Discovery Horizons (pilot)
Instructions for completing an application

General information

About the program

Read the program description before completing your application. You may also wish to review the Peer review guide for the Tri-agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee for more details on how applications will be evaluated.

Am I eligible to apply?

Consult the Eligibility requirements for faculty to apply for or hold grant funds page to ensure that you can participate in this grant program as an applicant.

New as of the 2024 competition: Applicants or co-applicants for the Discovery Horizons program cannot simultaneously hold a Discovery Grant and a Discovery Horizons grant. Applicants who submitted a Discovery Grant notification of intent (NOI) and a Discovery Horizons letter of intent (LOI) for the current competition must choose which program they wish to pursue before proceeding to the full application stage; a full application may only be submitted to one program.

Whom should I contact for help?

• For program-related information, contact horizons@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
• For matters related to the Convergence Portal, contact the online services helpdesk by email at webapp@nserc-crsng.gc.ca or by phone at 613-995-4273, or complete an online services support request.

Presentation standards

You must include all requested information in your application, and the submitted application must meet the Research portal presentation and attachment standards. Incomplete applications and applications that do not meet the presentation standards may be rejected, or be at a disadvantage in comparison with those that are complete and respect the presentation standards. Information that is not required, based on the application instructions, will be removed.

Application deadlines

Your application must be received at your institution’s research grants office by its internal deadline date; contact your research grants office for those deadlines.

The application must be submitted to NSERC by 8:00 p.m. (ET) on October 18, 2024. The research administrators are responsible to submit the full applications to NSERC. Once an application has been submitted to NSERC, it cannot be updated or modified, either before or after the deadline.

Personal information

The information you provide in your application is collected under the authority of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act. The collection, use, disclosure, retention, and disposal of your information are outlined in the following policy statements:

• Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act
• Data retention information
• Privacy notice

For more information, refer to the Personal Information Banks described in NSERC’s Info Source.

Self-identification information (applicant and co-applicants)

You are required to complete the self-identification questionnaire in order to apply for NSERC funding; however, you may select Prefer not to answer for any or all questions. NSERC appreciates your participation, which supports the granting agencies in monitoring the equity of their programs and strengthening equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the research enterprise.

The self-identification information is collected as part of your user profile when you register in the  Convergence Portal. It is not part of your application and is neither accessible to nor shared with external reviewers and/or selection committee members. The self-identification questionnaire should be reviewed and updated, if required, every time you apply to the program.

Discovery Horizons applicants and co-applicants will also be asked to provide consent for NSERC to potentially use their self-identification information to improve equity, diversity and inclusion in funding decisions. Priority may be given to applications from those who self-identify as members of underrepresented groups amongst similarly ranked applications.

Completing the application

You must complete the application according to the instructions, using the Convergence Portal.

Note: If you have not submitted an LOI for this program or if your LOI was not selected to participate in the subsequent stage, you cannot create or submit an application. Consult the program description for more information.

Create an application

• As the applicant, you must create, complete and submit your application using the  Convergence Portal. If you currently have an account on the Convergence Portal, please use your existing credentials. Convergence is only supported on the latest versions of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox.
• In the Applications tab, select the application that was submitted to NSERC and click Application.

My information (applicant and co-applicants)

CV interruptions

Provide any interruptions in the last six years for formal leaves and personal circumstances, and clearly explain any circumstances that affected your research productivity. To enter interruptions, select Add new interruptions, then select the type of interruption from the menu. Follow the instructions and enter the level of activity maintained (%) and start and end dates if requested. If interruptions have already been entered in the Convergence Portal, you can associate them to this application using Associate interruption. Information from the CV interruptions section will be shared “as is” with committee members and external reviewers; personal information will not be redacted.

Eligible leaves of absence (e.g., maternity and parental leave, personal illness, chronic illness, mental illness, or disability associated with reduced research activity, leave taken for family-related illness or bereavement, extraordinary administrative duties) are those taken within the last six years. For further guidance on how to describe and consider the impacts of COVID-19 delays, refer to Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on research: NEW guidelines for NSERC’s community.

In recognition of those eligible leaves, the participant is allowed to extend the period of eligible contributions in their CV documents for an equivalent duration.

CV documents

CV

Maximum of five pages

Since winter 2020, individuals from the research community have continued to participate in workshops identifying the needs for a harmonized CV management experience. The Tri-agency Grants Management Solution team has summarized what it has heard from applicants and reviewers in these workshops to develop a Tri-agency CV. NSERC is now piloting a refined version of the Tri-agency CV as part of the 2025 Discovery Horizons pilot. Applicants may be asked for feedback on the Tri-agency CV.

The CV should highlight the applicant’s experiences and outputs over the last six years (unless otherwise specified). Applicants should review the Evaluation Criteria used by the Tri-agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee when preparing their CVs.

The CV is limited to five pages. There is no limit to the volume of information for each section. You may devote more space to certain sections depending on the nature of your past contributions and experience. Include the following sections (A-D) using the titles as headers. Below, you will find examples of what you may (but are not required to) include for each section:

A - Personal information

Include the following information:

• Employment
• Affiliation(s)/community
• Title/role (your current position at your institution/organization)
• Degree(s)/qualifications (you may list multiple degrees and/or qualifications, including their completion date, that you believe to be relevant to your role in the application)

B - Personal statement

Describe why you are well suited for your proposed role in the application. For example, you may include:

• Impact of your research and the benefits to society and science
• Previous work, progress or productivity that provide context to the results of your research activities which support your current application
• Expertise related to the specific topic or related topics
• Lived or living experience(s)
• Leadership activities and skills
• Collaborations or past performance in the field or related fields
• Recognition (e.g., prizes, awards)

Factors that have influenced your research opportunities (leaves, delays and interruptions) should be listed in the Interruptions and personal circumstances module of the My information section on the Convergence Portal.

C - Most significant contributions

NSERC values all forms of contributions to natural sciences and engineering (NSE) research. For examples, please consult the section Forms of contribution to research of the Guidelines on assessment of contributions to research, training and mentoring.

Describe up to 10 important contributions or experiences that relate to your application. Contributions described in the previous section can be used here.

Explain the impact, significance, and usefulness of each contribution or experience. A contribution does not have to be a single publication or report. It can be a collection of related publications.

Contributions made more than six years ago that have a current impact (e.g., exploitation of patent, inclusion in a code, etc.) may be described in this section.

Some examples of contributions include:

• Articles and other publications (e.g. communications, monographs, memoirs or special papers, review articles, conference/symposia/workshop proceedings, government publications, reports documenting industrial contributions or contributions to engineering practice, posters, abstracts, pre-prints)
• Assessment and review activities (e.g., journal review, conference review, funding assessment)
• Community service that leverages expertise, such as membership on scientific or advisory committees or journal editorships
• Creative outputs (e.g., exhibitions, performances, publications, presentations, and film, video and audio recordings). If applicable, you can include a website link. The agencies cannot guarantee that links will be accessed
• Dataset creation, curation, sharing or re-use
• Equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in the research ecosystem
• Event and volunteer activities
• Intellectual property (e.g., patents, copyrights, trademarks, or trade secrets)
• Knowledge mobilization, including translation or communication of research results to specialist or non-specialist audiences, including policymakers and the public (e.g., magazine/newspaper articles, media interviews, blogs, social media, policy briefs or public lectures)
• New companies or organizations created to further the promotion/use of research
• Partnerships or collaborations within or with Canadian or international research or non-research communities or private, public or not-for-profit organizations (e.g., through research networks, large collaborative projects, community-engaged research/citizen science, non-academic career information, voluntary work)
• Policies, guidelines, regulations, laws, standards or practice
• Products, technology, processes, services or advice useful to and co-created with or transferred to specific organizations (from the private, public, or not-for-profit sectors), communities or society
• Software or tool development for use by researchers or others in the private or public domain
• Traditional Knowledge or Indigenous ways of knowing (e.g., cultural practices in the context of the natural sciences, engineering, health, social sciences or humanities)

D – Supervisory and mentorship activities

1. Describe how you have helped to mentor and/or train future generations. Mentorship can include formal or informal mentorship activities.

Some examples of contributions to training and mentoring include:

• Development and delivery of training workshops outside of research or course requirements
• Research environments, practices and norms (safe, equitable and inclusive)
• Mentorship (formal or informal) of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP), Early Career Researchers, colleagues, collaborators, relevant partners, other professionals, or community members
• Outreach and engagement with students, youth or members of the general public, including in-person or online targeted activities or capacity building
• Supervision of HQP in the research process. This may include describing how your training and mentoring have enabled research contributions by HQP (e.g., publications, patents, key presentations) and contributed to awards, scholarships and fellowships won by HQP
• Training in Traditional Knowledge or Indigenous ways of knowing, including cultural practices in the research context

Important: Trainee demographic data is not requested or required to assess impacts resulting from consideration of EDI in the research and training environment.

2. Copy the Summary table of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) below and indicate the following:
   

• Number of individuals you currently supervise/co-supervise (at the application deadline)
• Number of individuals you have supervised/co-supervised over the past six years (from the application deadline), excluding students that you are currently supervising or co-supervising
• Total for each line and column

Notes:

• Include only HQP whose research training was under your direct and formal supervision. Do not include students supervised as part of your undergraduate course, a postdoctoral position, a thesis advisory committee, or normal teaching duties, like undergraduate courses and capstone design projects.
• If, for example, you have supervised the same student during their full master’s and doctoral degrees, you may include two supervision entries.

Summary table of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP)

Finalize (applicant only)

Applicants must finalize their own My information section; they will not be able to modify it thereafter. For assistance, please contact horizons@nserc-crsng.gc.ca. Applicants will need to finalize the co-applicants’ My information in the Participant section of the Shared information.

Shared information (applicant)

Application details

This section will be pre-populated from the LOI but editable.

Application title: Provide a short and descriptive title. It may be used for publication purposes. Limit the use of abbreviated forms (e.g., DNA, NATO, etc.), and avoid company or trade names.

Language of the application: Indicate the language in which the application will be submitted. The main body of your application should be written in either English or French, rather than in a mix of both official languages. The narrative CV must be in the same language as the application. If you intend to change the language of application from the LOI, contact horizons@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.

Research involving Indigenous Peoples and communities: If your project involves Indigenous Peoples or communities, you must answer Yes in this module.

Invitations — co-applicant(s)

This section will be pre-populated from the LOI. You can still invite or remove co-applicants at the full application stage.

Those invited will receive an email, which will include the applicant’s name, email address and the project title, as well as a link to the Convergence Portal. Once they have selected Accept invitation and completed their own eligibility profile, co-applicants’ names will be displayed in the Participants section of your application.

Eligibility criteria for co-applicants are the same as for applicants; consult the Eligibility criteria for faculty to ensure that potential co-applicants can participate in this grant. It is important that potential applicants consult the eligibility criteria now and discuss any concerns with their institution’s research office.

Note: Email addresses are not verified, and bounce-backs are not registered. We strongly recommend that you follow up directly with invited co-applicants if an individual has not accepted your invitation in a timely manner.

Participants

This section lists all co-applicants who have successfully joined the application. If an individual has not accepted your invitation, follow up with them to confirm they have received it. If an invited co-applicant is listed as Pending eligibility, they have accepted your invitation but have not yet completed their eligibility profile. Before submitting your application, you need to Finalize each of the co-applicants’ sections or remove any invited participant who has not completed their My information section.

Collaborators

This section will be pre-populated from the LOI but editable. Applicants can add and remove collaborators at the full application stage. List the collaborators who will contribute to the execution of research activities but who will not have access to grant funds. Collaborators do not have to provide CV documents.

Any individual whose contributions to the project will be supervised by a member of the research team and/or another collaborator cannot be considered a collaborator.

Field of research

This section will be pre-populated from the LOI but editable. List the fields of research that best describe this specific application according to the Canadian Research and Development Classification (CRDC) 2020 Version 1.0. You must provide at least one primary field of research, and you may list up to a maximum of five fields of research.

Keywords

This section will be pre-populated from the LOI but editable. List a minimum of five keywords that best describe this specific application. You may list up to a maximum of 10 keywords.

Suggested reviewers and reviewer exclusions

These sections cannot be updated at this stage.

Fit for program

These sections cannot be updated at this stage.

Project summary

A maximum of 2,500 characters is allowed in the Project summary. Provide a summary of the proposal in language that the public can understand. Using simple terms, state the objectives of the proposed research program, summarize the research approach and highlight the novelty and expected significance of the work.

This summary may be shared with potential external reviewers and used for promotional purposes outside the research community to inform the government, the media and members of the public.

Proposed budget

Discovery Horizons grants are expected to be valued from $50,000 to $100,000 per year and will be commensurate with the size of the research team. The duration of the grant will be up to five years.

In this module, you need to enter the requested amount for each year of the grant. The total requested amount should not exceed $250,000, $375,000 or $500,000, depending on the team composition. The yearly values must correspond to the amounts calculated in the Proposed expenditures supporting document.

Certification, licences and permits

Certification requirements: Before completing this section, consult the Requirements for certain types of research.

Research involving the use of animals: If you indicate that your research involves animals, you must provide your institution's administration with the certification from the animal care committee at the institution that the experimental procedures proposed have been approved and that the care and treatment of animals are in accordance with the principles outlined in the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) guide.

Research involving biohazards: If you indicate that your research involves biohazards, you must provide your institution’s administration with the certification from the biosafety committee at the institution that the laboratory procedures being used comply with the safety precautions necessary for the level of containment required by the research.

Research involving human subjects: If you indicate that your research involves human subjects, you must provide your institution's administration with the appropriate certification indicating that research involving humans has been reviewed and has received the required approval.

Research involving human pluripotent and/or totipotent stem cells: If you indicate that your research involves human pluripotent and/or totipotent stem cells, or if the application is found to fall into this category through peer review and is recommended for funding, it will be forwarded, with your consent, to CIHR’s Stem Cell Oversight Committee (SCOC) to ensure compliance with Chapter 12, Section F of the Tri-council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2). The SCOC review is in addition to the normal review by local research ethics boards (REBs). Funding will not be released until approval has been obtained from the SCOC.

Environmental impact: For more information, consult NSERC’s Guidelines on impact assessment.

Sensitive Technology Research Areas: If you select Yes, you must complete and attach attestation forms to your grant application – in the Supporting Documents section – to comply with the policy. In accordance with the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern, all researchers involved in the activities supported by a research grant that aims to advance a Sensitive Technology Research Area (STRA) must review the List of Named Research Organizations. By using the attestation form template, the applicant, co-applicant, and collaborators, if applicable, must each complete an attestation form certifying that they have read, understood, and are compliant with this policy. Should the application be successful, they and their research team(s) will also be required to comply with the policy for the duration of the grant. For more information, please read the Tri-agency’s detailed guidance for this policy. The applicant must collect and compile all the completed attestation forms and save them as a single PDF file.

Supporting documents — attachments

All files must adhere to the Research portal presentation and attachment standards and must be uploaded as PDF documents. Individual PDF documents must not exceed 5 MB each.

Note: Any attachments that do not adhere to these instructions will be removed.

Proposal

Maximum of 10 pages

The Tri-agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee is composed of members who have broad expertise overlapping all disciplines supported by the three agencies and who are knowledgeable about interdisciplinary research and methods. Accordingly, NSERC expects Discovery Horizons proposals to be written so that the proposed research and the importance of the objectives and unresolved issues can be understood by all members of the committee. The research proposal must also contain sufficient details so that experts in the disciplines involved can evaluate the proposal adequately.

The primary objective of the Discovery Horizons proposal must be to advance knowledge in the natural sciences or engineering.

• If NSERC determines that the subject matter is outside of its mandate at any time during the review cycle, the application will be rejected. See  Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency for more information.

Addressing the points below, describe the proposed research to be supported. Images and graphics are included in the page limit. Applications are rated according to the following selection criteria. The onus is on applicants to address these explicitly in their application.

Merit of the proposed research

• Quality of the proposal
  • clarity, scope and originality of research questions and objectives
  • extent to which the proposed research advances disciplines across the mandate areas of at least two funding agencies
• Methods and approaches
  • appropriateness of the proposed methods and approaches, including the integration of the interdisciplinary approaches to achieve the project goals
  • appropriate incorporation of sex, gender and diversity in the research design, if applicable
  • evidence of commitment to the development of active and meaningful partnerships with appropriate individuals and organizations, if applicable
• Feasibility
  • appropriateness and justification of the budget in relation to the proposed activities
  • appropriateness of the environment (academic institution and/or other organization) to enable the conduct and success of the proposed activities

Anticipated outcomes

• Impact
• potential for the outcomes of the proposed activities to have influence and impact
• Knowledge mobilization and dissemination
• quality and appropriateness of knowledge mobilization plans, including effective dissemination, exchange and engagement with stakeholders within and/or beyond the research community, where applicable
• Training plan
• extent to which the proposed activities incorporate plans for the training and development of HQP
• appropriate considerations of EDI in the training plan

Record of the applicant(s)

• Expertise and experience
• appropriate expertise to undertake the proposed research, including complementary and interdisciplinary knowledge, expertise and experience
• experience and track record of the investigator(s)—importance, originality, quality and impact of past research
• Past contribution to the training of HQP
• quality and extent of past contributions to the training of HQP

Additional considerations when preparing your proposal

Within the 10-page limit of the proposal, applicants should dedicate appropriate space to describing the appropriateness of the research team, including the applicant, co-applicants, collaborators and trainees, to achieve the research objectives. Roles and responsibilities of team members within the research project should be clearly described.

Applicants are expected to increase the inclusion and advancement of underrepresented groups in the NSE as one means to enhance excellence in research and training. Considering EDI in the research process promotes research excellence by making research outcomes more ethically sound, rigorous, reproducible and useful. It is important to consider EDI through each stage of the research process (research questions, study design, methodology and data collection, analysis and interpretation, and dissemination of results) and integrate these considerations where relevant. 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 for the composition of research teams, including trainees. For more information, consult the Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations at each stage of the research process guidance.

NSERC specifies Indigenous research as being research in any field or discipline related to the natural sciences or engineering that is conducted by, grounded in, or meaningfully engaged with First Nations, Inuit, Métis or other Indigenous Peoples and Nations, communities, societies or individuals, and their wisdom, cultures, experiences or knowledge systems, as expressed in their dynamic forms, past and present.

Meaningful engagement means engagement at all stages of the process, “ensuring that various world views are represented in planning and decision-making from the earlier stages of conception and design of projects through to the analysis and dissemination of results” (Tri-council Policy Statement 2).

Indigenous research requires that research activities respond to community needs and priorities. This may involve:

• contributing to the enhancement of community members’ skills and/or community capacity;
• exploring opportunities for reciprocal learning and transfer of skills and knowledge between the community and the research team;
• supporting a community in maintaining its culture, language and/or identity, as well as supporting its self-determination.

The following elements, which align with best practices outlined in the relevant literature, are important to consider when developing a research program which includes Indigenous research and should be discussed, as appropriate, within the proposal:

• Ensure that the proposed research aligns with and contributes to the current goals, needs, and priorities of the Indigenous communities involved. Outline strategies for promoting the participation of community members, including students, trainees, and research personnel, within the research team. Efforts should be made to establish a culturally safe, equitable, inclusive and accessible research environment for all involved.
• Integrate Indigenous concepts, principles and protocols into the research methodology at each stage of the process. This may involve engaging with existing research processes and protocols within Indigenous communities while respecting the validity and value of Indigenous ways of knowing and perspectives. Implement methodologies for co-creating knowledge, including interpretive approaches jointly developed, reviewed and confirmed by community members or their delegated organizations.
• Develop plans for engaging and appropriately recognizing the role of Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and/or Knowledge Holders in the research process. This may include identifying and involving recognized individuals from the community in the design, execution and interpretation of the research, as well as demonstrating reciprocity through appropriate remuneration for their contributions.
• Take into consideration community expectations regarding authorship, management and governance of research outputs. Ensure that the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including self-determination, self-governance and ownership of knowledge and data resulting from the research will be upheld by adhering to principles, such as OCAP®and/or any other relevant guidelines determined by Indigenous partners.

For additional guidance on NSERC’s expectations, read the CCI guide for research involving Indigenous Peoples and communities.

For more information, please consult the following resources:

• Tri-council Policy Statement 2: Chapter 9: Research involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada
• Setting new directions to support Indigenous research and research training in Canada
• SSHRC: Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research
• CIHR: Defining Indigenous Health Research
• FACETS: Towards reconciliation: 10 Calls to Action to natural scientists working in Canada

The research proposal should reflect that you are aware of and referring to relevant principles and protocols established for this kind of research—such as following the principles of  OCAP® (i.e., ownership, control, access and possession/protection), the  CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance and/or other principles as determined by relevant communities.

References

Maximum of two pages

Use this section to provide a list of literature references. Do not refer reviewers to websites for additional information on your proposal or include hyperlinks in your list of references.

Proposed expenditures

A mandatory template is downloadable from the Convergence Portal. You must provide a five-year budget. Verify all of your entries carefully. The total amount requested from NSERC is calculated automatically by subtracting the total cash contributions, if any, from the total proposed expenditures.

Use the Budget justification (attachment) section to explain and justify each budget item and any contributions from other sources toward the support of the proposed research activities.

In the case of adjunct professors whose primary position is in industry or government, NSERC will award funds only for the direct support of students (salaries or stipends and student travel costs). All other costs must be covered through other sources of 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.

Salaries and benefits

Provide the names (if known), categories of employment and proposed salaries (with explicit indication of the non-discretionary benefits) of students, postdoctoral fellows and research staff. Briefly describe the responsibilities for each position and indicate the percentage of time they will be spending on this project over its lifespan. Do not include salaries of faculty in project costs. Refer to the NSERC CCV instructions for information on obtaining consent to name individuals in your proposal.

Equipment or facility

Provide a breakdown of the requested items, models, manufacturers, prices and applicable taxes. Justify the need for each requested item.

Note: While the Research Tools and Instruments grants program provides the primary avenue to obtain support for tools and instruments with a net cost between $7,001 and $250,000, equipment of any value can be purchased using a Discovery Horizons grant.

Fees to be paid for the use of equipment or a facility should be described (e.g., hours and rate).

The need for beam time or other special facilities and whether time has been allocated for these should also be reported.

Materials and supplies

Provide details of the budget requested for materials and supplies and explain major items.

Travel

Explain briefly how each travel activity relates to the proposed research.

Dissemination

Provide details of publication costs, user workshops or other activities.

Other expenses

List all items not covered in previous categories and provide a brief explanation for major items.

Contributions from other sources (if applicable)

If appropriate, explain any financial contributions from other sources.

Budget justification

Maximum of two pages

Provide a detailed explanation and justification for each budget item identified on the Proposed expenditures page. Provide sufficient information to allow reviewers to assess whether the resources requested are appropriate. Applicants must only use this section for the purpose of justifying the proposed budget.

Relationship to other research support

Maximum of 10 pages

This section refers only to other research support that will be or may be active during the funding period of the proposed Discovery Horizons grant by the applicant and co-applicant. Do not include information concerning previous applications or grants that ended or will end before the funding period of the proposed Discovery Horizons grant.

Applications must indicate that the funds requested from the Discovery Horizons program will be for expenses that are distinct from those covered by current support from other sources. For funding applied for, you must indicate that there will be no duplication of funding for the same expense(s) and explain how funds will be used if all applications are successful. Failure to meet these requirements may result in the application being rejected.

Other sources of research support include grants and contributions (held or applied for) from federal and provincial funding agencies, non-governmental organizations, private sector companies, universities (e.g., institution start-up funds), primary places of employment (for adjunct professors employed outside of academia) and others.

Finalize and submit

Verify all sections are completed.

After clicking on Submit, your application is sent to your research administrator for approval and submission to NSERC. The status of your application will be changed to Received by administrator. Once your research administrator has approved and forwarded your application to NSERC, the application status will be changed to Received by agency.

To verify the status of your submission, return to the home page.

Signatures

NSERC does not require original signatures on applications or other documents submitted electronically using Convergence. User ID/password-based "signatures" allow applicants, supporting organizations and authorized institutional representatives—such as research grants officers, scholarships liaison officers and business officers—to "sign" and submit online applications and other documents to NSERC. Refer to the frequently asked questions in the program guide for professors for more details.

What do the “signatures” mean?

For applicants

Before you can submit your application to NSERC, you must read and agree to the terms and conditions of applying that appear during the submission process. It is your responsibility to retain a copy of the agreed terms and conditions for your records.

The “signatures” of the institutional authorities certify that

• the institution will abide by the roles and responsibilities set out in the Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions ("the Agreement") with the three federal granting agencies, including the Tri-agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research, the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration and the relevant program literature
• as required by the agreement, the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for the relevant funding opportunity
• before submitting the application, the institution has obtained written approval from any other institutions involved in the application process
• you will not use or disclose any information that you obtain or view on the Convergence Portal for any purposes other than your participation in the agency's process
• you understand that the agency reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to terminate or restrict your access to the Convergence Portal at any time, without notice

The “signatures” of authorized officers of other supporting organizations certify that the organization

• agrees with the content of the application and will provide the committed resources
• agrees to the release of the public summary of the award and to the publication of the organization's name as a supporter of the initiative

If you are both the applicant and a principal of a collaborating organization, another senior official must “sign” on behalf of the organization.

List for a complete application

Use the following list to make sure your application is complete:

• Applicant’s and co-applicants’ (if appropriate) personal information:
  • CV interruptions (Convergence Portal)
  • CV (attachment—five pages)
• Fields of research (Convergence Portal)
• Keywords (Convergence Portal)
• Collaborators (Convergence Portal)
• Summary of proposal for public release (Convergence Portal—2,500 characters)
• Proposed budget (Convergence Portal)
• Certification, licences and permits (Convergence Portal)
• Supporting documents (attachments):
  • proposal (10 pages)
  • references (two pages)
  • proposed expenditures (downloadable template)
  • budget justification (two pages)
  • relationship to other research support (10 pages)