University of Ottawa October 31, 2014

Dave Bowen – Team Leader NSERC

NSERC Update

Outline

2014 NSERC News- 2014 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 2018-19

Budget 2014: The Highlights

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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 2014-15 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

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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

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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

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Discovery Grants Program EvaluationNo 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.

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Open Access

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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 Program2014 Results

Geosciences Evaluation Group EG1506

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How Does the Conference Model Work?

EVALUATION GROUP A Group Chair

~ 40 members4 Section Chairs

EVALUATION GROUP BGroup Chair

~35 members4 Section Chairs

EVALUATION GROUP CGroup Chair

~25 members3 Section Chairs

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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 EG1506

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Geosciences DG ResultsCompetition 20142014

Geosciences (EG 1506)

Early Career Researchers

Established Researcher

OverallRenewals Others

# of Applications

35 126 88 249

# of Awards 24 89 28 141

$ Awarded $666K $3,622K $975K $5,263K

Success Rate 69% 71% 32% 57%

Average Grant $27,750 $39,631 $30,872 $37,326

Results and Statistics – Geosciences2014 Discovery Grants Competition

ER- Established Researcher ECR – Early Career Researcher

Results and Statistics – Geosciences2014 DG Competition

Discovery Grants Overall Results – 2014 Competition

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Data1

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 Grant2 (ER-NHG) 37% $28,463

1. 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 awardedGenes, Cells and Molecules (1501) 9Biological Systems and Functions (1502) 10Evolution and Ecology (1503) 11Chemistry (1504) 7Physics (1505) 6Geosciences (1506) 14Computer Science (1507) 15Mathematics and Statistics (1508) 8Civil, Industrial and Systems Engineering (1509) 12Electrical and Computer Engineering (1510) 13Materials and Chemical Engineering (1511) 9Mechanical Engineering (1512) 10Subatomic Physics (19) 1

Total 125

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Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) 2014 Competition

Number of Applications 468

Total Amount Requested $51.3 M

Number of Awards 157

Awarded Amount $17.5MFunding rate 34.2%

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Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) 2014 Competition – Environmental Sciences

Number of Applications 64

Total Amount Requested $6,181,462

Number of Awards 20

Awarded Amount $2,065,276Funding rate 33%

Note: Non-official results