Funding, News and Announcements

In February, full details about Option 2 will be released on NSERC’s website, and it is planned that applications will be accepted as early as March (exact date to be determined). 

As disclosed in an earlier communication, this component of the Alliance grants is intended for proposals that: 

• conduct natural science or engineering research that addresses an unmet societal need. This may include research affecting public goods, or that will address national or global issues that benefit more than a single or a few organizations, and where sources of funds are unavailable.
• connect partner organizations willing and able to overcome existing barriers to address these challenges and achieve results that can lead to a societal impact beyond economic benefits, and where an increased level of support from public funds is justified.

More detailed characteristics will follow in the February release.

During the initial phase, applications requesting over $30,000 and up to $100,000 per year will be accepted, and the number of applications each applicant (as principal investigator or as co-applicant) may submit will be limited to one within a 12-month period. 

The proposal will include an additional section, in which applicants will justify the need for a higher NSERC contribution. In this section applicants will describe the societal challenge to be addressed through the project and how the results will impact society beyond the anticipated benefits for the participating partner organizations. 

Alliance Option 2 applications will be evaluated in two stages. Full applications will be submitted to a multidisciplinary and multisectoral selection committee that will assess whether a higher NSERC contribution is justified. 

If selected, applications will then proceed to the second step for review of overall merit. As in Option 1, external reviewers with expertise directly related to the proposal will provide reviews based on the Alliance evaluation criteria. 

Since December 11, 2019, NSERC has been accepting Option 1 applications requesting more than $20,000 annually from NSERC. 

For full details about Alliance grants and how to apply, please visit the Alliance webpage and the Frequently Asked Questions page. 

Contact Information

If you have any questions or comments about Alliance grants, please contact Alliance@nserc-crsng.gc.ca. You can also sign up on the Alliance webpage to be added to the mailing list so you can stay up to date on the latest information.

Dalhousie contact: David.Spurrell@dal.ca