Call for Nominations

Nomination deadline: May 2, 2011

Eligibility

Who is Eligible to be Nominated?

Eligible nominees must:

• have conducted research at the master’s or PhD level in one of the fields of natural sciences or engineering that NSERC supports at an eligible Canadian university;
• have submitted, or expect to submit, their thesis between May 15, 2010, and May 1, 2011 (students must successfully defend their thesis before the award is offered); and
• be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident in Canada at the time of nomination.

It is the responsibility of the universities, rather than the students, to submit nominations (self-nominations will not be accepted). Administrative heads of the Industrial Liaison (technology transfer) Office (ILO), or its equivalent, at Canadian universities can nominate up to two eligible candidates from their own university.

Nomination Process and Selection Criteria

How to Enter

The student prepares the documentation listed below and submits it to the ILO or its equivalent at the university where the student is currently conducting, or has recently completed, graduate research in the natural sciences or engineering (inquire about internal deadlines):

• An up-to-date curriculum vitæ that provides information on the student's contributions to publications (including patents) and collaborative research activities. The curriculum vitæ should include the mailing address, telephone number and e-mail address where the nominee can be contacted until the end of July.
• A letter from the graduate office of the university stating the date of the successful defence/submission of the student's master's or doctoral thesis, or anticipated date of defence/submission.
• A proposal (see Details of proposal) that clearly explains how the research results produced during the pursuit of the student's master's or PhD degree could be translated into a commercial product or service.
• A one-page letter from the supervisor or departmental chair. The letter must clearly outline the specific contributions made by the student to the research.
• A photocopy of documents confirming Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status.
• A letter of support from any private sector organization(s) that have expressed an interest in the commercial product or service. The letter should address the significance of the commercial product or service to the organization.

Once the two successful nominations are chosen by the ILO, the university sends one copy of the documentation below for each nomination to NSERC (see Award Contact for mailing address):

• A copy of the completed signed Entry Form
• A letter from the administrative head of the ILO (or its equivalent) recommending the nomination and indicating the name of the student (or former student) and the departmental affiliation.
• The documentation prepared by the student.

Details of Proposal

The proposal must contain the following (see Presentation Guidelines below):

1. A one-page summary of the research that clearly outlines why the research was undertaken and the significance, impact and originality of the results. The engineering/scientific innovation should also be clearly laid out. This summary is a key element in the assessment process and:
   • should not be a duplicate of the thesis abstract; and
   • must be presented in plain language, understandable by an individual who is not familiar with the field of research.
     (The information in the summary may be used for publicity purposes.)
2. A description of the primary commercial product or service that could be implemented or developed through application of the research results, including reference to other applications of the product or service. Inclusion of images and/or diagrams is encouraged in cases where this would assist the selection committee in better understanding the technology.
3. Identification of emerging trends in the marketplace that will support the acceptance of the new innovation. Include a summary of the unique value the customer or end-user would receive from this proposed product or service. Defend the market assumptions. Identify any potential rivals or competition for a similar product or service and explain how the product or service differs from it and what advantages it offers.
4. A description of:
   • the three most important technical steps in the innovation;
   • obstacles that must be overcome; and/or
   • additional research to be done before the product or service would be in a marketable form (include a statement as to how, where and with what resources the additional research would be conducted).
5. A description of how to best prototype or simulate the usability, utility and feasibility of the proposed product or service under market conditions.
6. A description of risks to be overcome in getting to market – these might include product limitations, constraints and challenges, and/or regulatory issues.

Review Process and Criteria

The selection committee will consist of Canadians who are familiar with university research and with judging the potential of innovative ideas.

The selection committee will decide if an entry merits an award. If no entries demonstrate excellence, then no awards will be granted. Entry material will not be returned to the entrants. NSERC and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) reserve the right to release the entrants' names and a brief description of their entries. Any additional disclosures will be made in consultation with the entrants, but no claim may be made against NSERC and BDC as a result of such disclosures. The signatures of the university and entrants constitute their agreement to be bound by these rules.

The following criteria will be used to judge the entries:

1. Presentation of the idea
   • Is the proposal clearly written and comprehensible to non-experts in the field?
   • Does the student present the idea in an enthusiastic and committed manner that embodies the entrepreneurial spirit?
   • Is the proposed extension of the research results logical and well explained?
2. Novelty of the approach
   • Does the proposal reflect an application of the research results that adds new value by overcoming a previously known barrier and/or by applying the results in an unanticipated or novel way?
3. Contribution of the student
   • The thesis supervisor's letter should clearly describe the student's contribution to the research.
   • The thesis supervisor's letter should clearly describe the student's contribution to the innovative and/or entrepreneurial approach.
4. Realism of the approach to commercialization
   • Is there a realistic understanding of the market risks and potential barriers to commercialization? Does the proposed approach fill an unmet need?
   • Has the student demonstrated a sound understanding of the technical risks associated with the commercialization of the product or service?
   • Does the proposal clearly identify the technical and/or business challenges that must be faced before commercialization?
5. Impact – value of the proposed product or service
   • What is the potential impact of the innovation, and how well is it explained?
   • Is there potential for economic or other benefits for Canada or for Canadians?

Presentation Guidelines

• Use a maximum of six 8 ½”x 11” (21.5 cm x 28 cm) sheets, including the one-page summary.
• Print must be in black ink and of letter quality.
• Text must be single-spaced, with no more than six lines per inch.
• The accepted font is Times New Roman regular 12 pts, or any comparable font. Smaller font sizes will result in the nomination being rejected.
• Condensed fonts, and applications completed strictly in italics, are not acceptable.
• Use white paper, 8 1/2 x 11 inches (21.5 cm x 28 cm), portrait format, with a single column.
• Set margins at 3/4 of an inch (1.9 cm), minimum, all around.
• Number your pages sequentially.
• Print on one side of the page only.

Notification

Entrants and Industrial Liaison Offices will be notified about the success of their nominations in July.