Discovery Research Program

 
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    CFDA#

     

    Funder Type

    Federal Government

    IT Classification

    B - Readily funds technology as part of an award

    Authority

    Natural Sciences and Engineering Research

    Summary

    The Discovery Grants Program assists in:

    • promoting and maintaining a diversified base of high-quality research capability in the natural sciences and engineering in Canadian universities;
    • fostering research excellence;
    • providing a stimulating environment for research training.

    The Discovery Grants Program supports ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances. Discovery Grants are considered œgrants in aid of research, as they provide long term operating funds and can facilitate access to funding from other programs, but are not meant to support the full costs of a research program.


    Recipients of Discovery Grants are not restricted to the specific activities described in their applications, and may pursue new research interests, provided they are within NSERCs mandate. This provides researchers with the flexibility to pursue promising research avenues as they emerge and the opportunity to address higher-risk (higher reward) topics. Researchers can use their grants to participate in collaborative efforts. 


    Applicants are encouraged to increase the inclusion and advancement of women and other under-represented groups in the natural sciences and engineering, as one means to enhance excellence in research and training.

     

    History of Funding

    As the Government of Canada focuses on responding to the challenges of COVID-19, it also recognizes the invaluable contributions of Canadian researchers in the natural sciences and engineering. That is why the Government continues to support the discovery research being done at Canadian universities to help build the foundation for innovation and economic growth.


    As part of this commitment to fundamental research, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced more than $492 million in funding by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), through its Discovery research program.

    This funding will go to some 2,400 researchers across the country as they pursue research in a wide variety of natural sciences and engineering disciplines, including biology, mathematics and statistics, computer science and artificial intelligence, chemistry, and chemical engineering. It also includes support for more than 500 early-career researchers who will bring new perspectives and insights to their fields, enabling them to become the research leaders of tomorrow.


    Advances in the natural sciences and engineering promise to unlock discoveries that will help address some of our worlds biggest challenges, while also delivering real benefits to Canadians health, environment, communities and economy.


    • The Discovery Grants program supports ongoing research with long-term goals, while also allowing researchers to pursue promising high-risk, high reward topics and ideas.
    • In addition to supporting high-quality research, Discovery Grants invest in research training and other opportunities for students, researchers and fellows, helping to support the next generation of researchers.
    • This investment reflects the historic $4 billion increase for research committed in Budget 2018, which included an increase of more than $1.7 billion over five years to support the next generation of Canadian researchers through Canadas granting agencies and research institutes.

    Additional Information

    To apply for a Discovery Grant, applicants must first submit a Notification of Intent to Apply (NOI) by August 1. The NOI is a mandatory step in the application process. It allows NSERC to start the review process (e.g., preliminary assignment to an Evaluation Group (EG), selection of appropriate external reviewers and verification of the eligibility of the subject matter). Applicants must then complete and submit the Application by the deadline date.

    Contacts

    Discovery Program

    Discovery Program

    ,
     

  • Eligibility Details

    Discovery Grants are awarded to individual researchers, normally for five years. Researchers can apply for and hold only one Discovery Grant at a time. Researchers who hold a Discovery Grant cannot reapply for another Discovery Grant until the last year of their current award.

    Applicants to the Discovery Grants program must meet the NSERC - Eligibility Criteria for Faculty.


    Subject matter eligibility and funding from other sources

    Applicants to the Discovery Grants Program must present a program of research that is eligible under NSERCs mandate, which is to promote and assist research in the natural sciences and engineering, other than health. The objectives of the research program must be to advance knowledge in the natural sciences or in engineering. The application will be rejected if NSERC determines, at any time during the review cycle, that the subject matter is outside of its mandate. Refer to This link will take you to another Web site Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency, the Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health, the Peer Review Manual, and NSERC Discovery Grants Process for Decisions on Mandate Eligibility for further information on the eligibility of subject matter.

    Applicants to the Discovery Grants program must present a program of research that is conceptually distinct from research supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).


    NSERC encourages researchers to obtain funds from other sources to support the full costs of the research program presented in their Discovery Grant application, as long as the funding source is not CIHR or SSHRC and the funds cover different expenses than the ones proposed in the Discovery Grant application.

    Refer to the Peer Review Manual and Instructions for Completing an Application for further information.


    Applicant categories

    Applicants to the Discovery Grant Program are categorized as either Early Career Researchers or Established Researchers. Refer to the Discovery Grants - Applicant Categories for more information. Applicant categorization is the responsibility of NSERC staff and is based on the information provided by the applicant in the CCV and application.

    Deadline Details

    November 1, 2020

    Award Details

    varies

    Related Webcasts Use the links below to view the recorded playback of these webcasts


    • NSF Funding for Campus Cyberinfrastructure in Higher Education - Sponsored by NetApp - Playback Available
    • Funding High Performance Computing in Support of University Research – Sponsored by NetApp - Playback Available
    • Getting A Virtualization Project Funded - Sponsored by NetApp - Playback Available

 

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