The Government of Canada introduced the Indirect Costs Program (ICP) in 2003. This permanent program provides Canadian universities and colleges with an annual grant to help pay for a portion of their hidden or “indirect” costs of research, which pose a financial challenge to these institutions.
Whether the grant pays for the maintenance of libraries, laboratories or research networking spaces, or for the technical support required for an institution's website or library computer system, the overall goal of the Indirect Costs Program (ICP) is to help ensure Canada's research institutions remain top-notch.
By alleviating the financial burden of indirect costs, the program ultimately helps researchers concentrate on cutting-edge discoveries and scholarship excellence.
Indirect Costs or Overhead Costs?
The Federal Indirect Costs Program is sometimes confused with Overhead Costs related to research budgets. If you are preparing a grant application and are seeking information about UBC's Overhead Policy, please consult the Overhead Costs section of this website.
UBC’s Indirect Costs Allocation
The amount of UBC’s Indirect Costs Allocation is calculated using an algorithm that is based on the amount of funding awarded in the previous fiscal year by Federal granting agencies. According to this calculation, in 2009/10 UBC received an indirect costs allocation of $25,087,985. This allocation is divided into five ICP categories:
| ICP Category | UBC Allocation |
| Facilities | $1,528,851 |
| Resources | $350,631 |
| Management & Administration | $2,923,167 |
| Regulatory Requirements & Accreditation | $597,321 |
| Intellectual Property | $139,700 |
| Total | $25,087,985 |
A portion of this allocation is retained to support central research administration units and core facilities, and the rest of the allocation is distributed to UBC faculties and affiliated research institutes where eligible costs are incurred.
