ONCAT Research Request for Proposals 2020

Sponsor

Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT)

Program

ONCAT Research Request for Proposals 2020​

Description

ONCAT supports research that advances knowledge and understanding of the current state of transfer students and transfer pathways in Ontario. The objective of this funding strategy is to generate knowledge that can directly inform policies, pathways and institutional practices and contribute to a greater understanding of system-wide issues that impact transfer and student mobility.

Areas of Focus

• Labour market outcomes of transfer students: This research area will support projects that explore how transfer students are doing in terms of labour market outcomes. Priority will be given to projects that draw on novel data sources (e.g. linkages within Statistics Canada’s ELMLP environment) to assess the labour market outcomes of transfer students. ONCAT is particularly interested in projects that will employ a multivariate approach to account for student demographics, as well as those that will use techniques (e.g. PSM) to address self-selection. 
• Industry demand for pathways: This research area will support projects that explore labour market demand for pathways and whether pathways help address existing and emerging skills needs. This could include an exploratory analysis of current labour market demand for articulated pathways across geographic regions, or specific industrial sectors, within the Ontarian economy. ONCAT is particularly interested in how pathways could be strategically crafted to meet present skills needs within the labour market. They are open to projects that perform either primary data analysis or draw on a review of secondary sources to identify prospective in-demand pathways.
• Transfer+Online learning: This research area will support projects that explore the integration of online learning and credit transfer. Projects could include an environmental scan of models used to integrate online learning and credit transfer across North America, along with other exemplary jurisdictions. In particular, ONCAT is interested in an in-depth review of institutional arrangements (e.g. credit transfer policies, online course databases, student support structures) within jurisdictions where credits earned online can be transported seamlessly across colleges and universities (e.g. Georgia).
• Transfer+Apprenticeship: This research area will support projects that explore transfer into and out of apprenticeship. Projects could include an analysis of student mobility patterns from apprenticeships to programs offered by university/college/Indigenous Institutes; and from pre-apprenticeship programs to apprenticeships. ONCAT is also particularly interested in the performance of these individuals after they transition (e.g. time-to-completion, completion rates).
• Transfer+Industry-based Professional Development: This research area will support projects that explore pathways between industry-based professional development and postsecondary education. Projects could include an environmental scan of existing arrangements that support the recognition/transferability of industry-based training (e.g. badges) or professional development by PSE institutions. 

Eligibility

Eligible

• Postsecondary institutions in Ontario (Colleges, Universities and Indigenous Institutes), Not-for-Profit organizations and postsecondary education researchers working in the field of postsecondary education in Ontario are eligible to apply.
• Applications can be from individual institutions or collaborative initiatives.

Ineligible

• Projects/Activities and/or personnel that are funded through the Credit Transfer Institutional Grant (CTIG) are not eligible for ONCAT funding. The applicant must ensure that its institution has not been granted funding for the same or similar research.
• Issues that are specific to the applicant’s institution only.
• Proposals led by external consultants. Private Consulting Firms are not eligible to apply for research RFPs. 

Funding Availability

Grants generally range from $10,000- $100,000.

Indirect Costs

20%

Special Notes

Submission requirements

To be considered for funding, proposals must include the following:

• Alignment with research priority areas
• Clear scope and sound methods: Proposals should articulate clear research questions and a detailed research plan that outlines data sources, research approaches/techniques. 
• Strong Rationale: Proposals must demonstrate how the knowledge being generated can inform policies, pathways and institutional practices in student mobility in Ontario. Proposals should explain how the research will contribute to the literature on student mobility and how it can serve as a sector resource for developing a more seamless postsecondary education system in Ontario.
• Research Capacity: proposals must demonstrate clear capacity to conduct the research & an appropriate research team
• Knowledge Mobilization strategies: Proposals should include an overview of knowledge mobilization strategies during the course of the project and how research findings will be shared and possibly implemented.
• Budget: A clear and realistic budget that aligns with the proposed activities
• Ethics Review (if applicable): include timelines for Research Ethics Board approval, as needed for projects involving human participants or as may be required for institutional research involving multiple institutional partners and/or access to institutional data/records.