Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Available funding programs

Program name: Discovery Grant
Type: Operating
Office of Research deadline(s): Draft new application 1 months in advance of agency deadline
Final full application 2 days in advance of agency deadline
On-line status "submitted" 2 days in advance of agency deadline
Program deadlines: Notification of Intent to Apply August 1st annually
Full application November 1st annually
Funding start date: April 1st
Length of project: Up to 5 years
Program submission instructions:

NSERC applications procedure

  • Common CV
  • Notifications of Intent to Apply
  • Application
Office of Research application procedure: Signed Cover Sheet must be submitted to OR
Office of Research contacts: Kelley Moran
Program contact: NSERC Contacts List
Program Name: Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA)
Type: Award
USRA Terms: Spring May 1 – August 31
Fall September 1 – December 31
Winter January 2 – April 30
Office of Research deadline(s):

1st deadline for co-op applicants who wish to overlook the application process through WaterlooWorks

 2 weeks before Co-op term interview starts
Final term deadline for all other applicants 2 weeks in advance of USRA term start date
Department deadline(s): Contact your Department USRA coordinator.
Amount: $6,000 plus supervisor’s contribution (Effective: Spring 2021)
Length of project: 14 to 16 weeks on a full-time basis
Program submission instructions:

All applications must be submitted using NSERC’s on-line system:

  • Form 202 – Part I: completed and submitted by the applicant
  • Transcript: submitted by the applicant (Waterloo unofficial transcript, or official transcript with legend from another eligible university)
  • Form 202 – Part II: completed and submitted by the supervisor

Full description available on NSERC’s site including instructions for completing form 202.

University of Waterloo students who wish to apply for a NSERC USRA at another eligible Canadian University are encouraged to contact the Office of Research to have their transcript fee waived.
USRA Supplement:

Canadian Forest Sector Workforce Diversity Undergraduate Supplement Program

From Spring 2020 to Winter 2023, NSERC in partnership with Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service (NRCan – CFS), will run a new supplement program to the Undergraduate Student Research Awards.

Up to thirty (30) awards per year will be offered nationwide in each of the 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 competitions.

This additional supplement has a value of $5,000.

NSERC will select candidates and will directly offer the supplement to selected USRA holders. In order to accept the supplement, award holders will have to accept the supplement’s Terms and Conditions.

More information is available on the Office of Research USRA SharePoint Site.

The supplement is to be counted over and above the USRA top-up.
Office of Research contact:

Sarindra Andrianasolo
Program contact: NSERC Students and Fellows Contacts List

Program Name:

Alliance Grants
Type:

University researchers collaborating with private-sector, public-sector or not-for-profit organizations
Grant Duration: 1 to 5 years
Grant Amount:

$20,000 to $1 million per year
Program Details:

NSERC is launching the new Alliance Grant. Alliance grants encourage university researchers to collaborate with partner organizations, which can be from the private, public or not-for-profit sectors. These grants support research projects led by strong, complementary, collaborative teams that will generate new knowledge and accelerate the application of research results to create benefits for Canada.

Research supported by Alliance grants will:

  • generate new knowledge and/or technology to address complex challenges;
  • create economic, social and/or environmental benefits;
  • contribute to Canada’s long-term competitiveness;
  • support public policy;
  • train new researchers in areas that are important to Canada and to the partner organizations;
  • draw on diverse perspectives and skill sets to accelerate the translation and application of research results.

Applicants are encouraged to apply for the new Alliance Grant beginning on May 21, 2019.

Alliance will be launched in a phased approach. As of May 21st, Option 1 will be open for applications requesting $150,000 or more annually from NSERC. Please continue to check the Latest News webpage and click on “Sign up” to receive email updates on Alliance grants.

For help preparing your application please see the below links, also available on the Alliance Resources webpage:

For the latest information, consult Alliance Grants.

Office of Research contact:

 Lynda McCutcheon
Manager, Research Partnerships
519- 888-4567, ext. 33244
lmccutch@uwaterloo.ca

NSERC contact:

Alliance@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
613-995-1111

Program Name:

NSERC Alliance & Mitacs Accelerate Grants – New Joint Initiative

Type:

Application

Internal Deadline

2 weeks in advance of submitting your application

Program Deadline

No Deadline – Applications accepted at any time.

Research Focus:

NSERC and Mitacs are pleased to build on the success of their existing partnership with a new joint initiative that will support the R&D efforts of Canadian university researchers and their partners, while supporting highly qualified personnel including students and/or postdoctoral fellows.

Through NSERC’s Alliance grants and Mitacs’s Accelerate, this new opportunity is available to Canadian researchers through a single application submission and review process. Applicants are invited to include in their Alliance application a request for additional support through Mitacs Accelerate internships as a component of the training of highly qualified personnel.

Alliance grants support university researchers to collaborate with partner organizations, which can be from the private, public or not-for-profit sectors, on their R&D efforts that will create economic, social and/or environmental benefits to Canada.

Accelerate puts the talent of students and postdocs to work with a paid internship at an organization that needs their expertise.

Alliance-Accelerate applications require the following information when outlining the training of highly qualified personnel:

  • A description of the role of the Mitacs interns in the research project and an explanation of the quality of the research-based training experiences provided to the interns
  • A description of how the internship partnership organization is committed to providing supervision and mentorship to the interns
  • An explanation of how the number of Mitacs interns and the number of internship units are appropriate to the scope of the project

Applicants who wish to include Mitacs Accelerate internships in their Alliance application should contact their local Mitacs business development representative to obtain the NSERC/Mitacs joint application form. Applicants must submit the NSERC/Mitacs joint application form to NSERC with their Alliance proposal.

For more information please visit the NSERC Alliance/Mitacs Accelerate Grants webpage.

Funding Details

Up to 5 Years

Program submission instructions:
  1. Notify the Office of Research of intention to apply.
  2. Review in full the NSERC Alliance/Mitacs Accelerate Grants
  3. Follow the instructions found in “How to Apply” of the NSERC Program Website.
  4. Submit the final proposal accordingly on-line.
  5. Submit Cover Sheet, and final copy of all application documents to the Office of Research.

Office of Research contact:

 Lynda McCutcheon
Manager, Research Partnerships
519- 888-4567, ext. 33244
lmccutch@uwaterloo.ca

Program contact:

Mitacs Representatives:

Ashley Hannon PhD
Director of Business Development, Waterloo-Wellington
Pronouns: She/Her
M: 519-282-1119
ahannon@mitacs.ca

Amanda Green, PhD
Director of Business Development, Communitech
Pronouns: She/Her
M: 519-580-5476
agreen@mitacs.ca

Program Name:

College and Community Innovation Program – Innovation Links Grants

Type: 

Supports college-university collaborations working with the business sector to realize successful commercialization

Program deadline:

No deadline

Grant Duration:

Up to 3 years

Grant Amount:

Up to $250,000 per year for both the college and university participants combined (maximum grant for either participant is $125,000).

Application submission:

Submit Signed Cover Sheet and completed application to the Office of Research along with the application two weeks prior to desired application submission date.

Refer to the website on how to apply; http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/RPP-PP/CUI2I-INNOVUC_eng.asp

Intellectual Property:

Universities need to develop and sign an agreement with each company partner on the ownership and disposition of IP arising from Innovation Links Grant-funded applied research before initiating any Innovation Links activities.

Office of Research contact:

 Lynda McCutcheon
Manager, Research Partnerships
519- 888-4567, ext. 33244
lmccutch@uwaterloo.ca

NSERC contact: 

NSERC Contacts List

Program Name:

 NSERC Alliance / Engage grants and Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) Voucher for Innovation and Productivity (VIP)

Type:

Application

Internal Deadline

2 weeks in advance of submitting your application

Program Deadline

No deadline – applications accepted at any time

Research Focus:

In partnership, NSERC Alliance  and OCE’s Voucher for Innovation and Productivity (VIP) will support post-secondary R&D collaborations with the highest potential for regional economic development and commercialization in Ontario.

The streamlined joint application and decision process enables companies to quickly undertake new research collaborations with Ontario-based researchers and have their cash contribution leveraged by both NSERC and OCE. The mutually beneficial projects are expected to result in economic benefits to the company and to Ontario and build impactful longer term collaborations between the researcher and the company.

Research Partner:

  • Principal investigator at Ontario publicly funded university/research hospital, or applied research officer at Ontario publicly funded college

Industry Partner:

  • For-profit company
  • Restricted to SMEs
  • Operations and/or R&D in Ontario with capacity to commercialize results of the project

Project:

  • Utilizes unique skills/resources of post-secondary institution to meet industry innovation and commercialization needs

More information can be found at: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Innovate-Innover/VIP-BIP_eng.asp

Funding Details

Individual proposals can request at least $20,000 up to $30,000 from NSERC (Alliance grant) and at least $20,000 up to $30,000 from OCE VIP, with a corresponding $20,000 to $30,000 from the industry partner (at least 50% must be cash provided to the academic institution).

Program submission instructions:
  1. Notify the Office of Research of intention to apply.
  2. Review in full application guidelines.
  3. Submit Cover Sheet, and final copy of all application documents to the Office of Research.
  4. Submit the final proposal.

Office of Research contact:

Jennifer Ranford
Senior Manager, Research Partnerships
j.ranford@uwaterloo.ca

Program contact:

For further questions regarding program guidelines, eligibility, and submitting the online application, please contact your OCE Business Development Manager or:

For more information on the VIP program, please contact:

Alexandra Ho

Program Manager

Tel: 416-861-1092 x5018

Email: Alexandra.Ho@oce-ontario.org
Program Name: Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program (CREATE)
Type: Collaborative Research and Training
Office of Research deadline: Internal Expression of Interest (EOI) 3rd Monday in February
Waterloo's quota is 6, to be confirmed annually Only 6 EOIs, as selectd by Deans' Council, may submit their Letter of Intent to apply to NSERC
Program deadline(s): Letter of Intent to Apply May 1 annually
  Full application if invited September 22 annually
Funding start date: April 1 or upon request September 1
Length of project: 6 years
Program submission instructions:

NSERC applications procedure

Letters of Intent and full applications  must be submitted using NSERC’s on-line system:

Letter of Intent to Apply:

  • Form 187
  • Form 100 (lead applicant)
  • Institutional letter of support
  • Regular stream or International collaboration: 1 to 3 letters of support from supporting organizations (Optional)
  • Industrial stream: 1 to 3 letters of support from supporting organizations (Mandatory)

Full Application if invited:

  • Form 102
  • Form 100 (lead applicant)
  • Form 100 or CCV (each co-applicant)
  • Institutional letter of support

Regular stream or International collaboration: 1 to 3 letters of support from supporting organizations (Optional)

Industrial stream: 1 to 3 letters of support from supporting organizations (Mandatory)
Office of Research application procedure: Full application only: Signed Cover Sheet must be submitted to OR
Office of Research Contacts:

Sarindra Andrianasolo
Program contact: NSERC Contacts List