Engage to CRD What you need to know! 2016 Research Partnerships

Presentation Outline CRD 101 Why Engage(+) to CRD? When to apply? How to Prepare a CRD Application? How is it Reviewed? Tips for Success

CRD Goals CREATION OF NEW KNOWLEDGE TECHNOLOGY TRAINING TRANSFER of HQP Well-defined projects undertaken by university researchers and their private-sector partners Breadth of R&D Spectrum (a research challenge is required) Research is relevant and beneficial to industry partner and beneficial to the Canadian economy; Gives companies operating from a Canadian base access to unique knowledge, expertise, infrastructure, and educational resources at Canadian universities and vice-versa.; Partners must exploit results Milestones and deliverables are clearly identified and feasible given available resources and time Knowledge transfer plans are defined Trains students in essential technical skills required by industry

CRD Basics 2 : 1 Leverage Cash + In-kind No Minimum $ No Maximum $ 1 to 5 year grants Apply Anytime Multiple Researchers, Multiple Partners High Success Rate! Use your unique knowledge and technical skills to help Canadian companies Broaden your own expertise by working with proprietary data & specialized materials Great for students because they get exposure to industry perspective Company cash can be matched 2:1 with eligible in kind Flexible grant size and duration Not a competition – apply anytime – aim for 90 day turn around unless large or complex cases (incl. need for ACUG review) high success rate for a number of reasons: already vetted by industry review drafts ask for clarification not a “competition” with a limited budget

CRD Funding Model Example * Monetary contributions do not include O/H ** Not matched by NSERC INDUSTRY $50k* NSERC $100k $50k IN-KIND OTHER SOURCES $30k** Post-Secondary Institution Industry DRIVEN PROJECTS One or many academic institution One or many Industrial partner another optional funding body (not eligible for matching by NSERC)

Impacts Reported by CRD Partners 97% of partners indicated that the project was a success 73% indicated that further research activity was planned 90% of partners who planned further research activity intended to work with the same academic institution 46% of partners indicated that they hired a student from the university 97% would recommend NSERC programs 70% of partners indicated that the research project would not have proceeded without NSERC funding Source: SPI Impact Survey

Why Engage(+) to CRD? Faculty/Applicants Students/PDFs Eligible Partner Three key stakeholders in a CRD project. We’ll discuss the benefits of going from Engage to CRD for each of these stakeholders. We understand that a follow-on CRD may not always make sense (maybe the project is complete and there is nothing further to do), but as seen in Engage statistics, many companies express an interest in continuing the relationship and CRD may be the logical next step… CRD can be a logical extension to a successful Engage

Benefits to the Applicants Develop a longer-term relationship with the industrial partner Sustained funding for the research team over a longer period Increase your number of HQP trained and publications Add a co-PI or collaborator to expand team expertise & scope Opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge Viewed favourably in CRD peer review: Established relationship Better definition of the industry problem Preliminary results available Viewed favourably in Discovery Grant evaluations Build on the positive momentum of the Engage project to foster a longer-term relationship with the partner. Work together to define a project using NSERC matching dollars to expand the scope and time frame.

Benefits to the Partners Stretch R&D dollars through matching opportunity Discover solutions to technical problems Find and assess potential future employees Learn about state-of-the-art research trends Employee training: new equipment, processes, materials, etc Ability to cost share by including supply chain partners or other companies for pre-competitive research Independent and confidential project evaluation through peer review Credibility and prestige of partnering with a University One of the major barriers for continuing with a CRD is the partner cash contribution. These benefits speak to the return on investment that the partner can realize through the CRD project.

Benefits for Students/PDFs Gain industry relevant experience Apply theory Stipends/Salary Networking & contacts CRD Goal to train students in essential technical skills required by industry – this is of great benefit to the students for future employment options. “The proposal must include a student training component” and “The number of undergraduate and graduate students trained is expected to be commensurate with the size of the project” Graduate students required -it’s really hard to set firm guidelines on numbers of students per project or cost of project - PDFs are considered HQP, but NOT “students”. -training experience on a CRD should be “enhanced” and should make them more employable by industy: e.g., expose to industry problems -time spent at partners’ facilities -practical skills, presentations -IP issues Industry Experience JOBS! Academic knowledge

The Fun Part Begins…

When to Apply to CRD Engage relationship is beneficial for all parties The research is producing results that warrant further investigation Anytime, but close to the end of the Engage may be ideal It takes longer to develop a CRD than an Engage application so start the discussions early…

4 Components to a Proposal F101 F100 Company Letter F183a F101 – main part of application, common to NSERC programs F100 – C.V. of applicants and co-applicants F183a – Information Required from Organizations Participating in RP programs Letter of Support from Industrial partner(s)

Developing a Successful Proposal The instructions: Read, Follow, Verify Positive First Impression for Reviewers… Goal: to ensure that any question a peer reviewer might raise has already been addressed Opportunity to showcase your work! To verify your application, seek advice of successful CRD applicants if this is your first one, consult with your RGO, or perhaps your institution has an internal mentoring program. Use NSERC’s search function to identify grantees at your University, and in your Department. Try to find someone who has had more than one CRD *Never assume something is obvious or will be understood ; Provide as much information as possible to avoid reviewers having to guess; Provide information in a clear way to avoid annoying reviewers. Follow the font size guidelines to avoid annoying reviewers – not everyone’s eyesight is as good as yours! NO TYPOs This is your opportunity to SHOWCASE your research project!

Developing a Successful Proposal – F101 Address ALL Criteria: Scientific Merit Competence of the Research Team Training Opportunities Industrial Relevance/Benefits Benefit to Canada Meet the requirements of the program: --Staff have no choice but to ensure funded projects meet the objectives of the program despite how interesting a project may be or the stature and past accomplishments of the applicant. Provide all the details needed by peer reviewers to assess each selection criteria - - lack of detail is the most common weakness In case of a previous Engage, the industrial relationship is likely already solid. - Close collaboration during development of the application will strengthen the foundation of trust

Use the Space Wisely! Background You have 10 pages to convince the reviewers… Background Detailed Proposal – What, When, HOW!!! Team Expertise Research Management HQP Training Value of Results & Industrial Relevance Benefit to Canada 10 page limit, but call ahead, and work with us, if it is a particularly large-scope project. BACKGROUND is your literature review; critical references should appear; references should not be out-of-date; don’t just reference your own labs work Background info should clearly lead to a well-articulated RESEARCH CHALLENGE and should include the DETAILED Proposal – emphasis is on DETAIL; peer reviewers need details on experimental design, methodologies, statistical analyses, etc. Lack of detail is biggest reviewer complaint! And reason for a negative funding decision -Should list a series of Objectives; Link these with the workplan and activity schedule. -Each objective should be clearly identified and the workplan well-described. Link the objectives, workplan and activity schedule together. Ensure that the roles of students, PDFs and other resources are described within the context of the proposed work and linked to the above items – do not repeat info already in the budget justification. -Do not gloss over risks and uncertainties – all research has them. Simply identify those that you can and discuss the back-up plan for dealing with them. Team Expertise: Make sure the team includes all the expertise needed to carry out the project. Include expertise of collaborators, plus company personnel, technical staff and post-doctoral fellows, when relevant. If a particular expertise is missing, or if the area is somewhat new to the team, make sure to address how this will be overcome.Include the collaborator’s CV if his/her expertise is essential for the project to succeed. Research Management:This section is particularly important for large, complex and/or multidisciplinary projects.

Application Details References Suggested Referees Not included in page limit No hyperlink or Web pages Include titles if feasible Please no collaborators! Language proficient Industry and other non-academic also

F100 F100 only – No CCV Most current! Make sure Co-applicants’ are also updated

KEY Component of the Proposal F183a & Support Letter KEY Component of the Proposal F183a: -Contact Information -Company Data -Contribution Details Company Letter: -Supports proposal -Details Interaction -Explains Relevance -Anticipated Impacts -Benefit to Canada Take time to get this right as it will be scrutinized by NSERC and peer reviewers Must include: Support for and agreement with the proposal Reasons for being involved in the collaboration Anticipated benefits from the project outcomes Effort required to exploit the results in Canada Benefits to the Canadian economy and the relevant time frame Anticipated interaction of personnel with the university researchers The contribution to the direct costs of the research (cash and in-kind) It is recommended that a company profile be included.

Must Be Essential to the Project Company In-Kind Must Be Essential to the Project Donation of Materials Salaries – Technical & Professional Staff Donation of Equipment Provision of Services Manufacturing Runs/ Production losses Examples illustrate what kind of detail is needed This content comes directly from Instructions for completing partner’s letter of support Must be clearly articulated and justified in the application and also in the letter of support. Must be essential to the success of the project. -in many cases, would have to be purchased -represents a real cost to the company They have to be REAL They have to be JUSTIFIED They have to be well-DOCUMENTED, e.g. show how the value was calculated -eg scientific and technical staff: who, what is their required expertise, what will they be doing, hourly salary (will only leverage up to $100/hour), how many hours Salaries for company staff most common one we see and at $100/hour can add up quickly Only count one software license but also accept training of university team on the software Field logistics critical, and very expensive, for example natural resources in the North Field Work Logistics

That’s it! – Ready to Submit Remember that we are here to help: Questions, Draft Review… NSERC staff are ready to help! Staff will review draft proposals

What Happens Next? Proposal Assigned to NSERC Staff Initial Review for Completeness & Compliance We are looking for: Applicant and Partner Eligibility Fit Within NSERC’s Mandate (not Social or Health Research Projects) Budget, Justification, Suggested Referees… everything!

Peer-Review How Long? 90 days More or Less? All CRD applications are peer-reviewed - Staff work hard to ensure a funding decision is provided within 90 days of submission date Request up to $200,000/year: paper review only and staff funding recommendation to Management; smaller requests may be processed in under 90 days due to dedicated staff for these files and the need for less peer reviewers. Request over $200,000/year: Site Visit evaluation by committee of experts followed by Advisory Committee on University-Industry Grants ACUIG meets on a quarterly basis and has to get all review material a month in advance it takes longer for a funding decision on these large applications BENEFITS of Site Visit: Obtain details on anything in the proposal that is confusing, incomplete or of concern -Visit is also a good opportunity to determine the level of commitment of the applicant, the industrial sponsors and the university Rebuttal Process: May be asked for clarification or additional information Feedback from reviewers can strengthen proposed research In most cases of a negative decision applicants are able to revise and resubmit applications More or Less?

It’s a Positive Decision so… NSERC Needs a Copy of the Research Agreement 5 Mandatory IP Elements

5 Mandatory IP Elements Maximum Benefit to Canada Protection of IP Assets (for all parties) Publishable Results (max 6 month delay) NO Delay for Thesis Defence Right to Use for Research and Teaching Unlike Engage, the terms of IP assignment are negotiable with a CRD. If you want to keep it simple and moving forward more quickly by adopting the same terms as the Engage grant, bear in mind that full assignment of IP requires a ‘timeliness of exploitation clause’ to satisfy item 1, Maximum benefit to Canada.

Sometimes the Decision is “No” Why??? Scientific Merit: Lack of details, methods, approach Poorly situated within state-of-the-art, novelty Too ambitious and not feasible Weak training opportunities, publishable material Missing team expertise These are some of the most common reasons for a failed application assessment by peer review. Of note is that the success rate for Engage follow-on CRDs is aligned with that of other CRD submissions in the 85-90% range depending on how many years are being aggregated.

A few final tips… Leverage the Engage project by highlighting the existing partnership Demonstrate that you understand the industry challenges Describe the Engage results and outcomes achieved to date What are the next steps and expanded scope for the CRD? Need the details… If this is your first CRD, consider submitting a draft proposal for NSERC staff review Read the CRD Instructions to Referees

Who to Contact Engage to CRD Support: 613-996-6346 EG2CRD@nserc-crsng.gc.ca NSERC Partnerships Programs: 613-995-1111 rpp@nserc-crsng.gc.ca NSERC Ontario Regional Office: 1-877-767-1767 nserc-ontario@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Thank you Andrea Benoit Deputy Director, Research Partnerships Phone 613-996-4853 Andrea.Benoit@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

CRD Partners Testamonials “We are definitely ahead of the curve today as a result of this collaborative R&D project… significantly reduced our material costs …placed us in a much stronger position technologically.” John Persic, VP R&D, Microbonds “This project is a success…. exploring a new technology to manage large quantities of data …This project has become a new axis for developing our next generation of products.” Emerson Nerat, PureLink Technology Canada Inc. I would like to close with a couple of partner testimonials that speak to the value that CRD projects can generate…