Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program - frequently asked questions

On this page

• Program objectives
• International stream
• Eligibility
• Budget
• Program content
• Stipends
• Eligible expenses
• Collaborations with industry
• Self-identification questionnaire
• Progress reports

Program objectives

1. How important is it to describe professional skills training in the application?

Professional skills training that complements the trainees’ technical skills training and mobility experiences must be described in the proposal.

2. Can CREATE initiatives be renewed?

No, CREATE initiatives cannot be renewed. If a previous CREATE grant holder applies for a new CREATE initiative, the proposed initiative must differ significantly from the previous one. The proposal must clearly explain this at the letter of intent (LOI) and application stages. Initiatives are expected to have elements of their program be self-sustaining after the six years of the grant.

3. How does NSERC distinguish between CREATE and existing training opportunities offered by other programs?

The CREATE program focuses on initiatives that raise the standards for best practices in the mentoring and training of new researchers. They should bring qualitative added value compared to existing training opportunities or funding for trainees offered by other programs.

4. Are proposals with more than one university preferred over single-university applications?

No, CREATE awards will be decided only on the excellence and merits of the proposal and the expected outcomes targeted to a specific group of students. Larger institutions, however, are encouraged to collaborate with small- and medium-sized institutions.

5. Is there a requirement for the main applicant to be a more senior, experienced researcher?

No, the program is open to all researchers. The team’s excellence will be assessed by several factors, including its contributions to the training of highly qualified personnel and the complementarity of expertise and experience of the team. All applicants, co-applicants and collaborators must explain their respective roles and responsibilities within the training program and its management. In this way, teams that compensate for some researchers’ limited research experience by emphasizing the strengths of other team members will maximize the chances of success. Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations should also be reflected in the rationale of the team composition and the designated roles within the team.

Universities are responsible for selecting and submitting applications which best meet the selection criteria and exhibit the excellence of the team of researchers.

6. Can you change the title of the proposal between the LOI and application phases? Or after securing a grant?

Yes, it is possible. However, NSERC prefers that you not change the title after the new CREATE grants have been publicly announced. Please notify the CREATE team if you wish to change the proposal’s title.

7. Can CREATE initiatives be co-led?

Yes, the applicant can share leadership with a co-applicant. This can be explained in the Management structure section of the application, Section 4.1. However, there can only be one applicant on a CREATE application. This person is the spokesperson for the group.

International stream

8. Are these international stream initiatives funded separately from the rest of the CREATE program?

No, these initiatives are funded within the existing budget envelope.

9. Does a partner from the German research foundation (the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)) need an industrial collaborator in Germany, or will the Canadian partner(s) suffice?

An industrial collaborator is not mandatory for a proposed collaboration with the DFG.

10. For a CREATE International Research Training Groups (IRTG) initiative, is some of the funding from the DFG and some from NSERC?

Both organizations (NSERC and DFG) will provide support/funding for their respective grantees and trainees.

11. For a CREATE-IRTG initiative, which expenses would be covered by the Canadian group?

NSERC and the DFG will support the research training group in their countries. For example, the Canadian trainees’ travel and dissemination costs would not be shared with the German partner. These groups will support researchers and highly qualified people in their own country and cover the costs of accommodating trainees who visit the partner country. Each research training group also takes responsibility for providing stipends to its trainees for the duration of their stay at the partner institution.

12. When should Canadian researchers contact DFG researchers to plan for an international stream application?

By the LOI submission deadline on May 1, 2025, the DFG researchers’ IRTG pre-proposal should already be accepted. If the IRTG pre-proposal evaluation is not completed by May 1, 2025, a decision should be rendered by the DFG in time for the September 22 application deadline. Ideally, the research collaborators should submit their pre-proposal to the DFG in the previous calendar year to allow sufficient time for the evaluation process. Canadian researchers should contact their research collaborators to learn the timelines for evaluating the IRTG pre-proposals, as these can vary from year to year.

13. Is it possible to change from the international stream to the regular stream between the LOI and application phases?

Yes, switching to the regular stream is possible if, for example, the DFG does not accept the IRTG pre-proposal between the LOI and application phases. However, this decision must be discussed with the research collaborators. If selected for a grant in the regular stream, collaboration with German researchers can continue, but not under the conditions of a CREATE-IRTG international stream grant. A CREATE international stream grant is conditional on the success of both the CREATE international stream application and the DFG IRTG full proposal.

Eligibility

14. Do researchers need to hold an NSERC grant to be eligible to apply?

No, researchers do not need to hold an NSERC grant. Still, the applicant must be from an NSERC-supported field at an NSERC-eligible university, and the majority (at least 70%) of the team’s co-applicants must be from a natural sciences and engineering (NSE) field. NSERC eligibility criteria apply to applicants, co-applicants, and institutions. See FAQ #27 for more information.

15. Are researchers from other research institutions eligible to be CREATE applicants or co-applicants?

No, the CREATE program funds training programs and, therefore, requires that the applicants and co-applicants come from an NSERC-eligible Canadian university. Participation of researchers from other research institutions as collaborators is encouraged.

16. Which students are eligible to become trainees and receive a stipend as part of a CREATE program?

CREATE funds are accessible to trainees registered at a partner university represented by the grantee or a co-grantee. Trainees may be supervised by the grantee, co-grantees or collaborators at any of the partner universities. Trainees at collaborator universities not represented by the grantee or a co-grantee may be trainees in the program but may not receive any CREATE funds.

17. The CREATE program description mentions that the applicant may not be the chair of the Program Committee. Could a co-applicant, student trainee or direct collaborator be the chair of the Program Committee?

No, the purpose of the Program Committee is to oversee the progress of the proposed CREATE initiative and advise on its future direction. Good governance principles require that the committee chair not be the applicant, a co-applicant, a student trainee, the program coordinator or a direct collaborator (e.g., financial stakeholder, internship host, trainee supervisor, research collaborator or joint author) listed in the application.

18. Can colleges participate in the CREATE program?

Yes, colleges may participate as collaborators, but college students are not eligible to receive CREATE stipends or have expenses paid for.

19. Can the CREATE program be used to fund students who are medical residents?

No, medical residents are not eligible to receive funding from the CREATE program.

20. Can the CREATE program be used to fund students who are non-thesis Master’s students or MBA students?

Yes, up to 10% of the graduate trainees can be enrolled in a non-thesis Master’s degree or MBA program. An eligible graduate program must include a significant research component that leads to the completion of a thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication, performance, recital and/or exhibit that is merit/expert-reviewed at the institutional level as a requirement for completion of the program. Joint programs with a professional degree (for example, MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/MA, JD/PhD, MBA/PhD, MA/MBA) as well as clinically oriented programs of study, including clinical psychology, are eligible if they have a significant autonomous research component, as described above. Please note: The provisions for the research activities of non-thesis based Master’s students should be explained in the proposal.

Master’s programs based only on course work are typically not eligible since they do not include a significant research component, as described above.

21. Can a researcher participate in multiple CREATE initiatives at a given time?

A researcher can participate in a maximum of two CREATE grants/applications at any given time and a maximum of one as the lead applicant or grantee, for example:

• A researcher can be the lead grantee or applicant on one grant or application and be a co-applicant or co-grantee on one other application or grant
• A researcher can be a co-applicant on two applications if they are not a grantee nor a co-grantee on a grant
•  A researcher can be the applicant or co-applicant on one application if they are already a co-grantee on one active grant

If a researcher is already a grantee or co-grantee on two active grants, the timeline for determining eligibility to apply for a new initiative depends on the grant end date:

• If one of the grants ends on March 31, 2025, they can apply for a new initiative in 2025 (May 1, 2025 LOI submission)
• If one of the grants ends on August 31, 2025, they can apply for a new initiative in 2026 (May 1, 2026 LOI submission)

22. Does the one-year COVID-19 extension to CREATE grants affect the eligibility of applicants or co-applicants for new applications to the CREATE program?

Yes, the one-year COVID-19 extension to CREATE grants is added to the grant duration and affects the eligibility of applicants or co-applicants for new applications to the CREATE program. Contact the CREATE team to discuss uncertain situations surrounding a CREATE initiative’s end date.

23. Are there limits on the number of initiatives a researcher can participate in as a collaborator? What’s the difference between a collaborator and an applicant/co-applicant?

No, a researcher can be a collaborator on as many initiatives as they want. If the collaborator’s university is a participating university, i.e., is represented by an applicant or a co-applicant, then that collaborator’s trainees are eligible for CREATE stipends and expenses. The difference between an applicant/co-applicant and a collaborator at a participating university is that the former can access the CREATE funds, whereas the latter cannot.

24. Is it permissible for trainees to conduct internships at their own start-ups or companies owned wholly or in part by the grantee, co-grantee, or academic collaborator at one of the grantee universities?

No, it is not permissible due to conflict-of-interest considerations. It is permissible for trainees to conduct internships at companies owned wholly or in part by a collaborator.

25. Can the composition of the applicant team change between the LOI and application stages?

At the time of the LOI submission, the applicant team composition should be complete. Applicants and co-applicants should be the same at the LOI and the application stages. However, if changes to the team composition are required between the two stages due to unforeseen and exceptional circumstances, please notify the CREATE team.

If the proposed change involves the applicant, a member of the co-applicant team must be named as the new applicant and the identity of the new applicant must be communicated to NSERC. If the proposed change involves a co-applicant who withdraws their participation, then an eligible replacement can be found and communicated to NSERC for approval. If the selected individual is from an institution that was not part of the original group of applicant institutions, then the applicant team must notify NSERC and also inform the research grant officer of the university that will be joining the proposed initiative.

26. Can a researcher resign from an initiative to make themselves eligible for a new CREATE application?

The grantee and co-grantees are expected to remain part of an initiative until its end. They cannot resign their grantee or co-grantee status on an initiative simply to make themselves eligible to apply for a new CREATE grant. Instead, NSERC recommends that the researcher participate in the new initiative as a collaborator. If the application is selected for a grant, the researcher can submit a request to be a co-grantee to the initiative’s Program Committee after the ineligibility period has passed. If the Program Committee accepts, a request can be made to the CREATE team for the researcher to become part of the co-grantee team.

27. How does NSERC determine whether an applicant is an NSE versus a non-NSE researcher for the CREATE program? How does NSERC classify NSE versus non-NSE trainees?

The lead applicant on a CREATE proposal must be an NSE researcher. The co-applicant team must be made up of at least 70% NSE researchers. Generally, an NSE researcher is a researcher who conducts the majority of their work in areas supported by NSERC, as evidenced by their publication record. The researcher’s history of support from the tri-agencies may also be used to help determine a researcher’s NSE status. Please contact NSERC to discuss situations where there may be uncertainty surrounding a researcher’s primary field of research. The Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency web page may be consulted to distinguish between NSE and non-NSE work.

For trainees, the designation of non-NSE versus NSE is usually based on the faculty or department the trainee is assigned to. However, in instances where the trainee is in a non-NSE faculty but has an NSE background, an NSE research theme and an NSE supervisor, NSERC would classify them as an NSE trainee for the purpose of the CREATE program.

Budget

28. Is the 70% for students’ stipends and the 30% for other expenses a firm ratio?

Yes, at least 70% of the CREATE grant must be used for trainees’ stipends. However, NSERC does not specify how students may use a CREATE stipend and does not establish limits for stipend amounts. These are a part of university policy. Travel or other expenses may be supplemented from other sources, such as an NSERC Discovery grant or other NSERC grant, as well as non-NSERC funding sources.

29. Will NSERC restrict how these additional funds contributed by collaborators can be spent, or could they be spent at the collaborator’s discretion?

NSERC allows for flexibility in how collaborator contributions are allocated but expects the expenditures to support the goals of the CREATE program. This should be well explained in the proposal.

On the other hand, CREATE funding provided by NSERC must be spent according to the information provided in the CREATE program description and the relevant sections of the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration.

Program content

30. Is it possible to combine research training with courses given by other partner institutions within the applicant team?

Yes, combining resources in this way is possible, which may encourage student mobility between institutions.

31. Would including a technology transfer/commercialization type of internship be an eligible training activity?

Yes, technology transfer/commercialization training is an eligible training activity.

32. Can you provide examples of eligible mobility experiences towards fulfilling the CREATE mobility requirements?

Examples of eligible locations for fulfilling the CREATE mobility requirements include but are not limited to:

1. Applicant, co-applicant or academic collaborator laboratory if the trainee is visiting from a different campus. For example, exchanges between the University of British Columbia Vancouver and Okanagan campuses or exchanges between campuses of the University of Québec network are eligible. However, exchanges between Polytechnique Montréal and Université de Montréal are not eligible as these institutions are located on the same campus
2. Internships at non-academic collaborators (companies, governmental and non-governmental organizations, Indigenous communities, etc.) located off campus or in field locations
3. International internships or exchanges

33. Are incubators or facilities located on campus eligible internship locations?

The mandatory mobility experience must be located off campus. However, a CREATE initiative may have additional mobility deliverables, including on-campus internships.

Contact the CREATE team if you have any questions about eligibility of a particular internship location.

34. Does the mandatory mobility experience requirement need to be continuous?

No, the mandatory one-month mobility experience for Master’s and two months for Ph.D. can be split up into segments and occur at different eligible locations if that best suits the training objectives of the initiative.

35. Can trainees be exempt from the mandatory mobility experience?

Yes, if personal or familial barriers prevent a trainee from completing the mandatory in-person mobility experience, they may be exempt. In these circumstances, a virtual mobility experience may be substituted. Contact the CREATE team to discuss specific cases.

Stipends

36. Can students holding a scholarship from CIHR, Mitacs, NSERC, or SSHRC participate in the CREATE program? Can they receive a CREATE stipend?

Yes, students holding a scholarship from any of these granting agencies should be encouraged to participate in a CREATE training program. Trainees are permitted to hold a scholarship in addition to receiving a CREATE stipend during the tenure of their other scholarships per the university’s guidelines (except Mitacs-Elevate).

37. Can students receiving awards from provincial funding agencies receive stipends from CREATE?

Yes, NSERC allows students to receive awards simultaneously from provincial funding agencies and a CREATE stipend; however, students should verify whether the provincial funding agency’s award conditions allow this combination.

38. Can international students be supported by CREATE grants?

Yes, international students and fellows may be offered stipends while visiting or enrolled at a Canadian university. The CREATE program allows for international travel expenses, so a proposal could also include an opportunity for foreign students to visit Canadian labs as part of the training program.

39. What is the maximum period of support for visiting international exchange students or fellows?

International exchange students not enrolled at a Canadian university for their degree or visiting fellows may be supported for a maximum of 125 days (per year, per person).

40. Are CREATE trainees eligible for family or medical leave?

Yes, CREATE stipend holders are eligible for NSERC family and medical leave. See NSERC’s policy on family and medical leaves for more details.

41. Can teaching assistantships be paid using CREATE funds?

No. The only salary that can be paid from CREATE funds is the program coordinator’s salary.

Eligible expenses

42. Are venue rental costs eligible expenses?

Yes, economical and efficient venue and catering costs are allowed if they are used to deliver a CREATE training activity (e.g., summer school, workshops, etc.) where individuals from out of town participate.

43. Are honoraria or gifts for invited speakers paid from CREATE funds permitted?

Other sources, such as the university, should cover the salary, honorarium or gifts for invited speakers or subject matter experts.

In recognition of the cultures and traditions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit, Elders and other Knowledge Keepers who also fulfill another role (i.e., an independent researcher) are eligible to receive honoraria and/or gifts in a ceremonial or other context. Their travel expenses are also considered eligible expenses.

44. Are incentives for trainees permitted?

Yes, prizes for trainee achievement are permitted.