Archived in January 2013 Schedule 15: Public Communication

This information has been archived. Visit the  Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions page for current information.

1. Policy of Collaboration

Institutions and Agencies both benefit from positive public awareness of federally-funded research and research training, and from promoting the value of this investment for Canadians.

In order to maximize mutual benefit and fulfill responsibilities, Institutions and Agencies collaborate and work closely together to inform the public about Agency grants and scholarships awarded, programs of research support and research training, and about significant research results achieved at their Institutions.

This collaboration includes acknowledging the participating Institutions and Agencies in all relevant public communications involving external participation as well as, if feasible, giving the parties involved at least five working days’ advance notice of all such communications activities. In addition to written acknowledgement of funding contributions, and appropriate use of logos on promotional and media materials, including press releases, Web sites, advertising, research profiles, publications, equipment, recognition in accordance with the government’s Communications Policy and Agency Communications Guidelines (where they exist) is expected.

Institutions and Agencies work to promote announcements in the media, on each others’ Web sites and in each others’ corporate materials, to exchange visual materials, to share media coverage, and to designate contact persons within the respective public affairs or communications divisions of each organization.

For the purposes of this Schedule:

significant research results

relevant public communications

large-scale funding projects

2. Responsibilities

2.1 Responsibilities of the Institution

The Institution agrees to:

1. identify, encourage and assist researchers to communicate with media and participate in announcement events to promote Agency-funded research;
2. inform, at least five working days before the proposed announcement, if feasible, the Agency’s or Agencies’ public affairs or communications division – normally through the Institution’s own public affairs, communications, or research communications department – of announcements of Agency awards, programs and significant research results that the Institution proposes to make;
3. include appropriate acknowledgement of the appropriate Agency or Agencies in all relevant public communications issued by the Institution;
4. respect the relevant Agency or Agencies’ obligation under the  Communications Policy of the Government of Canada;
5. respect the relevant Agency or Agencies’ prerogative to make the first public announcement of its awards, grants and programs, when the relevant Minister declines to do so. It is the purview of a Minister or the Minister’s designate to make public announcements of all federal expenditures; and
6. share with the Agency or Agencies any promotional material for the general public that is based on Agency-funded research.

2.2 Responsibilities of the Agencies

As indicated, it is the purview of a Minister or designated Parliamentarian(s) to make public announcements of all federal expenditures. The relevant Agency takes the lead in notifying the Minister, coordinating such announcements with the Minister or the Minister’s designate, and generally planning for all such announcements.

Each Agency agrees to:

1. inform applicant(s) and Institution(s) of the outcomes of Agency grants and awards programs prior to communicating this information to the public;
2. inform the relevant Institution’s public affairs, communications, or research communications department, as applicable, about public announcements or communications of specific awards, grants, research projects/programs and significant research results that are relevant to the Institution, prior to communicating this information to the public; advise the Institution of the anticipated timing of that announcement; and, if feasible, notify the Institution of such activities at least five working days in advance;
3. provide the Institution and the Grant or Award Holder with equipment stickers to acknowledge funding sources;
4. work in partnership with each relevant Institution when preparing public announcements and promotional material that concern Agency-funded research projects; and
5. collaborate on public announcements, as appropriate, with funding partner(s), which may include another Agency as lead when that Agency has a primary role in a jointly-funded research project.

3. Resolution of Issues of Non-Compliance

Not applicable.