This page outlines key information pertaining to Department of Psychiatry approvals for grant submissions. If you have questions about faculty or institutional approvals, please contact the respective Office of Research Services (ORS) contact for your research site (see “Signature Contacts” on FoM’s Signature Process page).
All external research grant applications – including trainee fellowships – must be accompanied by a Research Project Information Form (RPIF). You should start the signature process 1-2 weeks prior to the application deadline.
Contents
Key departmental requirements
- All RPIFs require Department Head approval prior to Faculty of Medicine (FoM) approval and Dean’s signature. This means that our administrative team needs to receive your paperwork before FoM’s internal deadlines (see Agency-Specific Procedures for FoM’s major grant deadlines).
- Send your application documents and RPIF with complete details and PI signature to Nicole Sanford (nicole.sanford@ubc.ca). Although the admin team will check for obvious mistakes and omissions, it is the PI’s responsibility to fill in all RPIF details from Sections A to H prior to requesting departmental approval. An incomplete or inaccurate RPIF will result in delays.
- For projects requiring only the Department Head’s signature (e.g., those taking place in Detwiller Pavillion), please send us your documents at least one full business day before FoM’s internal deadline.
- For projects also requiring Centre Director approval (e.g., those taking place in DMCBH), please send us your documents at least 3 business days before FoM’s internal deadline.
- You may continue to make minor changes to your application such as editing the proposal in the meantime, but the core details such as the title, budget, study timeline, and project team should be final.
Examples of commonly used research spaces and affiliated institutes (not a complete list of sites)
- BCCH Research Institute 3rd floor translational research space: BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services Research Institute (BCMHSUSRI – not BCCHRI), requires Department Head AND Centre Director signatures.
- David Strangway Building: UBC Vancouver Campus, requires Department Head signature only.
- Detwiller Pavillion: Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI), requires Department Head signature only.
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health: Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI), requires Department Head AND Centre Director signatures.
- Michael Smith Laboratories: UBC Vancouver Campus, requires Department Head signature only.
- Red Fish Healing Centre: BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services Research Institute (BCMHSUSRI), requires Department Head AND Centre Director signatures.
Note that UBC Hospital sites are considered VCHRI space, not UBC Vancouver Campus space.
What happens next?
Once you send your application documents and completed RPIF to Nicole Sanford (nicole.sanford@ubc.ca), the department admin team will facilitate subsequent approvals and relaying to ORS. For most online submission portals such as CIHR ResearchNet, ORS will approve your application online after you have submitted your application via the portal; therefore, it is important that you submit your application by the internal e-submission deadline (typically 12pm the day before the sponsor deadline – see ORS instructions for submitting a grant application).
Why does the department need my documents so far in advance of the application deadline?
Grant applications go through several levels of approval prior to submission, and Department Head approval is only the first step after the PI’s signature. While the admin team can usually ensure a quick turnaround of pre-faculty approvals, we have to abide by the deadlines for subsequent steps (see below):
| 1. Department Head signature | Allow at least 1 business day |
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| 2. Centre Director signature (if applicable) | At least 1-2 business days |
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| 3. Dean’s signature (FoM approval) | Deadline to send documents is typically 2-6 business days prior to ORS’s deadline (see FoM signature process) |
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| 4. ORS approval | Deadline to send documents is typically 2-5 business days prior to the sponsor’s application deadline (see ORS instructions for submitting a grant application) |
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| 5. Sponsor application deadline |
What does departmental approval actually mean?
The Department Head’s signature on the RPIF confirms the following:
- The applicant has an appropriate academic appointment with their unit covering the period of the proposed grant or contract.
- The applicant has appropriate space available to do the research.
- The Head will take responsibility for resolving any over-expenditures.
- The Head will fulfill their obligations to the funding agency.
- The Head will ensure that Research Services is notified if there is a change in status of the awardee.
- The Head has verified adherence to Conflict of Interest Policy (SC3) with respect to honoraria.
- Any internal Departmental requirements have been met.
What does departmental review NOT include?
Although the admin team will check for obvious mistakes and omissions, we cannot necessarily verify the following (especially during busy grant application periods):
- Budget including indirect research costs has been calculated correctly.
- Application requirements have been met.
- Proposed study is well-matched to the funding opportunity.
- Research design is methodologically sound.
Who can I contact if I still have questions?
- For questions about grant program-specific application requirements, contact the respective program administrator (check the grant website for possible contacts).
- For questions about FoM or ORS approvals, contact the respective signature contact for your research site (see “Signature Contacts” on FoM’s Signature Process page).
- For questions about Department of Psychiatry approvals, contact either Nicole Sanford, IMH Research Manager (nicole.sanford@ubc.ca) or Margaret Koshi, Director of Administration (margaret.koshi@ubc.ca).