Alliance Grants
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Alliance funding supports research & development collaborations between Canadian university researchers and partners from the private, public or not-for-profit sectors, as well as opportunities for Canadian researchers to work with national and international academic counterparts.
Researchers can submit Alliance Grant applications at any time throughout the year, as the program accepts applications on a continuous basis.
There are three main types of grants, and ongoing special calls.
Support for Researchers
Research Partner Network provides personalized support and expert guidance on how to apply for this grant and how to manage the funds should you be successful.
If you're interested in applying for this grant, please reach out to the designated Research Partners listed in the sections below.
Advantage + Society + Special Calls
- Alliance Advantage Grants
They support research projects conducted in collaboration with partner organizations to address their needs and accelerate the application of results. It requires at least one partner eligible for NSERC matching to provide matching funding. NSERC provides 66.7% of total project funding. - Alliance Society Grants
They support research projects conducted in collaboration with partner organizations to address challenges at the intersection of natural sciences, engineering and society. It requires at least one partner eligible for NSERC matching, however for these projects NSERC will provide 100% of total project funding. - Special Calls, Joint Funding Opportunities + Joint Research Calls
NSERC also uses the Alliance program to fund research in strategic areas (eg. Alliance Missions, Quantum grants), and they work with other funding partners to support joint funding programs (Alberta Innovates, Mitacs, Natural Resources Canada), and joint research calls on topics of national and global importance, including intermittent targeted calls (eg. NSERC-CSE Research Communities grants, NSERC-NSF Collaboration on quantum science and artificial intelligence)
Need help with Alliance Advantage, Alliance Society, and Special Calls?
Contact: Terra Garneau
Research Partner, VPRI Research Partners Network
t.garneau@ualberta.ca
Intended Recipients
University NSE researchers collaborating with private, public, or not-for-profit organizations.
Value + Duration
$20,000 to $1 million per year for one to five years
Deadlines
- RAS Internal Review Deadline
- 5 business days before application submission date (Submit application to RAS via the Researcher Home Page)
- Final Version Submission Deadline
- By 10:00 am MST on application submission day (Submit final application to the NSERC via their online system)
- NSERC Deadline
- Ongoing (continuous intake)
Additional Information
Alliance International
Supports partnerships between Canadian and international academic researchers to establish and grow research collaborations of global importance that will generate benefits to Canada.
Need help with Alliance International?
Contact: Grant Kemp
Research Partner, VPRI Research Partners Network
Grant.Kemp@ualberta.ca
Intended Recipients
Canadian researchers working with international colleagues to pursue new knowledge, technologies, and solutions to complex problems.
Value + Duration
$25,000 for 1 year (Catalyst grants)
$25,000 to $100,000 for one to three years (Collaboration grants)
Deadlines
- RAS Internal Review Deadline
- 5 business days before application submission date (Submit application to RAS via the Researcher Home Page)
- Final Version Submission Deadline
- By 10:00 am MST on application submission day (Submit final application to the NSERC via their online system)
- NSERC Deadline
- Ongoing (continuous intake)
Additional Information
support and resources
National Security Risk Assessment Support for Research Partnerships
Alliance Grant Drop-In Sessions
Join our monthly NSERC Alliance Grant drop-in sessions to learn more about the program and receive guidance on applying for or leveraging an Alliance Grant. These interactive sessions cover program guidelines, institutional requirements, budget considerations, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), partner eligibility, project setup, and other topics of interest to researchers. Register for the next session on the U of A Workshops and Events page, and feel free to submit your questions in advance.
Samples of Successful Applications
Samples of successful applications from previous Alliance Grant competitions are available through the GRANT library for reference.
For reference, samples of successful applications from previous Alliance Grant competitions are available in the GRANT library. To gain access to these samples, kindly complete the request form.
Please be aware that the sample grants in our library pertain to applications submitted in recent years. As application requirements and formats are subject to ongoing changes, we recommend referring to the latest information provided by NSERC to ensure compliance with the current competition guidelines.
We kindly request that you refrain from duplicating or distributing any sample applications you may utilize for guidance in developing your own grant.
Access Application Samples
Register to receive access to successful application samples »
additional resources
- Alliance Advantage and Society Application Guide
- Alliance Grant - How to calculate Partner Funding - Spreadsheet
- Alliance Advantage and Society Grants Overview (1 page)
- Alliance Grant Application Tip Sheet
- EDI Considerations for NSERC Alliance Grants
- NSERC external co-applicant confirmation form
- NSERC’s Alliance Grant Resources
- January 2024 NSERC Presentation on Changes to the Alliance Program
- 2024-02-27 NSERC University of Alberta Presentation
- Contact the affiliated Research Partner for more supports
- National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships
- Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions
- RAS Review Requirements
- RPNet Contact Page
- Researcher Home Page Login