How NSERC Establishes New Target Areas and Research Topics

Investments in Strategic Project Grants and Strategic Network Grants are guided by focused research target areas. These are partnership grants requiring the participation of end users in the research collaboration. Consequently, the target areas have been developed in consultation with industry, academia and government and aligned with federal government priorities. The target areas embody the key challenges and opportunities in research and training deemed to have the greatest potential to strengthen Canada’s future development. These investments are intended to lead to innovations in industry (wealth creation) and to help to set policy, standards and regulations (public policy), thereby strengthening our economy and improving the quality of life of Canadians.

To ensure that these grants remain aligned with Canadian needs and current research priorities, NSERC periodically conducts extensive reviews to determine strategic target areas and research topics. The review for the 2011-2015 funding cycle is now complete. Details about the consultation and selection process follow.

Target Area Selection Criteria

The criteria are based on the same principles used in the previous review process. Target areas must:

• offer significant potential opportunities for social or economic benefit for Canada;
• have a critical mass of research expertise in Canada and a need for that expertise to be strengthened to take advantage of Canada’s leading role or niche position;
• face a pressing or anticipated need for more qualified personnel in Canada; and
• have a strong potential to lead to an identified application or opportunity for Canadian industry or address the priorities of government.

Successful applicants for Strategic Project Grants and Strategic Network Grants must address the research challenges identified in the target areas and present a credible pathway for the application of results. Researchers are expected to use emerging and transformative technologies (e.g., nanotechnology, microelectronics, advanced materials, quantum information, modeling, mathematics, genomics and biotechnology) in their projects, but the goal is finding solutions to the research challenge.

The Process for Determining Target Areas

The federal science and technology (S&T) landscape has evolved significantly since NSERC’s last review of its strategic target areas. The most significant development was the Government of Canada’s S&T strategy, released in 2007, entitled Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada’s Advantage.

The strategy states that "Canada’s federal government will focus strategically on research in areas that are in the national interest from a social and economic perspective". Four broad priority areas were identified in the strategy, based on The State of Science and Technology in Canada report by the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA). In Budget 2008, the Government of Canada identified an additional four important sectors for NSERC—fisheries, forestry, automotive and manufacturing.

In June 2010, the NSERC Committee on Research Partnerships (a standing advisory committee to Council) recommended, and NSERC Council approved, the following:

• Align target areas with the four priority areas identified in the S&T strategy.
• Consider the “Health and related technologies” S&T priority area within Collaborative Health Research Projects and increase its funding in partnership with the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
• Retain the Manufacturing target area, as identified a priority in Budget 2008.
• Seek to align with, but not be limited by, the Science, Technology and Innovation Council sub-priorities in the redefinition of the new target areas.
• Refine the target area topics based on the consultation process outlined below.

The Process for Determining Research Topics Within Each Target Area

Once the four broad target areas were defined, the second major task focused the target areas on research topics most likely to generate significant benefit for Canada (see criteria). To this end, NSERC consulted leading researchers and key industry and government partners specializing in each research area to determine the range of priority research topics. NSERC then established focus groups for each of the areas to synthesize the results from various reports, analyses and consultations. Their recommendations were presented to the Committee on Research Partnerships and, following further refinement and approval by NSERC Council, the target areas and their focused descriptions were made public.

Participants

Some 485 senior university researchers, 95 industry representatives and 39 government and non-governmental researchers, research managers and policy leaders were consulted during the review.

NSERC is particularly grateful to the focus group members who helped identify the priority research topics within the target areas. The focus groups faced the challenging task of assimilating the large volume of information gathered from the university, industry and government research communities and shaping it into a tightly focused set of recommendations that the Committee on Research Partnerships and NSERC Council were able to adopt with confidence. The successful conclusion of this review is due in large measure to their dedication and commitment.

Membership of the Focus Groups

Natural Resources Focus Group

Energy Focus Group

Environmental Science and Technologies Focus Group

Information and Communications Technologies Focus Group

Manufacturing Focus Group

Criteria for Selecting Research Topics Within the Target Areas

NSERC examined each proposed research topic in the light of six criteria, screening according to the questions below.

Supports the goal of a target area

• Is research within this topic likely to lead to significant outcomes within five to 10 years?
• Is this a research topic where strategic programs can make a significant difference?

Canadians might benefit economically and/or socially

• Is research within this topic likely to create economic benefits for Canadians?
• Is research within this topic likely to generate jobs?
• Will research and training within this topic expand the business capacity of current leading Canadian companies or an existing industry sector?
• Is research within this topic likely to lead to a new industry sector in which small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could grow and/or spin-off companies could thrive?
• Is research within this topic likely to generate social benefits, and how great is the potential impact of these benefits?

Canada currently has a leading role to play or a niche in this area of research, or is expected to develop such a role or niche in the ten-year time frame

• Is Canada currently considered a world leader in this area of research?
• Could Canada potentially lead in this area of research in the near future?
• Is Canada one of the only players in this target area/research topic and will continued research maintain that niche advantage?

Sufficient receptor capacity

• Are there companies and/or government departments (as appropriate) available to partner in this target area/research topic to help receive, validate and exploit the research results?

Demonstrated need for highly qualified people, now and in the future

• Is there a demonstrated need for more highly qualified people in this field of research?
• Is there the potential for job creation in this field of research?
• Is there a need for more university researchers in this field of research?

Sufficient number of Canadian researchers

• Is there currently a significant core of university researchers working in this field?
• Could existing university researchers refocus their research interests to work in this field?
• Have universities demonstrated support for increasing research capacity in this area of research (i.e., by establishing new centres or clusters)?