NSERC International Overview
Rick Warner
Manager
Pacific Regional Office
April 2014
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Canadian Federal S&T Structure
Prime Minister of Canada
PARLIAMENT
Industry Canada
Minister of Health
CABINET
Minister of Industry
Minister of State (S&T)
Research and Research Training Funding
Research and Development Funding
Research Performed in Federal Labs
Granting Agencies:
• Canada Revenue Agency’s Scientific
Research & Experimental Development
(SR&ED) Tax Credits
• National Research Council (NRC)
• Natural Sciences & Engineering Research
Council (NSERC)
• Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council
(SSHRC)
• Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR)
Foundations:
• National Research Council’s Industrial
Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
• Industry Canada’s Strategic Aerospace
and Defence Initiative (SADI)
‐ Canadian Space Agency
‐ Department of Fisheries & Oceans
‐ Environment Canada
‐ Health Canada
• Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
‐ Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
• Genome Canada
Research in
universities, colleges and
teaching hospitals
• Science-based Departments & Agencies:
‐ Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
Industrial Research
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NSERC Vision and Priorities
Vision: NSERC helps make Canada a
country of discoverers and innovators for
the benefit of all Canadians
Total Budget 2013-14
$1.07 billion
Priorities:
4.7%
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.
25.6%
33.5%
36.3%
People
Discovery
Innovation
Administration
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People: Developing the best & the brightest
Highly skilled science and engineering
professionals in Canada
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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
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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
ArcticNet researchers cataloguing polar data
• Training students (our future) in
stimulating research environments
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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
2014-15 (1500 to 3000 in 5 years)
• Integrated suite of partnership options increase:
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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
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Centres for
Commercialization and
Research
NSERC support spans the Research
continuum – maximizing the potential
for impact
Business-Led
Networks
College and
Community Innovation
Program
Quebec Consortium for
Drug Discovery (CQDM)
MARKET MATURITY
Industry-driven
program
Discovery Grants
Particle
Physics
Innovative Wastewater
Treatment Technologies
Ultrasonic detection
of manufacturing
defects
Strategic Partnerships
(Government Priorities)
basic research; research
applied to industry
GreenCentre
Canada (GCC)
Clean Energy
Ecology/
Hydrogeology
Chemistry
(reduce use of water in oil
sands production)
TRAINING IN UNIVERSITIES
TECHNOLOGY MATURITY
TRAINING IN INDUSTRY
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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.
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Strengthening Canada’s Position
Objectives
NSERC’s international strategy aims to:
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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.
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NSERC’s International Strategy
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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SNG
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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
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Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships
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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
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Contact Us
NSERC Corporate Planning & Policy
Jean Saint-Vil
Director
E-mail: jean.saint-vil@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
Tel.: 613-943-3590
Andrew Grosvenor
International Policy Advisor
E-mail: andrew.grosvenor@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
Tel.: 613-992-3445
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Igniting New Research
Partnerships Through Engage
Grants in first year,
• 445 new collaborations
88% with SMEs
• 272 companies new to NSERC
Partnerships (>10% increase)
• 187 researchers new to Partnerships
Programs
• Decisions in 4-6 weeks