Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Opportunity

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 following competition-specific pages:

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. For more information on this questionnaire, please review these Frequently Asked Questions. For more information on applying to an NSERC grant competition, please review our how-to guide or contact your applicable Research Partner.

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

**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 University of Alberta’s Research Partner Network (RPNet) and your Faculty Associate or Vice Dean of Research offer proposal development assistance to UofA researchers interested in applying for NSERC grants. For more information about the specific assistance programs available to you, please reach out to your Faculty Associate or Vice Dean of Research, or see below for more information on the specific NSERC supports offered by the RPNet.

Research Development Supports Available for NSERC Competitions

The University of Alberta’s RPNet offers the following supports and services to help you with your NSERC funding competition applications:

Strategic advice: Peer mentoring on the alignment of the project with funder's requirements, grant laddering, knowledge translation, and research data management
Grant-crafting: Group sessions to improve grant literacy and grant writing proficiency
Grant application development: Proposed project/program concept assessment, proposal peer review, and editorial review
Funders relationships development: Facilitation of interactions between researchers and funders
Grant support coordination: Engagement with relevant units at the University of Alberta to enhance funding applications

Please contact your Research Partner for more information on accessing these supports, or if you have any further questions about the services offered by the RPNet.