As the university transitions to this new system, researchers and administrative staff are strongly encouraged to set up an account and begin using Pivot-RP to search for funding. Funding opportunities will be automatically generated to match research interests and researchers will be able to network with other Pivot-RP users.
<<<Visit the Pivot-RP sign-up page>>>
To begin using Pivot-RP, several resources are available.Researchers can take self-guided training through the Pivot-RP webpage or check out the YouTube tutorials. The Office of Research is also hosting online training sessions for faculty members, graduate students and administrative staff.
The faculty, post-doc and graduate students training session will be hosted January 27, 2-3 PM. The administrative staff training sessions will be held on February 16, 1:30-2:30 PM and March 8, 2:30-3:30 PM.
<<<Sign up for a Pivot-RP training session>>>
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is this a system that researchers in the Faculty of Math must use?
There’s no requirement that researchers MUST use Pivot-RP, but the hope is that researchers find the system simplifies the process of searching for funding and they will want to use it. The Office of Research has begun to disseminate opportunities using Pivot-RP links on webpages and emails (instead of linking directly to call websites), so we highly encourage researchers to make Pivot-RP accounts so that they can access Office of Research dissemination resources.
Q: What kind of uptake has there been so far?
The uptake for Pivot-RP has been quite positive so far. For example, there were some 35 attendees at the last Pivot-RP training session in October 2021 and the general consensus from the session feedback survey was that the system looked promising and effective. Most people indicated that they were going to start using Pivot-RP moving forward.
Q: Is there any sort of deadline or is this something researchers will necessarily encounter when they go looking for funding?
There is no deadline to make a Pivot-RP account, but it’s recommended that researchers do so before attending a training session so that they can make the most out of the session (e.g. this will allow them the option of having their own Pivot-RP account open during the training, coming prepared with any questions they have, etc.).
Q: Does it cover tri-agency funding?
Yes. The Office of Research Pivot-RP newsletter (to be launched at the end of this month) will also include tri-agency searches to keep researchers up-to-date on the latest opportunities.
Q: Why should faculty members take the time to do training now or set up a profile now, when they may not be applying for funding until later?
Setting up a profile will help researchers match with funding opportunities aligned with their research interests. The sooner researchers begin to use Pivot-RP, the sooner they can take advantage of this. Pivot-RP will also show funding opportunities far in advance of deadlines, allowing researchers time to plan accordingly, even if they are not actively looking for funding at the moment.
As mentioned, the Office of Research resources are now linking to Pivot-RP (this will only increase after the launch of our newsletter this month). There is no guarantee that the Office of Research will offer regular live training with Pivot-RP representatives after the three training sessions already scheduled, so researchers and staff are encouraged to take advantage of these sessions.