1. NSERC International Overview
Rick Warner
Manager
Pacific Regional Office
April 2014

2. Canadian Federal S&T Structure
Prime Minister of Canada
PARLIAMENT
Industry Canada
CABINET
Minister of Health
Minister of Industry
Minister of State (S&T)
Research and Research Training Funding
Granting Agencies:
Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR)
Foundations:
Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
Genome Canada
Research and Development Funding
Canada Revenue Agency’s Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Credits
National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
Industry Canada’s Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI)
Research Performed in Federal Labs
National Research Council (NRC)
Science-based Departments & Agencies:
Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
Canadian Space Agency
Department of Fisheries & Oceans
Environment Canada
Health Canada
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
Research in
universities, colleges and
teaching hospitals
Industrial Research

3. NSERC Vision and Priorities
Vision: NSERC helps make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for the benefit of all Canadians
Priorities:
People
Building our human capital in the natural sciences and engineering by supporting 30,000 students and postdoctoral fellows.
Discovery
Unleashing the creative power of our researchers by funding more than 11,000 professors for their research programs.
Innovation
Connecting and applying the strength of our research capacity to the challenges and needs of industry and society by funding research projects with over 2,400 Canadian companies.
Total Budget
$1.07 billion
Does not conduct research itself and has no research laboratories
Governed by an 18 member Council appointed by government with representation from academia, industry and government
Nearly 400 employees
Headquarters in Ottawa and five regional offices across Canada 3 3

4. People: Developing the best & the brightest
Highly skilled science and engineering professionals in Canada
Supporting students and fellows through scholarships and fellowships
Giving students an opportunity for research exposure in industry and to be a part of innovative teams
Developing entrepreneurial skills and business acumen
Attracting and retaining faculty
Dr. Isabel Trigger and Dr. Oliver Stelzer-Chilton are research scientists at TRIUMF
They both have received Postgraduate Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships from NSERC

5. Discovery: Supporting World Class Research
High quality Canadian-based research in the natural sciences and engineering
Funding and promoting excellence in fundamental research
Laying the foundation for innovation
Accelerating the impacts of transformative research
Training students (our future) in stimulating research environments
ArcticNet researchers cataloguing polar data 5

6. Innovation: Connect, Collaborate, Prosper
The Strategy for Partnerships and Innovation increases academic – business partnerships and student research experiences in business
Science and engineering knowledge and skills are transferred to and used by companies
On track to double the number of industry partners by (1500 to 3000 in 5 years)
Integrated suite of partnership options increase:
Student experiences in business environment
Industry-driven collaborative research
Applied research in colleges
Commercialization of academic inventions
Focus on national strategic priorities
Regional offices work with local and regional agencies to create partnerships

7. TECHNOLOGY MATURITY MARKET MATURITY
NSERC support spans the Research continuum – maximizing the potential for impact
Strategic Partnerships
(Government Priorities)
Centres for Commercialization and Research
Business-Led
Networks
Discovery Grants
basic research; research applied to industry
Clean Energy
Quebec Consortium for
Drug Discovery (CQDM)
Chemistry
(reduce use of water in oil sands production)
Ecology/ Hydrogeology
Particle
Physics
Ultrasonic detection
of manufacturing
defects
GreenCentre
Canada (GCC)
Industry-driven program
TECHNOLOGY MATURITY
MARKET MATURITY
TRAINING IN INDUSTRY
TRAINING IN UNIVERSITIES
College and
Community Innovation
Program
Innovative Wastewater
Treatment Technologies

8. Strengthening Canada’s Position
Connect with NSERC - Engagement Deck-e
12/04/2017
Strengthening Canada’s Position
Vision Through excellence and openness, Canadian scientists and engineers will become leaders in international research for the benefit of Canada and the world.
Goals
NSERC will increase the excellence, visibility and impact of Canadian NSE research and talent by:
working to attract the best foreign students, researchers and companies to conduct research in Canada and in partnership with Canadians; and
promoting the leadership and contribution of Canadian scientists and engineers to address priorities and challenges for Canada and the international community.

9. Strengthening Canada’s Position
Connect with NSERC - Engagement Deck-e
12/04/2017
Strengthening Canada’s Position
Objectives NSERC’s international strategy aims to:
leverage Canada’s investment in research, infrastructure and training;
access a broader pool of talent, scientific expertise and technical skills;
create a destination of choice for the training of foreign research talent;
raise the profile of Canadian university-based research;
facilitate the pooling of knowledge, resources and expertise to address complex global issues; and
attract technology-based investments to Canada.

10. NSERC’s International Strategy
Attract and retain the best minds
Expose students to training outside of Canada
Stimulate global collaboration in priority areas
Stimulate global academic-business collaboration 10

11. A. Attraction: become a magnet for top talent…
Canada Excellence Research Chairs
Canada Research Chairs
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
Competitive Discovery Grants

12. 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
Students gain international experience, knowledge and networks that they bring back to Canada. They experience and gain insight into different cultures. This experience advances their research and benefits their future employers whether industry or academia. Providing access to these international opportunties is a goal of NSERC.
NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships – tenable at Canadian or foreign universities - almost all of the PGSM are taken outside Canada; at the PGSD level 20% are held outside Canada; (note: CGS (Alexander Graham Bell Graduate Scholarships can only be held in Canada).
NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships – can be held at: Canadian universities and research institutions, as well as universities and research centres abroad; 55-60% of PDF awards are held outside Canada.
CREATE (Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program) – agreement for integrated training programs between Canada and Germany allowing students to be part of international teams and move between labs
Canada Graduate Scholarship - Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement (CGS-MSFSS)
250 awards annually to Canadian CGS holders (80 to NSERC) for international research study periods of 3 to 6 months in duration.

13. C. Focus on priority areas
As a global research community, we share many of the same research challenges – working together we can accelerate finding the solutions
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

14. 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

15. SNG

16. Opportunities for European Researchers
Foreign researchers can collaborate with Canadian academics through NSERC funded projects:
Stipends can be provided for foreign visiting researchers (limited to a maximum of $2,000 per month for up to 125 days per year) not including travel and subsistence costs
Encouraged to work in partnership with Canadians either in peer-to-peer collaborations or as members of international research teams
Students from foreign countries can apply for NSERC’s top graduate scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships programs:
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships | Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships

17. Opportunities for European Researchers
Program of funding for frontier research in the life sciences.
Emphasis on novel collaborations between biology and physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer science and engineering.
Sponsored by funders from Australia, Canada (NSERC, CIHR), EU, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland (SER), UK, USA.
Bilateral science and technology (S&T) agreement between Canada and the EU.
Canadian researchers are eligible for funding under some Horizon 2020 opportunities.
Era-Can+ promotes cooperation between the EU and Canada in STI, including collaboration within the context of Horizon 2020 opportunities.
Janet Walden (NSERC), Member of the ERA-CAN+ Advisory Board

18. NSERC Corporate Planning & Policy
Contact Us
NSERC Corporate Planning & Policy
Jean Saint-Vil Director
Tel.:
Andrew Grosvenor International Policy Advisor
Tel.:

19. Igniting New Research Partnerships Through Engage Grants
445 new collaborations in first year, 88% with SMEs
272 companies new to NSERC Partnerships (>10% increase)
187 researchers new to Partnerships Programs
Decisions in 4-6 weeks