Chairs in Design Engineering – Guide for Applicants

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Definition of design engineering
• Goals
• Objectives
  • Contribution to the training of highly qualified personnel
  • Design and development
  • Collaboration
  • Promotion
• Discussion, description and guidelines for preparing proposals
  • Structure of the proposal
    • Summary
    • University's design strategy
    • Action Plan of the Chair
    • Chairholder
  • Structure of the Chair
  • Design partnerships
  • Design teams
  • Design networks
• Proposal evaluation
  • Review process
  • Criteria
    • University's design strategy
    • Action Plan
    • Chairholder
    • Metrics and Performance Indicators
• Terms of support
• Eligibility
• Decision dates
• Public announcements
• Chair administration
  • Reporting
  • Renewal
  • Sabbatical leaves
• NSERC Contact
• Application procedures
  • Deadline dates
  • Number of copies
  • Where to send application
  • Intellectual property
  • Personal information
• The full application
  • General application information
  • The proposal
  • Detailed Budget

Introduction

To enhance Canada's standard of living in a knowledge-based global economy requires Canadians to become more creative and more innovative.

One of the major gaps in Canada's innovation system is the shortage of people with the skills and knowledge to make innovation happen. Specifically, we lack design engineers. Design engineers, in particular, are the enablers of innovation, and if we want to become more successful in innovation, we have to educate and train more of them.

To help universities meet the growing demand for design engineering talent and to help them create and develop new and innovative designs, design concepts and design tools, NSERC is working to establish a total of 16 Chairs in Design Engineering (CDEs). NSERC encourages a multidisciplinary view of design engineering and encourages applications from all engineering disciplines.

In the current competition, there are at least two new Chairs in Design Engineering available to be awarded. Those interested in applying for a Chair in Design Engineering must first submit a preliminary application. Successful applicants will then be invited to submit a full proposal (see Deadline dates).

Each Chair has a term of five years and may be renewed for an additional five-year term. NSERC will provide up to $1 million over the first term of a Chair. An equivalent amount is to be contributed by any eligible source other than the federal granting agencies, including incremental contributions from the university itself, industry, government or any other public or private sector organization. NSERC will consider matching in-kind contributions from industry.

The objectives are to:

• increase the number and quality of design engineers graduating from Canadian engineering schools;
• design and develop innovative products, processes, systems and technologies;
• establish productive and effective collaborations between the Chairholders, industry, design faculty and professional staff, students and experts across Canada; and
• increase the awareness and appreciation in the community for all aspects of design engineering.

The key elements are the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP), followed by design and development. Applicants proposing a Chair that concentrates on graduate student training in a highly specific discipline must make a strong case for the industrial need for these graduates.

An important element of NSERC's design engineering strategy is the establishment of a national network of expertise in Canada's universities. Engineering faculty from universities across the country are now collaborating through the newly established Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA). This association is a new organization with a mission to “enhance the competence and relevance of graduates from Canadian Engineering schools through continuous improvement in engineering education and design education.” It is a requirement that Chairs in Design Engineering established at different universities contribute to, and work with, the CEEA in the promotion of engineering design within their university and across Canada.

Definition of design engineering

Design engineering is an enabler of innovation. It is the activity that creates the concepts and designs, and develops the new and improved products, processes and technologies that are needed in industry and in other sectors of the economy.

Design engineering integrates mathematics, basic sciences, engineering sciences and complementary studies in developing elements, systems and processes to meet specific needs. It is a creative, iterative and often open-ended process subject to constraints which may be governed by standards or legislation to varying degrees depending upon the discipline. These constraints may relate to economic, health, safety, environmental, social or other pertinent factors.

Goals

NSERC's goal in setting up the Chairs is to expand and improve Canada's capacity and performance in all aspects of design engineering, including environmental design. Universities, either independently or jointly with other universities and educational institutions, are invited to submit proposals in partnership with industry, federal and provincial governments, and other private or public sector organizations.

Objectives

The objectives cover four interdependent and overlapping areas:

• Contribution to the training of highly qualified personnel
• Design and development
• Collaboration
• Promotion

Contribution to the training of highly qualified personnel: to expand and improve Canada's capacity in design engineering

This objective is aimed at increasing the number and the quality of design engineers coming out of our engineering schools, and providing high-quality education and training in design engineering to all undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students. It focuses on innovation in teaching and learning, and on equipping engineering students with all the right skills (hard and soft skills), knowledge and professional and personal attributes that the engineering profession and future employers require.

Applicants proposing to concentrate on training graduate-level designers in a program focused in a highly specific technical discipline must make a strong case for the industrial need for this level of training.

Design and development: to design and develop innovative and efficient products, processes, systems and technologies

This objective addresses the design and development of new and improved products, processes, systems and technologies in addition to innovation in design practice, tools, methodologies and approaches.

Collaboration: to establish effective design partnerships, design teams and design networks

Design engineering is a multidisciplinary and multi-functional profession, and linkages to professionals and experts inside and outside the university are, therefore, a vital aspect of a Chair's work.

This objective is aimed at the creation and development of effective relationships leading to collaborative activity and synergies involving:

• design partnerships with industry, business and other receptors;
• design teams involving faculty, professional staff and students in other scientific and engineering areas from within the university and from other educational/training institutions, as well as experts and professionals from outside the university; and
• design networks linking other Chairs, faculty, professional staff and students in other Canadian universities through active participation in the CEEA and related opportunities.

Promotion: to promote innovative designs, design practices and design solutions

The aim of this objective is to generate an increased awareness and appreciation, in both the research and outside communities, of all aspects of design engineering.

As advocates for design engineering, all Chairs give advice, teach, give specialized courses and lectures, and promote innovative designs and design practices.

Discussion, description and guidelines for preparing proposals

Note: More details on the format, length and content of both the preliminary application and the full application appear in the Application procedures section at the end of this guide.

Structure of the proposal

Apart from the basic structure outlined below, the proposal is free-form. It allows the university the flexibility to be creative and innovative in structuring the Chair and the Chair's Action Plan. The university should make the best possible case for the establishment of the best possible Chair, in line with the university's goals, priorities, aspirations and resources.

Summary

The summary should clearly outline, in point form, the proposed activities and where they will have an impact with respect to the overall objectives.

University's design strategy (to be completed by the applicant)

The university should outline its design strategy in the context of the four objectives given above, noting:

• the general nature and level of current design engineering teaching, design activity and other design-related or design-oriented activities within the university;
• the overall vision for engineering within the university and how design engineering and a design engineering chair support that vision;
• the vision and anticipated evolution of design engineering teaching and design activity, including plans for expansion, enhancements and other changes in current design engineering activities;
• strategies to enhance the prestige, status and profile of design engineering within the university;
• the positioning of the proposed Chair, and its role and importance with respect to the university's design strategy; and
• specific contributions to date by the university and/or the candidate in support of the CEEA.

Action Plan of the Chair (to be completed by the candidate)

The Action Plan details the activities and contributions to be undertaken by the Chair in response to each of the four objectives (training, design and development, collaboration, and promotion). The Plan also outlines the anticipated results and the significance of their impact on achieving those objectives. The Plan must include, in tabular form, a list of the milestones, initiation and completion dates, and performance indicators organized by objective. It is expected that some of the proposed activities will be in support of more than one objective. It is anticipated that the action plan will outline the impact of the Design Chair outside the host institution.

Chairholder

This section explains, and makes the case for, the proposed Chair candidate and the candidate’s status, rank, title, terms of employment and remuneration.

The purpose of this section is to demonstrate that:

• the proposed candidate has the necessary level and quality of design and teaching experience, as well as the professional and personal skills and attributes to enhance the university's design activities and to accomplish the Chair's objectives and Action Plan; and
• the Chair arrangements and nature of the appointment will enhance the candidate's profile, prestige and credibility, and thus the Chairholder's effectiveness within the university and within the design community outside the university.

Design involves the application of engineering concepts to solve specific problems; therefore, the candidate should have demonstrated significant design experience, particularly in the area of the Chair proposal.

Structure of the Chair

The basic role of the Chairholder is to be a strong proponent of design education and training in the university. The Chairholder will be the champion and promoter of innovative and efficient design and the design conscience of the university.

Beyond that, the universities should design the specifics of their Chair to be in line with their particular needs, aspirations and circumstances. Please note that the design training anticipated should be at a level relevant to Canadian receptor industries. Thus, a significant component of a proposed Chair in Design Engineering is generally expected to address the training of bachelor’s-level engineers. Proposals that concentrate on graduate student training must make the case that this level of education is required by industry.

NSERC will entertain proposals for Chairs with single or multiple Chairholders. A Chair may have a number of “satellite” positions attached to it to allow the Chairholder to recruit different design experts from inside and outside the university for certain periods of time, depending on need and opportunity. There may be a need for “horizontal” product- or problem-oriented Chairs (covering a number of disciplines and departments), or “vertical” discipline-based Chairs (dedicated to a single discipline or department).

Another variation might be a Chair and co-Chair arrangement, involving a tenured “academic” Chairholder with an adjunct professor from industry as the “industrial” co-Chair. There may also be opportunities to appoint prestigious part-time Chairholders from business or industry, a model that is highly successful in engineering schools in Europe. “Design engineer in residence” may be another interesting concept. Or, a number of universities could get together and make a joint proposal for a “shared” Chair in a particular specialized area.

Universities are encouraged to propose creative solutions to the challenge of designing the best possible Chair, in line with their needs and aspirations.

Design partnerships: industry participation, involvement and commitment

Design partnerships with industry and business are an essential component of the Chair. Industry participation, involvement and commitment will keep the Chair focused on what industry needs in order to be productive and innovative in creating the products and processes that will improve our economy.

The training of more top-notch design engineers who have the skills, knowledge and professional and personal attributes required by industry is a priority. The Chairholders should develop their courses and teaching practices, including the design curriculum, in close consultation with industry. Partnership with industry will also ensure that the Chairholders and their students have access to, and can work on, realistic design problems.

It is important that industry work closely with the Chairholders and the students. The Chairholders will benefit from guidance, advice, input, collaboration and access to design environments for themselves; similarly, students will profit from case studies, realistic design ideas for projects, guest lecturers from industry, payment of prototype development costs, etc. Industrial participation will provide real-life intellectual and practical “infrastructure,” and the realistic design experience will be invaluable to both faculty and students.

Although industry funding for the Chair is highly desirable, it is not mandatory, provided the total funding available is adequate to support the Chair and the Chair's Action Plan. NSERC will accept, for matching purposes, funding from any source other than the federal granting agencies, including incremental contributions from the university itself, industry, government, or any other private or public sector organization. If the Chair successfully addresses the needs and concerns of the industrial partners, produces some early successes and is able to attract a growing number of companies, it is anticipated that industry funding as a percentage of total support will grow over time.

Cash and in-kind contributions from business and industry are both eligible for matching by NSERC. Industry, for instance, may pay for the salaries of industry engineers working directly with the Chairholder, perhaps in one of the Chair's “satellite” positions. Industry is also likely to contribute to the building of prototypes, provide work terms for students, provide case studies, create realistic design projects, provide resources for student projects, give lectures and courses, and provide course material or perhaps up-to-date equipment.

It is also very important to develop strong linkages and connections between the Chair and the Chair's partner companies. Industrial partners who have specialized design facilities are, therefore, expected to provide an office for the Chairholder at their facilities. It is important that the Chairholder be seen as a member of the company's design team rather than as a visitor.

Design teams: faculty participation, involvement and commitment

It is important for the Chair to motivate, attract and involve large numbers of other engineering professors, professional staff and students. Other faculty members should be invited to participate in the Chair's activities as full members of multidisciplinary and multi-functional design teams.

Participation of specialists with special expertise in other areas, from inside and outside the university, on the Chair's design teams is important as well. For instance, collaboration with the university's technology transfer office or business school, community colleges, financial and legal experts, industrial designers, environmental experts, government policy experts, etc., can add significant value to the activities of the Chair.

Design networks

By and large, the universities do not have significant strength in design engineering. There is a need to increase the number of design faculty, make more time available for design activity for existing faculty and build a network of design experts within our universities.

Proposal evaluation

NSERC reviewers will rate the proposal and its major elements (the design strategy, Action Plan and Chair candidate) against the corresponding criteria, and rank it on quality and cost, relative to all other proposals. Preliminary applications will be rated on the same criteria as full applications, but will not be sent for external review.

Review process

A selection panel will evaluate both the preliminary and full applications. The selection panel will include experienced and senior design engineers and design engineering managers from Canadian industry, as well as experts from universities and other private- and public-sector organizations.

The selection panel will review the preliminary applications and make recommendations to NSERC as to which applicants should be invited to submit a full application. The selection panel will also highlight potential issues in the preliminary application and provide feedback to all applicants.

For each invited full proposal, NSERC will conduct a site review. Site visits are anticipated to take place in the fall of 2011. The universities to be visited will be contacted regarding the timing and the agenda. All proposals will thereafter be assessed by the selection panel.

Criteria

The evaluation criteria involve quantitative and qualitative assessments of the specific results, contributions and impacts to be achieved by the university's design strategy, and the Chair's Action Plan in relation to each of the four (equally weighted) objectives: contribution to the training of highly qualified personnel, design and development, collaboration and promotion. The evaluation criteria also cover the Chairholder, the Chair structure and other arrangements that may affect the Chair's success and effectiveness.

To address the evaluation criteria, the applications must contain the following sections:

University’s design strategy

• the relevance, significance and impact of the activities, contributions and expected results outlined in the university's design strategy in support of the program's contribution to the training of highly qualified personnel, design and development, collaboration and promotion objectives; and
• the degree of innovation and creativity reflected in the university's design strategy.

Action Plan

• the relevance and effectiveness of the activities and contributions proposed in the Action Plan in support of the contribution to the training of highly qualified personnel, design and development, collaboration and promotion objectives;
• the significance and impact of the anticipated results of the Action Plan and their contribution to achieving the objectives;
• the degree of innovation and creativity reflected in the Action Plan;
• the likelihood of success in carrying out the proposed activities, producing the expected results and achieving the objectives; and
• the cost of the Action Plan in proportion to the scope and level of effort, and the significance, degree of innovation and likelihood of success of the Action Plan.

Chairholder

• the excellence, suitability and effectiveness of the candidate in terms of carrying out the Action Plan successfully (i.e., to undertake the planned activities, to produce the intended results and contributions, and to achieve all of the objectives set out for the Chair); and
• the suitability and sustainabilty of position arrangements for enhancing the status, effectiveness and credibility of the candidate with industry, university colleagues and students.

Metrics and Performance Indicators

The universities are required to provide quantitative and qualitative output measures and performance indicators that will be used to measure and assess progress and performance in the Chair's Action Plan; and to judge the significance, relevance and impact of the Chair's contributions to the contribution to the training of highly qualified personnel, design and development, collaboration and promotion.

Terms of support

NSERC will match cash contributions that are provided in support of the direct cost of a Chair from any funding source other than the federal granting agencies, including the incremental contributions from the university, federal, provincial or local government, industry, and any other private or public sector organizations, communities, and individuals. NSERC will also consider matching in-kind contributions consisting of staff time, salaries, equipment and any other resources provided by the business and industry partners of the Chair.

NSERC will contribute an average of $200,000 per year, up to a maximum of $1 million over the five-year term of the Chair, regardless of the possibly higher funding levels that may be provided by other sources.

NSERC will not match the salary of an internal candidate since it is not considered a contribution to the cost of the Chair (the candidate is already employed by the university); funding provided by the university must be in addition to salary support.

The contributions from NSERC and the Chair's sponsors can be used to cover the Chairholder's remuneration (contract, retainer, honorarium, fee, salary and benefits, etc.) plus the cost of design teaching, design and development practice and design-oriented or design-related activities, including the promotional activities undertaken by the Chair. The university will be responsible for any salary increments over the course of the award due to merit, progression through the ranks and inflation. Please show the salary costs fixed at the level of the anticipated first-year cost.

Chairholders who meet NSERC's regular eligibility criteria applicable to university faculty members may apply for other NSERC grants and to other funding agencies for support of their research or for any other activities.

Once NSERC has approved a Chair, the starting date is at the discretion of the university and the Chair's sponsors. If additional financial commitments are secured after the Chair has started, NSERC will consider adjusting its level of funding (up to the maximum totals discussed above) on an annual basis. Requests for additional matching funding from NSERC (up to the maximum totals) should be made at that time. The request should be supported by a full description of the incremental impact that will result from the additional funding, and by a revised budget.

Eligibility

Proposals may be submitted by any eligible university or combination of universities.

Candidates for the Chair can be internal or external. Universities proposing an internal candidate must agree to allocate the candidate's released salary funds toward an equivalent salary commitment to additional design engineering positions attached to, or collaborating with, the Chair.

Decision dates

• Decisions on preliminary applications: May 27, 2011
• Decisions on full applications: January 31, 2012

Public announcements

Refer to the General Guidelines for the Public Announcement of Major NSERC Awards in planning a public announcement of the award. NSERC will approve a public announcement only after a Chairholder has formally accepted the position and after all the conditions of the award have been addressed to NSERC's satisfaction.

Chair administration

Reporting

The Chairholder is required to submit brief progress reports on an annual basis. Continued NSERC funding is dependent on favourable reviews of the progress of the Chair, in relation to the agreed-upon Action Plan, and continued contributions from the supporting organizations, which must be confirmed annually.

NSERC expects the university to provide the necessary infrastructure support, facilities, space, technical support staff, cash support and any other resources the Chair will need to accomplish what is set out in its agreed-upon Action Plan. There must be a strong and ongoing commitment on the part of the university to provide support for the Chair (over the entire five-year term) at the levels agreed to when the Chair was approved.

Renewal

Chairs are renewable for an additional five-year term (for a total of ten years) if their performance is satisfactory and financial support from sources other than the granting agencies continues. NSERC's renewal of support for the Chair will be based on the Chairholder's activities and progress in the first four years and the proposed Action Plan for the next five-year term. The four-year (48-month) progress report is one of the documents that will be used to determine whether a Chair should be renewed for another five years. If the evaluations of the first term’s progress and the renewal proposal are positive and the sponsoring organization(s) are willing to contribute financial support for a second term, NSERC may contribute up to $200,000 per year in support of the Chairholder’s salary and design engineering program. The application for renewal should be submitted at least six months before the end of the Chair’s first term.

In the second term only, the maximum NSERC contribution to salary for each successive year will be: 45 percent, 37.5 percent, 25 percent, 12.5 percent, and 5 percent, respectively, of the value of the Chairholder’s salary and fringe benefits at the beginning of the second term. The expectation is that the university will assume an increasing commitment toward the Chairholder’s salary. If the sponsoring organization(s) chooses to contribute an amount greater than NSERC’s grant towards salary, NSERC will not recognize, for leveraging purposes, these additional sponsor funds allocated to Chairholder salary support.

The remainder of NSERC’s contribution is allocated to the Chair’s design engineering program.

The total funding provided by the sponsoring organization(s) during that same period must be equal to or greater than NSERC’s support.

It is expected that industrial contributions to the second term of a Chair in Design Engineering will be at least as significant as those during the first term.

For further information about the renewal of Chairs in Design Engineering, see the Renewal Policy on Chairs in Design Engineering.

Sabbatical leaves

Chairs in Design Engineering usually have objectives that involve changes to undergraduate training activities at the university. These changes are generally challenging to implement, and often demand concerted attention from the Chairholder. As such, elements of Sabbatical and Leave Periods in the Use of Grant Funds section of the Program Guide for Professors may not be relevant.

The following outlines the general elements of NSERC’s approach to sabbaticals for Chairs in Design Engineering.

Two possible sabbatical scenarios are envisaged:

1. NSERC continues to support the Chair (normal funding) during the term of the sabbatical. This scenario is particularly relevant if the Chairholder remains at the university during the sabbatical period. NSERC approval would be required in response to a formal request from the university applicant (i.e., the dean) outlining:
• a plan for how the objectives for the Chair at the university would be met during the sabbatical;
• the benefits to the university from such a sabbatical; and
• letter(s) of support from the supporting organizations/partners of the Chair.
2. NSERC defers the Chair for a year in order for the Chairholder to take a sabbatical. This is particularly appropriate when the sabbatical is to be spent away from the home university of the Chairholder. Again, this will require an official request from the university and letters of support from the Chair’s supporting organizations/partners. NSERC would not provide salary support during the sabbatical period. During the deferral, NSERC would be willing to continue funding for those activities that can clearly continue without the Chairholder’s active presence. However, such support would reduce future years’ funding.

Note that a potential Chair renewal would still have to be judged on the achievements made during the period the Chair was funded.

NSERC contact

Applicants needing clarification or additional information are encouraged to contact:

Monika Michalska
Account Manager
Research Partnerships Programs
NSERC
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1H5

Tel.: 613-995-8124
Fax: 613-992-5337
E-mail: monika.michalska@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Application procedures

The applicant must be the Dean of Engineering (or equivalent) with direct or ultimate responsibility for the Chair. The applicant cannot be the candidate for the Chair. There is no application form for this competition. Neither preliminary applications nor full applications can be submitted using the On-line System. Note that certificates or licenses may have to be obtained or special forms may have to be completed if, for instance, the Chair's activities involve working with hazardous substances, human subjects, animals, research activities having potential effects on the environment, etc. For additional information, refer to Requirements for Certain Types of Research in the Program Guide for Professors, or contact the NSERC manager responsible (see above).

Deadline dates

• Preliminary applications due: April 8
• Decisions on preliminary applications: May 27
• Invited full applications due: August 26
• Site visits for full applications: Fall
• Decisions on full applications: January 31 of the following year

Number of copies

The original plus one electronic (CD-ROM) and one hard copy of both the preliminary application and the full application must be submitted. Documents sent to NSERC should not be bound or stapled. Please use clips to hold copies together.

Where to send the application

Completed applications should be sent to the following address:

Research Partnerships Programs
NSERC
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1H5

Intellectual property

NSERC does not retain or claim any ownership of, or exploitation rights to, intellectual property (IP) resulting from your NSERC grant. Any right to this intellectual property is governed by your university's policy. However, as NSERC's role includes promoting the use of knowledge to build a strong national economy and improving the quality of life of Canadians, every effort should be made to have the results of NSERC-funded research exploited in Canada, for the benefit of Canadians. Read NSERC’s Policy on Intellectual Property.

For additional information, contact NSERC.

Personal information

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

• The Access to Information Act and Privacy Act (ATIP), and the Use and Disclosure of Personal Information;
• Data Retention Information; and
• NSERC Web Privacy Statement.

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 Privacy Act. The information you provide is stored in a series of NSERC data banks described in  Info Source.

The full application

Applicants must be invited to submit a full application.

General application information

General presentation

The application is free-form (i.e., there is no special application form) and should be printed, single sided, on 8 1/2” x 11” (21.5 cm x 28 cm) white paper using the following guidelines:

• Enter your name and your personal identification number (PIN) at the top of every page.
• Set margins to at least 3/4” (1.9 cm), minimum, all around.
• Print must be in black ink, and be of letter quality (minimum standard).
• 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 – nothing smaller.
• Condensed type is not acceptable.

Note: If your application does not meet these standards, NSERC may reject it.

• Title of the Chair
  Indicate the title of the Chair to be used for publication and communication purposes.  The title must begin with the word “NSERC” and may contain the names of other supporting organizations, if appropriate.
• Applicant
  Provide the name, title, position, university, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the applicant (the applicant must be the Dean of Engineering or equivalent).
• Amounts requested from NSERC
  Indicate, in a summary table, the total amount (in dollars) requested from NSERC for each year of funding.
• Signatures
  The original of the application must be signed by the applicant (Dean of Engineering or equivalent) and the candidate. The signatures confirm that the applicant, the candidate and the university accept:
• NSERC's conditions governing grants, as outlined in NSERC's Program Guide for Professors, applicable to any grants made pursuant to this application (refer to What do the electronic or original signatures on the application mean?
  Note: For the meaning of the Chair candidate’s or Chairholder’s signature refers to the meaning of the co-applicants’ signatures); and
• the commitment to provide the funds and other resources indicated in the application over the five-year term of any approved Chair.

The proposal

The proposal itself consists of five parts and must be structured with the following sections:

• Summary
• University's design strategy
• Chair's Action Plan – The Chair's action consists of four elements:
  • Contribution to the training of highly qualified personnel
  • Design and development
  • Collaboration
  • Promotion
• Chairholder information
• Detailed budget
• Candidate’s CV

Summary (up to one page)

Outline, in point form, the proposed activities and their impact in relation to the objectives of the Chairs in Design Engineering.

University's design strategy (up to two pages)

Discuss:

• the overall vision for engineering within the university and how design engineering and a design engineering chair support that vision;
• the university's design philosophy and strategy, including the objectives, activities, contributions and expected results in relation to the contribution to the training of highly qualified personnel, design and development, collaboration and promotion;
• strategies and activities undertaken by the university to promote design engineering, enhance design engineering activity and raise the profile and prestige of design engineering within the university;
• the degree of innovation and creativity in the activities to be undertaken; and
• specific contributions undertaken to date by the university and/or candidate in support of the CEEA.

Note that a university may hold more than one design Chair from NSERC. However, the incremental benefit from awarding a second Chair in this area must be substantial – the Chairs must be complementary and synergistic. Multiple applications from a university to the current competition would tend to call the university’s design strategy into question.

Chair’s Action Plan (up to 13 pages)

The four elements of the Action Plan include:

• Contribution to the training of highly qualified personnel (up to five pages);
• Design and development (up to four pages);
• Collaboration (up to two pages); and
• Promotion (up to two pages).

For each of the four elements of the Action Plan, discuss:

• the activities and contributions proposed to meet the CDE objectives;
• the anticipated results, outcomes and contributions the Chair will produce, as well as the significance, relevance and impact of those results with respect to the objectives;
• the degree of innovation and creativity in each of the activities;
• any potential problems or risks that may delay or prevent completion of the proposed activities as planned;
• the scale and level of effort envisaged (people, resources, time, students involved, etc.) and the budget needed to carry out the activities; and
• quantitative and qualitative performance measures and progress indicators.

Outline the expected contribution to the CEEA over the Chair’s term.

Note that clear, well planned contributions to design training are very important to a successful proposal. The plan must include, in tabular form, a list of the milestones, initiation and completion dates and performance indicators organized by objective.

Chairholder Information (up to one page)

Summarize and explain why the university feels the proposed candidate is the best possible candidate. In addition to this one-page summary, include information and documents (such as a CV, original letters of support and other evidence of contributions and performance), using as many pages as are needed, to make the best case for the nomination of the proposed candidate.

Describe the nature of the position(s) to be created; the candidate(s)' qualifications, background and personal qualities; and how these match the requirements of the position. 

Applicants are required to request three letters of reference that help establish the candidate’s credentials to hold the proposed Chair. Please send the names and contact information for the individuals providing letters of reference to NSERC with the full application. The letters of reference must be sent directly to NSERC by the deadline date.

Detailed budget

Use the proposed detailed budget table to provide the following information for each of the five years of the Chair.

Cash expenditures

List all expenditures for each line item in the operating budget and explain how the amount was derived. The following items are defined as direct costs and are eligible expenditures:

• the salary (including benefits), contract, stipend or other remuneration of the Chairholder, based on the amount established at the time of application and, for budgeting purposes, kept constant throughout the five-year period;
• salaries for professional staff, including remuneration for temporary appointments of design experts from outside the university;
• salaries for technical assistants;
• stipends for postdoctoral fellows;
• stipends for undergraduate and postgraduate students;
• other operating costs of the Chair and related activities; and
• allocation of the replacement salary for internal candidates.

Following approval-in-principle of the Chair by NSERC, the global budget and the proposed expenditures will be reviewed in detail, and the final amounts will be confirmed in negotiations between NSERC and the university.

NSERC's regulations regarding allowable expenses also apply to Chair funding. (Refer to Use of Grant Funds in the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide.) For clarification of eligible expenditures, contact NSERC.

Specific to the Chairs in Design Engineering, NSERC will allow administrative expenses up to a cost of $40,000 per year. These expenses must only be paid from partner funds. This is in recognition of the substantial administrative tasks required to support the many interactions with partners typical in Chairs in Design Engineering involved with undergraduate design projects.

Contributions

Cash contributions

List all cash contributions from NSERC, the private sector (itemize by company), the university (identify additional funding separately from the replacement salary of internal candidates), and other organizations.

In-kind contributions

In-kind contributions provided to the Chair by business and industry are eligible for matching by NSERC. In-kind contributions from other sources (while they may be essential to the success of the Chair) are not eligible for matching funds (but should be included in the proposal). Provide information (up to one page per sponsoring organization) on in-kind contributions of personnel, goods and services expected from each sponsoring organization. Describe the nature, level and estimated value of in-kind contributions.

Supporting documentation

All applications must include the following documents:

• a CV for the candidate and letters of support or evidence of contributions and performance;
• a letter from the university administration confirming their support of the Chair, including any cash contribution;
• a letter from each sponsoring company outlining their support of the Chair program, including cash and in-kind contributions. In-kind contributions should be described in detail. Cash contributions must be accompanied by an Information Required from Organizations Participating in Research Partnerships Programs (Form 183A) for each sponsoring organization;
• additional letters of support from collaborating faculty and/or organizations (for initiatives that go beyond the department, additional letters of support from other departments should be provided); and
• a list of suggested referees including specialists from both the academic and industrial design communities.

In addition, three letters of reference should be sent directly to NSERC by their authors. These letters must be provided by experts who are external to the host university and who can attest to the stature and design expertise of the candidate(s). For Senior Chair candidates, it is recommended that some of these letters come from experts outside of Canada. For each Chair candidate, give the name (mandatory), organization and country (optional) of each of the three experts who will be providing letters of reference.