Sponsor
Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO)
Program
Road Safety Research Partnership Program (RSRPP) 2023-24
For More Information
Please see Program Guidelines and Application Form (attached)
Description
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is pleased to announce the 2023 call for proposals for the Road Safety Research Partnership Program (RSRPP). The RSRPP funds researchers in Ontario’s broader public sector and non-profit organizations to conduct cutting-edge road safety research in support of Ontario’s efforts to protect our road users and drive safety innovation forward.
Selected partners must conduct applied road safety research using methodologies that the Ministry of Transportation cannot perform internally. This includes research that leverages any form of specialized equipment or resources such as private data sources, survey studies, simulator testing or clinical expertise, as examples. Only studies that cannot be performed by MTO personnel are eligible for program funding.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
Funding through RSRPP is open and competitive for the following types of Ontario institutions: hospital research institutes, colleges of applied arts and technology, publicly assisted universities (including their affiliated colleges, research centres, institutes and hospitals) and non-profit organizations located within Ontario.
The proposed study’s Principal Investigator (PI) must be a full- or part-time faculty member or employee of an eligible institution. An institution that is listed on MTO’s Vendor of Record for procurement services is not eligible for funding through RSRPP. The successful applicant is prohibited from subcontracting project work to outside vendors.
Eligible Projects
RSRPP research topics must have practical applications for improving road safety in Ontario. Proposed topics should address a current issue or opportunity for the provincial transportation system or its governing policies and programs. The following research questions are examples of road safety topics identified by MTO as areas of interest with a research need.- How effective are novel digital assessment tools at determining fitness-to-drive?
- What is the risk, prevalence and profile of impaired micromobility users?
- How prevalent is distracted driving among delivery service drivers who use active transportation and mobile phones to carry out their duties? How do job demands interact with or influence dangerous mobile phone use behaviour while on the road?
- How are emerging transportation technologies such as micromobility devices impacting Ontarians with disabilities?
- What are the opinions and perceptions among Ontario police officers regarding traffic law enforcement, penalties and provincial court processes?
- Does the use of advance driver assistance systems (ADAS) negatively impact driving skills or driver behaviour over time?
- What are the most effective ‘safe system’ designs for cyclist crossings at high-speed ramps and interchanges with minimal disruption to vehicular traffic?
- What are the in-transit safety risks for passengers on public buses? How do factors like crowding, seating, passenger position and interior design elements affect injury risk?
Note: Applicants may submit research proposals on topics that are not represented in the list above. Proposals must include clear descriptions of the research need and applications of the results.
A list of eligible and ineligible expenditures can be found in the Program Guide, Section 6.3 and 6.4.
Maximum Project Value
$50,000 per year
Indirect Costs
Overhead costs can be claimed up to 15% of the total project budget.
Project Duration
One to three years
Special Notes
COVID-19
Please note that research activities carried out in the context of COVID-19 need to adhere to the University of Guelph COVID-19 research principles, policies, guidelines and processes as they may be updated from time to time and communicated on the Office of Research web-page.
Deadlines
If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.
| Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Internal Deadline | Please submit your application form, along with an OR-5 Form to research.services@uoguelph.ca. Please ensure your Associate Dean, Research (ADR) has signed the Application under 'Head of Department.' The Research Services Office will countersign the application prior to instructing the Principal Investigator to submit to MTO. | |
External Deadline | Principal Investigator is responsible for submitting the completed, signed application to MTO at RSRPP@ontario.ca by the program deadline. |
How to Apply
Application Process- Review the Program Guidelines in their entirety to confirm that the research proposal is eligible for funding under RSRPP.
- Complete the 2023 RSRPP Application Form.
- Submit the completed application form to RSRPP@ontario.ca with any supplementary documents (e.g., curricula vitae) by March 31, 2023, noting the internal deadline for review/approval by the University of Guelph. Upon final submission, the Principal Investigator will receive an email confirming submission within two to three business days.
- Principal Investigators are responsible for responding to any MTO follow-up communications regarding their submitted RSRPP submission, engaging the University of Guelph's RSO, as necessary. Program admin may seek clarification or further information about the research proposal during the evaluation process.
Information For Co-applicants
If you need to meet a deadline set by the lead institution for this opportunity, please ensure that you provide the Office of Research with at least five days in advance of the lead institution’s deadline to review the application, or your proposed component of the project. Please be in touch with the Office of Research (contact information below) ahead of the deadline if it looks like it will be difficult for you to submit all the required documentation on time (i.e. budget, proposal, OR-5 Form)
Attachment(s)
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 2023-24 RSRPP Application Form | 458.44 KB |
| 2023-24 RSRPP Program Guidelines | 334.13 KB |