Research Contract and Funding Administration

Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) Research Contract and Funding Specialists can:

• identify potential funding sources;
• negotiate contract agreements;
• develop a budget for grant proposals; and
• create and maintain research accounts.

Funding

The SHA Research Department supports practitioner staff, staff, and learners to develop funding applications.  Assistance can be provided for proposal preparation with regards to granting agency instructions, language, and clarity.

The SHA administers research funding (awarded to SHA affiliated researchers) from organizations that have a current memorandum of understanding with the SHA, such as:

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); 
• Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF);
• Royal University Hospital Foundation (RUHF);
• Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation (JPCHF); and
• Hospitals of Regina Foundation (HRF).　 

Funding applications that will be administered by SHA must be submitted to the Research Department for review. The internal deadline for a comprehensive review is 5 business days prior to the application deadline. 

All SHA researchers who receive awards to be administered through the SHA, in the form of grant funding, sponsored research, or unsolicited donations, shall notify the Research Department by providing the office with a copy of the award notice/letter and must open a study-specific research account.

To ensure that the necessary institutional support is available to researchers and service providers, a recovery charge of 30% (institutional overhead) for indirect costs is applied to research grants and service contracts. 

Contracts

All research contracts and agreements must be reviewed by the Research Department. Please note that the Research Department will not draft research agreements. The requesting institution is expected to provide the draft of the agreement. 

The following study documents must be submitted prior to the initial review of the agreement:

• A copy of the Protocol
• Draft Informed Consent Form (or evidence of an Informed Consent waiver form from the REB)
• A copy of the REB application
• If the study also involves the University of Saskatchewan or Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, a list of SHA resources (facilities, personnel, and/or records)

SHA needs to be party to a research contract when a study will be:

• sharing data or personal health information;
• using SHA facilities or services; and/or
• involving SHA patients in research.

Research contracts outline terms relating to study conduct, responsibilities, payment, confidentiality, and liability, among other things. 

There are several types of research contracts that may be required when conducting research, including but not limited to: 

• Confidentiality agreement/non-disclosure agreement (CDA/NDA);
• Clinical trial agreement/clinical study agreement (CTA/CSA);
• Data sharing/transfer/agreement (DSA/DTA); and
• Material transfer agreement (MTA).

Please send requests for Data Sharing/Transfer Agreements and/or Material Transfer Agreements to SHA Contract Support Services. 

If a research sponsor, collaborator, or lead site has provided you with a research contract, you must include it in your Operational Approval Application.