1

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

4

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

8

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

Richard.Isnor@nserc-crsng.gc.ca