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Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
ERA-Can+ Information Session
Richard IsnorManager, NSERC Atlantic Regional Office
Fredericton, NB March 18, 2014
PrioritiesPeople:Building our human capital in the natural sciences and engineering
Discovery:Unleashing the creative power of our researchers
Innovation:Connecting and applying the strength of our research capacity to the challenges and needs of industry and society
Total NSERC Budget $1.11 B
In a nutshell…NSERC helps make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for the benefit of all Canadians
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A. Attract and retain the best minds
B. Expose students to training outside of Canada
C. Stimulate global collaboration in priority areas
D. Stimulate global academic-business collaboration
NSERC’s International Strategy
Canada Excellence Research Chairs
Canada Research Chairs
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
Competitive Discovery Grants
A. Attraction: become a
magnet for top talent…
Discovery Research
Discovery Grants – A Unique Program• Dynamic program based on excellence and peer review• Supports on-going programs of research, rather than
projects – continuity and stability in funding • Can be used to collaborate with colleagues abroad in a
variety of ways including fieldwork, research conferences, collaborative trips and stipends for students and visiting researchers.
• Typically 5 years duration• Approx. 65% of applicants are supported
NSERC Discovery Grant Projects
• Jeff Dahn - Professor Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University
• NSERC/3M Canada Industrial Research Chair in Materials for Advanced Batteries
• Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Battery and Fuel Cell Materials
Discovery Grant – Physics and Chemistry of Materials for Energy Storage; $620,800 over 5 years
Discovery Grant Accelerator in 2012 – 3 year supplement @ $40,000/yr
Dr. Yonghao NiProfessor, Chemical Engineering, UNBLimerick Pulp & Paper Director
*ACOA AIFMay 2013 – $1.5 million
NSERC Engage Grants2012 – Two $25,000 awards2011 – One $24,350 award
NSERC Collaborative Research & Development Grants (CRD)2012 – $199,000 over three years2011 – $88,000 over two years
Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) Cat. 12012 – Co-applicant $99, 515 (applicant: C. Adam Dyker)2010 – Applicant $77,0002010 – Co-applicant $30,132 (applicant: Gerard Sean McGrady)
2011 – NSERC Discovery Grant$200,000 over five years
Linking Discovery to Innovation
Support for Mathematics & Statistics
• Collaborative and Thematic Resources Support in Mathematics and Statistics (CTRMS)
• Targeted funding for thematic resources to promote partnerships (national and international) within the mathematical and statistical sciences
• Provides a place where researchers meet, collaborate and exchange ideas
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B. Provide students with international experience…
Students exposed to opportunities to study/research abroad establish important lifetime connections, as well as gaining access to specialized facilities and knowledge
Main support vehicles available for students to study abroad:
NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships
NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships
CREATE (Collaborative Research and Training Experience)
CGS - Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement
NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships (PGS) By Country of Tenure: 2010-11
Australia, 18
Austria, 1Belgium, 1
Columbia, 1Czech Rep., 1
Denmark, 1
France, 5Germany, 12
Ireland, 1Israel, 2
Netherlands, 5
New Zealand, 12
South Africa, 2
Sweden, 3
Switzerland, 8
Thailand, 1
United Kingdom, 74
1,288
414
148
Canada United States Other International
Facilitating the mobility of students: NSERC CREATE
NSERC CREATE Program in Photovoltaics• John Preston, McMaster University• $1.65 M over 6 years• One of the program’s goal is to offer each participant an international
experience • Partner countries include: US, Italy, Germany, Australia, India and China
C. Focus on priority areas
Some of the tools:• NSERC Discovery Frontiers• Canada-India Research Centre of Excellence• G8 Funding Initiative on Multilateral Research Funding • International Research Initiative on Adaption to Climate
Change (2011)• ERA Can+ Horizon 2020
As a global research community, we share many of the same research challenges – working together we can accelerate finding the solutions
Discovery Frontiers
• Addresses national priorities and global challenges
• Transformative, Integrative science with the potential for substantial impact
• International linkages required with Canada taking the leadership role
• Teams of top Canadian researchers• No annual competition cycle, periodic calls –
based on advice from COGS• $1M/yr for 4 years
1st successful DF : Arctic Development and Adaptation to Permafrost in Transition (ADAPT) – led by W. Vincent, U of Laval.
International Research Initiative on Adaption to Climate Change (2011)
• 6 awards resulting from a special competition involving teams of Canadian and international researchers from low and middle income countries.
• Each team received $2.5 million over five years to study how best to protect people, communities and vital economic sectors, like agriculture and tourism, that are most at risk from the effects of climate change.
Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Extremes in the AmericasFernando Santibañez, Universidad de ChileDavid J. Sauchyn, University of ReginaUnderstanding of the vulnerability of rural agricultural and indigenous communities to climate variability and extreme climate events in Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia.
D. Collaborate with industry and other
partners…
Fertile ground…academic-industry collaborations benefit Canadian researchers and companies; linking these to international collaborations builds even greater strength and accelerates innovation
SNG
NSERC Strategic Project Grants• NSERC Strategic Research Project “Aggregated load
control using electric domestic water heaters and smart meters” involving Liuchen Chang, Howard Li, and Julian Meng, UNB.– NSERC Strategic Project Grant investment $100,000; NB
Power investment of $32,000
• Powershift Atlantic - Four year research project led by UNB in partnership with the 3 Maritime electrical utilities (NS Power, NB Power, PEI Maritime Electric). Total investment of $32M. $15.9M from the federal Clean Energy Fund, $16M from the three participating utilities.– Study changing patterns of power consumption, help
electricity companies alter energy production to reduce GHG emissions.
Liuchen Chang, UNB
NSERC Magnesium Network (MagNEt)
International Linkages:
• Korea: Research Institute of Science and Technology, Korean Institute of Material Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology
• China: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
• USA: Cornell University
• Australia: University of Sydney
• Norway: Institute for Energy Technology
• Japan: Osaka University
NSERC Engage GrantsPandurang Ashrit: Dept of Physics, Université de Moncton
Engage Grant: Advanced Thermal Effusivity and Conductivity Sensor Based on Thin Films
Company Partner: C-Therm Inc., Fredericton, NB
Amount: NSERC $25,000 cash; C-Therm:$16,900 (in-kind)
Project Objective: To develop a new generation of thermal sensors based on thin film technology for use in C-Therm’s thermal analyzer.
NSERC Collaborative R&D ProjectsMatthew Litvak, Department of Biology, Mount Allison University + Amanda Cockshutt, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mount Allison University
Project: Development of efficient techniques for promoting early maturation, detection of sex and maximization of growth in shortnose sturgeon for aquaculture production.
Company Partners: Breviro Caviar Ltd. $50,000 cash per year for 3 years + in-kind support
Amount Requested: $299,902 over 3 yearsNSERC Award: $299,902 over 3 years
NSERC Collaborative R&D (CRD) Funding Trends
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20120
10000000
20000000
30000000
40000000
50000000
60000000
70000000National CRD Funding Paid by NSERC ($)
Regional Opportunities Fund & Partnership Workshop Grants
• Help with bringing academic, government and industry research partners together – research planning, development of new research collaborations
• ROF: Used to support regional events and activities tied to development of academic-industry partnerships or industrial student training
• PWG - $25K awards for national research planning events that can lead to new collaborations.
• NSERC support normally helps pay for academic travel, workshop
logistics, hospitality, room rental, AV support etc.
Partnerships Workshops Grants
• Grants of up to $25,000 for: R&D planning workshops that will lead to new
collaborations between Canadian academics and end user organizations (e.g. government, industry).
Can include international linkages and participation, travel costs can include 1-2 international partners.
NSERC-Atlantic
www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca
Location: Université de Moncton, Moncton NB
For More Information Contact
Richard Isnor, Manager
Tel: 506-854-8756