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NSERC Alliance and Research Manitoba Accelerate, Commercialize, Transform (ACT)
This information has been archived. Visit the 
Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy of the Federal Research Funding Organizations page for current information.
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| Duration | Up to 24 months |
|---|---|
| Application deadline | Until available funding is awarded; Research Manitoba will close this program once application capacity has been met. |
| Application forms |
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| For more information | Contact the NSERC Prairies Regional Office or the Research Manitoba Programs Manager. |
Context and objectives
NSERC and Research Manitoba (RM) have partnered up to offer the NSERC Alliance and RM Accelerate, Commercialize, Transform (ACT) program, which will support university R&D collaborations that assist Manitoban small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing technology and products with the highest potential for regional economic development and commercialization in Manitoba. This funding opportunity is available for projects that: 1) align with the following priority areas: bioscience, information and communications technology (ICT), advanced manufacturing, or infrastructure and transportation industries and technologies; and 2) have at least one Manitoban SME as a partner organization.
This joint funding opportunity allows the Manitoban SME partner organization’s cash contributions to be leveraged for funding from both NSERC and RM via a streamlined joint application and decision process. NSERC Alliance will match cash contributions from all recognized partners at a 2:1 ratio, from $20,000 to $1M per year for up to five years (as per the Alliance grants funding page), and RM ACT will match the contributions from the Manitoban SME at a 1:1 ratio, up to $25,000 per year for up to two years.
The mutually beneficial projects are expected to result in economic benefits to the companies and to Manitoba, as well as build impactful longer-term collaborations between university researchers and companies.
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).
For more information, see the 
Guide for applicants: Considering equity, diversity, and inclusion in your application.
Applicants
- You and any co-applicants must meet NSERC’s eligibility criteria when applying and during the tenure of the award.
- The principal applicant must be a faculty member from an eligible Manitoba-based university.
- You are encouraged to collaborate with experts in fields other than the natural sciences and engineering, where appropriate, since implementing policy or applying the research results can depend on socioeconomic considerations as well as scientific understanding. Academic researchers outside the natural sciences and engineering may participate in proposals as co-applicants if they meet NSERC’s eligibility requirements for the type, duration and nature of the appointment. Research costs for these collaborations may account for up to 30% of the project costs and must be identified in the project budget.
Partners
Consult NSERC’s Alliance web pages for full details on private sector partner organization recognition. At least one of the partners must be a Manitoba-based SME and cannot hold a RM Innovation Proof-of-Concept Grant for the same project as proposed in the NSERC Alliance and RM ACT application.
Application process
The application process for the NSERC Alliance and RM ACT program requires submissions to both Research Manitoba and NSERC. The application procedure is as follows:
- You must first contact the Research Manitoba Programs Manager to ensure that the proposed project is aligned with RM priority areas: bioscience, ICT, advanced manufacturing, and infrastructure and transportation industries and technologies.
- After receiving confirmation from RM that the proposed research is aligned with the priority areas, you can then complete the NSERC application (without submitting it). In your application, you must include a Contributions section listing RM as a joint-call funding partner with the RM Programs Manager as the contact person. Once all elements of the NSERC application are completed, generate a PDF version of your application with the preview function in NSERC’s online application system.
- You must then complete the RM ACT application form in the RM Grants Management System, and attach the PDF of your NSERC application as part of the RM ACT application before submitting.
- Once RM has reviewed and assessed the details submitted in your application, they will complete the partner organization form required for the NSERC application. Once the partner form has been completed by Research Manitoba, you can submit your NSERC application.
NSERC application details
Complete the NSERC Alliance application and supporting documents, including a personal data form with CCV attachment for the applicant and all co-applicants, through NSERC’s online system.
Consult the Alliance grants application checklist for a summary of the information that needs to be addressed in a completed application.
There are three components to the NSERC Alliance and RM ACT application: proposal, applicant and co-applicant information, and partner organization information. All three components must be completed and submitted for the application to be considered complete. Guidance on this page takes precedence over other NSERC Alliance descriptions and instructions.
To start the NSERC 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 RM ACT from the drop-down menu
The proposed cost-sharing ratio for this application is 66.7%.
Proposal: Complete an application for a grant (form 101) using the proposal template. Provide responses in place of INSERT YOUR TEXT HERE. Figures and tables are welcome. The funding requested in this proposal cannot represent a budgetary or conceptual overlap with any other funding support currently held or applied for. The instructions for completing an Alliance grant application provide additional guidance for questions not addressed on this page.
Applicant and co-applicant information: Complete a personal data form with CCV attachment for the applicant and all co-applicants.
Partner organization information: All partner organizations must complete the partner organization form as part of the Contributions section on form 101. Select Partner organization recognized for cost-sharing for organizations that meet the requirements, and access to complete the form will be provided to the organization representative via an email link. Please ensure that you list Research Manitoba as a joint-call funding partner to this application and provide the name and email of the Research Manitoba Programs Manager as the contact.
Evaluation criteria
Please consult the Alliance evaluation criteria for full details on how the NSERC Alliance and RM ACT applications will be reviewed. A successful application should demonstrate how the R&D results will benefit the SME, among other details.
Eligible expenses
See the Alliance – Funding webpage and the Tri-agency guide on financial administration for details on eligible expenses.
Intellectual property
See the Alliance – Award webpage for information on NSERC’s Policy on Intellectual Property, research agreements, and how these pertain to this funding opportunity.
Reporting
You will be informed of reporting requirements and the corresponding schedule when you are notified of your award. NSERC and RM will strive to streamline their reporting requirements to lessen the burden on participants.