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Proposal Format

Research proposals will be limited to 7 single spaced pages that address the following:

  • Proposed topic and its importance. How is it new, unique or different? What will it contribute to the industry and who will benefit?
  • Brief review of relevant research/policy literature
  • Description of methodology proposed, including data collection and methods of analysis
  • Importance of findings to the industry
  • Symbolic or figural model outlining the framework of the study
  • Evaluation plan and expected outcomes
  • Proposed itemized budget
  • Proposed schedule
  • Brief list of current other support (subsidies, grants, bursaries, awards, etc)

Attachments such as current curriculum vitae of all members of the research team (if a team project) including each members affiliation and role in the research, a bibliography, variables list, model, tables, etc, are allowed and are not counted in the seven page proposal limit.

Two letters of recommendation are required from scholars who support the research being proposed. Only one of these two recommendations may be from the applicant’s own institution, if applicable.

Evaluation Process

Each proposal will be evaluated by a multidisciplinary subcommittee made up of Directors of the CPF. If necessary, outside support will be sought, depending on the proposal submitted. Final decisions on the allocation of funds will be made by the full Board of the CPF.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals submitted will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Quality of the proposal – The proposal must clearly define the issue being researched and describe the methodology that will be used to investigate the problem. The objectives must be clearly stated. Professional outcomes must be consistent with the highest academic standards for scholarly productivity in the discipline.

Importance to the industry – The proposed research must define activities that are expected to make a significant impact on the field of study.

Breadth and depth of the proposed research – The proposed research should be part of a significant project, one which will provide long range benefits to the industry.

Research productivity – The applicant’s research experience and record as determined by scholarly publications or presentations. Is the applicant qualified to carry out the proposed research?

Applicants research funding – The total project cost must be clearly identified along with all other subsidies, grants, bursaries, awards, etc.

Application Submission

Proposals for research grants will be accepted throughout the year for awards made on April 1 and September 1.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Contact Gwyn Thomas at [email protected] if you have any questions regarding the application or submission process. All awards are contingent upon continued funding from the CPF and will be reviewed annually.

Applications should be sent to [email protected]

Notification of Award

Applicants will receive written notification of award status from the CPF by April 1 or September 1.

Funding Criteria

An applicant may submit only one proposal to the CPF Research Grant Program for review at any one time. All research grantees will be required to submit a brief (3-6 pages) progress report mid-way through the grant period. A final report will be submitted at the end of the grant period. Funding will be linked to the approval of the progress report and the final report. Grantees will receive one-third of the total award at the beginning of the grant period, one-third upon acceptance of the progress report, and one-third upon acceptance of the final report.

The final report should acknowledge that the research was completed with the assistance of the CPF.

Patents

The rights to the manuscript will remain the exclusive property of the researcher. All concepts, products or processes produced by or resulting from the research rendered by the applicant in connection with this grant application, or which are otherwise developed or first reduced to practice by the applicant in the completion of the research, and which are patentable, capable of trademark or otherwise, shall be and remain the property of the applicant.

The CPF shall have a permanent non-exclusive royalty free license to use any concept, product or process, which is patentable, capable of trademark, or otherwise produced by or resulting from the research rendered by the applicant in connection with the project.

Background Information

The Canadian Parking Association Charitable Foundation (CPF) was founded in 1996 to advance education and research in the parking industry. The Foundation organizes the World Parking Symposium (WPS) bi-annually and gives awards or funding to those in the parking industry who merit recognition through their excellence in the business.

The goal of this research grant program is to create a body of knowledge through progressive research and education in the field of parking. It should contribute to the expansion of basic knowledge or apply such knowledge to the solution of problems in parking which may include, but are not limited to, operations, construction, maintenance, wayfinding, etc that will benefit the owner, operator and/or user of the parking facility.

Description

Two grants, each in amounts of up to $10,000, will be available annually. Awards for Research Grants are available for 1 or 2 year projects. Successful applicants will be required to submit for review a progress report and a final report. Research grantee’s final report should be of a quality and in a format suitable for publication in a peer reviewed scholarly or industry journal.

Eligibility

Research grants are available to faculty at institutions of higher learning, masters and doctoral level research, postdoctoral research as well as governmental and industry led research.

Research Grant Award

In the fall of 2010 the Canadian Parking Foundation awarded its first research grant amounting to $10,000 to Rachel Weinberger an Assistant Professor of City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania. The topic she submitted was to study the effects of on site parking on home values in New York City. An understanding of the implicit market price for parking will help cities better understand under what conditions they should impose maximum or minimum parking requirements and under what conditions they might rethink their policies and rely more heavily on industry partners to determine supply, demand and appropriate pricing for this commodity. We expect this paper to be completed later this year...