duration (two
years).

Budget Justification (TWO PAGE MAXIMUM)
General requirements
Accurate costs and a detailed justification for all budget items must be included.
Provide a thorough justification of each request in relation to the aims of the
project. Do not simply list budget items. Applicants are strongly encouraged to
seek only funds that are necessary to their research program. Budgets will be
closely scrutinized and costs that are not appropriately justified may be refused
funding. Keep in mind that a poorly justified budget may be the deciding negative
factor in an otherwise sound research project.
Personnel
Requests for part-time research assistance must clarify the distinction between the
work of the researcher and the assistant, and must indicate the level and duration
of assistance required and provide justifiable costs for this support. Priority will
be given to those programs that involve student research assistants in meaningful
activities.
Equipment
Items of minor equipment may be requested. A descriptive statement of each
item of equipment must be included in the justification of the budget. Applicants
are reminded that all equipment purchased with research grants remains the
property of the University of Lethbridge. Applications for computer equipment
will need to provide a particularly strong justification, establishing the specific
need of the item for the proposed program.
Travel
Expenditure for travel will be granted where such travel is for the purpose of
primary data collection. For example, travel funds may be provided for
fieldwork, visits to use the holdings of external libraries and archives, site visits to
public institutions to study and copy otherwise inaccessible documents, and travel
to conduct interviews and to consult essential experts who are not available
locally or virtually. Support for attending conferences and hosting symposia will
only be granted when the applicant has clearly illustrated how they are essential to
the research program and will add particular value to it. (Justification beyond the
normal arguments for communication of results and networking with peers will
not suffice – such requests should be submitted to the U of L Travel Fund.)
Living Allowances
Requests for living allowances must be fully justified.
 References (FIVE PAGE MAXIMUM)
List all cited references.

External Referees
Applicants must also identify at least two confidential referees who can review
their grant application and provide the CREDO Committee with a critical
assessment of the proposed study. Referees should be external to the University
of Lethbridge and should be knowledgeable about the study's subject matter or
phenomenon of interest. Mary Butterfield, Office of Research Services will
contact the referees and invite one of them to submit a confidential review which
will assist the CREDO Committee in its deliberations. Please note that referees
may not be a collaborator, co-author, masters or doctoral thesis advisor or
committee member. Applicants unable to identify referee(s) must provide a
written explanation as to why not.

Response to an Unsuccessful CREDO Application:
If this application is a response to a previous, unsuccessful CREDO application,
please scan and include the committee’s assessments and discuss (ONE PAGE
MAXIMUM) how you have addressed the reviewers’ comments. If your
application is a resubmission, this is a mandatory requirement. Failure to respond
to the reviews of your previous application will result in ineligibility for funding.

Response to Unsuccessful External Grant Application:
If this application is a response to an unsuccessful external application, please
scan and include all referee reports and committee assessments and discuss (ONE
PAGE MAXIMUM) how you intend to address the reviewers’ comments and
improve upon future applications.

Plans for future funding (ONE PAGE MAXIMUM)
Please note that a successful CREDO application requires you to apply for
external funding as the Principle Investigator (PI) within one year of the end date
of your award. Identify external sources of funding and describe in detail your
plans to submit an external grant. Include a specific timeline, and a contingency
plan for an unsuccessful application. Successful applicants will have award
agreements that include the plans detailed herein. Failure to submit an external
application as a PI within the specified timeline may make you ineligible for
future internal funding.

COMMON CV (CCV)
Include a copy of your CCV. Please see the CCV website for details: https://ccvcvc.ca/indexresearcher-eng.frm CCVs must be provided for all co-applicants.