CREATE Program - Frequently Asked Questions

Program Objectives

1. How does NSERC define new and existing initiatives?

Over the years, many training programs have been created to foster collaborative, team research across disciplines and integrate training, knowledge translation and professional skills such as communication, teamwork, project management and leadership. Some examples can be found within the Networks of Centres of Excellence and the NSERC Strategic Networks; others may have been initiated by institutions themselves or as a result of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s (CIHR) Strategic Training Initiatives in Health Research (STIHR). The CREATE program does not intend to replace the funding of these training initiatives; rather it will focus on initiatives that raise the standards for best practices in the mentoring and training of new researchers. They should bring qualitative added value compared to existing training initiatives or what is already achieved by funding trainees from individual or project grants, or by individual awards given directly to trainees.

2. Are proposals that include more than one university preferred over single university applications?

No, CREATE awards will be decided only on the excellence and merits of the proposal and the expected outcomes targeted to a specific group of students.

3. Is there a requirement for the main applicant to be a more senior, experienced researcher?

No, the program is open to all researchers, and reviewers will assess the excellence of the team, not the individual members. All applicants, co-applicants and collaborators must explain their respective roles and responsibilities within the training program and its management. In this way, teams that compensate for limited research experience of some researchers by emphasizing the strengths of other team members will maximize the chances of success. Universities should take into consideration that it will be up to their institutions to select the applications to be put forward and they should determine which better meet the selection criteria, including the excellence of the researchers.

Eligibility

4. Do researchers need to have an NSERC grant to be eligible to apply?

No, researchers do not need to hold an NSERC grant, but the applicant must be from an NSERC-supported field at an NSERC-eligible university, and the majority of the team must be from NSE fields. Co-applicants at the interdisciplinary frontier between NSE and the areas covered under the umbrella of SSHRC and CIHR may be incorporated into proposals. It should be noted that the eligibility conditions for applicants, co-applicants and institutions apply.

5. Are researchers from other research institutions eligible to be CREATE lead applicants?

No, CREATE is a training program and, as such, requires that the applicant comes from an NSERC-eligible Canadian university. Researchers at non-eligible organizations may participate as collaborators and they are certainly encouraged to do so.

6. In the program description it is mentioned that the applicant may not be the Chair of the program committee. Could a co-applicant or collaborator be the Chair of the program committee?

No, the purpose of the program committee is to oversee the progress of the proposed CREATE initiative and advise on its future direction, and good governance principles require that the Chair of the committee not be the applicant, a co-applicant or a collaborator listed in the application.

7. Can colleges participate in the CREATE program?

Yes, colleges may participate as collaborators, but college students are not eligible to receive stipends.

8. Can the CREATE program be used to fund students who are medical residents?

No. For consistency with CIHR’s Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research (STIHR) program, medical residents are not eligible to participate in the CREATE program.

Budget

9. If a certain CREATE proposal incorporates a high amount of collaboration abroad then the travel costs may exceed the 20 percent allocated for other expenses. Is the 80 percent for students’ stipends and the 20 percent for other expenses a firm ratio?

Yes, at least 80 percent of the CREATE grant must be used for trainees’ stipends. Travel or other expenses may be supplemented from other sources such as Discovery or other NSERC grants, or non-NSERC sources.

10. Partners may contribute additional funds. Will NSERC restrict how these additional funds can be spent or could they be spent at the partner’s discretion?

NSERC does allow flexibility in the way partner contributions are allocated, but expects the expenditures to support the goals of the CREATE initiative. This should be well explained in the proposal.

On the other hand, CREATE funds must be spent according to the information provided in its program description and in the relevant sections of the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide.

Program Content

11. Is it possible to combine research training with courses given by other partner institutions within the applicant team?

Yes, it is possible to combine resources in this way, which may encourage student mobility between institutions.

12. Would the inclusion of a technology transfer/commercialization type of internship be an eligible training activity?

Yes, technology transfer/commercialization training is an eligible training activity.

Stipends

13. Can students holding Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) awards participate in the CREATE program?

Yes, students holding a scholarship from any of the federal granting agencies are allowed to participate in the training program, but they cannot receive a stipend from CREATE in conjunction with an NSERC, SSHRC or CIHR scholarship. NSERC rules for holders of scholarships and fellowships apply to CREATE. These regulations may be found in the Award Holder’s Guide.

14. Can students receiving provincial awards receive stipends from CREATE?

Yes, NSERC allows students to receive simultaneously provincial awards and a CREATE stipend; however, students should verify that the provincial institution’s award conditions allow this combination.

15. Can international students be supported by CREATE grants?

Yes, international students and fellows may be offered stipends while visiting or enrolled at a Canadian university. The CREATE program allows for international travel expenses, so a proposal could also include an opportunity for foreign students to visit Canadian labs as part of the training program.

16. What is the maximum period of support for visiting international exchange students or fellows?

International exchange students, not enrolled at a Canadian university for their degree, or visiting fellows may be supported for a maximum of 125 days (per annum/per person).