Questions & Answers

When we receive questions from you via email we will put the questions and answers on this page so that everyone can access the information. We will send you a notification when your question is published.

In order to eliminate an unfair advantage during the Call for Proposals and proposal review period, we are not able to accept phone calls or meetings pertaining to the proposal and/or review process. We ask applicants to forward questions to nlwic@nlwic.ca, with the subject line ‘2018-19 Call for Proposals: Question’. All questions must be received by 12 p.m., August 24, 2018.

NLWIC Facebook Live Q&A Session (July 25)

Question. 07/17/18
I am wondering if it would be against protocol or unprofessional to contact people who were successful in obtaining funding from your first call for proposals?

Answer.
Thank you for your question. NLWIC has no policy stating that you cannot contact any of our successful applicants from either call for proposals. You can find the list of successful proposals on our current projects page.

Question. 07/17/18
Can you send or direct me to the project descriptions with research objectives for those that have been funded to date?

Answer.
Thank you for your interest in the NLWIC. You can find a list of our research proposals and descriptions on our current projects page

Question. 07/23/18
Are the organizations that were successful during the first round of research projects eligible to apply again with a different research project?

Answer.
Yes, organizations that were successful during the first round of research projects are eligible to apply again with a different research project.

Question. 07/25/18
We noted that pilot projects may be considered, as opposed to purely research projects. Could you clarify what you mean by pilot projects? Maybe give a couple of examples?

Answer.
As outlined on page 14 in the Call For Proposals 2018-19: Eligible Activities and Project Types

Eligible activities for NLWIC Research Funding include:

• Research studies, in particular applied research;
• Service delivery improvements and model testing;
• Information and/or data development;
• Program/project evaluations and Demonstration projects.

The types of projects that are eligible include:

• Synthesis Project (Issue is identified, information is collected and a report is written)
• Inquiry Project (Issue is identified with what we know and don’t know. Data is collected from multiple sources and an analysis is done)
• Evaluation and Impact Project (Assesses the changes or impact that can be attributed to a particular program or approach)

NLWIC Research Funding must be used to fund projects that examine previously untried solutions to specific labour market issues or problems. If successful, the idea will then inform the development of policies, programs or industry practices which may include incorporation into provincial programs and services.

Research projects may be of research and/or pilot project nature. However, all projects must make direct links to increasing individual employability—they must have associated concrete outcomes related to employment. For example, a research project may examine employability for a certain under-represented group using a new method of skill-building; a pilot project would apply a new approach to employing a group of individuals, monitor developments, and evaluate the outcomes using scientific research methods.

Projects will need to be completed up to a maximum of three years, with an opportunity for renewal under special circumstances.

Question. 07/25/18
I hope to partner with a not-for-profit. They will need a “proposal” from me to present to their board. This is different than the full NLWIC proposal. It may be just a letter to the board. Do you have any advice on how to do that? A template or example to go by?

Answer.
If the partner requires a proposal from you, you will have to find out what they require. They may require a concept paper from you. It is our recommendation that you speak to the partner to see what they require working on a proposal as per their guidelines.

Question. 07/25/18
I hope to partner with a not-for-profit. I am submitting a proposal to them this week. If they accept, does the not-for-profit need to write me a letter of support? Would this be the only letter of support I would need?

Answer.
If any project involved partners in addition to lead proponent, we require that the proponent attach ‘Letters of Commitment’ from each partner(s) in its proposal. Please note that individuals are not permitted to be lead proponents, however, not-for-profit can partner with Individual organizations or sub-contractors.

Question. 07/25/18
Is it ok to request funds for capital expenses in the proposal?

Answer.
Yes, capital assets are allowed, as per page 19 in Call For Proposals 2018-19.

Question. 07/25/18
I understand that individuals cannot apply for funding on their own, however, if the individual is in a partnership with an agency, etc., Who would be named as the proponent? The agency of the individual?

Answer.
Individuals are not eligible to apply as Lead/Principal Proponents for NLWIC Research Funding. If an individual is in a partnership with an agency which is one of the eligible proponents listed in the guidelines, the agency is the lead proponent and not the individual.

Question. 07/25/18
Is it reasonable to include a conference(s) in your proposal? If so, what would be appropriate, e.g., one conference within Canada per year?

Answer.
Yes, if the conference is related to the methodology and/or dissemination plan submitted in the proposal and is essential to the success of the project.

Question. 07/25/18
Looking at the example of the Partnership between Hospitality NL & Tourism Canada, I see it says: Research led by Hospitality Newfoundland & Labrador (HNL) in partnership with Tourism HR Canada. If I am partnering with a not-for-profit organization, would the “research led by” be my name, in partnership with “Name of Not-For-Profit”?

Answer.
As outlined in the previous questions, Individuals are not eligible to apply as Lead/Principal Proponents for NLWIC Research Funding. If an individual is in a partnership with an agency which is one of the eligible proponents listed in the guidelines, the agency is the lead proponent and not the individual.

Question. 07/25/18
Re. page 14 in the “Call for Proposals”, I need to choose a role that best describes the principal proponent. I am not sure what I would fall under. I am partnering with a not-for-profit but I am also College faculty & a graduate student. Any advice?

Answer.
Individuals cannot be lead or principal proponent for research proposal funding, nor can they be listed as partners. The principal proponent and partners must be organizations (i.e. you would write the organizations name). In your case the not-for-profit could be listed as the principal proponent if they are willing to take on the research project. You (the individual) can be subcontracted by the principal proponent or partners ( if applicable) to work on the project as the project lead contact, led researcher, etc. Your position would be decided in consultation with the principal proponent.

Example:
Organization ABC is the principal proponent for a research proposal.
Organization XYZ is a partner.
Organization ABE hires Bob Smith as the Led Researcher.
You (the individual) could be hired/subcontracted by Organization ABE (the principal proponent) just as Bob was in this example.

Question. 07/25/18
I am with the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities NL. I am wondering if you could elaborate on the ethical approval process for research involving human subjects?

Answer.
If a proposed project involves human beings as research subjects or sensitive administrative data, the applicant for research funding is required to submit research proposals to a jurisdictional or institutional Research Ethics Board and comply with ethical standards outlined in the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans. If approved for funding, the lead proponent of such research projects is required to provide documentation to the NL Workforce Innovation Centre confirming positive review from the appropriate jurisdictional or institutional Research Ethics Board prior to the start of any research commencing that involves human subjects. Failure to provide the appropriate ethical review can result in delays, withholding or cancellation of funding.

Question. 07/25/18
Could a pilot that has been tested in another province, but not yet in NL, be considered?

Answer.
Yes, a pilot that has been tested in another province but not in NL will be considered as long as the project has been completed so that you have results to draw on. In your proposal you must include how you plan on implementing the pilot project in NL, how it’s innovative, and how it would address specific labour market issues in the province. You would also have to supply the funding sources for the research conducted in the other provinces and documentation to support the funding.

Question. 07/30/18
In your facebook Q&A, it was mentioned that the tourism proposal was a good example. What is it about this one that makes it stand out? Are we able to view more about this proposal other than what is posted on the Website?

Answer.
There were eight projects approved that strongly met the guidelines outlined in the call for proposal document. We used the tourism proposal as an example because it was communicated well, it was easy to understand what the project was about and why there was a need for it. The project focused on NLWIC priorities, followed the proposal template, and received a high score on the evaluation matrix. Also with regards to the second part of your question, we have provided the summary of the research projects on our website. If you have any further questions on the specifics of our funded projects, you may seek further information directly from the organization whose projects were approved.

Question. 07/31/18
In stating expenses, would there be a fee that should be included for administration of the research by the lead proponent? If so, how would that be named in the proposal? Would it be a specific individual, such as an executive director?

Answer.
The lead proponent organization may submit eligible costs associated with administration of the research. As per outlined in the Call for Proposal Guidelines, eligible costs may include overhead costs for the third party, including wages and employment related costs for project staff.

Question. 07/31/18
My proposal may have a partner other than the lead proponent. However, given the summer time frame, key decision-makers are either not available or short staffed. Can the proposal include an amendment might be forthcoming pending review by the potential partner? Alternatively, can the proposal include a ‘tentative’ additional partner not as yet confirmed by submission date?

Answer.
If proponent organizations choose to work with one or more partners, they are required to provide a letter of commitment from each partner attached to the proposal.

Question. 08/02/18
In Section A of the template it asks for a “Principal Proponent” and then “Title/Position”. Would the Principal Proponent be the name of the organization? If so, who do we list for Title/Position?

Answer.
Yes, the principal proponent is the name of the organization. The title/position would normally be the person authorized by the organization to submit proposals for funding on its behalf.

Question. 08/03/18
We have a question regarding the ethical process for research involving human subjects. Do we have to submit our proposal to the institutional Research Ethics Boards for approval prior to submission for the NLWIC call for proposals?

Answer.
If a proposed project involves human beings as research subjects or sensitive administrative data, the applicant for research funding is required to submit research proposals to a jurisdictional or institutional Research Ethics Board and comply with ethical standards outlined in the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans. If approved for funding, the lead proponent of such research projects is required to provide documentation to the NL Workforce Innovation Centre confirming positive review from the appropriate jurisdictional or institutional Research Ethics Board prior to the start of any research commencing that involves human subjects. Failure to provide the appropriate ethical review can result in delays, withholding or cancellation of funding.

Question.08/01/18
In requesting a letter of Commitment, what must be included in the letter?

Answer.
Just a reminder that lead proponent organizations may engage with partner organizations when submitting a research proposal to NLWIC. In these cases, the proponent is required to attach a letter of commitment from all partners. The letter of commitment from each partner should include the following:

• Overall statement that the organization is committed as a partner
• their role and responsibilities in the project
• any other organizational resource contributions, if applicable
• time period (duration) in which they will be participating in the project
• the letter should be signed by the representative of the organization who is authorized to commit resources to the research project

Question. 08/02/18
To what research ethics board should we apply? We are not affiliated with MUN so I’m not sure what board we’ll be applying to (our proposed study involves human participants).

Answer.
If a proposed project involves human beings as research subjects or sensitive administrative data, the applicant for research funding is required to submit research proposals to a jurisdictional or institutional Research Ethics Board and comply with ethical standards outlined in the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans. If approved for funding, the lead proponent of such research projects is required to provide documentation to the NL Workforce Innovation Centre confirming positive review from the appropriate jurisdictional or institutional Research Ethics Board prior to the start of any research commencing that involves human subjects. Failure to provide the appropriate ethical review can result in delays, withholding or cancellation of funding.

If your project is successful, we will facilitate the connection with the appropriate ethics board in NL which has jurisdiction for the research outlined in your proposal.

Question.08/07/18
Is it ok for a proponent to go in alone? i.e., no partner. Like Genesis is doing currently in the 8 projects that are underway, correct?

Answer.
Yes, it is ok for any proponent to submit a proposal on their own.

Question. 08/21/18
I am wondering where in the proposal you would like to see the length of time for the project?

Answer.
The duration of the project should go under “Section C: Timelines for Project”.

The successful proponents should be announced in October 2018. Plan your timeline in accordance with this announcement. If timeline amendments are required, NLWIC will discuss these possible changes with the successful proponents at that time.

Question. 08/21/18
We are looking to pilot a social enterprise that would involve employing people with disabilities as Training Coordinators to do training across the province in all five regions.

I have been reviewing your call for proposals and I am not clear if our project would be eligible or not. We currently offer a fee for service model with two staff with lived experience offering three training modules. We would like to size this up because we believe it will meet some current gaps in service around benefit provisions for person with disabilities while providing extra income, and an ability to transition from unemployment to full-time employment or other flexible arrangements.

Would this program provide funding for us to hire and train the staffing model while also evaluating the nature of this kind of labour market engagement practice? Or is the funding geared towards the baseline start up side of our project? I believe this project would fit under the ‘model testing’ component of your call for proposals. It seems like this project could be focused in a few different directions to meet the requirements for the call for proposals, but I want to make sure our application stays within your scope.

Answer.
All projects received will be assessed in accordance with the Call for Proposals 2018/19 Guidelines. In order to eliminate an unfair advantage during the Call for Proposals and proposal review period, we cannot respond to questions regarding research concepts or design.

With respect to your question on funding, eligible cost may include (but are not limited to) overhead costs for the third party including wages and employment related costs for project staff.

With respect to your question related to research project design, types of eligible projects include Evaluation and Impact projects (assess the changes or impact that can be attributed to a particular program or approach)

The successful proponents should be announced in October 2018. Plan your timeline in accordance with this announcement. If timeline amendments are required, NLWIC will discuss these possible changes with the successful proponents at that time.

Question.08/22/18
I am developing a proposal for the current Call for Proposals. I’ve reviewed the guidelines, and have most likely missed it, but am wondering what the expected start date for projects be? From this date I can develop an expected timeline for the project.

Answer.
The successful proponents should be announced in October 2018. Plan your timeline in accordance with this announcement. If timeline amendments are required, NLWIC will discuss these possible changes with the successful proponents at that time.

Question.08/23/18
The template doesn’t have a place for a quick summary or introduction – would it be ok to add one before we jump into the various sections of the template?

Answer.
Yes, it is acceptable to include an introductory summary with the requirements of the proposal submission, however it is not a requirement.

Question.08/24/18
Re deadline, it is not clear if the hard copies need to be received by August 31 at the mailing address below or if the hard copies are to be postdated by August 31? Proposals must be signed, scanned and submitted electronically by midnight on August 31, 2018 to nlwic@nlwic.ca. Six hard copies of the proposal should be mailed to the NL Workforce Innovation Centre, College of the North Atlantic, P.O. Box 866, 141 O’Connell Drive, Corner Brook, NL, A2H 6H6.

Answer.
The required six hard copies of the proposal to be mailed to the NL Workforce Innovation Centre must be post dated for August 31, 2018 or earlier.

Question.08/24/18
Will NLWIC be issuing a call for proposals in 2019 as well? We have what we believe to be a very worthwhile project, however we don’t know that we will be able to put together the application in time for this year.

Answer.
We plan on having another Call for Proposals next year, but the timeline has not been finalized.

 

Question.10/12/18
I’m not sure if you can tell me but I thought I would ask if there is any date in October on which the funded projects through NL Workforce Innovation Center will be announced?

Answer.
The date has not yet been determined. It is expected that the announcement regarding the successful projects will be made by the end of October.