Institutional Eligibility Requirements

An institution that wishes to authorize applications and administer NSERC grants, scholarships and fellowships must submit a written eligibility request to NSERC, signed by the institution’s president/principal or delegate. The institution must demonstrate that it meets all the requirements set out below.

An institution will be approved as NSERC-eligible only when NSERC has received all the documentation and is satisfied that the institution meets all the requirements.

Once you have assembled all the documentation mentioned in the Checklist for a Complete Institutional Eligibility Request, please send your request to:

Coordinator, Eligibility of Institutions
Executive Vice-President’s Office
NSERC
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1H5
E-mail: sectr@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Note: An institution that is federated with, or affiliated to, or a constituent portion of another institution that is already eligible to authorize grant applications will not normally be accorded its own independent authority.

Requirements

To be recognized as eligible to authorize applications for NSERC awards and to administer such awards, universities and colleges must meet the following eight requirements and submit the supporting documentation. Please note that the first three requirements apply in one way to universities and in another to colleges. The last five requirements apply in exactly the same way to both universities and colleges.

Requirements for a university and/or college

1. A university must grant degrees in the natural sciences and/or engineering fields, at least at the bachelor’s level.

   A college must offer programs in the natural sciences and/or engineering fields. Exceptions can be made for the College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program.
   
   Supporting documentation – A short overview of the institution’s programs, areas of research, and number of students and faculty.

2. The degrees granted by the university are generally accepted by other Canadian universities for direct admission into their own postgraduate degree programs, without the necessity of a period of qualifying study.
   
   This requirement does not apply to colleges.
   
   Supporting documentation – Letters from Deans of Graduate Studies from at least three NSERC-eligible universities attesting to this fact.
   
   
3. The university’s faculty members in the natural sciences and/or engineering fields are required to engage in research, and the university will ensure that these faculty members have the time to conduct research.
   
   The college’s faculty members in the natural sciences and/or engineering fields (exceptions can be made for the CCI Program) are permitted to engage in research, and the college will ensure that these faculty members have the time to conduct research. Note: For colleges, research includes innovation-related activities such as developing new or enhanced products and processes; disseminating and bringing new knowledge to market; building and testing prototypes; and carrying out non-routine laboratory testing or field studies, etc.

   Supporting documentation – A statement attesting to the institution’s commitment to research, with supporting documentation such as section(s) of the institution’s mission statement, policy on research, etc.

4. The university or college will provide the basic facilities and services (including space) to enable its natural sciences and/or engineering faculty members (exceptions can be made for the CCI Program) to conduct research.
   
   Supporting documentation – A statement to this effect, with a short description of the research facilities and services and the general terms governing their use or availability.
   
   
5. The university or college will absorb the indirect costs of research undertaken through NSERC grants.
   
   Supporting documentation – A statement attesting to this financial commitment, indicating a clear understanding of the policies and regulations presented under Responsibilities and Accountability in the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide.
   
   
6. The university or college agrees to sign and adhere to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Roles and Responsibilities in the Management of Federal Grants and Awards.

Supporting documentation:

• A statement affirming which of the options described in article 5.3. Ethics Review of Research Involving Animals of the MOU applies to the institution. If you select Option 1 (i.e., the institution uses animals for research and/or for teaching and testing), please include a copy of the  Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) Certificate of Good Animal Practice.
• A statement affirming which of the options described in article 5.13. Research Involving Biohazards of the MOU applies to the institution.
• A completed Federal Agencies Grant and Award Management Questionnaire.
• A copy of the institution’s policy on integrity in research and scholarship including the procedures for handling allegations of misconduct. The institution’s policy must adhere to the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Integrity in Research and Scholarship. Institutions should also consult the Framework for Tri-Council Review of Institutional Policies Dealing with Integrity in Research.
• A statement affirming that the institution has a policy on Conflicts of Interest in Research.

Research Involving Humans

If an institution conducts research involving humans:

Each institution’s policies and procedures must adhere to the  Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS): Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans as a minimum standard. This policy applies to all research involving humans conducted under the jurisdiction or auspices of the institution, or by its members, in any location, and in all disciplines, regardless of the source of funding supporting the research.

Note: A second edition of the TCPS is forthcoming, with an expected release date of December 2010. Revised guidance on supporting documentation will be provided at that time.

Supporting documentation:

• A copy of the institution’s policy on research involving humans (covering elements of at least sections 1 and 2 of the TCPS), including the procedures for conducting an ethics review and appeals from an ethics review decision; if applicable, a copy of the institution’s agreement with an eligible institution for access to an appeal board; or
• A formal written agreement with another eligible institution (duly signed by the two institutions) to use its policy and processes, including the use of its Research Ethics Board (REB) and appeal mechanism.

If an institution does not conduct any research involving humans:

In cases where an institution does not conduct any research involving humans and does not have a policy involving humans that adheres to the TCPS at the time of applying for institutional eligibility, the institution has up to one year from the date of signing the MOU to put in place a policy or a formal written agreement with another institution that adheres to the TCPS.

Supporting documentation:

The institution must include a statement indicating:

• that none of the research currently conducted under the institution’s auspices or jurisdiction, or by its members, falls within the purview of the TCPS; and
• that until the approved policy or written agreement is in place, the institution agrees that it will not allow the conduct of research involving humans under its auspices or jurisdiction or by its members, and will not submit any applications to NSERC for research involving humans.

1. The university or college agrees to abide by the policies on radioactive materials and research in the Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, etc., as detailed in the Requirements for Certain Types of Research.

   Supporting documentation – A statement affirming that the university or college will abide by these policies.

2. The university or college has adequate safeguards to protect the sensitive information that NSERC entrusts to it so that the university or college can administer applications and awards.

   Supporting documentation – A statement affirming that the university or college meets this requirement, supported by references to provincial legislation or institutional policies concerning data protection.

Note: Before you start preparing your eligibility request, please direct your enquiries to the following contacts, based on the subject matter of your question.

Contacts

General process or requirements

Yvette Landry
Coordinator, Eligibility of Institutions
Tel.: 613-943-7646
E-mail: sectr@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Integrity policy

Marie Emond
Tel.: 613-992-0842
E-mail: marie.emond@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Ethics in research involving humans

Hanan Abdel-Akher
Tel.: 613-996-2564
E-mail: hanan.abdel-akher@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Management of grants and awards

Rita Carrière
Tel.: 613-996-3174
E-mail: rita.carriere@nserc-crsng.gc.ca