The federal Research Support Fund assists Canadian post-secondary institutions with the costs associated with managing their research enterprise. This program is helping McMaster maintain its world-class research enterprise.
The Research Support Fund (RSF) is a tri-agency initiative of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. It is administered by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat, which is housed within SSHRC.
The program (formerly known as the Indirect Costs Program) was introduced in 2003 as part of the federal government’s strategy to make Canada one of the world’s top countries in research and development.
The Research Support Fund (RSF) assists Canadian post-secondary institutions and their affiliated research hospitals and institutes with the expenses associated with managing the research funded by the three federal research granting agencies. The RSF currently has a budget of approximately $470 million and serves more than 150 post-secondary institutions across the country.
In Fiscal 2019, the RSF introduced a new stream, the Incremental Project Grants (IPG) funding that further supports the costs of research.
In Fiscal 2023, the RSF introduced a new specific stream of the Incremental Project Grants funding specific for Research Security to further support these specific activities.
McMaster is a research-intensive University and seeks funding to assist with contributing towards the full costs of its research activities. The direct costs of its research activities include:
The indirect costs are the costs that are not directly connected with a specific project but with the research enterprise as a whole. Examples of indirect costs of research include:
The RSF grant can be used to:
Eligible and ineligible expenditures can be found here: RSF Eligible and Ineligible Expenses.
We report the use of RSF funds by five categories:
Under the current budget model, the funds are distributed among McMaster’s six Faculties: Health Sciences, Science, Social Sciences, Business, Humanities and Engineering; as well as our affiliated hospitals (Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare). Each Faculty uses these resources to provide for step-down expenses such as hydro, research administration etc.
Please refer to the table below to see how McMaster has utilized the RSF (based on reporting categories). Note that the table below captures the ‘Proposal’ data for a fiscal year (current year and potentially 2nd most recent fiscal year) until the financial report is completed for that year.
Maintain or increase number of students and researchers engaged; quality and outcome of startups supported
2024/25 – 124
2023/24 – 103
Increased commercialization / licensing revenues and increased agreements:
2024/25 – $7.9M with 623 licenses executed
2023/24 – $7.6M with 545 licenses executed
Decreased Patents filed and issued:
2024/25 – 112 filed with 18 issued
2023/24 – 122 filed with 62 issued
2023/24 – 103 2022/23 – 87
2023/24 – $7.6M with 545 licenses executed 2022/23 – $6.3M with 457 licenses executed
Increased Patents filed and issued:
2023/24 – 122 filed with 62 issued 2022/23 – 87 filed with 17 issued
2022/23 – 87 2021/22 – 87
Decreased commercialization / licensing revenues and decreased agreements:
2022/23 – $6.3M with 420 licenses executed
2021/22 – $7M with 461 licenses executed
2022/23 – 87 filed with 17 issued
2021/22 – 94 filed with 32 issued
2021/22-87 2020/21-88
Increased commercialization / licensing revenues and decreased agreements:
2021/22 – $7M with 303 licenses executed
2020/21 – $4.3M with 387 licenses executed
2021/22 – 94 filed with 23 issued
2020/21 – 86 filed with 28 issued
In the meantime, work began to develop/improve reports, such as a ‘researcher burn rate’ report.
2020/21-88
2019/20 – 84
Decreased commercialization / licensing revenues and increased agreements:
2020/21 – $4.6M w/ 368 licenses executed
2019/20 – 72 filed with 28 issued
Increase in Funded projects with commercial potential awarded Proof of principle grants:
2020/21 – $584K
2019/20 – $373K
2018/19 – 88
2019/20 – $4.6M with 368 licenses executed
2018/19 – $8.7M w/ 289 licenses executed
Maintained Patents filed and issued:
2018/19 – 85 filed with 21 issued
Decrease in Funded projects with commercial potential awarded Proof of principle grants:
2018/19 – $492K
Research Facilities
Research Resources
Management & Administration of an institution’s research enterprise
Regulatory requirements and accreditation
Intellectual property and knowledge mobilization
82 invention or copyright disclosures, including a higher number of new faculty disclosures over previous years; 184 licenses generated revenue, an 8% increase over previous year; 3 researcher-led start-ups were initiated. McMaster, through the Forge, has made student entrepreneurship a priority. 40 student-led start-ups began this year, compared to 25 the previous year
The objective of the IPG stream aligns with the RSF’s objective to reinforce the federal research investment by helping Canadian postsecondary institutions ensure their federally funded research projects are conducted in world-class facilities with the best equipment and administrative support available. By directing funds to specific investments and annual or multi-year projects initiated by institutions, the IPG will facilitate tracking and reporting, to better demonstrate the impact of these investments.
This stream stems from additional funding for the RSF announced in Budget 2018, totaling $231.3 million over five years ($28.75 million in 2018-19) and $58.8 million per year after that. An additional top up was announced in Budget 2024, totaling $73.8 million in 2024-25, $89.25 million in 2025-26, $103.9 million in 2026-27, $160.33 in 2027-28, and $208.5 million in 2028-29, with $208.5 million per year ongoing thereafter.
The IPG will provide eligible institutions with additional support for projects that focus on a set of priorities that cut across the RSF’s five existing categories of eligible expenses. The initial four IPG priority areas are:
Most post-secondary Institutions in Canada receive a share of the pool of RSF funds based on their individual Institution’s three-year average of spent Tri-Council funding. Institutions that have a three-year average of Tri-Council Funding greater than $7M are eligible to share in the pool of funds available for the IPG.
Please refer to the table below to see how McMaster has utilized the IPG (based on priority areas). Note that the table below captures the ‘Proposal’ data for a fiscal year (current year and potentially 2nd most recent fiscal year) until the financial report is completed for that year.
Fiscal Year
Proposal / Actual
Total IPG Award
Proposal
Actual
Deferred maintenance upgrades including new HVAC, windows, roof, electrical of all labs, offices and support spaces.
Improve building efficiency with newer HVAC, windows
Begin construction with demo stage, removing all the HVAC and electrical in all labs and other spaces.
Begin rebuild of the spaces.
This project will modernize this research building and enable the research activities of the research labs and teams to carry on without disruption of necessary air flow, electricity and water supply.
– maintenance contract for Real Time PCR System
– installation of new compressor and condensing system for walk-in refrigerator
– computer and software upgrade for upright microscope used primarily for brightfield microscopy
– statistical software licence
– installation of electronic card access system
– salary support for Research Facilities Manager to oversee equipment upgrades and maintenance to improve efficiencies and ensure the research facilities are compliant with all applicable regulatory requirements.
This investment will drive reputation growth, partner confidence, funding competitiveness, operational efficiency, and risk mitigation, while relieving pressure on corporate communications and ensuring specialized focus on research priorities.
Examples of the mechanical upgrades and repairs to be completed, relate to:
– Lighting controls installation and associated drawings
– Elevator repairs
– HVAC recommissioning
– VFD Replacement
Two flammable cabinets were purchased for 2 separate labs
Additional rat cages and accessories for animal research were purchased to meet the new regulations that must be 100% in compliance by 2031. An existing microscope was upgraded with a new motorized platform for automated imaging application, an improved widefield epi-fluorescence light pathway , a new camera and a new computer system with current software. These upgrades have improved the functionality of the microscope vastly as we can now utilize the latest technologies. Software licenses for another year were renewed, allowing our researchers access to programs for statistical analysis and graphing of data.
To ensure compliance with acceptable noise emissions, an acoustic barrier/louvre will be installed along the perimeter of the rooftop housing these Cooling Towers. This acoustic mitigation is required to ensure compliance with applicable noise regulations during the nighttime operation of these cooling towers which provide cooling and chilled water to the research community.
The project was executed in 2 phases; therefore, 4 were replaced in time for summer of 2023 and the remaining 6 were demolished and replaced with 4 towers during the summer of 2024.
Establish and scale the HHS DRIVE program as a commercialization and entrepreneurship platform that accelerates the translation of healthcare innovations into market-ready solutions.
Demonstrated institutional capacity to identify, mentor “intrapreneurs” growing external visibility of HHS as a hub for health innovation commercialization.
Completion of cabling and junction box installation; successful generator load test using new configuration.
1) upgrading the eyewash stations to newer models and
2) providing laboratory chairs that meet Canadian Biosafety Standard and Guidelines.
Replace some of the older chairs in the laboratory with new ones that are biosafety compliant.
Lab chairs that are biosafety compliant: cleanable, non-porous and resistant to damage caused by decontamination products, were purchased, assembled and put into use.
2. Ensure all fume hoods have a functioning alarm
3. Set up 3yr service contract for PCR system
2. Total 7 external alarms installed. All fume hoods now have working alarm.
3. Service contract purchased with expiry February 23 2027.
AND
Upgrading the airflow system in the lab of the CVSRI Building to reduce annual maintenance costs
Airflow system: Reduction in deferred maintenance. Observed that maintenance costs have reduced by approximately 50%.
Airflow system: The improved airflow system for the CVSRI labs reduces the annual maintenance costs, allowing for a reduction in overall operation costs. The staff are provided with stability in the lab usage as the new system has reduced the amount of times the labs need to be closed due to the former air flow system. This helps build the reputation of faculties operating out of the CVSRI Building.
In Progress
Airflow System:
Complete
The system to be purchased will allow us to: 1. recreate all of our documents into an easily editable interface which thereby minimizes change. 2. offer a unique search function that incorporates the use of key words which would allow access to specific information quickly 3. synthesizes amendments to the original document, reducing the need to search through dozens of PDFs to make sense of how the protocol has changed over time 4. advanced colour-based tracking of edits in the review process allows for easy comparison of versions over time and ensures requested revisions are properly made before approval. 5. provides a training database within the program to identify users who have or lack training aspects required for their protocol and eliminates the need to cross-reference this information separately. 6. Reports can be easily generated and configured to what will be required by the applicable regulatory bodies and are not limited to what the company offers as a default. This complements nicely with the ability to also track animal census information within the program rather than needing to use a separate one.
Integrate the Funding Opportunities Database (FOD) with the centralized, digitized grant approval platform to streamline the internal administrative processes.
Design the FOD dashboard as the first landing page of the grant approval platform that end users will see.
The different administrative approval forms have been amalgamated into a single master form. This is currently being implemented in the new platform.
Design of the FOD dashboard is currently undergoing User Acceptance Testing
Observed result: New service contracts entered into increased to 8 vs. 1 in the prior year.
There will also other expenses to meet OMAFRA and CCAC requirements as we complete the renovations.
https://research.stjoes.ca/news-events/news/~1668-Bienvenue-St-Joe-s-Neuroscience-Researchers-Hosting-International-Symposium-including-French-Delegation
The Government of Canada introduced new funding through the Research Support Fund (RSF) in Budget 2022 to further support the activities related to the indirect costs of research security and to support the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships.
The investment in research security will provide $125 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, and $25 million ongoing per year, in addition to the existing investments for the RSF and Incremental Grant Projects (IPGs).
The funds granted to institutions should be used to build capacity to identify, assess and mitigate potential risks to research security, in support of the full implementation of the National Security Guidelines on Research Partnerships.
Institutions must spend the funds in the year of the award and report on the use of these funds annually.
Research security funds can be used to support multiyear projects whose outcomes will only be available at the end of a longer period of up to three years. The application allows your institution to apply for funding for the next phase of the project, provided the institution continues to meet reporting and eligibility requirements.
Funding for research security is for eligible institutions receiving $2 million or more in eligible RSF direct research funding. Eligibility for research security funding is assessed against this threshold each year.
Institutions with less than $2 million in eligible direct research funding are not eligible for research security funding, but continue to benefit from the current progressive RSF funding formula.
Please refer to the table below to see how McMaster has utilized the IPG – Research Security. Note that the table below captures the ‘Proposal’ data for a fiscal year (current year and potentially 2nd most recent fiscal year) until the financial report is completed for that year.
$ 984,194
$ 991,891
$ 1,022,080
This includes expanding education and guidance to raise awareness among faculty, post-doctoral researchers and graduate students, while strengthening tools and resources that bolster to support due diligence, risk assessment, and risk management.
The project also emphasizes enhanced collaboration among Faculties, research centres and institutes, and the broader research ecosystem across the institution to ensure a coordinated approach that balances compliance, operational efficiency, and research excellence.
Overall, it positions the university to effectively respond to evolving research security demands while maintaining its competitiveness and leadership in research.
Awareness and engagement through maintaining or increasing training and outreach to key stakeholder groups, with a focus on improving understanding of evolving research security risks.
Operational efficiencies through streamlined, standardized workflows that manage increased volume and complexity of requirements, supporting stronger institutional knowledge and risk-informed decision-making
Improved Institutional Efficiency: Increase alignment of institutional approaches and develop processes and resources to more effectively identify risk, make risk-based decisions and reduce redundancies and administrative burden.
Stronger Risk Mitigation: Maintain or increase capacity to identify and address risks related to affiliations, partnerships, and other vulnerabilities.
Sustained Research Competitiveness: Continued success in research and innovation, and securing funding while effectively mitigating and minimizing research security risks.
Ensure the collection, storage, access, and use of data comply with privacy legislation and research‑security best practices.
Identify gaps and opportunities for improvement through a full review of the Access Research data environment.
Support secure, compliant, and efficient research activity across the institution.
Policy and Process Strengthening: Refinement of institutional policies, standard operating procedures, and training requirements to reinforce a culture of privacy, accountability, and responsible data stewardship across all Access Research users.
Alignment with Regulatory Expectations: Ensuring that all practices are demonstrably compliant with applicable privacy legislation and aligned with federal research security guidance, including expectations related to safeguarding sensitive data and mitigating potential risks.
Ensure that HITS has strong security controls & governance in place.
Continued Education of faculty members to ensure a baseline level of awareness within the researcher community related to evolving nature of research security risks.
Build capacity to be nimble and responsive to emerging issues and risks that face a research-intensive university like McMaster.
Education and Awareness.
Increased co-ordination with other services across campus.
Education and Awareness
Increased co-ordination with other services across campus
Outreach & Engagement:
Training, Resources and Awareness:
2.Rapid response times to security incidents as per HHS’ policies and standards
3.Zero major safety incidents
2.Successful migration of research application system from an external to an institutionally supported hosting environment
3.User access audits and verification of account for our central information systems completed
2.Reduction in deferred maintenance items.
3.Zero safety incidents linked to mechanical failure.
Hired 2 FTEs that report to the Director, Research Security Risk
Developed guidelines and resources to support research administrators in their roles in order to be aware of and respond to research security requirements both federally and provincially.
Developed resources and self-assessment tools to support research community and administrators navigate STRAC policy and NSGRP forms and requirements.
Increased coordination with other services across campus (e.g. Telecommunications and IT;
Privacy office; Academic and Research Integrity Office, Research Services and Administration; International Affairs, Campus Safety Services)
Established protocol to support screening of graduate students for eligibility to engage in government funded research per STRAC Policy and Provincial Mitigating Economic and Geopolitical Risk (MEGR) Guidelines
Development of travel security briefing and protocols in collaboration with Information Security Services (ISS)
Supporting core facilities in the developing security protocols and updating user access policies to address current government policies and geopolitical risk.
Increased coordination with government agencies (Research Security Centre, CBSA, ISED) to facilitate two-way communication and information sharing
Strengthen information security culture by providing training modules
Information Security Sessions planned and delivery commencing by IT partners within Faculties that are expanding deployment and reach of awareness and education program.
Increase in requests for Information and Security review of Research grants, partnership agreements, labs and facilities.
Increased deployment and active use of Information Security resources such as MFA, Extended Detection and Response (Cortex), Vulnerability Scanning (Tenable).
Engagement between RHPCS and UTS in IT Security project
Delivered a suite of workshops related to research data security and shared them as asynchronous learning modules (1, 2)
Developed and published an Open Educational Resource: Basic Security for Web Development
Conducted over 200 research data management consultations related to aspects of research data security.
Upgrading information technology as per recommendations made in the FY2022/23 information technology infrastructure and data security audit.
Put in place the necessary pieces to improve monitoring of McMaster’s core digital research infrastructure allowing McMaster to be more proactive and effective and responding to potential threats and risks which will greatly improve the security of our research enterprise.
2. Expand the number of users and as such, expanded server capacity.
2)In the process of onboarding – first users in January.
3) This process unearthed gaps in decision making that has been resolved.
4)training material for security and lab usage completed – to be uploaded
– 1.0 FTE hired to provide dedicated support to the research community and secure access to research data in Epic.
– 0.5 FTE hired to provide dedicated support to the RFP process and implementation of the research management software.
– Timelines for the RFP process for the research management software system were longer than anticipated to ensure alignment with the broader public sector accountability act; two vendors have been identified and demonstrations will be completed by Nov 28, followed by the selection of the software system.
– Potential vendors have described capability of integrating with hospital systems; once the system has been chosen, integration activities can begin
In-Progress
McMaster is affiliated with the following hospital institutions:
McMaster also has affiliation with the following institutions:
In 2026/27 McMaster University will receive the following amounts from the respective federal Research Support Fund programs:
The 2026/27 grant was calculated using data from 2024/25, 2023/24 and 2022/23. Please see the table below for a summary of McMaster’s support from the RSF, IPG and Research Security:
The total pool is $498,014,662 in 2026/27 and is providing indirect costs to McMaster at a rate of 22.49% of most Tri-Council projects (some specific programs do not pay research support funds and institutions are made aware of this at the application stage).
McMaster receives 3.52% of the pool in 2026/27.
The Research Support Fund provides instrumental support to the McMaster Industry Liaison Office (MILO) and McMaster’s innovation ecosystem, which serves more than 330 startups based on McMaster research.
In the past year, the team at MILO has worked closely with The Forge – McMaster’s business incubator – to advance several key entrepreneurship initiatives, including the McMaster Startup Immersion Internships (MSI) program and the McMaster Student Seed Fund (MSSF).
The MSI program connects students with early-stage startups for four-month, paid summer internships, supported through Mitacs. Students support market validation, commercialization planning and technology development, while gaining hands-on experience in fast-paced startup environments.
In 2025, MSI supported 13 startups and students, achieved a 100% student recommendation rate for internship placements and retained four students with their host companies beyond the internship. In 2026, the program received 1,186 student applications (an increase of 267% year-over-year) demonstrating rising demand for MSI internships.
The McMaster Student Seed Fund (MSSF) provides milestone-based funding, mentorship and advisory support to student and recent alumni founders participating in McMaster entrepreneurship programming.
In 2026, six startups – Wonder Guard, SOLAS Innovations, The Sentinel Group, Qorodi, Aetherion and NerView – were awarded $15,000 each and access to mentorship through the MSSF to advance their companies.
With support from the RSF, McMaster’s Research Office for Administration, Development and Support (ROADS) delivers on their mission to provide value-added service to McMaster’s research community through professional and timely provision of research administrative services.
ROADS helps researchers navigate the increasingly complex world of funding opportunities. In 2026, ROADS supported the development of numerous McMaster grant applications for major funding opportunities, including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grants program.
In 2026, two researchers received a combined $4.9 million in SSHRC Partnership Grants. Clifton van der Linden, associate professor of political science, received $2,498,266 for his research project focused on digital tools for democracy. Allison Williams, professor of earth, environment and society, received $2,470,372 for her project focused on the care economy, aging and policy.
ROADS supported these researchers and others throughout the grant application process, including developing proposals, reviewing applications and offering proposal-specific advice, ensuring McMaster researchers have the best chances of success in national and international funding competitions.
Over the last two years, McMaster has doubled the size of its Prizes & Awards team, thanks in part to investments from the Research Support Fund. As a result, the team has significantly increased the number of award nominations submitted and granted to McMaster researchers in key programs, including fellowships from the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Royal Society of Canada (RSC).
In 2024, eight McMaster researchers and community members were recognized by the Royal Society of Canada. Three researchers were elected to the RSC as Fellows: Judah Denberg, Hendrik Poinar and Louis Schmidt. Four researchers were named to the RSC’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists: Nathan Andrews, Michelle Kho, Matthew Miller and Hsien Seow. In addition, McMaster alumnus and Engineer-In-Residence Barry Hill was named a Specially Elected Fellow.
In 2025, seven McMaster researchers were elected to the RSC; four as Fellows, including Daniel Coleman, Stuart Phillips, Parminder Raina and Allison Williams, and three as College Members, including Olufemi Ayeni, Allan Downey and Stelios Georgiades.
The RSF has been instrumental in maintaining McMaster’s Prizes & Awards support system, helping to raise the University’s international research reputation, celebrate our researchers’ contributions to scholarship and position them as global leaders in their fields.
The Research Support Fund (RSF) has played a key role in supporting the activities of the McMaster Industry Liaison Office (MILO). MILO fosters research collaborations with industry partners, and advances commercialization and entrepreneurship across the University to ensure our experts’ research is placed in the hands of those who can put it to its best use.
MILO oversees the McMaster Seed Fund (MSF), which was launched in 2021 to support McMaster research-based startups with the potential to generate significant economic or social impact in the Hamilton area and beyond.
Since its inception, the MSF has invested more than $4 million in 13 McMaster startup companies, which have collectively raised over $18 million in funds and created 93 jobs. It’s become a pivotal source of support for researchers working to transfer their discoveries from the lab to the market.
In 2025, three McMaster startup companies – Block Biosciences, Tessella Biosciences and NodeAI – received $245,000 each in the fifth round of MSF investments.
Block Biosciences is developing first-in-class precision medicine that can be taken proactively by patients after a diagnosis of lung, breast or skin cancer, to prevent secondary metastatic brain cancer.
Tessella Biosciences has developed a material that could accelerate medical research and drug discovery by making it easier to 3D print soft, realistic tissue models.
NodeAI uses artificial intelligence to more accurately diagnose lung cancer and give patients a better chance of survival. Its diagnostic software has been shown to double the accuracy of the standard diagnostic methods in clinical trials.
With support from the RSF, MILO personnel have been able to support startup companies through the McMaster Seed Fund, which continues to empower McMaster innovators to commercialize their groundbreaking discoveries.