Library Support for Grant Funded Research Projects

Funding agencies are increasingly requiring that grant applications include plans that cover topics such as knowledge mobilization, research data management, and long-term preservation. York University Libraries (YUL) offer a range of services and support that can facilitate grant-funded research. From data management planning to digital publishing and impact measurement, we provide the expertise and infrastructure to allow faculty members to create, organize, share, and preserve research outputs.

We are pleased to offer a suite of in-kind contributions to grant proposals, intended to support grant applications submitted by York researchers. This document outlines the range of research services and support offered by YUL and provides in-kind values for these operations. In cases where additional customization or dedicated services are required, we can help determine what additional costs should be included in your funding proposal.

Important Note: The costs outlined here are only provided as a guideline and are not guaranteed to be available for your project. A formal commitment to support your grant is contingent upon available capacity and requires a letter of support from YUL, signed by the Dean of Libraries.

If you are interested in incorporating these services into your grant application, please contact libgrants@yorku.ca to arrange a consultation meeting.

Researchers are increasingly using software and code as integral components of their methodology and output. In the planning and grant application phase, researchers should consider their project’s approaches to software and scholarly outputs, including whether they would like to develop their own skills or hire research assistants to conduct technical work. It’s also important to understand the limitations of existing software tools versus bespoke approaches that involve software development work.

YUL offers consultation services related to digital humanities methods for data collection (including compliance with copyright and terms of use), software-based data analysis, tools for everything from text analysis and social network analysis to collaborative research techniques and public scholarship, and more.

YUL provides guidance in these areas and can highlight critical topics for consideration. The researcher is responsible for the implementation of their approach.

In-kind value:

$1,500 ($100/hr x 15 hours) for consultation services spanning one project year.

Data visualization is a powerful tool to both better understand your data and to communicate your data and mobilize knowledge. The Libraries can provide guidance on best practices for data visualization. This includes, but is not limited to, advising at early stages on how to understand, apply, and create data visualizations; recommendations on what tools to use to create exploratory or explanatory data visualizations; information design best practices; applying accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles; and providing feedback on improving drafted visualizations.

The researcher is responsible for the creation of the data visualizations themselves.

In-kind value:

$250/hour for a 60-minute introductory data visualization workshop for the researcher’s project team.

$1,500 ($100/hr x 15 hours) for consultation services spanning one project year.

YUL can assist faculty who wish to deposit cultural heritage objects (documents, images, audio, or video) into York University Digital Library that align with the Libraries’ Collection Policy and Digital Preservation Policy. We will ensure regular back-ups and integrity checks, along with security updates as necessary. The objects will be part of the library's digital lifecycle planning which includes offsite replication and preservation.

YUL can also advise on sustainable file formats and derivative file types.

Researchers are responsible for:

ensuring the original quality of objects
ensuring that they have the appropriate rights over that material
providing descriptive metadata of the objects.

In-kind value:

$1,500 ($100/hr x 15 hours) for consultation services spanning one project year.

Long Term Storage Cost:

A one-time payment for long term storage costs per terabyte. This cost is updated each fiscal year, and may not be available due to infrastructure constraints at any given time.

YUL provides limited support for the creation of online digital exhibits. We host an instance of the Scalar platform, which is designed to support non-linear, born-digital scholarship and narratives. We also provide guidance and support for the CollectionBuilder toolset, which can generate configurable, static HTML websites based on information provided in a spreadsheet. Workshops can be provided for both platforms, and additional consultations can guide the process of creating your exhibit.

The researcher is responsible for designing and building the exhibit.

In-kind value:

$425 for a dedicated 90-minute workshop on the Scalar or CollectionBuilder platforms for the researcher’s project team.
$1,500 ($100/hr x 15 hours) for additional project consultation spanning one project year.

Knowledge mobilization for research may include the creation of audio, video, or other multimedia outputs. The Scott Library Media Creation Lab provides studio spaces, a flexible demo space, a small computing lab, and a sizable collection of loanable equipment for the purpose of creating audio, video, or 3D media. Studio spaces include an audio recording booth and a configurable Flex Studio that can support multi-person podcasting, photography, and video creation. The Flex Studio also houses unique items such as a lightbox (for object photography), an erasable lightboard (also known as a glass chalkboard), and LED tube lighting. The Lab’s loanable equipment includes digital cameras, lenses, tripods, gimbals, lighting, audio recorders and microphones, and VR equipment (mobile Quest units and two permanent VR Rooms equipped with HTC Vive Pro 2 headsets).

Researchers are responsible for booking equipment and spaces in advance; access outside the Lab’s regular operating hours can be facilitated under special arrangements.

In-kind value:

Space: $90/hour or $450/day, as capacity allows.
Equipment loans: $30/item (on a 7-day loan) as capacity allows.
$1,500 ($100/hr x 15 hours) for additional project consultation spanning one project year.

YUL can advise on the creation of metadata. We lend our expertise to researchers on controlled vocabularies, standards, and conventions that will help to standardize object descriptions for better search and discovery.

The researcher is responsible for adding descriptive metadata to research objects, vetting accuracy, and for ensuring that the project team is familiar with the data model and chosen standards.

In-kind value:

$1,500 ($100/hr x 15 hours) for consultation services spanning one project year.

YorkSpace is York University’s institutional repository. It allows faculty members to meet Tri-council Open Access (OA) requirements without the need to pay author fees. The repository provides an excellent way to preserve and openly share scholarly and creative outputs from your project, including reports, videos, posters, and Powerpoint presentations.

YUL can also advise on funder OA mandates and assist with choosing reputable Open Access publishing venues.

In-kind value:

$1,500 ($100/hr x 15 hours) for consultation services spanning one project year.

Research Data Management (RDM) involves planning and the process of research data collection, documentation, storage, backup, access, sharing, and reuse throughout a research project. It spans the entire research project lifecycle, from drafting the research plan, to implementing it, to the preservation and publication of data (where applicable). In March 2021, Canada’s federal granting agencies launched the Tri-Agency Research Data Management (RDM) Policy. The Tri-Agency policy includes requirements related to institutional research data management (RDM) strategies, data management plans (DMPs), and data deposit.

YUL offers the following supports:

RDM best practices workshop for research teams. YUL can provide a RDM workshop for research teams to orient them to the data management lifecycle and RDM best practices.
Data Management Plan consultation. YUL can provide an orientation to the DMP Assistant (Canada’s national online data management planning tool), which helps researchers think through the complexities of data management for their respective project.
Data Management Strategy consultation. YUL can assist with complex data management questions, connecting researchers to additional supports on campus.
Data Deposit. YUL can work with researchers to assist them in identifying trusted data repositories and depositing their data in accordance with grant and publisher requirements, including using York University’s Dataverse. This includes a level of data curation for their data and enhancement of metadata by the Libraries to ensure it is compliant with repository standards.

In kind value:

$250/hour for a 60-minute RDM workshop for the researcher’s project team.
$1,500 ($100/hr x 15 hours) for consultation services spanning one project year.

Increasingly, grant applicants are required to articulate the impact of their research (e.g., what impact is anticipated, how impact will be achieved, etc.) on scholarship, training, economy, society/culture, and/or public policy. By making your research visible and accessible, you can increase the chances of your research being read and used, thus boosting your own reputation and impact.

For example:

SSHRC requires applicants make an outcomes statement and a knowledge mobilization strategy*
CIHR requires applicants to articulate a knowledge translation strategy of the impacts that will occur, and efforts made to achieve them*
NSERC requires a commercialization plan for research that involves collaboration with industry*

*Please note, some units on campus can provide more specialized expertise in knowledge mobilization and commercialization.

YUL can provide support in the area of research impact for pre-grant and post-grant stages, and can collaborate with researchers to develop and maximize strategies and pathways to research impact.

YUL offers the following supports:

Research visibility and impact consultation: YUL offers expertise to strategize ways to plan for and assess research impact using a range of metrics tools.
Research visibility and impact training and workshops: Based on research needs, YUL offers customized workshops and training to research teams on the research impact landscape, emerging developments, metrics tools, and best practices.

In-kind value:

$250/hour for a 60-minute research visibility and impact workshop for the researcher’s project team.
$1,500 ($100/hr x 15 hours) for consultation services spanning one project year.

Acknowledgements

This web page was inspired by and adapted from University of Victoria Libraries’ Library Services for Grant-Funded Research Projects, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 generic licence.