Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Alliance Grant

Key Aspects

Intended Recipients

University NSE researchers collaborating with private, public, or not-for-profit organizations

Value

$20,000-$1 million per year

Duration

1-5 years

Who can help me?

For more information about this grant, please visit Research Partner Network website for more details or contact:

Terra Garneau
Research Partner, VPRI Research Partners Network
t.garneau@ualberta.ca

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)

Opportunity

The NSERC Alliance grants program supports collaborative research projects that:

Generate new knowledge and/or technology to address complex challenges.
Create economic, social, and/or environmental benefits.
Contribute to Canada's long-term competitiveness.
Support public policy initiatives.
Train new researchers in areas important to Canada and NSERC's partner organizations.
Draw on diverse perspectives and skill sets to accelerate the translation and application of research results.

The NSERC Alliance Grants program is a matching program that requires partners to provide cash and in-kind contributions. The level of NSERC funding depends on the type of project and partner, with support ranging from 66.7%, to 100% of the project cash funding.

In addition to funding collaborative projects, the NSERC Alliance Grants program also supports intermittent special calls and targeted joint research opportunities with other national and international organizations. This includes joint programs with Alberta Innovates and Mitacs.

Researchers can submit Alliance Grant applications at any time throughout the year, as the program accepts applications on a continuous basis.

NSERC Alliance Grant Website

For more information on the NSERC Alliance Grant program, please visit NSERC Alliance Grant website or contact the affiliated U of A Research Partner.

Learn more

Research Supports Available for this Competition

National Security Risk Assessment Support for Research Partnerships

The Government of Canada has introduced National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships, ensuring a balance between openness and security in the research ecosystem. For Alliance grant applications involving private sector partners, applicants and the University must complete a risk assessment form and submit it with the application. Research Security Specialists are available to assist with partner reviews and the institutional risk assessment. Connect with your Research Partner for more information.

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 the samples

To receive access to these samples: