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STRATEGIC PROJECT GRANTS

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Title: STRATEGIC PROJECT GRANTS


1
STRATEGICPROJECT GRANTS
2
What We Do at NSERC
  • We invest more than 950 million every year in
    people, discovery and innovation

3
People
NSERC supports about 12,000 science and
engineering students earning Masters and Ph.D.
degrees
4
Discovery
NSERC supports the research of more than 11,000
university college professors
5
Innovation
20 of NSERCs budget goes to funding
university-industry research partnerships
6
NSERC Budget 2007-08(millions of dollars)
Total 957
7
Innovation Programs Budget 2007-08(millions of
dollars)
Total 193
1. Includes College and Community Innovation
Program (0.3M).
8
Research Partnerships Programs (RPP)
  • Strategic Project Grants (SPG)
  • Collaborative RD Grants (CRD)
  • Idea to Innovation (I2I)
  • Industrial Research Chairs (IRC)
  • Research Partnership Agreements (RPA)
  • Strategic Networks Grants (SNG)
  • Intellectual Property Mobilization Program (IPM)
  • Strategic Workshops Program (SWP)

9
Our Track Record
  • 1,300 partner firms since 1983
  • Over 60 of Canadas Top 50 RD firms
  • Average of 100 new firms every year
  • Broad range of eligible partners
  • Large companies with RD departments
  • Start-up firms with nascent in-house capacity

10
Why Participate in Research Partnerships
Programs?
  • See the results of your research reach an
    application outside of the university
  • Gain access to industry facilities, personnel,
    valuable advice
  • Create student training opportunity, access to
    equipment and market knowledge
  • Beneficial collaborations that result in
    industrial or economic benefits to Canada

11
Strategic Project Grants (SPG)
  • Objective
  • Increase research and training in targeted areas
    that could strongly influence Canadas economy,
    society and/or environment within the next 10
    years.

12
Anticipated Results
  • New knowledge/technology with strong potential to
    strengthen Canadas industrial base, generate
    wealth, create employment and/or influence
    Canadian public policy
  • Highly qualified personnel trained in the
    identified target areas
  • Increased participation of companies and/or
    government organizations in academic research
  • Knowledge/technology and expertise transferred to
    Canadian-based organizations that are well
    positioned to apply the results for economic gain
    or to government organizations to strengthen
    public policy

13
Requirements
  • The research must fall within one of the target
    areas identified for support
  • The project must be well defined in duration,
    objectives and scope duration may be from one to
    three years
  • One or more supporting organizations that can
    apply the results must collaborate in the project
  • Supporting organization must be actively involved
    in all stages of the project. Therefore, in-kind
    contributions are required, but cash is not.

14
Collaborations
  • Outside NSE applicants are encouraged to
    collaborate with experts outside the natural
    sciences and engineering, where appropriate, up
    to 30 of the project costs
  • International applicants are encouraged to
    incorporate international collaborations into
    their proposals

15
Seven Target Areas
  • Advanced Communications and Management of
    Information
  • Biomedical Technologies
  • Competitive Manufacturing and Value-Added
    Products and Processes
  • Healthy Environment and Ecosystems
  • Quality Foods and Novel Bioproducts
  • Safety and Security
  • Sustainable Energy Systems

16
Focused Research
  • 3-8 priority research topics identified within
    each target area (80)
  • Exceptional opportunities outside the research
    topics but within the target area (up to 20)
  • Research outside the 7 priority target areas will
    not be considered for funding

17
Research Topics
  • Advanced Communications and Management of
    Information
  • Network-Intensive Applications
  • Ubiquitous Networks
  • Management of Information in a Networked
    Environment
  • Adaptive/Cognitive Networks
  • Advanced Materials, Devices and Supporting Tools
  • Software and Computing Systems
  • highlighted in national ST Strategy

18
Research Topics (continued)
  • Biomedical Technologies
  • Detection Methods for Use in Whole Organisms
  • Computational Tools for Real-Time Signal
    Processing and Analysis
  • Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
  • Technologies for Independent Living and in-Home
    Care

19
Research Topics (continued)
  • Competitive Manufacturing and Value-Added
    Products and Processes
  • Value-Added Wood Products
  • Near-Net-Shape Processes
  • Process Models and Integrated Production Models
  • Functional Materials
  • Lightweight Materials for Transportation

20
Research Topics (continued)
  • Healthy Environment and Ecosystems
  • Ecosystem Adaptation, Interventions and Modeling
  • Water Resources
  • Waste Management and Site Remediation
  • highlighted in national ST Strategy

21
Research Topics (continued)
  • Quality Foods and Novel Bioproducts
  • Food Quality and Safety
  • Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
  • Novel Bioproducts
  • Aquaculture

22
Research Topics (continued)
  • Safety and Security
  • Risk and Vulnerability
  • Resiliency of Systems
  • Event Detection

23
Research Topics (continued)
  • Sustainable Energy Systems
  • Integrated Systems Approach to Electrical Power
    Grids
  • Energy Storage
  • Fuel Cells and Clean Transportation Systems
  • Biomass Conversion and Co-product Optimization
  • Systems Engineering Approach to the Extraction,
    Conversion and Utilization of Fossil Fuels
  • Clean Coal and Carbon Capture and Storage
  • Low Emission Industrial Systems
  • Other Renewable Energy Sources
  • highlighted in national ST Strategy

24
Typical Strategic Project Grant
  • Average grant 130,000/year for three years
  • Often involves several team members, from the
    same or different institutions
  • Some grants with single applicant
  • Collaborators (researchers from the supporting
    organization, government scientist, foreign
    research scientist) may be members of the team

25
Competition Timetable
  • Applications due April 15
  • Pre-selection process, if necessary
  • External peer review Summer
  • Panel evaluation September
  • Results announced October

26
Guidelines for Applicants
  • Applicants must
  • Select a target area and a research topic from a
    list provided
  • Explain in Proposal module (under Introduction
    / one additional page is provided) (1) why the
    proposed research is strategic and (2) how it
    addresses the research topic selected
  • Provide a compelling case for consideration if
    the research falls outside the research topics
    but within the target areas listed (Exceptional
    Opportunity outside the Research Topics)

27
Application Process
  • Application for a Grant (Form 101)Parts I and II
  • Personal Data Forms (Form 100) CVs of
    collaborators
  • Company profile
  • Form 183A (partners information and
    contributions)
  • Letter of support describing partners
    involvement in the project (see instructions for
    specific items to be addressed)

28
Eligibility of Applicants
  • Applicant and Co-applicants
  • Must hold, or have a firm offer of, an academic
    appointment at an eligible Canadian university,
    for
  • A tenured, tenure-track or life-time professor
    emeritus position or
  • A term position of no less than three years
  • College Faculty can be co-applicants (see NSERC
    Website for list of eligible colleges)
  • Co-applicants outside NSE must meet NSERC
    eligibility requirements

29
Eligibility of Applicants (continued)
  • Collaborator
  • Government scientist, company staff member,
    research scientist from another country
  • Not eligible to hold NSERC grants
  • Qualified to undertake research independently
  • Expected to contribute to the overall
    intellectual direction of the research project
  • Expected to bring their own resources

30
Evaluation Process
  • External referees
  • Typically three per application
  • Technical expertise to aid the committee
  • Appendix C your suggestions
  • Internal selection committee
  • Proposal is assigned to three internal reviewers
  • Discussion amongst the whole group

31
Evaluation Process (continued)
  • Projects are evaluated against seven criteria
  • Each criterion is graded from 1 (lowest score) to
    4 (highest score)
  • Each criterion is of equal value
  • Only projects that are strong in all 7 criteria
    are eligible for funding

32
Evaluation Process (continued)
  • Selection criteria
  • Originality of the research
  • Quality of the research
  • Project work plan
  • Quality of the applicants as researchers
  • Training potential
  • Interactions with the supporting organizations
  • Benefits to Canada and the supporting
    organizations

33
Originality
  • Novelty
  • How the research relates to current state of
    knowledge
  • Potential for developing new knowledge, products
    or processes
  • Extent to which research will impact the field
  • Potential for major scientific breakthrough

34
Quality of Research
  • Focus and clarity of short- and long-term
    objectives
  • Appropriate methodology
  • Justification for approach based on existing
    knowledge
  • Feasibility of research planned
  • Does the research fit the Strategic Projects
    target areas?

35
Work Plan
  • Clarity of project description
  • Coherence of deliverables in work plan
  • Probability of success within proposed time frame
  • Availability of necessary equipment
  • Roles and time commitment of research
    co-applicants (collaborative roles)
  • Collaboration and communication plans
  • Justification and need for funds
  • Demonstrated management plan

36
Quality of Applicants
  • Does the team (including company researchers, if
    applicable) have all the required expertise?
  • Form 100 very important
  • Recognition of researchers achievements and
    contributions
  • Appropriateness of skill sets of individual
    researchers in the proposed areas
  • Roles and time commitment of research
    co-applicants (collaborative roles)

37
Training Potential
  • Who will do the work? Graduate, undergradsand
    co-op students technicians, post-docs and
    research associates
  • Is the training relevant to the needs of Canadian
    organizations?
  • Will the HQP have the opportunity to work in the
    non-academic partners facility?
  • Workshops and training of industrial personnel at
    the applicants lab
  • Track record of applicants in training HQP
  • Suitability of the training environment

38
Interactions with Supporting Organization
  • Is the supporting organization a good partner?
  • Do the project objectives fit with the priorities
    of the non-academic partner? Remember that the
    partner organization will have to prepare a
    progress report midway through the project!
  • How will the technology be transferred?
  • Is the non-academic partner able to assimilate
    new technology?
  • What is the degree of involvement of the
    non-academic partner in developing the proposal
    and throughout the project?
  • What kind of a track record do the applicants
    have in transferring technologies?

39
Benefits to Canada and Partner(s)
  • Delineate probable socio/economic/health benefits
    in a quantitative wayfar more convincing!
  • Is there a potential benefit in creating
    significant public policy as a result of the
    research?
  • Is there potential to increase the numbers and/or
    quality of personnel working in an area of
    strategic importance?

40
Supporting Organizations
  • Private sector
  • Canadian-based companies with Canadian operations
    (RD or manufacturing) that can apply the
    research results for economic gain
  • Non-academic public sector
  • Canadian government organizations that can apply
    the research results to strengthen policies
  • Do not qualify as supporting organizations
  • NGOs, venture capitalists, government research
    labs, foreign research institutions,
    implementation sites, potential customers.

41
Supporting Organizations (continued)
  • A supporting organization must also
  • Have a demonstrated interest in the project
    (letters of support, in-kind and/or financial
    support, etc.)
  • Be involved at all stage of the research (Help to
    develop the proposal, interact with researchers
    and students, provide input to the project)
  • Validate the results of the research
  • Provide guidance concerning the exploitation of
    the results

42
Whats in it for the Partners?
  • Access to
  • Team of researchers with expertise in a desired
    area to solve a problem
  • Technology/idea of commercial interest
  • Research facilities and infrastructure that the
    industry lacks
  • Potential access to a source of highly qualified
    personnel
  • Give companies a competitive edge in global
    markets

43
The Winning Proposal
  • Get partners involved early on to help develop
    the project strategy
  • Clear demonstration of the benefits to Canada and
    partner organization
  • Multi-disciplinary research is a plus but not
    essential all participants must have a
    demonstrated role in the project!

44
The Winning Proposal, (continued)
  • FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY!
  • Make the proposal and Form 100 easy to read and
    digest use colleagues in non-related disciplines
    to proofread and evaluate
  • Objective and work plan must be crystal clear
  • If applying for a second or third time, pay
    careful attention to comments of reviewers.
    Address the issues and clearly state how the
    application has been changed!

45
Summary
  • New target areas with specific research topics
  • Funding for proposals in the research area, but
    outside the research topics is limited to 20 of
    the budget allocated to the area
  • Applicants must explain why the proposed research
    is strategic and how it addresses the research
    topic
  • Supporting Organizations
  • Active involvement is essential
  • Government fulfilling the Supporting Organization
    requirement Proposal must clearly show how the
    project relates to their public policy
    responsibility (i.e. applying the results to
    strengthen public policy)

46
Conclusion
  • Strategic grants fund projects, not programs
  • They provide an opportunity for university
    researchers to carry out innovative science and
    engineering work with potential for
    commercialization
  • They provide a unique opportunity to introduce
    students to potential employers and an
    opportunity for non-academic partners to access
    scientific expertise and specialized research
    equipment

47
Comments/Questions??
Contact NSERC RPP Denis Godin, Account
Manager (613) 943-2168 Denis.Godin_at_nserc.ca
RPP_at_nserc.ca
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