Completing an early release of funds request

The Tri-Council agencies (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) and UBC allow early release. For other sponsors, you will need to confirm that they allow partial release of funds prior to human ethics approval.
If the information is included on the agency website, provide the URL.
If you have a letter confirming that early release is allowed, attach to your email along with the request form.

The PI is the person listed in RISe as the grant owner. Note that this may differ from the primary researcher. Please do not list other members of the research team in your form. 
Provide the PI’s Department/Faculty.
The PI must sign the form before it is submitted.

The FAS (funding application summary) number is communicated to the PI when a grant application has been approved by ORS and the RISe record has been created. The FAS will be included in the confirmation email sent by ORS/UILO to the PI when they confirm the award and includes the preface "F + [year]," e.g., "F24-12345".
If you are unsure of the FAS #, email ors@ors.ubc.ca before completing the request form.

Awards Officers are responsible for administering your funds, and may differ from your initial contact in ORS or UILO. Do not list department/faculty personnel.
Awards Officers in ORS are listed on the “contact-us” page: https://ors.ubc.ca/about-ors/contact-us (under “Award Management”). Staff are listed by discipline. For UILO, see https://uilo.ubc.ca/about-us/contact-us. 
Your Awards Officer will be notified when your request form has been approved by ORE.

This is the source of funding as it will appear in the RISe account and on your original grant application.
Note that if you are seeking early release from multiple agencies, a separate request form must be submitted for each.

Include the title as it appears on the grant application.

Provide the full amount, including for multi-year awards.
Only one award may be listed per request form. If you are seeking early release from multiple agency awards, a separate request form must be submitted for each.
If your grant is being released incrementally, e.g., $20,000 per year over 5 years, your request for early release may not exceed the amount authorized for year one. 

The amount requested may not exceed 50% of the total award, and the related costs need to be documented in the form (see 13); in other words, a request of 50% will not be approved unless the amount can be justified.
The amount requested must equal the total of the costs itemized in (5). 
If you underestimate the required amount, you will need to submit a new form for the new amount only. 
If you need an extension-only in order to continue accessing previously approved funds, a new form is not needed. Send an email request to wendy.bond@ubc.ca, including FAS #, name of the PI, and specific date being requested for extension (mm/dd/yyyy).

This date should be after the date of signature.
Allow up to 2 weeks for the Awards Officer to administer the release of funds.
Any concerns you may have about time to process after ORE approval should be directed to your Awards Officer.

Please estimate (mm/dd/yyyy) and include a buffer to account for possible delays in research ethics approval. If you do not provide a specific date, the form will be returned to you.
Finance will use this date to mark the end point for early access to funds. When the study receives ethics approval, the end date will be changed to match the date/s on the award letter.
If you do not have ethics approval by the estimated date, and need to continue accessing funds (without an increase in amount), send an email request for extension (provide mm/dd/yyyy) to wendy.bond@ubc.ca.
If you are requesting a full year’s salary, use the date when the staff person’s first year of employment (for this project) will end.

Some departments will only post a job once a full year’s salary has been released for the position. 
If you are using funds to hire new study team members or extend existing contracts, check with your HR person before completing the form.
If they require release of a full year’s salary, answer “yes”. 
If you are relying on multiple sources of funding to cover the annual salary, only include the amount covered by this grant/request in (8). In the breakdown of expenses (13), indicate the portion that will be covered by this grant, e.g.,

• 50% of full year salary + benefits for RA @ $____ + benefits @ $____ = $ ____.

If you are unsure how to complete the request, please contact wendy.bond@ubc.ca before submitting the form.

Only a brief statement (one or two sentences) is required. Reasons for requesting the early release might include, for example, 

• “Ethics submission delayed until community consultation is complete”
• “Pending institutional approvals”

You do not need to itemize the types of expenses in (12).

To ensure timely processing of your request:

• Provide the dollar value (in CA funds) for each item type covered by the request, e.g., 
  • Software licences = $
  • Biological specimens = $
  • Computers and hardware = $
• Itemize the hours of work to be done and by whom, e.g.,
  • Research assistant x 100 hours/12 months @ $rate = $total
  • honouraria for co-creators = $

The sum of the amounts listed in (13) must equal the amount being requested in (8).
In addition to the itemized list, you may also be asked to provide the budget and milestones documents submitted with the grant.

Allowable expenses

• Honoraria and other expenses for co-creators/ community members involved in developing research protocols (work prior to data collection activities)

• Airfare (when flights need to be secured in advance)

• Equipment, computer software and hardware, and materials needed to conduct the research

• Salaries for research personnel for the period prior to research ethics approval

Note that in some instances, you will be required by HR to have a full year’s salary released before a job will be posted. See (11) “Are you seeking a full year’s salary to meet HR requirements?”

If you are unsure of whether an expense qualifies for early release, please contact wendy.bond@ubc.ca before submitting your form.

Only the grant holder (named in RISe) may authorize requests for early release of funds.
The PI’s electronic signature is acceptable, but ensure the PI has authorized use of the form.

This does not need to be the PI and is often a research staff member, or graduate student or Fellow conducting the research. 

See a sample completed form.