Strategic Partnership Grants for Projects

Instructions for Completing an SPG-P Letter of Intent – Form 189

• General Information
• Completing Form 189
• Signatures
• List for a Complete Letter of Intent

General Information

About the Grant

Read the grant description in the Program Guide for Professors before you complete the application.

Who Completes the Application?

The applicant must complete the application and include all required documentation using the On-line System. In addition, the Personal Data Form (Form 100) must be completed by the applicant and linked to the application form.

Presentation Standards

The proposal section of Form 189 must conform to the presentation standards established by NSERC. For more information, read the NSERC On-line Presentation and Attachment Standards.

Application Deadlines

Your application must be received at your institution’s research grants office by their internal deadline date; contact your research grants office for those deadlines.

The letter of intent must be received at NSERC by 8:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the deadline date. If it is not received by the deadline, it will be considered late and will be rejected. Application deadlines are indicated in each of the program descriptions, as well as on the Application Deadlines and Notification of Decision page.

Material or updates received under separate cover (before or after the deadline date) will not be accepted.

Personal Information

The collection, use and disclosure of personal information provided to NSERC are outlined in the following policy statements:

• the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act (ATIP) (including the Use and Disclosure of Personal Information Provided to NSERC)
• Data Retention Information
• Privacy Notice

The information you provide in your application is collected under the authority of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act. NSERC is subject to the  Access to Information Act and the  Privacy Act (ATIP). The information you provide is stored in a series of NSERC data banks described in  Information about programs and information holdings.

Help with Program Information

• Contact the staff responsible for the program to which you are applying.

Help with the NSERC On-line System

• Check the Frequently Asked Questions on how to use the On-line System;
• Review the instructions available in the application;
• Contact the On-line Services Helpdesk. Send an email to: webapp@nserc-crsng.gc.ca or call 613-995-4273. Include your email address and telephone number.

Completing Form 189

Application Profile

Title of proposal

The title will be used for publication purposes. It should describe the subject of the research to be supported. It should not contain a company or trade name. Spell out scientific symbols and acronyms. The title cannot be changed in the submission of the full application, if you are invited to submit one.

If your letter of intent is being submitted under the international agreement with France, enter “ANR” at the beginning of the title. If it is being submitted under the agreement with Taiwan, enter “MOST” at the beginning of the title.

Target area and research topic

Select a target area and research topic from the list provided. Use the Proposal to explain why the research you propose is strategic and how it addresses the research topic. If the research you propose falls outside the priority research topics listed, select “Exceptional Opportunity Outside the Research Topics” and provide an explanation in the Proposal. The target area and research topic cannot be changed in the submission of the full application, if you are invited to submit one.

Area(s) of Research

Research subject codes

Consult the NSERC Code Tables. All applicants are required to select a primary research code.

Area of application codes

Consult the NSERC Code Tables. All applicants are required to select a primary area of application code from the list of Area of Application Codes.

Key words

Provide a maximum of 10 key words that describe the proposal.

Co-Applicants

Identify co-applicants who will participate on your application. Co-applicants do not provide their NSERC Personal Data Form (Form 100) at this stage. The expertise of the co-applicants should be briefly described in the Proposal.

Collaborators

A collaborator is a member of the research team that is applying for a group grant. The collaborator will not have access to the grant funds and must be qualified to undertake research independently. Collaborators are expected to contribute to the overall intellectual direction of the research project or program of research and to bring their own resources to the collaboration. Examples of collaborators are: government scientists, academic researchers, company staff members or research scientists.

Only identify collaborators in this section if their role in the project is similar to that of a co-applicant. Other researchers providing specialized expertise can be briefly described in the Proposal section.

Summary of Proposal

The summary is intended to explain the proposal in language that the public can understand.

Using simple terms, briefly describe the nature of the work to be done. Indicate why and to whom the research is important, the anticipated outcomes and how your field and Canada will benefit. State if your letter of intent is being submitted under an international agreement.

This plain language summary will be made available to the public if your proposal is funded.
If you wish, you may also provide a summary in the other official language in the text box identified for that purpose.

Proposal

Structure the proposal as described below, using a maximum of three pages. The applicant's Personal Identification Number and Family Name should be on the top of each page, as described in the General Presentation standards. Do not include any figures or tables.

Provide sufficient information and justification to address each criterion.

Objective and Expected Outcomes

State the overall objective and expected outcomes of the proposed research.

Fit to Target Area

Using the target area descriptions, identify the target area and research topic that your proposal addresses. Clearly explain how the research you propose fits the target area. The explanation must address all parts of the target area description—the context, the description of the research topic, and the limitations within the research topic. Insufficient information on this aspect can result in the rejection of a letter of intent at the screening stage. If the research you propose falls within the Context section of a target area but outside the priority research topic descriptions, you must provide justification for it to be considered as an “exceptional opportunity.”

Originality of the Research

The project must promise to generate new knowledge or to apply existing knowledge in an innovative manner. Describe the novelty of the overall concepts and approach with references to current literature and the potential for developing new knowledge. Indicate the significance of the scientific issues and the potential impact on the field of research. Use the REFERENCE module for the literature review.

Quality of the Applicants as Researchers

The research team must have the expertise required to address the defined objectives competently and to complete the project successfully. Identify the members of the research team and specify their pertinent expertise and expected contributions to the project.

Training Potential

The project must provide opportunities to train students and other highly qualified personnel with skills relevant to the needs of Canadian organizations. Describe the projected training plan, environment and opportunities for students and other highly qualified personnel. Highlight the relevance of the training to the supporting organizations and the organizations’ potential involvement in training.

Relevance of the Proposed Research to the Supporting Organizations

The supporting organizations must be able to apply the results of the research and must be actively involved in all stages of the project. Describe the relevance of the proposed research to the supporting organizations and their capacity to exploit the results. Indicate the planned interactions between the research team and the supporting organizations.

Evaluation

Letters of intent will be evaluated by the selection panel for the target area using the established selection criteria (see below). The letter of intent will be evaluated on a scale of outstanding, excellent, very strong, strong, acceptable or inadequate. Letters of intent submitted under an international agreement will automatically be invited to submit a full application, provided that all requirements for an SPG-P grant are met. For such international projects, if the planned international collaboration has not been established by the full application stage, a stand-alone proposal with only Canadian researchers will not be accepted.

Fit to target area

The project must support the goal of Strategic Partnership Grants and fall within one of the target areas. The proposal must address all parts of the target area description—context, description of the research topic and limitations within the research topic. For “exceptional opportunities,” the proposal must provide a compelling case for research within the Context section of a target area description.

Originality of the research

The project must promise to generate new knowledge or apply existing knowledge in an innovative manner. Consideration will be given to the following points:

• the novelty of the overall concepts and approach;
• how the research relates to the current scientific and/or technical developments in the field with references to the current literature and patents;
• the potential for developing new knowledge or technology, including innovative techniques, processes or products;
• the extent to which new knowledge or technology is expected to impact on the field of research;
• the significance of the scientific issues and technical challenges.

Quality of the applicants as researchers
The research team must have the expertise required to address the defined objectives competently and to complete the project successfully. Consideration will be given to the following points:

• the breadth and complementarity of expertise available for the project;
• the appropriateness of their expertise in the proposed research areas of the project.

Training potential

The project must provide opportunities to train students and other highly qualified personnel with skills relevant to the needs of Canadian organizations. Consideration will be given to the following points:

• the potential to provide highly qualified personnel with skills relevant to the needs of Canadian organizations;
• the roles of the students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates, technicians and, if applicable, the research staff of the supporting participants;
• the extent to which all participants, including the supporting organizations, are involved in the training

Relevance to the supporting organizations and potential interactions

The supporting organizations must be able to apply the results of the research and must be actively involved in all stages of the project. The proposal must demonstrate that exploitation of the research results will benefit Canada within a 10-year time frame. Consideration will be given to the following points:

• the fit between the project objectives and the priorities of the supporting organizations;
• the capacity of the supporting organizations to exploit the research results;
• the researchers’ track record in transferring research results to a user sector.

References

• Use this section to provide a list of references to the literature, not to exceed one page.
• Do not refer readers to Web sites for additional information on your proposal.
• Do not include any hyperlinks in your list of references.

Form 183A and letter of support (and attachments, as required)

• See the instructions for completing Form 183A.
• A completed Form 183A, letter of support and any other required documents must be attached for each organization participating in a research project. Either the applicant or the supporting organization must complete all applicable pages of the form and provide the required documents.
• To allow a supporting organization the ability to link a Form 183A to your application, use the Access Manager page of Form 101. For details on how to use this function, refer to the Access Manager instructions.
• For applicants who are filling out Form 183A on behalf of the participating organization use the Link Manager page of Form 183A to link to your application. For details on how to use this function, refer to the Link Manager instructions.

External Reviewer Suggestions – Appendix C

Suggest the names of seven people competent to assess the technical aspects of the proposal. This list should include experts from the academic community, the government sector and, for industrially-relevant research, at least one expert from the industrial sector. As appropriate, also include people competent to assess the research aspects outside the natural sciences and engineering. These suggestions should also take into consideration equity, diversity and inclusion, for example the list should include some women.

Give the name, complete mailing address, telephone and facsimile numbers, email address and the area(s) of expertise of potential external reviewers.

External reviewers should be able to review the proposal in the language in which it is written.

You may also request, in a cover letter, that some individuals or companies not be involved in the review of your application. Your request will be taken into account by NSERC.

Suggested external reviewers should not be in a conflict of interest. Refer to the  Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy of the Federal Research Funding Organizations for more information. In addition, reviewers must sign the  Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Agreement for Review Committee Members, External Reviewers, and Observers before they access the application material.

Cover Letter

If your letter of intent is being submitted under an international agreement, provide the name and institution of the collaborating principal investigator in a cover letter.

The cover letter can also be used if you wish to provide NSERC with additional information that will not be shared with selection panel members, such as a request that an individual or group of individuals not be involved in the review of your proposal. NSERC will take such a request into consideration. The cover letter must contain your name, the NSERC grant to which you are applying and the title of your application. Do not describe how the concerns of a previous selection panel have been addressed.

Note: This letter may be accessible to these individuals under the Privacy Act.

Signatures

NSERC does not require original signatures on applications or other documents submitted electronically through its On-line System. The electronic submission of applications through this system represents approval and replaces the traditional "physical" or "wet" signatures. Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions in the Program Guide for Professors for more details.

What do the Electronic or Original Signatures on the Application Mean?

For applicants

Before you, as an applicant or co-applicant, can submit your application to NSERC or link your Personal Data Form to an application, you must read and agree to the the Terms and Conditions of Applying that appear in a pop-up window during the submission process. It is your responsibility to retain a copy of the agreed Terms and Conditions for your records.

The signatures of the institutional authorities certify that:

• the institution will abide by the roles and responsibilities as set out in the  Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions with the three federal granting agencies, including the  Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research;
• the applicant and co-applicant(s) have met, or will meet, the eligibility requirements;
• prior to submission of this application, the institution has obtained written approval from any other institutions involved in the application process;
• if the applicant discloses any potential intellectual property (IP) arising from the research, he or she and the institution will endeavour to obtain the greatest possible economic benefit to Canada from the resulting commercial activity. Note: This requirement for disclosure is not intended to supersede any IP ownership policy that the institution already has in place.

The signatures of authorized officers of other supporting organizations certify that the organization:

• agrees with the content of the application and will provide the committed resources;
• agrees to the release of the public summary of the award and to the publication of the organization's name as a supporter of the initiative.

If you are both the applicant or co-applicant and a principal of a collaborating organization, another senior official must sign on behalf of the organization.

List for a Complete Letter of Intent

• Letter of Intent (Form 189)
• Application Profile
• Co-applicants
• Summary of Proposal
• Proposal (maximum three pages)
• Literature References (maximum one page - attachment)
• Appendix C (External Reviewer Suggestions)
• Cover letter – for letters of intent submitted under an international agreement
• Personal Data Form (Form 100) – for the applicant only
• Personal information (appointment, academic background, HQP)
• Experience
• Research Support
• List of HQP
• Contributions
• Appendix A (Personal Data)
• Appendix B (Eligibility Questionnaire) (if required)
• Appendix C (Description of Applicant's Activities) – if required
• Information Required from Organizations Participating in Research Partnerships (Form 183A) – for each supporting organization
• Letters of support from all supporting organizations