Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
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NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Accelerate grants
IMPORTANT PROGRAM CHANGE
Effective immediately, all new Option 1 applications may request up to 66.7% of the project costs (2:1 leverage) from NSERC, regardless of partner organization size or sector. This change does not affect or apply to applications submitted prior to June 23, 2023.
The remainder of our website and other program materials have not yet been updated to reflect this change. The above statement supersedes information on Option 1 cost sharing (i.e., 50% cost sharing / 1:1 leverage) that currently appears below and elsewhere.
If you have any questions, please contact us at alliance@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
| Duration | Up to 5 years |
|---|---|
| Application deadline | No deadline |
| How to apply |
|
| For more information | Consult the contact list. |
Context and objectives
Joint NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Accelerate grants support projects of varying scale and complexity, from short-term smaller projects involving one researcher to long-term projects involving researchers across several universities, and from one-on-one collaborations with a single partner organization directly involved in the research to projects involving many partner organizations across multiple sectors. Applicants seeking support from both an Alliance grant and a Mitacs Accelerate grant can apply through a streamlined submission and review process. Following a lead agency model, applicants will submit a joint proposal that will undergo a single review process at NSERC, the lead agency. These grants will be reviewed in the same manner as other Alliance grants. NSERC and Mitacs will communicate funding decisions to the applicants under separate cover.
This joint funding opportunity allows applicants to leverage cash contributions from partners for funding from both NSERC and Mitacs. To take advantage of this opportunity, applicants must complete an Alliance application and may request additional support through Mitacs Accelerate internships as a component of the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP). As in all Mitacs internships, a cash contribution from an eligible partner is required. Mitacs internships cannot be the only mechanism for HQP training in the joint proposal; HQP should also be supported by NSERC funds.
NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Accelerate applications require the following information when outlining the training of HQP:
- A description of the role of the Mitacs interns in the research project, and an explanation of the quality of the research-based training experiences provided to the interns
- A description of how the internship partner organization is committed to providing supervision and mentorship to the interns
- An explanation of how the number of Mitacs interns and the number of internship units are appropriate to the scope of the project
Applications will be reviewed following the same process as Alliance grants. NSERC and Mitacs will jointly communicate funding decisions to the applicants.
Who can apply?
- Applicants must meet both NSERC’s and
Mitacs’ eligibility criteria when the application is submitted and when funding is released. - Canadian university researchers eligible to receive NSERC funds can apply independently or as a team with co-applicants who are also eligible academic researchers. Applicants must have at least one partner organization (in the private, public or not-for-profit sector) whose cash contributions will be recognized for cost-sharing (see Alliance grants: Role of partner organizations), but other partner organizations who play an important role in the research project may be included in the application, whether or not their cash contributions are recognized for cost-sharing.
Please note that Mitacs will undertake a preliminary administrative assessment of the Accelerate application to determine applicant, partner organization and project eligibility before the applicant submits their application to NSERC. Please contact your local Mitacs business development representative for details on this process.
Equity, diversity and inclusion
NSERC is acting on the evidence that achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is essential to creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research necessary to advance knowledge and understanding, and to respond to local, national and global challenges. This principle informs the commitments described in the Tri-agency statement on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
Applicants are encouraged to increase the inclusion and advancement of under-represented and disadvantaged groups in the natural sciences and engineering as one way to enhance excellence in research and training. Where applicable, consideration of sex, gender and diversity in the research design should be addressed in the proposal. EDI considerations should be developed into the rationale of the composition of research teams and trainees.
For more information, refer to the 
Guide for applicants: Considering equity, diversity and inclusion in your application.
How to apply
To apply to the NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Accelerate program, you must make a joint submission through NSERC’s online system. Before starting your application, you must first contact your local
Mitacs business development representative to obtain the Mitacs supplemental application form. Additionally, you must complete the Alliance application forms, including the Alliance 
proposal template following the instructions for completing an Alliance grants application. Submit the completed proposal template and supporting documents, including the personal data form with CCV attachment for the applicant and all co-applicants, and the Mitacs supplemental application form, through NSERC’s online system. For this program, you are required to complete a partner contributions form that indicates Mitacs as a joint call funding partner. Note that Mitacs should be invited to confirm its support of the application using the contributions form. Please contact a Mitacs business development representative for further guidance on how to complete this form.
As of July 12, 2021, applicants (and their institutions) are required to complete the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships risk assessment form for all Alliance grants applications involving one or more partner organizations from the private sector. For more information, please see the Alliance grants Overview page and the news release.
You are not required to share completed risk assessment forms with joint call funding partner organizations if you do not wish to do so.
The information you provide in your application is collected under the authority of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act. NSERC is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. The information you provide is stored in a series of NSERC data banks as described in Information about programs and information holdings. You must ensure that others listed in the application have agreed to be included.
To start a NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Accelerate joint application:
- Login to the online system and select Create a new form 101
- Select Research partnerships, then Alliance
- For the Proposal type field, select Full proposal
- For the Type of call field, select Mitacs Accelerate from the drop-down menu
Proposal: Training of HQP: Describe the role of the Mitacs interns in the research project and explain the quality of the research-based training experiences provided to the interns. Describe how the partner organization is committed to providing supervision and mentorship for the interns. Explain how the number of Mitacs interns and the number of internship units are appropriate to the scope of the project. The instructions for completing an Alliance grant application provide additional guidance for questions not addressed on this page.
Proposed expenditures/budget justification: Provide the breakdown of funds requested from both NSERC and Mitacs in support of HQP, including Mitacs interns.
Joint call funding partner contributions form: To capture Mitacs’ contributions to the project, you must complete a partner contributions form (joint call funding partner) outlining Mitacs’ contributions on a yearly basis. Please ensure that you select the Joint call funding partner contributions form in the online system to correctly enter the contributions. In the contact section, provide the name of your local Mitacs business development representative and the email of the Mitacs Research Officer (grant-management@mitacs.ca).
Mitacs supplemental form: Upload the Mitacs supplemental form as a PDF attachment to the Other documents section of the Alliance grants form 101. Note that the Mitacs supplemental form should also be provided to Mitacs.
Consult the Alliance grant application checklist for a summary of information that needs to be addressed in a completed application.
Evaluation criteria
Full proposals will be reviewed by NSERC according to the procedures and processes for Alliance grants, with additional considerations given to the training of HQP. Proposals will be reviewed based on the Alliance merit evaluation criteria and the Mitacs adjudication criteria. These joint applications may require additional time to review than other Alliance applications. Funding decisions will be made jointly by NSERC and Mitacs. NSERC will communicate Alliance funding decisions to applicants while Mitacs will communicate Accelerate funding decisions under separate cover.
Note: By submitting an application to the joint NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Accelerate program, you consent to the two organizations sharing information contained in the application, including personal information, and information on the administration of a resulting grant/award, which may include peer review assessments, outcomes of merit review assessments, or project reports required as a condition of award. You also confirm that you have obtained the consent of any individuals whose personal information is contained in such documents to share this information in the same manner.
Funding
All project expenditures are subject to the principles and directives governing the appropriate use of grant funds, as outlined in the Tri-agency guide on financial administration. Applicants must follow the Tri-agency open access policy.
If your application is approved for funding, you will receive an award letter from NSERC, and you must adhere to the terms and conditions set out in it. You will also receive an outcome letter from Mitacs, and you must adhere to the terms and conditions set out in it.
Reporting
Successful applicants will be informed of reporting requirements and the corresponding schedule for reports when they are notified of the funding decision. NSERC and Mitacs will strive to streamline their reporting requirements to lessen the burden on participants.