NSERC recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting researchers’ and students’ capacity to conduct their regular research and training activities. NSERC has published guidelines on the consideration of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on research and training activities. These guidelines provide direction on how to describe these impacts in an application and information on how they will be considered in the review of contributions to research and training and research and training plans
To lessen the impact of COVID-19 and to support all of our researchers and highly qualified personnel, all eligible active Discovery Grant holders will be given the opportunity to receive a one-time one-year extension with funds at their current funding level. For more information, refer to the frequently asked questions.
The Subatomic Physics (SAP) Discovery Grants program (individual and project) is part of a pilot where applicants will be required to submit a data management plan (DMP) with their application. The results of this pilot will be used to inform NSERC’s implementation of the Tri-agency Research Data Management Policy’s DMP requirement. DMPs will not be part of the scoring or the formal evaluation of the application; however, reviewers will be asked to provide feedback on to help support applicants during this pilot.
Duration | Individual: Up to five years Project: Up to three years |
Application deadline | August 1, 2023 (notification of intent to apply) October 3, 2023 (subatomic physics project applications requesting $500,000 or more per year) November 1, 2023 (application) Important: Your application must be received at your institution’s research grants office by its internal deadline date; contact your research grants office for that deadline. |
Application procedure | See below. |
How to apply |
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Contact | Consult the contact list. |
The Subatomic Physics (SAP) Discovery Grants program assists in
The SAP Discovery Grants program supports both ongoing programs of research, with long-term goals (SAP Individual), as well as research projects with long-term visions and short-term objectives (SAP Project). These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances, whether made individually or as a collaboration. Researchers are free to work in the mode most appropriate for the research area.
NSERC recognizes that, while being of a grant-in-aid nature, SAP Discovery Grants must be sufficient to support a program or project of quality research that can have a meaningful impact on the field of study.
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).
Applicants are expected to increase the inclusion and advancement of underrepresented groups in the natural sciences and engineering, as one means to enhance excellence in research and training. 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. Ad-hoc expert reviews for large projects (see Review procedures and selection criteria section below) will be expected to address equity, diversity and inclusion considerations. For more information, refer to the application instructions and the NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research.
Note: Research teams or collaborations should strive for a diverse group of team members, including balanced gender representation. EDI considerations should be reflected in the rationale of the team composition and in the designated roles within the team. Moreover, where applicable, applicants should describe how they have implemented and/or will implement strategies and practices to support EDI within the team (e.g., recruitment of team members, management of the team, mentorship, etc.). For more information, applicants should refer to the application instructions and the EDI considerations for research teams.
NSERC is committed to supporting Canadian research excellence by promoting sound research data management and data stewardship practices. Grant proposals submitted to the SAP Discovery Grants program (individual and project) will require a data management plan (DMP). A DMP is a formal document that details the strategies and tools applicants will implement to effectively manage data both during the research project and after its completion.
DMPs contribute to:
For more information on research data management and DMPs see the Tri-agency Research Data Management Policy – Frequently Asked Questions, and the Digital Research Alliance of Canada’s
Training Resources page (notably, the
Brief Guide – Create an Effective Data Management Plan).
Subject matter eligibility and funding from other sources
Applicants to the SAP Discovery Grants program must present a program of research or a research project that is eligible under NSERC’s mandate, which is to promote and assist research in the natural sciences and engineering, other than health. The objectives of the research program or project must be to advance knowledge in the natural sciences or in engineering. The application will be rejected if NSERC determines, at any time during the review cycle, that the subject matter is outside of its mandate. Refer to
Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency, the Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health, the Peer review manuals, the Peer review manual and
NSERC Discovery Grants process for decisions on mandate eligibility for further information on the eligibility of subject matter.
Applicants to the Discovery Grants program must present a program of research or a project that is conceptually distinct from research supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
NSERC encourages researchers to obtain funds from other sources to support the full costs of the research program or project presented in their Discovery Grant application, as long as the funding source is not CIHR or SSHRC and the funds cover different expenses from the ones proposed in the Discovery Grant application.
Refer to the peer review manuals and Instructions for completing an application for further information.
Applicant categories
Applicants to the Discovery Grants program are categorized as either early career researchers or established researchers. Refer to the Discovery Grants - applicant categories for more information. Applicant categorization is the responsibility of NSERC staff and is based on the information provided by the applicant in the
Canadian Common CV
(CCV) and application.
To apply for a SAP Discovery Grant, applicants must first submit a SAP notification of intent to apply (NOI) by the deadline date. The NOI is a mandatory step in the application process. It allows NSERC to start the review process (e.g., confirmation of assignment to the Subatomic Physics Evaluation Section, selection of appropriate external reviewers and determination of the most appropriate review mechanism for project applications requesting major financial support). Applicants must then submit the application by the deadline date.
Both applicants and co-applicants must complete and submit the NSERC version of the CCV at both the NOI and full application stages for this program. The CCV can be updated following submission of the NOI and before submission of the full application.
Applications are reviewed by the Subatomic Physics Evaluation Section. For each application, expert input is sought from external reviewers. For any application requesting an average of $1,000,000 per year or more, the Subatomic Physics Evaluation Section may also receive input from an expert ad-hoc committee that would perform an evaluation and review of the application. NSERC reserves the right to perform an evaluation and review of any application that applies to the SAP Discovery Grants program, even for requests that are less than an average of $1,000,000 per year. Applicants may be invited to make a presentation during the Large Project Day held every year by the Section. For Large Projects, past messages from the Evaluation Section may be provided to reviewing members.
NSERC assigns SAP Individual applications to the Subatomic Physics Evaluation Section and other evaluation groups on the basis of the research topics, the objectives of the proposed research program and advice from the Subatomic Physics Evaluation Section and other evaluation groups. NSERC will make the final decision regarding the assignment.
Applications will be assessed on the basis of the criteria listed below. Each criterion lists the factors that will be considered. The onus is on applicants to thoroughly address each criterion in their application and provide detailed information to the Subatomic Physics Evaluation Section. As part of an ongoing commitment to ensure that a wide range of contributions are considered and valued in the merit review, applications will be considered according to the Guidelines on the assessment of contributions to research, training and mentoring.
Data Management Plans (DMPs) will not be part of the scoring or the formal evaluation of the application; however, reviewers will be asked to provide feedback on to help support applicants during this pilot. DMPs should describe how applicants will manage research data generated throughout the research lifecycle, including: