NSERC allocates budget increase

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) has announced how it will allocate the $36.5-million increase in base funding received in the last federal Budget (R$, December 17/01). The bulk of the new money ($27.5 million) is being devoted to increasing the success rate of first-time Research Grants applicants for those who have applied for the current competition and the next competition slated to begin this fall. The next largest share ($3.6 million) will go to support 200 NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships, while $2.5 million is being used for 300 new Undergraduate Student Research Awards and an increase of $500 to the stipend for all undergraduate awards. Finally, $2.5 million is being directed to three initiatives: PromoScience (assisting organizations promoting science to the young), the new Northern Research Chairs program, and NSERC University Faculty Awards which encourages the appointment of women and Aboriginal researchers. NSERC now has an annual budget of $700 million, when including its share of the Canada Research Chairs and Networks of Centres of Excellence programs….