Requirements for Faculty of Arts Electronic Cover Sheets

The Office of Research ECS system is new, but the requirements for Faculty of Arts submissions remain much the same. To ensure sufficient time for chair/director and ADR review and sign off, please be sure to complete and submit your cover sheet at least 5 days in advance of the deadline. 

What to include on your cover sheet

Arts researchers are also expected to include in their cover sheet the following supporting documents:

  1. A project summary or description of the contract/agreement or award
  2. A clear budget that matches the cover sheet - OR a full grant application (near final draft is fine) in place of (1) and (2)
  3. If applicable, emails, memos or letters detailing:
  • deviations from the UWaterloo standard overhead rates (Funding section, question #2)
  • cash or in-kind commitments from your academic unit, Arts, and/or UW (Funding #4)
  • teaching release arrangements (Risks #14)
  • for applicants with a limited term appointment, confirmation from the chair/director that an extension for the duration of the funding will be granted (i.e., as a re-appointment or adjunct).

Common Errors to Avoid

Because the ECS system does not permit any edits, corrections, or amendments to be added along the way (e.g., by chairs, ADR, Arts Research Office staff), it is important that your cover sheet be complete and correct from the start.  Any problematic cover sheets will need to be returned to the PI and go through the entire approvals cycle again.

Here are a few tips and common errors to avoid:

  • Supporting documents: Do not forget to upload them (see above).
  • Sponsor/Program: SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR are part of “Canadian Tri-Agency,” and each can be found in the drop-down list. Identify the specific grant program (e.g., Insight Development Grant) in the next box, “Project Sponsor and/or Program Name/Details.”
  • Co-investigators: Any co-investigators listed on the cover sheet must be UW faculty. Do not add faculty external to UW.  Do not list UW postdoctoral fellows and students here, either.
  • Overhead: Agencies like SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR do not provide overhead, and you can simply click “yes” when asked whether you’ve asked for maximum overhead (Funding section, question #2).  If, however, you are applying to sponsor that does offer overhead and you are including something less than standard UW overhead rate(s), provide an explanation in the comment box provided and attach confirmation from your department chair that they approve the overhead reduction.