Notable acknowledgment
Our sincere gratitude to the RBC Foundation, Advanced Education, Alberta Innovates, and Alex Zahavich for their generous contributions in establishing the Innovative Student Project Fund. Their initial support has had a meaningful impact on SAIT students.
ISPF funding
Up to $1500 per project is available to SAIT students with successful project submissions. Additional financial contributions are not required for the project. However, if applicable, monetary or in-kind contributions (time, facilities, consumables, etc.) are acceptable and should be reflected in the application.
Funding criteria
To be eligible for funding:- you must be enrolled in a SAIT diploma, certificate, degree or apprenticeship program
- projects must be completed while you're enrolled in your SAIT program
- you must demonstrate capacity for innovative thinking within your project
- your project must include a component of applied research. (for example, addressing an existing challenge or meeting an unsolved need)
- you must identify a SAIT faculty advisor
- you must identify a project sponsor or mentor
How to apply for ISPF funding
To apply for ISPF funding:
- Review all funding criteria to ensure you and your project is eligible.
- Ensure your innovative project has a good plan and a well-thought-out budget.
- Download and complete the application form. The accompanying project sponsor letter of support is optional but recommended.
- Submit an electronic copy of your application form to SAIT.StudentProjects@sait.ca. Ensure it is digitally signed by your group, industry sponsor, faculty advisor, and Academic Chair.
- Be prepared to present your project in an online meeting about one to two weeks after you submit your application.
- You will have up to five minutes to present your project proposal. You will be able to share your screen and any resources you have prepared with the panel members.
- This will be followed by another five-minute question-and-answer period with the panel members. We welcome your industry sponsor to attend your presentation.
Project sponsors or mentors
Appropriate project sponsors or mentors include:
- industry or community partners that have brought forward the challenge to be solved
- an industry subject matter expert who can help evaluate and provide feedback on a challenge you have identified
- a start-up or business mentor who can support you through key entrepreneurship skills to help bring your solutions to life.
If you are unsure if your project sponsor/mentor is acceptable or if your sponsor/mentor is a SAIT employee, please contact us at SAIT.StudentProjects@sait.ca.
Judging criteria
Your project proposal will primarily be evaluated based on the following:
- Level of innovation: Projects that contribute to more effective products, processes, services, technologies or ideas, and outcomes with industrial/commercial/community relevance and/or uptake.
- The plan: A clear explanation of the project and research question being addressed, a realistic methodology and timeline, and clearly defined outcomes and deliverables.
- Financials: A clear rationale for budget items and reasonable cost estimates for all items. If applicable, additional financial contributions should be reflected in the application.
The panel will also consider the following:
- Project support: Identifying a suitable project sponsor, making links to other programs, schools, and departments at SAIT, and linking to other external organizations who will support the project.
- Legacy: The project's educational value, opportunities for a future student to use the project outcomes and resources.
- The general quality of application: Questions are answered appropriately using satisfactory spelling and grammar.
Managing your awarded funds
You will find out if you have been approved for funds one to two weeks following your team's presentation to the ISPF panel, along with the amount of funding your team has received if awarded.
ISPF is awarded on a reimbursement process, and only funds used for the project during the specified time will be covered.
Your team will be responsible for remaining under budget as ISPF will only cover the amount your team has been approved for. Any unused portion of the awarded budget at the end of the project will expire.
How to get reimbursed for project expenses
- Check your award letter to confirm the awarded amount and any requested budget changes or spending restrictions.
- Determine who on the project team will make the purchase. Save your receipts for all purchases, as these will be required to be reimbursed. Remember to consider the added costs of shipping, taxes or currency conversions, if applicable.
- Document all your purchases on the Student Expense Claim Form and Staff Expense Claim Form and attach the appropriate receipt to each line item. Each team or faculty member who makes purchases with their own money must do their own expense claim form.
- Work with all team members and faculty to ensure the final budget table and requested reimbursement amount match all expense claim sheets and report the results of your project by answering all the questions on the Outcome Report.
- Get team members, the project sponsor, the faculty advisor, and the academic chair to sign the report.
You will be reimbursed for your purchases approximately one month after you submit your outcome report and expense claims. Please consider this timeline when making purchases, as ISPF will not cover interest payments.
ISPF will only reimburse teams or members that have submitted a completed outcome report or proper expense forms and receipts.
Student expense claim formFAQs about ISPF
Your budget should be detailed enough that it is clear to the judges that research and quotes have been completed and your team has provided an informed estimate.
For large-budget items, it is recommended to be specific and list exact items rather than using general categories.
Please take advantage of the open explanation section of the budget form to detail what larger budget items will be used for and where your estimates came from.
Smaller budget items like screws or fasteners require less detail and often no explanation.
We recognize that innovative projects may require unique resources.
Please note that these are not all-inclusive lists.
Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to:
- fabrication materials
- fabrication services (machining, welding, etc.)
- electronics hardware (development boards, wires, sensors, etc.)
- taxes, duties, and shipping associated with obtaining fabrication materials
- software (licenses that extend beyond the life of the project must be installed on a SAIT computer unless permission is given otherwise)
- equipment (confirm with a faculty advisor if the equipment is already available at SAIT beforehand)
- consumables (sandpaper, adhesives, etc.)
Non-eligible expenses include, but are not limited to:
- design or consultation fees
- courses
- credit card interest payments
- late payments
- competitions fees
- purchases without receipts
Please provide a copy of the receipt and your credit card statement with the relevant line item and the CAD cost charged. Be sure to black out any personal information or purchases irrelevant to ISPF.
We do not retain any intellectual property, and following SAIT Policy AC.3.10 Ownership of Student-Produced Work, you retain ownership of the project you create.
In the case of teams and when industry partners are involved, you should have an innovative project agreement in place before the start of the project.
SAIT reserves the right to retain physical possession of items acquired with ISPF funding and work resulting from the project.
If SAIT approves your request to keep of any of the items resulting from the project (the “retained items”), you waive and release SAIT, its governors, officers, employees, consultants and agents from all claims, liabilities, losses and costs resulting from or related to the retained items.
Contact
Applied Research and Innovation Services
Nelia Julca, Student/Grant Administrator
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Email - nelia.julca@sait.ca
Student Life
Oki, Âba wathtech, Danit'ada, Tawnshi, Hello.
SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.