The University Secretariat and Legal Counsel manages a University Wide Policy Library, including an index of Research Policies.
Relevant research policy links are also listed below for convenience.
The purpose of this policy is to state the position of Queen's University on the recovery and distribution of the Indirect Costs of Sponsored Research activity. The policy was updated on April 11, 2025 and comes into effect May 1, 2025.
The Indirect Costs recovery rate will be 40% of the Direct Costs where funds will be supplied under a Research Agreement. This recovery rate is subject to the following exceptions:
- 35% of the Direct Costs where funds will be supplied under a Clinical Trial Agreement
- 25% of the Direct Costs where the External Sponsor is a commercial entity and the External Sponsor's funds are to be matched with funds from a government or not-for-profit agency that are contingent upon the External Sponsor's contribution, or
- a different recovery rate prescribed by the External Sponsor in published terms or policy, which are approved by the University.
The University does recognize that unique circumstances may arise in Research Agreement negotiations requiring a variation in the relevant Indirect Costs recovery rate. Approval by the Vice-Principal Research is required for variations in the published Indirect Costs recovery rates. Please see full policy for details, and when requesting a variance of indirect cost rate, use the following form:
When applying to Tri-Agency programs eligible for indirect cost recovery via the Research Support Fund (RSF) to institutions, applicants do not need to include indirect costs in their funding application. All Tri-Agency programs are eligible for RSF credit except those listed here, and in those cases the relevant indirect cost rate will be posted with Queen’s approved rates. To learn about recovery rates approved by the University, visit the Research Funding Database. Use the search function to find a posting and click to access opportunity details.
For information on U.S. Federal negotiated Indirect Costs, refer to
U.S. Grants and Contracts Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (PDF 828 KB).
If the information you need is not available, please contact us at research@queensu.ca.
Related procedures:
- Approval and Execution of Contracts and Invoices Policy
- Canada Foundation for Innovation Operations and Maintenance Policy
- Conflict of Interest Policy
- Collective Agreement for Postdoctoral Fellows
- Faculty Remuneration from Sponsored Research Grants
- Health and Safety Policy Statement
- Integrity in Research Policy
- Policies and Guidelines related to Research Agreements and Intellectual Property
- Intellectual Property Commercialization Policy
- Off-Campus Activity Safety Policy
- Paying Travel Agents Using a Research Grant Policy
- Procurement Policy
- Research Administration Policy
- Research Project Over-Spending and Pre-Spending Approval
- Residual Research Project Balances
- Special Research Projects Procedure
- Tracking and Managing Moveable Assets Policy
- Travel and Expense Reimbursement Policy
- University Animal Care Committee Policies
- University-Wide Policy Library
Canadian Federal Grants
- Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide
- Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research
- Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications
- Tri-Council Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions
- Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans
U.S. Federal Grants
Tools for Research at Queen's (TRAQ)
Financial Conflicts of Interest
- National Institutes of Health (NIH):
- Financial Conflict of Interest Form - MEMO Document
(View on National Institutes of Health page) - Financial Conflict of Interest Form - Consent & Disclosure Form
(View on National Institutes of Health page)
- Financial Conflict of Interest Form - MEMO Document
- U.S. Federal Grants (non-NIH):
- Disclosure and Consent Form for Significant Financial Interests
(View on U.S. Federal Grants page) - Implementation of U.S. Federal Awarding Agencies Conflicts of Interest Policy
(View on U.S. Federal Grants page)
- Disclosure and Consent Form for Significant Financial Interests
See Contracts and Agreements for legal agreements covering:
- equipment loan
- grant agreement
- material transfer agreement questionnaire
- non-disclosure agreement
- standard research agreement