Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) hosts a variety of funding competitions for both investigator-led and strategic, priority-driven research. NSERC funding competition deadlines occur throughout the year, usually in May or September. For more information on specific upcoming deadlines, please review the Important NSERC Deadlines at a Glance table below, or the competition-specific pages on the left side bar.

Please note that the NSERC is asking all applicants to complete a self-identification questionnaire concerning information on age, gender, Indigenous identity, and status as a visible minority group member or person with a disability.

Important NSERC Competition Deadlines at a Glance

Funding Program **RAS Deadline -
Submit to RAS via the Researcher Home Page
Final Version Submission Deadline NSERC Deadline U of A Approvals Required

Alliance Grant

Application Checklist

5 business days before application submission date

By 10:00 am MST on the application submission day

Submit final application to the NSERC via their online system

Continuous intake Yes
Alliance International 5 business days before application submission date

By 10:00 am MST on the application submission day

Submit final application to the NSERC via their  online system
Continuous intake Yes
Alliance Quantum grants

5 business days before application submission date

By 10:00 am MST on the application submission day

Submit final application to the NSERC via their  online system

Continuous intake

Yes
CREATE Letter of Intent (LOI)

April 1, 2023

12:00 pm MST

May 1, 2023

10:00 am MST

Submit final LOI to the NSERC via their online system.

May 1, 2023

6:00 pm MST

Yes
CREATE full application

September 14, 2023

4:30 pm MST

September 22, 2023
10:00 am MST

Submit final application to the NSERC via their online system.

September 22, 2023

6:00 pm MST

No
Discovery Horizon (pilot) Grant LOI N/A

TBA - Expected to be June 2023

Submit LOI directly to the NSERC via the Convergence Portal

TBA – Expected to be June 2023 No
Discovery Horizon (pilot) Grant full application TBA

TBA - Expected to be October 2023

Submit final application to the NSERC via the Convergence Portal 

TBA – Expected to be October 2023 Yes
Discovery Grants NOI N/A

By 6:00 pm MST August 1

Submit NOI directly to the NSERC via the Research Portal

August 1 No

Discovery Grants full application

Discovery Grants Northern Research Supplements

DND-NSERC Discovery Grant Supplements

October 20, 2023

By 10:00 am MST October 31, 2023

Submit final application to the NSERC via the Research Portal

TBA Yes
Idea to Innovation (I2I) Grant 5 business days before the applicable NSERC deadline

By 10:00 am MST on the application submission day

Submit final application via the NSERC Online System 

January 6
March 27
June 19
September 18

6:00 pm MST

Yes
NSERC Alliance – Mitacs Accelerate grants 5 business days before application submission date

By 10:00 am MST on the application submission day

Submit final application to the NSERC via their  online system
Continuous intake Yes

NSERC – German Research Foundation (DFG) Call for proposals on Sustainable Processes and Chemistry

Alliance International Collaboration Grant
November 30, 2022

By 10:00 am MST on the application submission day

Submit final application to the NSERC via their  online system

December 7, 2022

6:00 pm MST

Yes

NSERC – German Research Foundation (DFG) Call for proposals on Sustainable Processes and Chemistry

Invited full application
(submitted to DFG)
May 30, 2023

5:00 pm CEST (German Time) June 6, 2023

German lead to submit to DFG
N/A Yes

NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative

Preparatory Funding
May 1, 2023

By 10:00 am MST on the application submission day

Submit final application to the NSERC via their  online system
May 8, 2023 Yes

NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative

Full project funding
November 1, 2023

By 10:00 am MST on the application submission day

Submit final application to the NSERC via their  online system

November 8, 2023 Yes
Subatomic Physics RTI Category 1 October 18, 2023

By 10:00 am MST October 25, 2023

Submit final application to the NSERC via the Research Portal

October 25 Yes

Subatomic Physics RTI Category 2 and 3 NOI

Subatomic Physics MRS NOI

Subatomic Physics Discovery Projects >$500,000/year NOI

N/A

By 6:00 pm MST August 1

Submit NOI directly to the NSERC via the  Research Portal
August 1 No

Subatomic Physics RTI Category 2 and 3 full application

Subatomic Physics MRS full application

Subatomic Physics Discovery Projects >$500,000/year full application

September 25, 2023

By 10:00 am MST October 2, 2023

Submit final application to the NSERC via the Research Portal

October 2, 2023

Yes

RTI Category 1

Application Checklist

NSERC RTI External Co-applicant Confirmation Form

October 18, 2023

By 10:00 am MST October 25, 2023

Submit final application to the NSERC via the Research Portal

October 25 Yes
**Note: Your faculty may have additional internal submission deadline requirements. Please contact your Faculty Associate or Vice-Dean of Research for more information.

Who Can Help Me?

The U of A's Research Partner Network (RPNet) and your Faculty Associate or Vice Dean of Research offer proposal development assistance to U of A researchers interested in applying for NSERC grants. 

For more information about the specific assistance programs available to you, please contact your Research Partner for more information or reach out to your Faculty Associate or Vice Dean of Research.

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