Sentinel North

/ Opportunities

Access to Northern Infrastructure Fund

Several research projects funded by Sentinel North involve sampling or field work in terrestrial or marine environments. Funding already provided for those projects supports the cost of travels and shipping equipment North, but significant additional costs for many projects may remain. In order to cover these additional costs, Sentinel North provides its researchers with a Fund to facilitate their access to northern research infrastructure.

 

Important dates

Funding requests can be submitted at any time. Applicants must consider the following evaluation date in their planning:

  • March 1st, 2024

 

Applicants will be notified of the status of their application within 10 business days after the evaluation date.

 

Eligibility criteria

  • The applicant must be a researcher (i.e. principal or co-investigator) involved in a project funded by Sentinel North

  • The funding requested must be used to fund northern fieldwork as part of a research project funded by Sentinel North

 

Eligible expenses

  • Charter of small twin otter or helicopter type aircraft1

  • Costs for accommodation or use of research stations of the Centre for Northern Studies (CEN) or other recognized land-based northern research infrastructure

  • Costs for accommodation or use of facilities in a location where there is no recognized research infrastructure (e.g.: lodging in a hotel in a northern community)

  • User fees for the Canadian Research Icebreaker CCGS Amundsen2 or, when not available, for another oceanographic research platform

  • Equipment use or rental fees, including the personnel assigned to operate rented equipment (e.g.: small motorized boat with an operator)

 

Non-eligible expenses

  • Personnel not required for the operation of rented equipment (e.g.: remuneration for a field assistant)

  • Transport of personnel on commercial flights

  • Transportation of goods on commercial flights

  • Accommodation fees in a hotel where there is a recognized land-based northern research infrastructure3

  • Living expenses (meals and lodging) related to participation in workshops, conferences or training in the North

  • Equipment use or rental fees related to workshops, conferences or training in the North (e.g. meeting room rental)

 

Assessment criteria

Applications for funding will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Suitable justification of the need for funding to do field work as part of the research project funded by Sentinel North

  • Extent to which the request for funding reflects the needs of the team directly involved in the application

  • Eligibility of expenses to be covered with Sentinel North funding

  • Financial package presented, i.e. funding requested to or awarded by other organizations (PCSP, CEN, granting agencies, partners, etc.) and which would be added to the Sentinel North funding to complete the work

  • Completeness and clarity of the information provided


Note that the amount awarded for an application that meets the eligibility criteria depends on its evaluation and on the funding envelope for a given year.

 

 

ACCESS TO NORTHERN INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

 

Submit an application

 

 

Notes

1 The Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) has been providing essential support to northern researchers for more than 50 years on a competitive basis to access remote northern sampling sites. Some research centers such as the Centre for Northern Studies (CEN) also offer support to their researchers and collaborators to cover part of these costs. It is expected that all researchers and projects requiring access to an aircraft will file an application for PCSP support (to be filed in October annually) or CEN (if applicable). Funding for Sentinel North will then be used to supplement, in whole or in part, hours not funded by PCSP or other sources.

2 Sentinel North researchers or projects wishing to use the CCGS Amundsen and its equipment in connection with their work should contact Keith Lévesque, Executive Director of Sentinel North. Applications for a given year will be consolidated in only one application that will be submitted to Amundsen Science each year on October 1st.

3 The Northern Science Training Program (NSTP) helps defray the travel and living costs of Canadian university students with an interest in northern studies who are conducting a thesis in the northern regions. The contact person for this program at Université Laval are Mr. Mickael Lemay, Scientific Coordinator, Centre for Northern Studies and Mr. Keith Lévesque, Executive Director of Sentinel North.

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