EXTERNAL GRANTS (NON-RESEARCH) POLICY

Policy Type:

Management

Initially

Approved:

December 17,

2018

Policy Sponsor:

VP, Finance and

Administration

Last

Revised:

Primary Contact:

AVP, Finance and

Commercial

Operations

Review

Scheduled: May 2025

Approver:

Board of Governors

OVERVIEW

The University engages in activities supported by external funds through various funding

arrangements.

This Policy establishes criteria by which proposals for operating, program, and capital grants

seeking external funds are:

a. reviewed to ensure alignment with the University’s strategic objectives and priorities,

b. evaluated in a consistent and coordinated manner, with full consideration of all institutional

impacts and obligations; and

c. approved by the appropriate Approval Authority.

PURPOSE

This Policy ensures that all efforts in the cultivation, solicitation, application and acceptance of

external funds relating to operating, program, and capital grants are appropriately authorized,

coordinated, and carried out in a manner that is aligned with the strategic priorities of the University.

SCOPE

This Policy applies to all Employees engaged in solicitation, application and acceptance of

operating, program, or capital grants involving external funds.

POLICY STATEMENT

GENERAL

1.1

The University will engage in activities for the cultivation, generation and use of

operating, program, or capital grants involving external funds where such resources

and activity support the University’s strategic objectives; are authorized by the

appropriate authority; and, are undertaken with full awareness of all relevant legal

and contractual obligations.

External Grants (Non-Research) – December 17, 2018

Page 1 of 4

1.2

Employees who engage in funding activities for operating, program, or capital grants

involving external funds share responsibility for ensuring appropriate due diligence

is completed while drafting proposals.

1.3

All proposals for operating, program, or capital grants involving external funds must

receive appropriate oversight, review and approval from their initial concept through

implementation plan in advance of their submission to the relevant granting agency

or external party.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

2.1

An Employee may only submit a proposal seeking external funding for operating,

program, or capital grants involving external funds after receiving approval from the

appropriate Approval Authority for the resulting Contract as per the Contractual

Signing Authority Policy.

2.2

All proposals for operating, program, or capital grants involving external funding must

include sufficient budgetary considerations to address ongoing obligations and

indirect costs to the University.

2.3

The Approval Authority of a proposal seeking external funds must ensure that the

proposal:

aligns with institutional strategic objectives and priorities;

has been reviewed from a financial and appropriate resource perspective, in

consultation with Finance and Commercial Operations;

has been reviewed in consultation with appropriate departments prior to their

submission, where proposals raise issues that require specialized expertise.

(e.g.: Legal Services to review terms and conditions creating legal obligations,

Human Resources to review for hiring of new employee, Risk Services to

review proposal for off-campus travel, etc.);

has appropriately considered the impact of any resulting indirect costs to the

University;

is operationally feasible;

has completed cross institutional impact assessments to ensure that all areas

of the University impacted are able to meet the obligations of the proposal,

including but not limited to academic and service areas such as Enrolment

Services, Career Services, Information Technology Services, Facilities

Management; and

is in compliance with any legislative or regulatory requirements, including

University policies, collective agreements and any other obligation of the

University.

2.4

Proposals that have not met the above criteria will not be approved by the Approval

Authority, and no further action may be taken.

External Grants (Non-Research) – December 17, 2018

Page 2 of 4

CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS

3.1

The Approval of any resulting Contract must ensure that the Contract is considered

and signed in accordance with the University’s Contractual Signing Authority Policy

and related procedures.

4. EXCLUSIONS TO THIS POLICY

4.1

Proposals for external funding involving research grants, Gifts, or Sponsorships are

excluded from this Policy. The University has separate policies that address

proposals and resulting Contracts for these specific categories.

DEFINITIONS

(1)

Approve/Approval:

refers to the act of the University entering into Contractual

Commitments in accordance with this Policy. Contractual

Commitments may receive approval in many ways, such as by

an Authority signing or executing a contract, submitting a

binding proposal, accepting or issuing a purchase order or

quotation, renewing or extending previously approved

Contractual Commitments, agreeing to terms of use, or

accepting online terms and conditions.

(2)

Contract:

means any written or verbal agreement, contract, letter of

intent, memorandum of understanding, memorandum of

agreement, cooperation agreement, affiliation agreement,

collaboration agreement, or similar document between the

Board of Governors of Mount Royal University and another

party with the intention of creating obligation(s)

(3)

Employee:

means individuals who are engaged to work for the University

under an employment contract, including but not limited to

faculty, staff, exempt, casual and management employees

(4)

Gift:

means a voluntary transfer of some form of property, either in

cash or in-kind, that is not linked to the delivery of a specific

good or service, for which the donor expects and receives

nothing of value in return, as defined by Canada Revenue

Agency (CRA)

(5) Policy:

means the External Grants (Non-Research) Policy

(6)

Sponsorship:

means an arrangement wherein an external party, provides

cash and/or in-kind services to support a specific activity for

which the sponsor receives something of value in return. The

value is not necessarily tangible such as any benefit received

from advertising opportunities promotional consideration,

merchandising, etc.

(7)

University:

means Mount Royal University

External Grants (Non-Research) – December 17, 2018

Page 3 of 4

RELATED POLICIES

•

Acceptance of Donated Gifts Policy

•

Code of Conduct Policy - Employees

•

Endowment Management Policy

•

Institutes at Mount Royal University Policy

•

Partnerships and Sponsorships Policy

•

Philanthropic and Honorific Naming Policy

•

Research Overhead and Indirect Costs Policy

•

Contractual Signing Authority Policy

•

University Fundraising Policy

RELATED LEGISLATION

RELATED DOCUMENTS

•

Cross Institutional Impact Assessment Template

REVISION HISTORY

Date

(mm/dd/yyyy)

Description of Change

Sections

Person who

Entered Revision

(Position Title)

Person who

Authorized Revision

(Position Title)

12/06/2022

Editorial – Policy contact title Policy Contact

Policy Advisor

General Counsel &

University Secretary

04/18/2023

Editorial

Policy Advisor

General Counsel &

University Secretary