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Contact Newsletter
February 2012 - Volume 36 No. 1
In this issue
- Upcoming NSERC deadlines
- Prize winners honoured by Governor General
- Grants, scholarships and fellowships competitions conclude
- Evaluation planned for Discovery Grants Program
- New Web pages focus on women in science and engineering
- Family and medical leave information consolidated
- Long-range plan published for subatomic physics research
Upcoming NSERC deadlines
| April 1, 2012 | Applications for Strategic Project Grants |
|---|---|
| April 8, 2012 | Preliminary applications for Chairs in Design Engineering |
| April 10, 2012 | Applications for Idea to Innovation Grants |
| April 15, 2012 | Nominations for the Synergy Awards for Innovation |
| May 1, 2012 | Letters of Intent for Collaborative Health Research Project Grants |
| May 1, 2012 | Letters of Intent for Collaborative Research and Training Experience Grants |
| May 1, 2012 | Letters of Intent for Major Resources Support Grants (except subatomic physics applications) |
| May 1, 2012 | Nominations for the Innovation Challenge Awards |
| May 27, 2012 | Full applications (invitation only) for Chairs in Design Engineering |
| June 10, 2012 | Applications for Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements |
Prize winners honoured by Governor General
NSERC’s “Celebrating Canada’s Top Natural Sciences and Engineering Researchers” awards ceremony returned to Rideau Hall again this year. Hosted by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, the event honoured the winners of seven prestigious NSERC prizes. The Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering—NSERC’s highest honour—went to renowned climate scientist Richard Peltier of the University of Toronto. For more information, read the news release or visit these pages:
- Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering;
- Brockhouse Canada Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Engineering;
- NSERC John C. Polanyi Award;
- E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowships;
- Synergy Awards for Innovation;
- NSERC Howard Alper Postdoctoral Prize; and
- NSERC André Hamer Postgraduate Prizes.
The creation of a new award—the NSERC Gilles Brassard Doctoral Prize for Interdisciplinary Research—was announced earlier on the day of the ceremony.
Grants, scholarships and fellowships competitions conclude
The 2012 competitions for Discovery Grants, Major Resources Support Grants, CREATE Grants, and scholarships and fellowships will conclude shortly, and staff have begun processing the results. NSERC expects to notify applicants of their results in late March. A public announcement of the full competition results and associated statistical reports will be planned shortly after applicants are notified; however, the exact timing has not been confirmed.
Evaluation planned for Discovery Grants Program
Planning for the formal evaluation of the Discovery Grants Program is currently under way. NSERC will conduct the evaluation in 2013, drawing on multiple sources of information. Those will include surveys of applicants, scientific societies and institutions, with the goal of assessing the continuing performance and delivery of the program. Details about the research community’s participation in the evaluation process will be provided as they become available.
New Web pages focus on women in science and engineering
New content posted recently on NSERC's Web site includes a new Women in Science and Engineering page, recognizing that challenges remain in achieving the full participation of women in science and engineering careers. As stated in the Policy Statement on Gender Equality in Science and Engineering adopted in October 2011, NSERC is committed to identifying and eliminating barriers that may exist within its own programs and working together with other stakeholders, when appropriate, to do the same. Content on the page includes information about related programs, policies, reports and statistics.
Family and medical leave information consolidated
Information about the existing provisions available to grant or scholarship holders to take different types of leave has been consolidated in one place. The Family and Medical Leave page centralizes access to information about applicable policies, forms to be completed and eligibility questions. Depending on their circumstances, students or professors funded by NSERC may be able to take parental leave, extend the term of their award, or defer the submission of a renewal application.
Long-range plan published for subatomic physics research
As reported in the December 2011 issue of Contact, the new long-range plan for subatomic physics research in Canada has been completed. The Committee's report, The Subatomic Universe: Canada in the Age of Discovery, was presented to NSERC President Suzanne Fortier in January, and can now be 
downloaded.