Instructions for Completing the Notification of Intent to Apply for a Discovery Grant (Individual and Team)

Grants Programs

General Information

About the Program

Read the program description in the Program Guide for Professors before you complete the application.

Am I Eligible to Apply?

Consult the Eligibility Criteria – For Faculty to ensure that you can participate in this grant program as an applicant or a co-applicant.

Application Deadlines

Your Notification of Intent to Apply (NOI) must be received at NSERC by 8:00 p.m. (ET) on the deadline date. Late applications will not be accepted. Updates to the NOI before or after the deadline date will not be accepted.

Who Completes the NOI?

The applicant must complete the NOI using the Research Portal. In addition, the  Canadian Common CV (CCV) must be completed by applicants and co-applicant(s) and linked to the NOI.

Whom should I contact for help?

• For Program related information, contact the staff responsible for the program.
• For matters related to the Research Portal, contact the On-line Services Helpdesk by e-mail at webapp@nserc-crsng.gc.ca, by phone at 613-995-4273, or complete an On-line Services Support Request.

Collection and Use of Personal Information

The information you provide in your application is collected under the authority of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act and stored in a series of NSERC data banks described in  Info Source. Details on the use and disclosure of this information are described in Use and Disclosure of Personal Information Provided to NSERC, in the NSERC program literature and below. The information is used in accordance with the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

Completing the NOI

Create an Application

In the Research Portal, after signing in, click on Create Applications to have access to the funding opportunities (i.e., programs) that are available. Select the funding opportunity in the list and click on Create.

Application Overview

Canadian Common CVs Uploaded

You must complete your NSERC CCV from the  Canadian Common CV Web site. Once finalized you must link it to your NOI. Refer to the NSERC CCV instructions for details.

Invitations (for team grant applications)

Co-applicants must be invited to participate in a team application. Provide the name and email address of each co-applicant. An email will be sent to each participant with instructions on how to accept the invitation and upload their CCV.

Identification

Application Title

The title must be short and descriptive. It may be used for publication purposes. Restrict use of acronyms (e.g., DNA, NATO, etc.), and avoid company or trade names.

Language of the Application

Indicate the language in which the application will be submitted.

Suggested Evaluation Group

You must select the Evaluation Group you consider most appropriate to review your application. Refer to the list of research topics covered by each Evaluation Group. NSERC reserves the right to make the final evaluation group assignment.

Administering Organization

Select the organization that will administer the grant.

Activity Details

Proposed Research Topic(s)

The first research topic must be within the Evaluation Group you have suggested. You may select, in order of relevance, up to four additional research topics, as required. Refer to the examples of the research evaluated within each group.

Key Words

Provide up to 10 key words that best describe this proposal.

Summary of Proposal

The summary of proposal must not exceed 5000 characters. It should:

• state the objectives of the proposed research program;
• summarize the scientific approach; and
• highlight the novelty and expected significance of the work to a field(s) in the natural sciences and engineering.

Note: Should your proposed research program change substantially from the time you submit your NOI to the time you submit your application, please contact the program officer responsible for the evaluation group you have selected.

External Reviewer Suggestions

Provide five external reviewers who can provide an independent assessment of your application and that are not in a conflict of interest. External reviewers should be capable of reviewing your application in the language in which it is written. They may be from universities, government or industry, as appropriate. Applicants must not contact suggested external reviewers in advance.

Conflict of interest guidelines

A conflict of interest may be deemed to exist or perceived as such when external reviewers:

• are a relative or close friend, or have a personal relationship with the applicants;
• are in a position to gain or lose financially/materially from the funding of the application;
• have had long-standing scientific or personal differences with the applicants;
• are currently affiliated with the applicants’ institutions, organizations or companies—including research hospitals and research institutes;
• are closely professionally affiliated with the applicants, as a result of having in the last six years:
  • frequent and regular interactions with the applicants in the course of their duties at their department, institution, organization or company;
  • been a supervisor or a trainee of the applicants;
  • collaborated, published or shared funding with the applicants, or have plans to do so in the immediate future; or
  • been employed by the institution, when an institution is the applicant; and/or
• feel for any reason unable to provide an impartial review of the application

NSERC reserves the right to resolve areas of uncertainty and to determine if a conflict exists. For more information on conflict of interest, refer to the  Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy of the Federal Research Funding Organizations.

Reviewer Exclusion

You may request that some researchers, organizations or collaborations not be involved in the review of your application. Note that this request may be accessible under the Privacy Act.

Submitting the NOI

Submit the NOI from the Application Overview. The Submit button will be displayed once you have validated all the pages of your application. Once you have accepted the Terms and Conditions of Applying, return to the home page to view the status of your application (click on the Back button or select the Research Portal link at the top of the page).