Applied Research and Development grants

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Funding

Colleges can use Applied Research and Development (ARD) grants to fund direct costs of research as well as some indirect costs up to a total of $150,000 per year for up to 3 years, not including the contribution from partner organization(s) whose cash contributions are recognized for cost sharing with the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program.

The ARD grants estimator tool calculates the maximum grant amount that may be requested from NSERC based on the partner contribution amount or the minimum contribution amount needed for a specified grant size.

To support larger projects and additional students, colleges may request joint funding with another funding organization as part of their ARD application. Colleges may request funding from one opportunity per application. Current joint funding opportunities are detailed below.

Specific rules for the use of ARD grant funds

For details on the use of grant funds, see the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration.

Specific rules and exceptions to Part 2 (Use of grant funds) of the guide apply to ARD grants, including the following:

• Overhead and administration costs equivalent to 20% of the annual grant amount are included automatically; such costs include expenditures eligible under the Research Support Fund (e.g., grant writing, financial reporting, etc.).
• ARD grants can cover the salary of replacement faculty members hired to backfill a college faculty member's involvement in an applied research project, as well as expenditures for recruitment-related activities.
• Salaries and non-discretionary benefits for non-faculty researchers, part-time faculty, technical and professional staff carrying out applied research, research administrators, business development and technology and/or knowledge transfer personnel are covered.
• Salaries and stipends for university students are ineligible as student salary expenditures; university students involved in projects must be remunerated as technical or professional college staff or as consultants. Only salaries and stipends for college students are eligible as student salary expenditures.
• Salaries are covered for project management activities leading to the optimal use of project resources to meet the research objectives in a timely and budget-efficient manner.
• Equipment costs are eligible, provided that the equipment is essential to achieving the objectives of the research project and incremental to the equipment already available at the college or at the partner organization’s location.
• Grant funds may not flow back to a partner organization.

Joint funding opportunities

Consult the Instructions for completing an ARD grant application for guidance on additional requirements for these opportunities. You can only apply to one joint funding opportunity per ARD grant application.

• Mitacs internships

  This joint funding opportunity allows you to leverage cash contributions from partners for funding from both the three federal research funding agencies and Mitacs.
  
  To take advantage of this opportunity, you must first contact your local Mitacs business development advisor to obtain the Mitacs Streamlined Joint application form and additional instructions. You must complete an ARD grant application and request additional support through Mitacs internships as a component of training.
  
  To be eligible for the ARD-Mitacs streamlined joint funding opportunity, you must complete the Mitacs Streamlined Joint application form in addition to the ARD grant application and submit them to NSERC in the Convergence Portal. Both applications must be submitted together as Mitacs Streamlined Joint applications cannot be considered retroactively. The Mitacs Streamlined Joint application must also be emailed to your local Mitacs business development advisor.
  
  If NSERC approves your ARD grant application, you may proceed to request approval from Mitacs for the Mitacs Streamlined Joint application. To do this, contact your local Mitacs business development advisor and submit the Mitacs Streamlined Joint application, along with a copy of your ARD grant Notice of Decision, to Mitacs for consideration (Note that approval of the ARD grants application does not guarantee approval of the Mitacs Streamlined Joint application).
  
  If Mitacs approves the Streamlined Joint application, you may proceed to submit Mitacs Internship Activation form(s) as interns are identified and ready to join the project. Mitacs staff will internally assess the Internship Activation forms to ensure program eligibility under the applicable Mitacs program, alignment to the approved ARD grant and Mitacs Streamlined Joint applications. Please note that Internship Activation forms will only be accepted by Mitacs during the 2025-2026 fiscal year and need to be approved by March 13th, 2026. Applicants are invited to plan their submissions accordingly. Your local Mitacs business development advisor should be contacted for more information regarding the deadlines specific to your application.
  
  Please contact your local Mitacs business development advisor for details on this joint submission process. As in all Mitacs internships, a cash contribution from an eligible partner is required. Mitacs internships cannot be the only mechanism for training in the application; trainees should also be supported by ARD grants funds.
  
  If you wish to include Mitacs university internships (bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, recent graduates or postdoctoral fellowship) in your ARD grant application, you must identify a university supervisor eligible for Mitacs funds.

• Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) Collaborate to Commercialize (C2C) program

  In partnership with OCI's C2C program, this opportunity will support postsecondary applied research and development (R&D) collaborations with the highest potential for regional economic development and commercialization in Ontario.
  
  You must be an Ontario-based college eligible to hold tri-agency funds, and the industry partner (partner organization) must be a small- or medium-sized enterprise.

• Alberta Innovates’ Campus Alberta Small Business Engagement (CASBE) program

  The ARD grants and Alberta Innovates’ Campus Alberta Small Business Engagement (CASBE) program will support R&D collaborations between postsecondary institutions (universities, colleges or polytechnics) and industries in Alberta. These collaborations will help Alberta’s SMEs develop, refine or adopt emerging technologies with high potential for commercialization and regional economic development in the province.
  
  Please contact Susie Li, the CASBE program manager to see if your project is in alignment with the Alberta Innovates’ CASBE program.

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