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Engage Grants are open to researchers at either universities or colleges.

Industrial Participation:

The Partner Eligibility Guidelines section of the Guidelines for Organizations Participating in Research Partnerships (in the Pre-application section below) should be consulted to determine the eligibility of the participating company. At a minimum, the partner must have a credible plan for exploiting the research results to provide economic, social or environmental benefits for Canada and Canadians.

Requirements for University-Based Applicants:

All projects must address a research challenge that lies within the natural sciences and engineering fields.

As the purpose of an Engage Grant is to foster a new collaborative relationship between one company and one university researcher, there can be no existing or past relationship between the researcher applying for funding and the company with a problem to be addressed through the project.

For examples of an established relationship between the company and university researcher see the RFP below.

Please consult your NSERC regional office for further information.

Proposals submitted by university-based applicants must also demonstrate the principal investigator’s research competence. The applicant must have the expertise required to address the defined objectives competently and to complete the project successfully. Academic expertise may be complemented by the know-how residing in the company.

Important considerations relating to research competence are:
-The applicant must be an NSERC-eligible researcher and must have been granted an individual or small team (principal investigator and up to two co-applicants) peer-reviewed grant from NSERC within the past six years.
-Applicants who have received a rating of “Strong” or higher for the criterion “Excellence of the Researcher” in their most recent Discovery Grant competition within the past six years are considered to have met the requirement for peer-reviewed research support.
-Researchers with a principal appointment in a health-oriented university faculty (e.g., medicine, pharmacology, dentistry) are eligible for an Engage Grant only if they have been awarded an NSERC Discovery Grant within the past six years.

Engage Grant projects must involve only one university researcher (the applicant) and any research personnel (e.g., students, research technicians), if applicable. As Engage Grants are intended to foster a new research relationship between an applicant and a company, projects requiring the participation of a co-applicant or collaborating professor will be rejected. Fees paid outside the university for completion of specific project tasks will be limited to a maximum of 20% of the amount requested and will be approved only with strong demonstration of need.

Requirements for College-Based Applicants:

The College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program is managed by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) in collaboration with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). All applications must be submitted to NSERC. As CCI funding is used to support Engage Grants for college-based applicants, proposed projects can be across the spectrum of natural and social sciences, engineering, humanities or health. Grants are given by NSERC, with the exception of funded proposals exclusively in the social sciences, humanities or health sciences, which will be given by SSHRC or CIHR, as appropriate.

As the purpose of an Engage Grant is to foster the development of a new collaborative relationship, the proposal must involve an eligible company that has not previously partnered with the college on applied research; that is, the college should have no existing relationship with the company. A previous research collaboration with a company or any of its divisions, a consulting contract in excess of a few days, or involvement on the part of a member(s) of the college research team with the company is considered an existing relationship.

Proposals submitted by college-based applicants must also demonstrate the research team’s applied research competence. The research team must have all the expertise required to address the defined objectives competently and to complete the project successfully. For example, the project lead is expected to have conducted a research project of comparable scale with partners in the past. Academic expertise may be complemented by the know-how residing in the partnering company.

Certain expenditures related to project management are eligible as a direct cost of research (up to a maximum of 10% of the total direct costs). The college must provide for any additional indirect or overhead costs.

For ineligible proposals and limitations, see RFP below.

View this list of eligible Canadian universities and colleges here:
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/Eligibility-Admissibilite/ListEligibleInstitutions-ListEtablissementsAdmissible_eng.asp

NSERC will accept applications for Engage and Engage Plus grants for Universities until May 31, 2019.

At minimum, an in-kind contribution from the company reflecting its active involvement in the project is required.

For an Engage Plus Grant, to demonstrate its commitment to furthering the project, the industrial partner must contribute cash to the direct project costs in an amount at least equal to the amount requested from NSERC. NSERC will match the cash contribution of the partner up to a maximum of $12,500. Any portion of the cash contribution that the university or college requests as overhead will not be matched. In-kind contributions are also required to reflect the company’s ongoing involvement in the project, but will not be matched by NSERC. The company’s cash contribution is normally required within 30 days of an award decision. Company cash contributed before the proposal is submitted may be used to start the project. Only funds available as of the date the application was received at NSERC can be leveraged. NSERC funds cannot be applied to expenses incurred before a project was approved.

Proposals can be submitted at any time using the appropriate application forms for university- or college-based applicants.

Industrial partners will be limited to participating in up to two new Engage Grants per fiscal year (April 1 to March 31). However, industrial partners providing cash contributions to ongoing, NSERC-funded projects (e.g., CRD Grants, ARD Grants, Engage Plus or Industrial Research Chairs), will be allowed to participate in up to two additional Engage Grants per year, for a total of four continuing Engage projects.

Decisions on funding Engage Grants are usually made within approximately six weeks.

Guidelines for Organizations Participating in Research Partnerships:
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/Policies-Politiques/orgpartners-orgpartenaires_eng.asp

College and Community Innovation Program Important Information; and
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/RPP-PP/CCIEngage-ICCEngagement_eng.asp

College and Community Innovation Program – Frequently Asked Questions.
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/RPP-PP/CCIFAQ-ICCFAQ_eng.asp

PDF forms and instructions may be found here:
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/Forms-Formulaires_eng.asp