As of November 10, 2022, the funding limit request for Alliance Option 2 projects will increase to $1,000,000 annually.  Additionally, there will no longer be a limit on the number of applications researchers can submit.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with alliance@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.

NSERC has launched the Chairs for Inclusion in Science and Engineering<https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/CFS-PCP/CISE-CWSE_eng.asp> (CISE) program as a two-year pilot program in the Atlantic region.

The goal of the CISE pilot is to support a team of researchers in the Atlantic region who contribute to a culture of inclusion in the natural sciences and engineering fields by catalyzing networks of supporters of this work, promoting equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the research ecosystem, and undertaking activities to enhance awareness and understanding of barriers and inequities faced by members of underrepresented groups in these fields.

Chairs are expected to contribute up to 50% of their time to the activities of the Chair and the remaining time to their professor/researcher activities at the university. Therefore, Chairs should be released from teaching and administrative tasks in proportion to the stated percentage of time spent on the activities of the Chair.

Eligibility

  *   Candidates must apply as a team of three. One person must be designated as the applicant; however, all team members are expected to contribute meaningfully to the application and proposed activities. All three members of the successful team will be considered Chairs.
  *   Team members must be from at least two different NSERC-eligible universities within the Atlantic region to amplify the impact of the Chairs? program and build a base for networking across the region.
  *   Each team member must meet NSERC?s regular eligibility criteria<https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/Eligibility-Admissibilite/faculty-corpsprof_eng.asp> to apply for or receive NSERC funding.
  *   Each team member must hold a current NSERC research grant as the principal applicant or be awarded one prior to taking up the Chair (exceptions may be granted when a strong justification is provided).
  *   At least one of the team members must self-identify as a woman (please note that this is a minimum requirement; teams entirely composed of women are also eligible).
  *   At least one aspect of the team?s proposal must be focused on the participation and retention of women in science and engineering.

Funding
NSERC will contribute an initial $130,000 in project funds per year to be shared by the team. In addition, NSERC will match cash and in-kind contributions from the host universities and supporting organizations up to a maximum of $70,000 per year, for a total of $200,000 in project funds per year for the team. In-kind contributions can consist of staff time, salaries, equipment and any other resources provided by the supporting organizations.

To help the chairholders maintain their research activity at a high level during their tenure as CISE Chairs, NSERC will also match cash contributions of at least $20,000 from host universities with $25,000 to support a postdoctoral fellow (PDF) or research engineer for each team member.

UPEI Information and Application Process
The UPEI VPAR?s office will contribute $20,000 toward PDF/Research Engineer support and provide funds for up to two annual course releases per application (commitments will be conditional upon a successful application). Further support required from UPEI must be coordinated with the appropriate Chair/Dean, and potentially using NSERC CISE funds for salary/backfill where warranted.

Research Services must receive a draft copy of the application by March 1, 2023, in order to confirm commitments from host universities and supporting organizations and assist with the preparation of a UPEI letter of support. Submit documents by email to researchservices@upei.ca.
Deadline for submission in the UPEI Romeo Researcher Portal<https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/>: NSERC has launched the Chairs for Inclusion in Science and Engineering<https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/CFS-PCP/CISE-CWSE_eng.asp> (CISE) program as a two-year pilot program in the Atlantic region.

The goal of the CISE pilot is to support a team of researchers in the Atlantic region who contribute to a culture of inclusion in the natural sciences and engineering fields by catalyzing networks of supporters of this work, promoting equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the research ecosystem, and undertaking activities to enhance awareness and understanding of barriers and inequities faced by members of underrepresented groups in these fields.

Chairs are expected to contribute up to 50% of their time to the activities of the Chair and the remaining time to their professor/researcher activities at the university. Therefore, Chairs should be released from teaching and administrative tasks in proportion to the stated percentage of time spent on the activities of the Chair.

Eligibility

  *   Candidates must apply as a team of three. One person must be designated as the applicant; however, all team members are expected to contribute meaningfully to the application and proposed activities. All three members of the successful team will be considered Chairs.
  *   Team members must be from at least two different NSERC-eligible universities within the Atlantic region to amplify the impact of the Chairs? program and build a base for networking across the region.
  *   Each team member must meet NSERC?s regular eligibility criteria<https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/Eligibility-Admissibilite/faculty-corpsprof_eng.asp> to apply for or receive NSERC funding.
  *   Each team member must hold a current NSERC research grant as the principal applicant or be awarded one prior to taking up the Chair (exceptions may be granted when a strong justification is provided).
  *   At least one of the team members must self-identify as a woman (please note that this is a minimum requirement; teams entirely composed of women are also eligible).
  *   At least one aspect of the team?s proposal must be focused on the participation and retention of women in science and engineering.

Funding
NSERC will contribute an initial $130,000 in project funds per year to be shared by the team. In addition, NSERC will match cash and in-kind contributions from the host universities and supporting organizations up to a maximum of $70,000 per year, for a total of $200,000 in project funds per year for the team. In-kind contributions can consist of staff time, salaries, equipment and any other resources provided by the supporting organizations.

To help the chairholders maintain their research activity at a high level during their tenure as CISE Chairs, NSERC will also match cash contributions of at least $20,000 from host universities with $25,000 to support a postdoctoral fellow (PDF) or research engineer for each team member.

UPEI Information and Application Process
The UPEI VPAR?s office will contribute $20,000 toward PDF/Research Engineer support and provide funds for up to two annual course releases per application (commitments will be conditional upon a successful application). Further support required from UPEI must be coordinated with the appropriate Chair/Dean, and potentially using NSERC CISE funds for salary/backfill where warranted.

Research Services must receive a draft copy of the application by March 1, 2023, in order to confirm commitments from host universities and supporting organizations and assist with the preparation of a UPEI letter of support. Submit documents by email to researchservices@upei.ca.
Deadline for submission in the UPEI Romeo Researcher Portal<https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/>: March 14, 2023
Applicants must submit to NSERC by the deadline of March 28, 2023.

Note: the UPEI application process must be followed, regardless of whether the application is led by UPEI or another institution.
 

Please see below for information from NSERC regarding Q&A sessions for the Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's program. 

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Tuesday, November 1 (in English)

1 pm to 3 pm (Eastern Time)

Link: https://nsercvideo.webex.com/nsercvideo-fr/j.php?MTID=m11dbd2e158166331715e52288a7d1fb9

Thursday, November 3 (in French)

1 pm to 3pm (Eastern Time)

Link: https://nsercvideo.webex.com/nsercvideo-fr/j.php?MTID=m8a8aaeaab7a56b81afba9b2dfbcc92d0

Tuesday, November 8 (in English)

10 am to noon (Eastern Time)

Link: https://nsercvideo.webex.com/nsercvideo-fr/j.php?MTID=md347dab015caab6a8f9e1e31a8a0150c

Thursday, November 10 (in English)

1 pm to 3pm (Eastern Time)

Link: https://nsercvideo.webex.com/nsercvideo-fr/j.php?MTID=m0ca8d4dfd4cbca680ceadb4cc7121148

Tuesday, November 15 (in French)

10 am to noon (Eastern Time)

Link: https://nsercvideo.webex.com/nsercvideo-fr/j.php?MTID=m79d87cbf35fcdeda5422452e88a49152

Thursday, November 17 (in English)

1 pm to 3pm (Eastern Time)

Link: https://nsercvideo.webex.com/nsercvideo-fr/j.php?MTID=m38d1de06dbf533cb9afe19744b2653d2

These sessions will be hosted as live Q&A WebEx events. They are supported by a series of informational videos available on the NSERC YouTube channel. These videos are intended to completely replace the presentation portion of the NSERC sessions, allowing NSERC staff and applicants to engage in a more in-depth and detailed Q&A session than we would normally have time for. Participants should watch the videos in advance and come to the Q&A session with specific questions in mind.

Please attend any of the sessions that best suits your schedule. Registration is not required.

Playlist - Scholarships & Fellowships program application tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6ox0GB7vXYlhaAY7mEqwmMqYK9TGCp1E

• Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) and Subatomic Physics Research Tools and Instruments (category 1) deadline to November 1st, 2022, at 5:00 pm (ET) and,
• the Discovery Grants (DG) and Subatomic Physics Discovery Grants (individual and project) (including associated supplements) deadline to November 7th, 2022, at 5:00 pm (ET).

: 

The Research Portal is open for NSERC’s Research Tools and Instruments applications. 

Program Information 

Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) grants foster and enhance the discovery, innovation and training capability of university researchers in the natural sciences and engineering by supporting the purchase of research equipment. 

RTI grants are one-year awards of up to $150,000 that assist in the purchase of research tools and instruments with a net cost between $7,001 and $250,000 (before taxes, customs and importations fees, transportation and shipping charges, and assembly and installation costs). 

NSERC will only accept the following requests: 

• for tools and instruments that form a comprehensive system intended to support NSERC-funded research in the natural sciences and engineering. 
• for the purchase of new, used or refurbished equipment, for the repair, upgrade or rental of equipment or for the fabrication of equipment that is not readily available off the shelf 
• for equipment that is purchased or rented after the application deadline 

Guidelines on the assessment of contributions to research, training and mentoring...

https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Media-Media/NewsDetail-DetailNouvelles_eng.asp?ID=1326

NSERC invites applications for initiatives that promote the natural sciences and engineering (NSE) to Canada’s young people, particularly to under-represented groups in NSE careers, including girls and Indigenous peoples. 

PromoScience supports hands-on learning experiences for young students and their teachers. Grants may not be used to support research. 

The maximum allowable request is $200,000/year for 3 years. NSERC will not fund 100% of the costs of a proposed activity. NSERC’s contribution is generally up to one-third of a program’s funding, but NSERC will allow more flexibility if justified for competition 2022 given the circumstances surrounding COVID-19. 

Only one application may be submitted per department in a post-secondary institution per competition year.   

For more information, visit the PromoScience website. 

UPEI Submission Process 2022:

Due to NSERC’s application limit, each department can submit only one application. 

1) Applicants will submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to their Chair (or Dean for non-departmentalized faculties) by Monday, August 8th.  The LOI (limit one page) will contain the following: 

• List of names of the principal investigator and co-investigators (and their affiliation) 
• Title of the project 
• A description of the project that includes the following information: 
  • A description of the nature and goals of the program including the anticipated number of youth or teachers to be reached  
  • An overview of how the PromoScience funding would be spent and details on other sources of funding (confirmed and/or anticipated) 
  • A description of the relevant experience of the applicant and other team members in science or engineering promotion 

2) Chairs/Deans will select the top LOI from their faculty (or, if appropriate, encourage a collaborative application among interested applicants) and inform Research Services of the selected principal applicant from their department by Friday, August 26th.  Chairs/Deans should consult with Research Services regarding any questions about the eligibility of proposed applications. 

3) Selected applicants will prepare their application following NSERC's application process and must submit the application using the UPEI Romeo Researcher Portal for internal review and approval by September 8^th, ensuing that the application is received by Research Services by September 12th.  Upon receipt of approval from Research Services, applicants must submit their application to NSERC electronically using NSERC’s ICSP Secure Submission Site. 

Due to COVID-19, NSERC is replacing live webinars with pre-recorded videos followed by live Q&A sessions. This series is meant to assist the research community on how to complete an application using the Research Portal and the NSERC Canadian Common CV (CCV). You will find below the pre-recorded videos as well as the dates for these upcoming live Q&A sessions.

Please view the pre-recorded videos prior to attending a live Q&A session, as the material presented in the videos will not be repeated.

In preparation, familiarize yourself with the following documents:

• Memo to Potential Applicants – Notification of Intent to Apply for a Discovery Grant – 2023 Competition
• Instructions for Completing the Notification of Intent to Apply for a Discovery Grant
• Canadian Common CV – How to Complete NSERC’s Version

Pre-registration is not required to attend the live Q&A sessions. The session will be open 15 minutes in advance for you to review existing questions and submit your questions in advance.

Considering the high attendance to the webinars, NSERC staff may not have time to respond to all individual questions during the sessions. Any additional questions should be directed to the support team at NSERC Discovery.

Consult the Webinars page regularly to learn about upcoming information sessions.

FAQs for the second edition of the NSERC Discovery Horizons pilot program:

Frequently asked questions:

 1.      Can applicants who hold a Discovery Grant or are applying for a Discovery Grant in Fall 2021 submit a LOI to Discovery Horizons?

Yes, researchers holding a Discovery grant or applying for one this year are eligible to apply to Discovery Horizons.

 2.      Can co-applicants be from non-NSE disciplines (Economics, Sociology …)

As long as the faculty members meet all eligibility requirements they can be from any departments. However, in the Discovery Horizons proposal, they must work towards advancing knowledge in the NSE.

3.      Is the proposed work under Discovery Horizons expected to be drastically different from the work proposed for Discovery? Is conceptual overlap allowed as long as there is no budgetary overlap?

Discovery Horizons proposals should be different from Discovery Grants (applied for or held) since the Discovery Horizons applications, due to their broad level of interdisciplinarity with the social sciences or health research are not suitable for the DG program. At the full application stage, applications must indicate that the funds requested from the Discovery Horizons program will be for expenses that are distinct from those covered by support from other sources. For funding applied for, you must indicate that there will be no duplication of funding for the same expense(s) and explain how funds will be used if all applications are successful.

4.      Does the application need to have all three components: (1) social sciences and humanities, (2) natural sciences and engineering, and (3) health and wellness?

No, Discovery Horizons applications must be rooted in the NSE and integrate elements from the social sciences and humanities and/or health and wellness.

5. How does the Discovery Horizons Program and the Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review process differ from the interdisciplinary research funded under the New Frontiers in Research Fund?

Although the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) was also created to fund interdisciplinary research in response to the Fundamental Science Review’s recommendations, it is focused on high-risk, high-reward, and fast-breaking research and supports research that proposes novel interdisciplinary approaches that bring together disciplines that do not traditionally work together. Please see the New Frontiers in Research Fund website for more details. Discovery Horizons, as well the other funding opportunities reviewed by the Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee will complement NFRF by focusing instead on investigator-initiated interdisciplinary research projects that are aligned with the core funding programs at each of the three major funding councils, including research projects that use existing interdisciplinary approaches.

6. Can I submit the same application to more than one of the funding opportunities participating in the Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee?

No, applicants may not identical or essentially identical applications to more than one funding opportunity participating in the pilot of the Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee, NSERC’s Discovery Horizons, SSHRC’s Insight Grants and CIHR’s Project Grants. In addition, all applications must meet the eligibility requirements and guidelines of the funding opportunity to which they apply, including those related to multiple applications. As a result, it is important to consult the funding opportunity’s webpage.

7. How do I determine which funding opportunity to apply in order to have my application reviewed by the Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee?

Applicants should apply to the agency funding opportunity that supports the dominant research area of the proposal.

 8. Will interdisciplinary applications that fall entirely within the research areas of one agency be considered by the Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee?

No, applications that fall entirely within the research areas of one agency should be directed towards existing committees or evaluation groups, based on the practice and criteria of each agency. For example, interdisciplinary research solely within the natural sciences and engineering, with no social science, humanities, health, and/or wellness components should be directed towards another NSERC program, such as the Discovery Grants Program.

L’équipe du programme Horizons de la découverte / The Discovery Horizons team

www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca | www.crsng-nserc.gc.ca