Deadline: 5-Aug-22
The Accessibility Standards Canada is inviting interested organizations to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for research funding.
The Advancing Accessibility Standards Research program funds research projects that helps identify and remove barriers to accessibility. It also funds research projects aimed at preventing new barriers. The findings from the research projects is used to inform the development of next-generation model accessibility standards. These are standards that fall under federal areas of responsibility.
Objectives
Your research project must contribute to the program’s objectives:
- Work with different people and organizations across Canada to move accessibility standards research forward to help create a national network of accessibility expertise.
- Involve persons with disabilities, other experts, and organizations to inform the research.
- Identify and share research, information, best practices, and tools about accessibility barriers and standards.
Priority Research Areas
Your project must focus on 1 or more of the following priority areas:
- Canada’s election process, including voting and running for office communication, other than information and communication technologies, including accessible communications through sign language (American Sign Language, Langue des Signes Québécoise, Indigenous Sign Language)
- design and delivery of programs and services, including inclusive and accessible service delivery
- employment, including accessible employment for youth with disabilities transitioning from school to work
- information and communication technologies
- procurement of goods, services, and facilities
- the built environment
- transport
Funding Information
Organizations can ask for up to $250,000 per year, per project. The maximum is $750,000 over 3 years.
Eligible Activities
Examples of federal areas of responsibility:
- Government of Canada programs, services, and activities
- federal buildings and national parks
- certain private sector organizations in areas such as:
- banking
- broadcasting and telecommunications
- road tran sportation services that cross provincial or international borders
Eligibility Criteria
This call for expressions of interest is open to all Canadian organizations that are legal entities in Canada. To be eligible, your organization must fit into 1 or more of the following categories:
- research or educational institution (such as a university)
- not-for-profit organization
- Indigenous organization, including a band or tribal council or other self-governing entity
- municipal (local) organization
- provincial and territorial organization (excluding provincial or territorial governments).
Requirements
Your research project must:
- Contribute to the program’s purpose.
- Contribute to the program’s objectives.
- Focus on at least 1 of the program’s priority research areas.
- Project timing: Your research project should start no earlier than April 2023 and must be completed by March 31, 2026. Your research report must also be published by that date.
- Partnerships: You must partner with 1 or more organizations to help you deliver your research. Partnerships should be across sectors and/or disciplines. They must foster the creation of a national network of accessibility expertise. They must also encourage the participation of people with disabilities in your research.
- The number of partnerships depends on the amount of funding you are requesting:
- If you are asking for $100,000 or less per fiscal year, you must partner with at least 1 other organization.
- If you are asking for more than $100,000 per fiscal year, you must partner with at least 2 other organizations. One of these partners must be a national disability organization. (Note: This requirement does not apply if your organization is an Indigenous or national disability organization.)
For more information, visit https://accessible.canada.ca/advancing-accessibility-standards-research/funding