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Strategic Project Grants Program

International Collaborations - Concurrent Call for Joint Research Projects

Detailed Application Instructions

This document must be read in conjunction with the description and instructions of the NSERC Strategic Project Grants program.

Background and Objectives

Concurrent calls for joint research projects with international granting agencies are part of NSERC’s international strategy to increase scientific collaboration between Canada and other countries. Where priorities and programs align, NSERC may sign Memoranda of Understanding to establish mechanisms for joint funding of collaborative research and innovation projects conducted by teams from both countries. Such activities will strengthen the collaboration between the countries’ research and innovation communities to achieve world-class scientific and technical results, leading toward new innovative technologies.

Participating Organizations in 2010

Country	Granting Organization	Program	Priority Areas*
France	Agence nationale de la recherche	Programme blanc international	Advanced Communications and Management of Information Biomedical Technologies Competitive Manufacturing Healthy Environment and Ecosystems
Taiwan	National Science Council	Global Partnership Programs	Advanced Communications and Management of Information Biomedical Technologies Sustainable Energy Systems

* These priority areas reflect the titles of specific target areas within NSERC’s Strategic Project Grants program. The priority areas may have slightly different names in other countries.

Application Procedures

Interested researchers submit proposals to their respective agencies following normal application guidelines and eligibility rules. Each proposal describes the research to be carried out in its own country and provides additional information concerning the collaboration. NSERC will fund the activities of the Canadian researchers, and its counterpart agency will fund the activities of their researchers. Each agency sees only the portion of the collaboration that comes under its jurisdiction. The collaborative team will designate one national Principal Investigator (PI) in each country. For a proposal to be considered eligible under an international Concurrent Call, applications to NSERC must be linked to a counterpart proposal presented by their international collaborator(s) to the counterpart agency. Proposals submitted to only one agency are not eligible.

Canadian researchers apply to the Strategic Project Grants program and must meet all the normal program requirements including:

the proposed research must fall within the target areas as described above;
the scope of the project must be well-defined;
at least one academic researcher eligible to receive NSERC funds must collaborate with at least one Canadian supporting organization;
the supporting organization must be a Canadian-based company that can apply the results in a way that generates economic wealth or employment, or be a government organization that can apply the results in a way that strengthens public policy.

Applications to each agency must include at least the following information, as appropriate within the total page limits (some information requirements may overlap with standard requirements). NSERC will allow up to three additional pages above the 11 page limit for SPG applications.

Common joint abstract (no more than one page in length), including:

a common project title;
the names of the principal investigators, all co-applicant(s) and collaborators, their titles and affiliations;
a description of the overall joint project, the rationale for the collaboration and the integration of the activities planned in both countries; and
the total budget for the joint project and the amounts requested of each agency.

Joint research plan, which shall include:

a description of the added value and a demonstration of benefits to be expected from the international collaboration;
a clear description of the planned research collaboration (distribution of work and methods of implementation);
a description of the responsibilities of both teams;
the total budget of the joint research project (a detailed separate budget for the national team must be submitted according to normal procedures). A budget may include costs for salaries (including trainees, postdoctoral fellows and non-permanent staff), researcher mobility, joint meetings, etc. Justification for costs shall be stated in the research plan.
a description:

of the project’s significance to researcher training and to the development of the research environment;
of the expected outcome of the proposed project, scientifically, as well as in terms of its relevance to industry and society;
of the ongoing activities and specific advantages of the Canadian and international groups respectively, which form the basis for the proposed joint project;
of how the project is expected to help strengthen research cooperation between the two countries over the longer term.
of the role of the collaborator(s) from the other country providing:

the pertinent expertise and expected contributions of the collaborator(s) to the research project, including the work to be done in each country and the responsibility of each collaborator;
the nature and extent of the collaboration.

discussion on how the proposed joint project compares with other comparable activities worldwide.
discussion on how the intellectual property and know-how arising from the accomplishment of the joint research projects will be handled.

Curricula vitae of the principal investigator of the collaborating team and up to two other key investigators. Curricula vitae of the principal investigator and co-applicants of the national team must be provided according to normal procedures). Collaborators may submit their c.v. either using Form 100 or another comparable format of no more than six pages. The c.v. should include a list of the five best papers and other publications of the individual.

Review Procedures

The evaluation process does not involve joint review; however, evaluation results will be compared and award selections negotiated. NSERC and its counterpart agency will independently evaluate proposals through their respective peer review processes and evaluation criteria. Representatives of both agencies will compare their respective evaluations of joint proposals to identify awards and reach consensus on joint projects to be funded on the basis of scientific evaluation, national rankings, value-added and balance of the collaboration, and availability of funds. Applicants presenting proposals in response to this announcement should take note that NSERC reserves the right to share information in their application and/or in external referee reports of their application with representatives of the international agency. Presentation of a joint application will imply acceptance that information in proposals may be shared among the agencies, as appropriate. It is the responsibility of the Principle Investigator to ensure that all co-applicants, partners and collaborators are aware of these precise uses and disclosures of the personal and scientific information contained in the proposal. Please note that applications submitted to NSERC contain personal information and may contain confidential technical information and, therefore, are subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act (ATIP), and other related federal information policies and regulations. Information on these laws and policies are available on request.

Funding

The international agency will fund its scientists, and NSERC will fund Canadian researchers, each according to its own regulations and practices.

NSERC has not reserved funds for applications related to international Concurrent Calls. However, funding is available on a competitive basis within the regular budget of the Strategic Project Grants program. The number of joint projects selected for funding and the total amount awarded will strongly depend on the number and quality of projects submitted. The agencies expect balanced scientific contributions and cooperation in joint projects.

Timetable and Announcement of Decision

NSERC and the international agencies have collaborated in the development of their respective Calls to help ensure compatible time lines and criteria for the parallel application and review processes, as well as the announcement of results. It is expected that awards will be confirmed by early October.

Intellectual Property

The project participants should enter into a Collaboration Agreement to specify how Intellectual Property Rights will be handled. According to their normal procedures, granting agencies may withhold funds until a Collaboration Agreement is in place.

Reporting

The progress report required by NSERC during the second year of funded projects will be a common progress report submitted to both NSERC and the international agency by the respective national PIs.