The Research Assistants Defence Fund (RADF) compensates members in divisions 1 and 2 (Humanities and Social Sciences) who are forced to undertake T4 taxable RA work in order to receive the minimum guaranteed funding package.
Who is eligible to apply to the fund?
Anyone who meets the following criteria is eligible to apply: (a) You have secured at least 30 hours of Unit 1 work between September 1, 2023 and August 31, 2024. (b) You were registered as a student and a member of the funded cohort in the current academic year. (c) The combined value of TA and RA work included in your funding package must be greater than $8,043 (i.e., the maximum amount of TA work the Employer can count towards the minimum funding commitment).
What counts as RA work for the purposes of the RADF?
For RA work to count for the purposes of this fund, it must be both: 1) T4 taxable RA work, and 2) included in the funding package (as noted in the funding letter). PLEASE NOTE: members in divisions 3 and 4 (in Engineering and the Physical Sciences or Life Sciences departments) are ineligible for this fund, because RAships in those departments are not T4 taxable income.
How do I know if my RA work is taxable?
You can find your paystubs here: http://ess.hrandequity.utoronto.ca. If a payment has taxes deducted from it, it is T4. If you have multiple RAships, please contact your department’s administrative staff to confirm that the one in your funding package is T4.
How much money will I get?
The RADF has been allocated $25,000 for the current year. The fund compensates members in divisions 1 and 2 (Humanities and Social Sciences) in full for any T4 taxable RA work included in their funding package (if the combined value of TA and RA work included in their funding package is greater than $8,043). If there are monies left over after the fund has reimbursed all eligible claims, the remainder of the monies will be reallocated to the SWAF for that year.
When will I get my money?
Applications for this fund will be open between July 1 and July 31. Disbursements will follow in October.
How do I apply?
When the application opens on July 1, the form will be available online and accessible through the Member Portal (found by scrolling up to the top right of this page).
A complete application for the RADF will include: (a) the RADF Application Form; (b) supporting documentation—your funding letter and signed contracts/DDAH forms confirming your TA and RA work in the current academic year and (c) your pay slips from September 2023 to June 2024.
If you don’t see the application form for the RADF on the Member Portal (under ‘Forms’) during the application period, then you will need to fill out a Membership Application Form (also found on the ‘Forms’ tab). When your membership application is processed, the RADF Application Form will be accessible through the portal. PLEASE NOTE: processing membership applications can take up to one hour. Failure to fill out a membership application in a timely way is not grounds for submitting a late application. If you experience any issues during the application process, please see the Fund Application FAQ for answers to commonly asked questions.
Applications will be accepted between 1 July-31 July, 2024.