Engage Grants

Objectives

Engage Grants (EG) are intended to give companies that operate from a Canadian base access to the unique knowledge and expertise available at Canadian universities (see the List of Eligible Institutions). These grants are intended to foster the development of new research partnerships between an academic researcher and a company that have never collaborated together before, by supporting short-term research and development projects aimed at addressing a company-specific problem in the natural sciences or engineering fields.

Please note that applicants seeking funding for travel and meeting activities to establish contact with new potential industrial partners should apply for an Interaction Grant.

Description

Engage Grants support well-defined projects undertaken by eligible university researchers and their private-sector partners. A maximum grant of $25,000, over a period not exceeding six months, will be awarded to the academic researcher to cover the direct project costs associated with the research activities needed to address the identified problem. Please refer to the guidelines for the Use of Grant Funds.

Engage projects must be focused with specific short-term objectives. They can be at any point in the R&D spectrum that is consistent with the university's research, training and technology transfer mandate. All proposals require evidence of planning and sound budget justification and must clearly spell out the underlying assumptions, intended approaches, milestones and deliverables. The project must be scientifically sound and technically feasible. It must be aimed at solving the company-specific problem through the generation of new knowledge, or the application of existing knowledge in an innovative manner.

Proposals are not eligible for an Engage Grant if they:

• focus on the commercialization of a university invention;
• focus on the application of existing technology;
• provide routine analysis, or routine use of university equipment;
• collect data without interpreting underlying mechanisms;
• relate to the set-up and operational management of an institute, or a formal or informal group of researchers; and
• are principally associated with the acquisition and maintenance of scientific equipment.

Industrial Participation

As the purpose of an Engage Grant is to foster the development of a new relationship between a company and the academic researcher, there can be no existing or past relationship between the two parties, including a previous research collaboration with the company or any of its divisions, a consulting contract for longer than a few days, or involvement on the part of the academic researcher in the company. Please consult your NSERC regional office for further information.

The company must operate from a Canadian base and demonstrate clear intentions to further develop and apply any technology for the benefit of the Canadian economy (see Guidelines for Organizations Participating in Research Partnerships Programs). Startup companies may be considered, provided that they have been in operation for a minimum of 12 months. Holding companies and companies that are not able to further develop the technology in-house are not eligible. At minimum, an in-kind contribution from the company, reflecting their involvement in the project, is required. NSERC may limit the number of Engage grants that a company is involved in at any given time if its ability to implement the project results and sustain the collaboration appears to be limited. Please consult your NSERC regional office for further information.

Due to the focus on a problem specific to the chosen company, and the short duration of this grant, any Intellectual Property (IP) arising from the project will belong to the company. While NSERC does not require that a research agreement be concluded between the host institution and the company, NSERC's Policy on Intellectual Property should be consulted to ensure that all parties, including any students involved, are aware of their obligations (refer also to “Graduate student involvement” below).

Application Procedures

Proposals can be submitted at any time by using an Application for a Grant form (Form 101), an Information Required from Organizations Participating in Research Partnerships Programs form (Form 183A) and a Personal Data Form (Form 100). The Form 100 must demonstrate that the applicant has been granted peer-reviewed research support in the fields of the natural sciences and/or engineering from a recognized federal or provincial granting agency within the past six years. A letter of support from the company involved in the project must be provided outlining the reasons for, and the nature of, its participation, what benefits the expected outcome of the project will bring to the organization and the measures to implement them. Projects are expected to start within a few weeks from the date of the award letter; any expenses related to the project that are incurred prior to the award date will not be covered by the grant. Applicants will normally be limited to two new Engage Grants per fiscal year.

Full instructions for academic researchers and their industrial sponsor(s) on completing the forms and the on-line submission process are found on NSERC's On-line Services page. All proposals are reviewed by an evaluation committee, which meets every other week. Decisions on funding Engage Grants are usually made within four to six weeks.

Eligible Expenses

Due to the short-term nature of this grant and its orientation towards solving a company specific problem with limited funds, resources should be concentrated exclusively toward the resolution of the problem and comply with the directives listed in the Use of Grant Funds. The following additional limitations apply to this grant:

• Expenses for publications and conferences are eligible in exceptional cases only, where evidence is provided that they are industry-oriented and they represent the only appropriate media to ensure the technology is transferred to industry.
• Office supply expenses are limited to $250.
• Acquisition of any equipment must be carefully detailed and justified.
• The required company in-kind contribution must be clearly detailed, demonstrating that it is essential to the project and indicative of the company involvement in the project. This contribution must also respect the maximum amounts outlined in the Guidelines for Organizations Participating in Research Partnerships Programs.
• Graduate student involvement is not a requirement of an Engage Grant. If graduate students are included, their prorated stipend for the six-month term should be indicated. Their right to publish and their right to no delay of their thesis defence must be protected (see NSERC's Policy on Intellectual Property).

Selection Criteria

Applications are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Creation of a new collaborative relationship: The proposal must involve an academic researcher and a company that have never collaborated before. Past or current supervision of a graduate student while supported by an industrial scholarship or internship with the proposed partnering company is considered a prior relationship.
• Research competence: The applicant must have all the expertise required to address the defined objectives competently and to complete the project successfully. Academic expertise may be complemented with the know-how residing in the company. The applicant must be an NSERC-eligible academic researcher and must have been granted peer-reviewed research support in the fields of the natural sciences and/or engineering from a recognized federal or provincial granting agency within the past six years. In absence of currently holding a peer-reviewed research grant, applicants who have received a rating of Strong or higher for the criterion of Excellence of the Researcher in their most recent Discovery Grant competition within the past six years, will be considered to have met the requirement for demonstrated peer reviewed research support. Researchers belonging to a health oriented university faculty (e.g., medicine, pharmacology, dentistry, etc.) are only eligible for an Engage Grant if they have been awarded an NSERC Discovery Grant within the past six years.
• Industrial relevance: The proposal must clearly identify and describe the company-specific problem and outline the tasks that will be undertaken, the research challenges, the involvement of the company, the benefit to the company and how the company will exploit the results within a reasonable time frame. These considerations must also be clearly reflected in the company’s support letter.
• Contribution to technology transfer: The proposal must identify how the university research team (primarily the principal investigator) and the company's scientific/technical staff will work together to ensure that the knowledge/technology will be transferred effectively to the company.
• Benefit to Canada: As well as the economic benefit to the company described under the Industrial Relevance criterion above, the proposal must outline, if applicable, any additional economic, social and environmental benefits that could be realized in Canada.

Reporting

A project report from the grantee is required within one month following the end of the grant. The company will be asked to provide comments on the project's outcome. Please note that subsequent Engage Grant applications from either of the participants will not be evaluated until outstanding project reports or company comments are provided to NSERC.

Contacts

NSERC Regional Offices
Contact the NSERC regional office in your area.

NSERC
Tel.: 613-995-1111
E-mail: rpp@nserc-crsng.gc.ca