NSERC retools major targeted research program to meet future S&T needs

The Strategic Grants Program (SGP) of Science and Engineering Research Canada (NSERC) has honed the focus of its target areas with seven new research themes designed to align Canada's university-based research activity with Canada's strategic requirements over a 10-year horizon. With an annual budget of $44 million, the realigned SGP will be rolled out over the next three years, with three-year grants going to the best proposals addressing key economic, social and public policy priorities.

More specifically, SGP projects must demonstrate that they generate new knowledge or technology, increase the pool of highly qualified personnel, increase participation in a targeted area by the private sector or a government organization and enable technology transfer to the private sector. In order to qualify, a university-led project must involve at least one supporting organization such as a Canadian-based company, which must collaborate from a project's inception through to completion, helping to validate and identify how results can be best exploited. Supporting organizations must provide in-kind support but cash is not a prerequisite.

"The Strategic Grants Program is higher risk, a little bit further out but it's also important because it focuses on the country's priorities so that we can address them," says Janet Walden's, NSERC's VP research partnerships programs. "We needed to target research barriers in areas where we can have the greatest impact with the modest funding at our disposal."

Collaborating organizations such as government laboratories, foreign research institutions, venture capitalists, potential customers and non-governmental organizations may also participate.

NEW FUNDING FORMULA

For the first time, the budgeting of the SGP will allocate 80% of available funds towards the specified topic areas, with the remaining 20% held to support exceptional opportunities that don't fit within the established target areas.

"It provides an opportunity to respond to unusual requests, and to evolve areas and topics as we go," says Walden. "The new target areas will be implemented over a three-year period. In the first year, one third of the budget will go to new projects. In the second year it will be two thirds and in the third year funding will be 100% new areas."

The SPG is NSERC's largest program within its research partnerships portfolio and accounts for 6.5% of NSERC's overall budget of $675 million (excluding $190 million in flow-through funding). Planning for SGP's realignment began in late 2003 leading to an extensive consultation process that continued through late 2004 and into 2005.

In addition to consulting with university VPs research and researchers specializing in proposed research areas, NSERC gathered strategic information culled from its reallocation exercise, international documents, an internal report conducted by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIAR) and reports from the federal ADM S&T Integration Board. In then struck seven focus groups to synthesize the information and present their recommendations to NSERC's Committee on Research Partnerships (CRP).

"There was a huge amount of consistency when looking at the target areas and topics. We decided to focus on research challenges and look at the questions that need to be answered, as opposed to specific technologies or sectors," says Walden.

SPG THEME AREAS PARED DOWN TO FIVE

There were 11 theme areas presented to the CRP, which had requested a list of five. In the end, seven theme areas were approved and Walden says most of the research areas that didn't make the cut were amalgamated into those on the final list.

During the consultation, NSERC officials liaised with officials at the National Research Council (NRC), which was completing its own consultations as part of its renewal project (R$, January 24/06).

"After we came up with our 11 areas, we sat down with (NRC VP) Sherif Barakat to compare," says Walden. "The areas we had both chosen were very similar. It was a very good cross-validation to reassure both of us. Once we reduced the number of areas, we sat down with the NRC again."

Walden says the NRC is showing a strong interest in partnering with NSERC through its SGP - a collaboration she says is both welcome and necessary.

The NRC has very good links to the industrial community and it has excellent scientists," she says. "So does the academic community. It's a small country so it makes sense."

When the SPG is relaunched, it will include for the first time the suspended Research Networks Program. With the moratorium lifted, it will now be known as the Strategic Network Grants program and focus on the same strategic areas as the SPG. The deadline for the first competition under the revamped SPG is April 18, while preliminary applications for Strategic Network Grants is June 30.

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