University of Ottawa October 31, 2014 Dave Bowen – Team Leader NSERC NSERC Update

Outline  2014 NSERC News Federal Budget -Updates and New Initiatives  2014 Discovery Grants Competition Results -Geosciences (EG 1506)  Questions

Good news for research, training and innovation –$15 million per year to NSERC to support advanced research in the natural sciences and engineering –$9 million per year for the Indirect Costs Program –Industrial R&D Fellowships program funds redeployed to other priorities within NSERC ($7 million) –Canada First Research Excellence Fund: $200 million per year by Budget 2014: The Highlights 3

Discovery Grants Budget Allocation The new funding is being phased into the Discovery Grants program over a five-year cycle The first allocation of the new funds is in the fiscal year; additional funding is being distributed to a selection of researchers who applied in the 2014 Discovery Grants competition Researchers who are receiving additional funds have been notified NSERC plans to allocate the $15M investment (Budget 2014) to Discovery Grants An opportunity to introduce new factors to allocate funds among the 12 Evaluation Groups 4

Budget Allocation for Geosciences 2014 $218k allocated to Geosciences for 2014 competition Funds distributed to the bins as they were established in February, with increases to all bins No new awards in Geosciences 5

Budget Allocation for Geosciences

Discovery Grants Program Evaluation Key question: is the program achieving its 3 objectives and outcomes given changes to peer review process? Multiple lines of evidence: surveys, consultations, interviews, bibliometric data analysis Recommendations by International Committee Key finding: Discovery Grants continue to be Canada’s most important support mechanism for foundational research 7

Discovery Grants Program Evaluation No major changes recommended— all recommendations reflect refinements to the existing system: Refine intent and nature of the Discovery Accelerator Supplement Consider allowing early-stage researchers to apply for a first renewal sooner than 5 years Better communicate how the conference model works and consider further refinements to the review process Retain use of application budget information and of the research cost factor Maintain the three criteria currently used, but consider revising the HQP criterion Explore options to reduce the workload of Evaluation Group members. 8

Open Access 9  Global trend  Tri-agency harmonized approach (Green route)  Public consultations held in Fall 2013  Final version of policy released Fall 2014  Continued monitoring

Discovery Grants Program 2014 Results Geosciences Evaluation Group EG1506

11 How Does the Conference Model Work? EVALUATION GROUP A Group Chair ~ 40 members 4 Section Chairs EVALUATION GROUP B Group Chair ~35 members 4 Section Chairs EVALUATION GROUP C Group Chair ~25 members 3 Section Chairs Section A1-2 Research Topics A2 and A4 Section A2 Research Topic A3 Section A1-1 Research Topic A1 Section A3-1 Research Topic A5 Section A3-2 Research Topic A6 Section A4-1 Research Topics A7 and A8 Section A4-2 Research Topics A9 and B5 Section B1-2 Research Topics B2 and A10 Section B1-1 Research Topic B1 Section B2 Research Topic B3 Section B3-1 Research Topic B4 Section B3-2 Research Topics B1 and B5 Section B4-2 Research Topics B7 and C6 Section B4-1 Research Topics B2 and B6 Section C1-2 Research Topic C2 Section C1-1 Research Topics C1 and B5 Section C2 Research Topic C3 Section C3-1 Research Topic C4 Section C3-2 Research Topics C5 and A5

EG1506 Research Topics  GS01 - Petrology & Mineralogy  GS02 - Sedimentology & Stratigraphy  GS03 - Paleontology & Paleobiology  GS04 - Geophysics  GS05 - Economic Geology  GS06 - Tectonics & Structural Geology  GS07 - Geochemistry & Geochronology  GS08 - Volcanology  GS09 - Planetary Sciences  GS10 - Surface Processess  GS11 - Paleo-environmental Sciences  GS12 - Biogeosciences  GS13 - Global Geological Processes  GS14 - Atmospheric Sciences  GS15 - Hydrology  GS16 - Oceanography  GS17 - Soil Sciences  GS18 - Geomatics & Earth Systems Observations  GS19 - Cryology

Joint Reviews with EG Participating (Visiting) Evaluation Group GCMBSFEEChemPhysGeoCSMSCISEECEMCEMETotal Reviewing (Home) Evaluation Group GCM BSF EE Chem Phys Geo CS MS CISE ECE MCE ME Total Notes: Applications involving members from more than one other EG (i.e. more than 2 EGs participating in the review) appear more than once. Joint reviews involving more than one member from the same EG appear only once. Reviews involving different streams of the same EG, without participation from other EGs, do not appear in this table.

2014 Geosciences DG Results Competition 2014 Geosciences (EG 1506) Early Career Researchers Established Researcher Overall RenewalsOthers # of Applications # of Awards $ Awarded$666K$3,622K$975K$5,263K Success Rate69%71%32%57% Average Grant$27,750$39,631$30,872$37,326

Results and Statistics – Geosciences 2014 Discovery Grants Competition ER- Established Researcher ECR – Early Career Researcher

Results and Statistics – Geosciences 2014 DG Competition

Discovery Grants Overall Results – 2014 Competition 17 Data 1 Success Rate Average Grant Early Career Researchers ( ECR ) 66%$26,999 Established Researchers ( ER ) Renewing their grant ( ER-R ) 80%$36,550 Not Holding a Grant 2 ( ER-NHG ) 37%$28, Includes Discovery and Subatomic Physics (Individual and Team) Grants, but excludes the Subatomic Physics Projects. 2. Includes returning established unfunded applicants and experienced researchers submitting a first application. Note: Non-official results

Discovery Accelerator Supplements (DAS) results  125 DAS were awarded among all EGs  Geosciences EG reviewed all applications and recommended 21 applicants for a DAS supplement  Executive Committee used EG recommendations to reduce the list to the given quota of 14 awards  Nominees who best met the objectives of the program recommended to NSERC President for a DAS award

Discovery Accelerator Supplements 2014 Competition Evaluation Group (EG)DAS awarded Genes, Cells and Molecules (1501)9 Biological Systems and Functions (1502)10 Evolution and Ecology (1503)11 Chemistry (1504)7 Physics (1505)6 Geosciences (1506)14 Computer Science (1507)15 Mathematics and Statistics (1508)8 Civil, Industrial and Systems Engineering (1509)12 Electrical and Computer Engineering (1510)13 Materials and Chemical Engineering (1511)9 Mechanical Engineering (1512)10 Subatomic Physics (19)1 Total125 19

Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) 2014 Competition Number of Applications468 Total Amount Requested$51.3 M Number of Awards157 Awarded Amount $17.5M Funding rate34.2% 20

21 Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) 2014 Competition – Environmental Sciences Number of Applications64 Total Amount Requested$6,181,462 Number of Awards 20 Awarded Amount $2,065,276 Funding rate33% Note: Non-official results