The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) has appointed Dr Peter Nicholson to chair its new Standing Selection Committee (SSC) as part of efforts to enhance and simplify the selection and review processes of its traditional networks. The SSC is modeled in part on the Private Sector Advisory Board (PSAB) which was created to screen applications and conduct reviews for the Business-Led NCEs and the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program.

The 20-member SSC held its first meeting last fall and reviewed the letters of intent for the NCE's Knowledge Mobilization Initiative (KMI) as well as two renewal applications. Until it completes its initial work on the KMI, the NCE will not divulge the identities of the SSC members, nearly one year after their appointments. The SSC selected eight KMI applications which were invited to submit full applications by April 5/11 for up to four grants. Final decisions are expected in June.

Jean-Claude Gavrel, associate VP of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council in charge of the NCE secretariat, says withholding the names of the SSC members is in line with practices followed when the PSAB was formed, with members' identities remaining confidential until it had completed its initial work.

"Going from the PSAB to the SSC is a continuum. We adapted processes for the PSAB from the original NCE procedures to begin with and now we're adapting them again for the SSC," says Gavrel. "The NCEs are not only about commercialization. They're also research and training and knowledge translation expertise so the SSC will be a more diverse group (than the PSAB). Using the SSC will allow us to start NCEs faster."

constant evolution

The creation of the SSC is just the latest change for the NCE program, which Gavrel says has been in a constant state of evolution since it launched in 1989. The 14-year, two-stage funding cycle has been replaced with three five year terms, eliminating the need for mid-term reviews. Each NCE will continue to file annual reviews of progress to date. While early NCEs were focused on research, their mandate has been expanded to include concrete deliverables.

The BL-NCEs and CECRs are nearing their first four and five years of operation respectively. Gavrel says he's gratified to see how well they have performed in attracting private sector participation in the face of the wild fluctuations of the economy in recent years.

"We've been able to maintain the commitment of the private sector despite the 2008 economic downturn," he says. "We were concerned at the time that the private sector partners would back out but they haven't."

R$