Industrial R&D Fellowships Program

Who should read this section?

Although this section is intended for potential applicants, it also provides important information for potential host organizations that want to nominate postdoctoral fellows to the Industrial R&D Fellowships (IRDF) Program.

What kind of support does the IRDF Program provide?

The IRDF Program provides financial contributions that support the most promising recent doctoral graduates to engage in research and development in the private sector and with not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations. Its objective is to:

• encourage excellent recent PhD graduates in science and engineering to gain experience and seek careers in the Canadian private, not-for-profit and non-governmental sectors;
• promote awareness in the Canadian private, not-for-profit and non-governmental sectors of the capabilities of Canadian universities and university research;
• facilitate the transfer of expertise and technology; and
• provide an opportunity for PhD holders seeking university careers to gain experience in the private, not-for-profit and non-governmental sectors; research and development.

The presence of highly qualified personnel through these fellowships promotes the development of a long-term research capacity in Canadian organizations (especially small and medium-sized ones).

Are you eligible for a fellowship?

Industrial R&D Fellowships are intended for recent doctoral graduates seeking employment in the Canadian private, not-for-profit and non-governmental sectors for the first time. To be nominated for a fellowship, you must:

• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada at the time of your nomination;
• hold a doctoral degree in a discipline of science or engineering that NSERC supports, or expect to have completed all the requirements for such a degree, including your thesis defence, by the proposed date of appointment; and
• have completed your doctoral degree within the last five years. Awards to candidates who completed their doctoral degree after more than five years but after no more than seven years prior to the nomination will be made only in exceptional circumstances and will have to be justified by the nominating organization. If you have withdrawn from the workforce and active research for at least one year after you received your doctorate for maternity leave or to raise a child, NSERC will extend this period to nine years.

Who is not eligible?

You are not eligible if:

• you are already a permanent employee of the nominating organization in an R&D position;
• you are currently, or were previously, employed for more than six months in an R&D position in the Canadian private, not-for-profit and non-governmental sectors after receipt of your doctoral degree; or
• you have received an offer of employment from the nominating organization which is not conditional upon receipt of the fellowship, or if you receive such an offer subsequent to the submission of the application to NSERC.

Note: If you have submitted your doctoral thesis, you may accept a short-term employment contract of up to six months with your nominating organization while waiting for a decision from NSERC on your fellowship application. This contract must state that subsequent employment is conditional on your receiving an Industrial R&D Fellowship. However, if the application is not recommended for an award, you may not be eligible to apply again if you have accumulated more than six months of industrial experience. It is therefore recommended that you accept a temporary contract only if necessary and that the period of the contract be kept as short as possible.

What is the duration of the fellowship?

The Industrial R&D Fellowship provides support for two years. Support for the second year will be subject to:

• your continuing to meet the program's eligibility criteria and objectives;
• a report acceptable to NSERC that the host organization submits at the end of the first year; and
• the availability of funds.

Where can you hold your fellowship?

You may hold your fellowship within the Canadian-based research facilities of any Canadian private, not-for-profit and non-governmental sector organization that NSERC has approved for participation in this program. Awards may not be held outside Canada. The criteria upon which this approval is based are listed in the upcoming section, "Which organizations are eligible to participate?"

Please refer to NSERC's list of eligible organizations. Note, however, that this list is not all-inclusive and other organizations may be eligible. If the proposed host organization is not on the list, the applicant or organization should consult with NSERC before proceeding with the application.

Which organizations are eligible to participate?

There is an application process to become eligible to participate in the IRDF program. To apply, organizations must complete and submit Form 183B, Application for Eligibility of Organizations to Participate in NSERC's IRDF, IPS and Industrial USRA Programs, at any time during the year or with the nomination for a fellowship. Please consult the section Organization Eligibility. If an organization is applying for eligibility and at the same time submitting an IRDF nomination, it should ensure that it meets all eligibility requirements. IRDF candidates must take up their fellowship within three months of being offered the fellowship, and must not have worked for the organization for more than six months in a temporary position when they take up the award. If the organization’s eligibility approval is delayed while it attempts to meet the requirements, the candidate may no longer be eligible for the IRDF.

What will your salary be?

As a fellow, your salary will be at least $40,000 per year. The average annual salary offered to successful applicants last year was approximately $55,500.

The nominating organization is responsible for the administration of the fellowship, and NSERC will forward its contribution to the organization. NSERC's contribution towards the fellow's salary is $30,000 per year for two years. The organization supplements NSERC's contribution and this supplement should amount to at least $10,000 per year. If, for any reason, your tenure is less than 24 months, NSERC will prorate its contribution to the amount of time you spent with the organization. If organizations other than the one that is nominating you will be contributing towards your salary, these contributions must also be paid through the host organization as part of your total salary.

Note: It is up to you to negotiate your salary and fringe benefits with the organization.

Nomination and appointment procedures

If you would like to be nominated for an Industrial R&D Fellowship, you must first contact an organization that is willing to nominate you. You and the organization must negotiate the details of your research project and position. The organization will then submit your nomination to NSERC.

The nomination must include:

• Form 200, Application for an NSERC Scholarship or Fellowship;
• proof of completion of a PhD (if completed at time of nomination);
• proof of Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Residency;
• Appendix 1, Form 200, Report on the Applicant; two reports are required (your PhD supervisor and postdoctoral supervisor, if applicable, should provide reports);
• Form 183C, Nomination for an Industrial R&D Fellowship, to be completed by the nominating organization and co-signed by you; and
• the nominating organization's official letter or contract offering you employment. In exceptional cases where an organization has offered you a short-term employment contract, it must attach a copy of this contract and a written rationale explaining why it was necessary to hire you before your application review was completed. The employment offer must clearly state that subsequent employment depends on your receiving a fellowship. You must also co-sign the letter(s) of offer of employment.

In addition, if the work involves interactions with other organizations, the nomination must include a letter from a representative of each collaborating organization who is authorized to enter into such interactions. This letter will outline the nature of the interaction and the organization's commitment (financial, equipment, technical expertise, etc.) to your activities.

Multiple nominations

If more than one organization is nominating you, you must submit separate applications and supporting documents to each organization.

There is no limit to the number of nominations that an individual organization may make. However, the total number of awards that NSERC will make, as well as the number of awards held in a given organization, may be limited each year. NSERC does not reserve a quota of positions for specific research disciplines.

Review procedures and selection criteria

Two members of the NSERC IRDF College of Reviewers, composed of federal government employees from departments and agencies with an interest in research and development, will review each nomination. Members may also confer with other federal government colleagues with expertise in areas addressed by specific applications. If the nominating organization does not wish certain individuals or groups to see the proposal, it should clearly identify them in a covering letter.

The members separately assess the merit of the candidate and the merit of the research proposal. To be successful, both the applicant and the research proposal must be meritorious.

The members evaluate applicants based on the following criteria (their relative weighting is in parentheses):

• Research ability or potential (70 percent)
  • quality of contributions to research and development
  • relevance of work experience and academic training to field of proposed research
  • scholarships and awards held
  • duration of previous studies
  • ability to think critically
  • ability to apply skills and knowledge
  • judgment
  • originality
  • initiative and autonomy
  • enthusiasm for research
  • determination and ability to complete projects within an appropriate period of time
• Communication, interpersonal and leadership abilities (30 percent)
  • The ability or potential to communicate scientific concepts clearly and logically in written and oral formats. For example, this could include:
    • quality of the application’s presentation;
    • participation in preparing publications; and
    • awards for oral presentations or papers.
  • Professional and relevant extracurricular interactions and collaborations. For example, this could include:
    • mentoring;
    • teaching;
    • supervisory experience;
    • project management;
    • chairing committees;
    • organizing conferences and meetings; and
    • elected positions held.

The reviewers evaluate the research proposal based on the following criteria:

• Proposed research and development activities
  This includes:
  • the research and development environment/opportunity for an R&D experience outside a university setting in the private, not-for-profit and/or non-governmental sectors;
  • the scientific and technical merit of the proposed research;
  • the significance and feasibility of the proposed research;
  • incrementality; and
  • the organization's overall commitment, including its financial commitment, to the fellow and the project.

The match between the applicant’s background and the proposed research project will also be evaluated.

The candidates may spend up to 50 percent of their time on technology transfer activities. Such activities would enable the evaluation and ultimately the acquisition of external technologies which are not currently used by the organization. These technologies may come from Canadian or foreign sources (public or private). It is expected that the nominating organization would further develop the technology into new products, processes, materials, or services for its own benefit. The proposal must demonstrate clearly the expected benefits to the nominating organization of acquiring such technologies, and detail its impact on the Canadian economy either through increasing competitiveness, reducing costs, or creating jobs. In such cases, the IRDF proposal will also be evaluated on its potential to acquire new or unique technology, and on the benefits to the IRDF candidate in terms of developing expertise and skills.

It should be noted that where the nominating organization has participated previously in the program, the experience gained by the fellows during tenure of their awards and past success in integrating previous fellows into the regular staff of the organization upon the expiration of the awards, will also be considered by the College of Reviewers.

Resubmitting your nomination

If NSERC rejects your nomination for a fellowship on the basis of your merit and past record, it is strongly recommended that you wait for one year before you reapply either with the same organization or a different one. You may reapply only once, provided you continue to meet the eligibility criteria.

If NSERC rejects the nomination for a fellowship due to an inadequate project or project description submitted by the organization, the nomination may be resubmitted by the same organization within one year as long as the project or project description is revised. Only one resubmission from the same organization will be permitted. However, you may be nominated by a different organization within the following two years as a pre-approved candidate, provided that you continue to meet all eligibility criteria. If you are nominated after that two-year period, your qualifications will have to be re-evaluated.

Notification of decision

NSERC will inform organizations of the results, usually within six weeks of receiving the complete application.

Intellectual Property (IP) Policy

Please note that NSERC's Intellectual Property Policy does not apply to this program.

Conditions of the award

Please refer to the IRDF Award Holder’s Guide for regulations about holding the award (e.g., the start date, deferment, holidays and leave).