Consulting Services-Research

The Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) has undertaken two studies on the total costs of university research, one in the 1970s, in partnership with the Association of University and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), another in 1982. Institutional costs of research were estimated by both studies as an average of 50% of Direct Costs. A 1996 report, commissioned by the Canadian Association of University Research Administrators, AUCC and Industry Canada , Indirect Costs on federal research contracts to universities , put the institutional costs of research at an average of 54% of Direct costs. In 2000, the federal government’s Advisory Council for Science and Technology (ACST) produced a report, Creating a sustainable university research environment in Canada : The role of the Indirect Costs of federally sponsored research , which recommended investment in institutional costs of research at the level of 45%. The Government of Quebec, in 2001, produced yet another study, which placed these costs between 51% and 68%, depending on the type of research. Despite the overwhelming convergence in findings in the above reports; the return rates on Indirect Costs have steadily eroded. At a time when Canada ’s peer jurisdictions are providing greater levels of support and recognition for the increasing costs of research, Canada is falling ever further behind. In an environment of underfunding of the Full Costs of research, Canada ’s universities are increasingly hard-pressed to maintain excellence in research and teaching, are less competitive in the global knowledge market and, for the more research-intensive, are required to draw ever greater sums from sources intended for other uses to cover these costs. McGill is seeking a consultant or consulting firm who demonstrates proficiency and excellence primarily in delivering the requested analyses, proposal and strategy, with the goal of moving towards a funding model that covers the Full Costs of research for Canada ’s research-intensive universities. Bidders must provide a proven track record, a full description of their Service delivery models and how they will provide this value-added service to G13.