1. Why is NSERC moving to a new Research Portal?
As part of our process of continuous improvement, we are committed to updating and simplifying the application process. NSERC’s Research Portal will provide a single point of entry for applicants, reviewers, committee members, institutions and partners. The Research Portal will be used to manage application and peer review processes, acceptance of awards, notification of results and reporting. It will be compliant with the Government of Canada’s standards for accessibility, usability, and interoperability.
2. Why is NSERC moving to the Canadian Common CV (CCV)?
The Canadian Common CV (CCV) allows researchers to maintain their CV data in a single, centralized Canadian repository, which can be used to apply to a growing number of funding organizations across the country (currently 22), including the tri-agencies and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. The vision and objectives for the CCV are to:
The NSERC CCV will be available in spring 2013.
3. Will I have two accounts, one for the Research Portal and another for the CCV?
Yes. NSERC’s Research Portal and the CCV are two separate systems, each with its own portal, which NSERC will adopt concurrently. The Research Portal will be based on a proven software platform configured to NSERC’s needs, and will be administered in-house. The CCV is a web-based application that provides researchers with a single, common approach to gathering CV information required by a network of federal, provincial and not-for-profit research funding organizations, and which will facilitate application by users to participating agencies, including NSERC.
4. Will the Research Portal and the CCV apply to all NSERC programs?
Beginning in spring 2013, NSERC will phase-in the Research Portal and the CCV starting with Discovery Grants (Individual and Team) and all the program elements for the Subatomic Physics Grants suite, followed by Collaborative Research and Development Grants. Other programs will be migrated to these systems until late 2015. We will share the transition schedule as it becomes available. In the meantime, applicants to other funding opportunities will continue to use the current on-line system and NSERC Personal Data Form (Form 100).
5. Will the NSERC CCV take longer to complete than the NSERC Personal Data Form (Form 100)?
We encourage applicants to allow ample time to familiarize themselves and enter their data in the NSERC CCV upon its release in spring 2013 as it can be time consuming to populate the fields the first time. Once data is entered, only updating is required, and it can be re-used for future applications to NSERC and/or other participating organizations. For these reasons, the CCV will lighten the load on the research community in the long run.
6. Will users’ data be migrated from an existing CCV?
Yes. As of spring 2013, by logging in to an existing CCV account and selecting “NSERC” as the funding template, existing data will populate the NSERC CCV if you have already prepared a CCV for another organization.
7. Will data be migrated from my existing NSERC Personal Data Form (Form 100) to the NSERC CCV?
No. Any attempt at migration could result in error and widespread data corruption.
8. Will the NSERC CCV allow me to upload my publications as a PDF attachment?
No. The NSERC CCV will require that applicants enter all their information, including publications, directly into the CCV rather than as an attached PDF. This will greatly simplify future corrections and updating of publications, as information will be identifiable, searchable and usable in a structured database. Entering information directly into the CCV using separate fields will have the following benefits:
9. Will I need to maintain and update my NSERC Personal Data Form (Form 100) as well as the NSERC CCV?
By late 2015, all NSERC programs will use the Research Portal and the NSERC CCV. In the meantime, applicants to multiple NSERC programs will need to maintain and update both their NSERC Personal Data Form (Form 100) and NSERC CCV, given the gradual migration of programs to the Research Portal.
10. How will I know what fields are mandatory in the NSERC CCV?
Mandatory fields will be marked with an asterisk in the NSERC CCV, available in spring 2013. Step-by-step instructions will guide users through the completion of the template.