NSERC Research Partnerships:An Overview

University of CalgaryNovember 16, 2015

My Goals Today

• Discuss Connect, Engage, Engage Plus Grants

• Overview of CRD Grants

• Answer questions

Connect

Building R&D Partnerships Through NSERC

Engage

Collaborate

Connect Grants

Connect Grants:

Help academic researchers and companies meet to define priorities for future joint R&D projects

Connect GrantsLevel 1 Travel

• Allows academic researchers to meet with companies anywhere in Canada

• Support for travel and meeting costs

• Up to $5,000 for 3 months

• No application deadline

• fast turnaround

Level 2Networking

• Connector activities to promote partnerships or industrial training

• Special networking events and activities in NSE

• Academic and industrial participants

• Typically $1k-$5k• No application

deadline

Level 3 Workshops

• Seed new collaborations through a single workshop or multiple smaller events on a focussed topic

• Academic and industrial participants

• Up to $25,000• No application

deadline

• Support new collaborations• Aimed at solving company-specific problem• Six-month project; up to $25,000 from NSERC• No company cash required; just in-kind• New IP owned by company• Apply anytime; 4-6 week turnaround

Engage Grants

Engage Grants - Applicant Eligibility

• Applicant must be eligible to receive NSERC funding – assistant, associate or full professor at an eligible institution.

• Must have received a peer-reviewed grant from a recognized granting agency in the last six years for research in a natural sciences or engineering field

Engage Grants – Applicant Eligibility

Applications that include a collaborating researcher will not be accepted.

• Engage Grant projects must involve only one academic researcher and any research personnel (e.g, students, research technicians, etc.)

Engage Grants – Partner Eligibility

• The industry partner must be a for-profit company that operates from a Canadian base

• If the partner is a Canadian subsidiary of an international company, it must have a manufacturing and/or R&D operation in Canada

• Must have been in operation for at least two years or have at least two full-time employees

Engage Grants – Partner Eligibility

• Companies that are not able to further develop the technology in-house are not eligible

• Companies must demonstrate the ability to exploit the

project’s results – the resources, capabilities and experience of the company and its staff are relevant

• The company is expected to collaborate with the researchers at all stages of the research project

Engage Grants – No Prior RelationshipWhat constitutes an existing relationship between a researcher and a company?

• A previous collaboration with the company or any of its divisions• Current or past supervision of a student supported by the company • Current or past involvement of the researcher in the company• Joint participation in a research network• Association with the company or its principals (including university

departmental colleagues and adjunct professors)• Evidence that an Engage Grant is not needed to foster a new

research collaboration

Engage Grants – No Prior RelationshipWhat constitutes an existing relationship between a researcher and a company?

• A previous collaboration with the company or any of its divisions• Current or past supervision of a student supported by the company • Current or past involvement of the researcher in the company• Joint participation in a research network• Association with the company or its principals (including university

departmental colleagues and adjunct professors)• Evidence that an Engage Grant is not needed to foster a new

research collaboration

Engage Grants – Proposed Research

• Must be in a natural sciences or engineering field

• For health-related research, consult the new guidelines on the NSERC website under “policies and guidelines”

Engage Grants – Proposed ResearchProposals are not eligible for an Engage Grant if they:

• focus on the commercialization of a university invention

• provide routine analysis, routine testing

• seek to certify, endorse, validate or performance test an existing product, process or material

Engage Grants – Proposed ResearchProposals are not eligible for an Engage Grant if they:

• include more than two weeks of literature review and/or patent search activities

• provide professional practice or consulting services

• are principally associated with the acquisition and maintenance of scientific equipment

Engage Grants – Instructions

Engage Grants – Budget

• Proposed project expenditures must conform to the Use of Grant Funds guidelines (part of the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide)

• It is not a requirement to have grad students work on the project

• Engage Grant funds cannot be used for:– Expenses related to publications and conferences– Travel expenses for company personnel

Engage Grants – Timeline

• No deadline – apply anytime

• Average turn-around time: 4 – 6 weeks

• Success rate: ~ 87%

Engage Plus Grants• Awarded to a researcher and company that previously

collaborated on an Engage Grant project

• Build on the results of the original Engage project

• NSERC matches company cash up to a maximum of $12,500

• Application must be submitted within six months after the original Engage project ends

• IP owned by the company; 4-6 week turnaround

Collaborative Research and Development GrantsCRD

• Focused R&D projects

• Grants range from $10K to over $400K per year

• Industry cash required

• Flexible leverage: $1 of company cash + $1eligible in-kind = $2 from NSERC

• Apply anytime

• Peer-review; 3 to 5 month turnaround

Collaborative Research and Development GrantsCRD

• If requesting less than $200K per year:- Paper peer review- 3 to 4 months

• If requesting $200K or more per year:- Site visit by peer review committee- Review by NSERC Advisory Committee on University –

Industry Grants; meets four times per year- 6 months

Industrial Undergraduate Student

• Allows companies to hire university undergraduates for a 16-week period to conduct research

• NSERC contribution: $4,500 • Company contribution: minimum of $1,125• Up to 15 students per company per year• Potential future employees• Apply anytime; four-week turn-around

Research Awards

• Significant savings in research costs• Projects are based on company’s requirements• Access to high levels of expertise and advanced research facilities• Students are potential future employees• Built-in quality control - NSERC peer-review

system• Contributions can qualify for SR&ED tax credits

Participating in NSERC Programs:Key Advantages for Companies

Questions?

Frank NolanNSERC Prairies Regional Office

435 Ellice Avenue, Suite 430Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 1Y6

Tel: 204-984-0426E-mail: frank.nolan@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Total awards = 115 (86% approval rate)

Engage Grant - Example

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University of Calgary, Computer ScienceFrank Maurer

C4i Consultants Inc.• Training services and software solutions.

Project Goal:• To develop a solution that provides multi-surface support for simulating

emergency responses carried out collaboratively by various response groups such as EMS, fire department, and police department.

Engage Grant - ExampleOutcome:“We found good value in collaborating with the university through Engage on this project. We were able to try out a new concept and create a working prototype with significantly less financial input than would have been required if we had done it on our own.”

– Amy Swedlo, R&D Manager, C4i Consultants Inc.

Original Engage Grant project: 2012

Follow-up:• Engage Plus awarded in 2013• CRD awarded in 2014

* Company incorporated in 2004, and had 15 employees in Canada at the time of the Engage project. It was Alberta’s 15th fastest growing company in 2014, and now has 85 employees deployed worldwide.

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