Frequently Asked Questions
General
My project involves monitoring/surveying. Which grant should I apply for?
This type of project could fit in either ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants (CCEG) or ACA Research Grants (RG). For more information, please contact [email protected]. Graduate students should apply to the Grants in Biodiversity program.
Do I have to have matching co-funding?
Co-funding is not necessary. However, applications with some co-funding or in-kind contributions have a much better chance of receiving funding from an ACA grant, especially in years when there is a lot of competition for funding.
Where can I find what has been funded in the past?
View archived funding allocations.
ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants (CCEG)
When will I be notified whether my project will receive a CCEG grant?
The results of the competition will be sent out by email at the end of March.
If my project is approved for funding, when do the project activities have to take place?
Grant funding is from April 1 to March 31 the following year. Grants are allocated for one year only. For longer-term projects, you will need to apply for funding every year.
When can I expect my grant funding?
Payment of the grants is normally made in three equal installments. The initial payment is made on receipt of the signed agreement, the interim payment is made on approval of the interim/progress report, and the final payment is a hold-back and made on approval of the final report. Please note the initial payment can be delayed, due to time it takes to sign and process new Project Agreements; applicants should be aware that the first grant payments can take a few months to process, i.e. don’t expect your initial payment before June.
My project is on a species or habitat that is in Alberta, but my project will take place in another province or country. Can I apply?
No, the grants are for projects taking place within Alberta only.
Can individuals apply for grant funding?
Individuals can apply for funding from the CCEG, but you have to have the proper insurance, such as WCB, liability insurance for any work done on your property, etc.
Where can I find the reporting templates for the CCEG?
Click here for current reporting templates.
Can I change how my grant funding is spent?
Funds provided by ACA are to be spent as close to the budget as possible, however it is within the grant recipient’s discretion to move funds to different categories, as long as the overall objectives of the project are achieved.
To get approval for changes to your budget, please contact [email protected].
Can I submit my interim or final report early?
Yes, within reason, but it is best to following the schedule outlined in the ACA Project Agreement. There is no guarantee that your payment will be made early. If your project is complete (all grant funds spent and all activities and deliverables completed) when interim reports are due, you can submit a final report.
What does the CCEG funding agreement look like?
Download the CCEG funding agreement.
ACA Research Grants (RG)
When will I be notified whether my project will receive a RG grant?
The results of the competition will be sent out by email at the end of March.
If my project is approved for funding, when do the project activities have to take place?
Grant funding is from April 1 to March 31 the following year. Grants are allocated for one year only. For longer-term projects, you will need to apply for funding every year.
When can I expect my grant funding?
Payment of the grants is normally made in three equal installments. The initial payment is made on receipt of the signed agreement, the interim payment is made on approval of the interim/progress report, and the final payment is a hold-back and made on approval of the final report. Please note the initial payment can be delayed, due to time it takes to sign and process new Project Agreements; applicants should be aware that the first grant payments can take a few months to process, i.e. don’t expect your initial payment before June.
My project is on a species or habitat that is in Alberta, but my project/research will take place in another province or country. Can I apply?
No, the grants are for projects taking place within Alberta only. The research must take place in Alberta; however, samples from Alberta can be sent outside of Alberta if specialized analysis is required.
My project takes place in multiple locations, one of which is in Alberta, can I apply?
Yes, you can apply, but the ACA will only fund expenses incurred for the Alberta part of your study, so those are the only expenses that should appear in the “$ Amount requested from ACA” column of the budget page.
Can individuals apply for grant funding?
Individuals can apply for funding from RG, but you have to have the proper insurance, such as WCB, liability insurance for any work done on your property, etc. For the RG, we expect the research results to be of journal publication quality. The majority of applicants are academics from universities or research organizations.
Where can I find the reporting templates for the RG
Click here for current reporting templates.
Can I change how my grant funding is spent?
Funds provided by ACA are to be spent as close to the budget as possible, however it is within the grant recipient’s discretion to move funds to different categories, as long as the overall objectives of the project are achieved.
To get approval for changes to your budget, please contact [email protected].
Can I submit my interim or final report early?
Yes, within reason, but it is best to following the schedule outlined in the ACA Project Agreement. There is no guarantee that your payment will be made early. If your project is complete (all grant funds spent and all activities and deliverables completed) when interim reports are due, you can submit a final report.
How do I access my Open-Access Publication Funds?
You can request these funds up to 5-years from the start date of your grant. Send a scanned copy of the invoice from the Publisher for the open-access article relating to your ACA grant-funded research to [email protected].
What does the RG funding agreement look like?
Download the ACA RG funding agreement.
Grants in Biodiversity (GIB)
My project is on a species or habitat that is in Alberta, but my project/research will take place in another province or country. Can I apply?
No, the grants are for projects taking place within Alberta only. The research must take place in Alberta; however, samples from Alberta can be sent outside of Alberta if specialized analysis is required.
My project takes place in multiple locations, one of which is in Alberta, can I apply?
Yes, you can apply, but the ACA will only fund expenses incurred for the Alberta part of your study, so those are the only expenses that should appear in the “$ Amount requested from ACA” column of the budget page.
I don’t attend university in Alberta, but I am doing a field study in Alberta, can I apply?
Yes, if you are researching flora, fauna or habitats in Alberta, and meet the other qualifications set out in the Guidelines, you can apply. ACA Grants in Biodiversity awards have been granted to universities in several provinces and countries.
My supervisor is away, who can sign my application form?
As the application is digitally submitted (i.e. emailed), we do accept scanned signatures. If your supervisor is absolutely indisposed, your department will designate another professor, or the department chair, to sign in your supervisor’s place. Someone with authority to sign that the supervisor (or the university) can take responsibility for a potential award must sign your application form – do NOT leave it blank.
When will I be notified whether my project will receive a Grants in Biodiversity (GiB) award?
The results of the competition will be sent out at the end of March.
If my project is approved for funding, what is my grant term?
The grant term is April 1 until March 31 two years later. For example, if you apply for the competition in December 2022, you would receive your notification by March 31, 2023. Your grant term would be from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025.
When will my awarded money arrive, and how do I get it?
Immediately after the results letters are sent out, the ACA will initiate the signing of a cooperative agreement with your university’s research agreement representatives (often called a Research Services Office). This can take several weeks. Once the agreement is signed and the university invoices the ACA, your funds are sent to your university to be held in a research account that your supervisor will control. Please note that most universities have a mechanism for paying expenses for a project shortly after the result letter is received; you rarely have to wait for the actual funds to arrive.
My application was partly funded, can I change how my grant funding is spent?
You must spend your Grants in Biodiversity award in the expense categories you outlined in the budget in your application. Prior approval is required to deviate from the spending as listed in the budget section of the accepted project application – email the Grants in Biodiversity Coordinator for further information.
Can I submit my Progress Report early?
The progress report instructions will be emailed out about the end of February or early March – we would prefer you to wait until you receive this email before submitting a progress report.
I am taking a leave or leaving my program before my project is complete, what do I do?
You or your supervisor must notify the Grants in Biodiversity Coordinator as soon as you are aware of this change in circumstances. If you are taking a leave (eg. parental leave), we can discuss an extension of your award. If you are changing your program/supervisor/university, then your grant will likely need to be closed and unspent funds returned – however, contact the Grants in Biodiversity Coordinator first to discuss.
Can I submit my Final Report early?
Yes, students in the later part of their program often finish their project within one year. You can find the Final Report instructions in the Recipients section and please indicate it is a “1st Year Final” report. Please note that the research account will remain open until the 2-year grant term is complete.
How do I access my Open-Access Publication Funds?
You can request these funds up to 5-years from the start date of your grant. Contact the Grants in Biodiversity Coordinator who will send you an expense claim form for you to return along with a scan of the invoice from the publisher for the open-access article relating to your ACA grant-funded research. Please note that the funded student must be the first author on the publication.
What does the GIB funding agreement look like?
Download the GIB funding agreement.