Family and medical leave

NSERC’s policies include a number of provisions for grant, scholarship and fellowship holders who take family-related leave or medical leave. These provisions apply only to leave taken in accordance with the policies in place at the award holder’s institution.

Grant holders

Holders of NSERC Discovery Grants or other grants who plan to take family-related leave or medical leave may be able to extend their funding. Depending on the grantee’s circumstances, the options include:

• extending the period for using funds in the current grant by up to two years
• adding up to two years of funding at the same level as the current grant
• deferring submission of a renewal application

Pilot for Discovery Grant and Discovery Development Grant program only

• a grantee who becomes a primary caregiver immediately following a birth or adoption of a child who is eligible for an extended maternity, parental or adoptive leave through the institution but declines taking the leave may be eligible to receive a one-year grant extension with funds at a level up to but not exceeding the current grant amount.

Further information can be found in the Tri-agency guide on financial administration (TAGFA), Part 5, Leave for maternity, parental, medical or family related responsibilities (grant recipient).

Grant recipients are responsible for informing their administering institution of the extension request, and the administering institution is responsible for submitting the extension request to the relevant agency by completing the grant amendment form.

Students and fellows

Students and fellows who are paid out of an NSERC grant, and those receiving awards directly from NSERC, may be eligible to receive up to 12 months of paid parental leave. They may also be eligible to defer their award or take an unpaid leave of absence related to maternity, child rearing, illness or health-related family responsibilities, provided their university permits such leaves.

Further information can be found in the Tri-agency guide on financial administration, (TAGFA) Part 5, Paid maternity/parental leave for students and postdoctoral fellows.

The administering institution is responsible for submitting a request for paid maternity/parental leave supplements to students and postdoctoral fellows by completing the grant amendment form for the relevant agency’s approval.

Questions related to the extension of funds and the submission of the grant amendment form can be directed to the following address: grantsadministration@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.

For students and postdoctoral fellows who are scholarship or fellowship holders of the tri-agencies, refer to the Paid interruption – Parental leave section of the Tri-agency research training award holder’s guide.