British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund
Application Process
All applications made to B.C. Knowledge Development fund will require the following:
- A completed BCKDF application form.
- If also applying for Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) funding, a copy of the completed CFI application form. (The BCKDF application form can refer to text in the CFI application form, where appropriate.)
- Letters of commitment from all project funding partners, where funding is confirmed.
All submission deadlines will be published on the website.
All applications must be signed by the president, CEO, chair or designate of the applicant institution. In the case of joint or multi-partner applications, the president, CEO, chair or designate of each applicant institution must also sign the application form.
Once an applicant has received notice of CFI funding approval, the applicant must immediately advise the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development of the level of funding provided and any conditions on that funding, and must submit to the ministry satisfactory proof of the approval of such funding. The Province will normally make its decision after this information has been provided.
For projects ineligible for CFI funding, applications to the BCKDF will be reviewed and further information may be requested.
Provincial funding is conditional on each applicant ensuring that the construction and implementation of projects meet all the lawful requirements of the Province of British Columbia (e.g., environmental standards, employment legislation) and any applicable local bylaws.
Application Review Process
The Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development is responsible for reviewing applications, establishing appropriate peer reviews, and making recommendations to the minister for approval of appropriate proposals. Every effort will be made to ensure a fair, timely and transparent approval process.
The review process for all BCKDF proposals will consist of the three stages listed below:
Stage 1: Assessment of a Project’s Basic Eligibility
The ministry will establish a BCKDF committee to conduct an initial review of all applications received. This review will focus on the following criteria:
- Is the applicant an eligible institution?
- Was the application deadline met?
- Is the application form complete, including the proper sign-off by applicant and partner institutions?
- Will the project bring about the modernization, development or acquisition of research infrastructure?
- Will the project be located in British Columbia? If not, are there clear benefits to British Columbia?
- If eligible for CFI funding, has this funding been applied for?
- Is funding available to cover the incremental operating costs of the infrastructure?
- Is there a reasonable expectation that research funding will be available in future years if the project is approved?
Stage 2: Assessment of the Project Against Provincial Objectives
All projects submitted to BCKDF will be assessed by the BCKDF committee on their degree of correlation with the five major objectives of the program. Appendix 1 provides a full description of the provincial review criteria and their relative weights.
Applicants will be informed if their proposals are rejected after either of the first two stages of the review process.
Stage 3: Proposal Content Review
For projects applying for both BCKDF and CFI funding that successfully complete the first two stages of the review process, the BCKDF committee will accept the results of CFI’s scientific and technical review process. To facilitate that process:
- Site reviews conducted by CFI for major projects, under the auspices of any of its funding mechanisms, will be conducted in the presence of a ministry representative.
- Applicants must provide the ministry with access to their CFI applications and any subsequent information as the ministry may request.
Recommendations for approval will be forwarded to the minister for final decision once the CFI and BCKDF reviews are completed.
The Province reserves the right to decline any application for any reason, including, but not limited to lack of funds, projects deemed not to be in the public interest, projects in conflict with the priorities and policies of the province, or projects raising ethical or other concerns.
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