NSERC Reps Meeting

Monday Nov 23, 2009

OutlineOutline

Regional Office Background

What’s New at NSERC:

Strategy for Partnerships and Innovation:

- Interact and Engage Grants

- New RPP Directorate for Regional Offices

- Reorientation of the Regional Opportunities Fund

- i2i Booster

Canada’s Funding-Granting Agencies for Academic Research

HealthSocial

Sciences & Humanities

Natural Sciences & Engineering

NSERC-Ontario

Tibor Turi, P.Eng.Manager

John Jackson, P.Eng.Research & Innovation Development

Sarah O’NeillCommunications & Promotion

The NSERC VisionThe NSERC Vision

Dr. Suzanne Fortier - President, NSERC

To connect and apply the strength of

the academic research system to

addressing the opportunities and

challenges of building prosperity for

Canada.

PeopleKnowledge

Entrepreneurial

Translate knowledge into wealth, wellness and well-being

Build on research strengths; Generate new ideas

Attract, retain & grow a leading base of knowledge workers

ADVANTAGE

ADVANTAGE ADVANTAGE

Providing a sustainable competitive advantage throughan integrated approach to Science & Technology…

The NSERC VisionThe NSERC Vision

• Decision by Council (2003)

• Five offices across Canada (Atlantic, Québec, Ontario, Prairies, Pacific)

• Consultations with stakeholders in each region

• Four staff for each office

• Small discretionary budget for local actions

Pacific

Prairies

Atlantic

Ontario

Québec

.

Regional OfficesRegional Offices

Why Regional Offices?Why Regional Offices?

• Bring perspectives and intelligence from across the country

• With budget and visibility increased, NSERC needed to be better known

• Academic community only has a partial knowledge of NSERC Programs

• Opportunity to forge linkages at local level

• Opportunity to exercise more influence

Regional Offices Regional Offices –– What they do What they do

• Ensure a visible presence in the region

• Gather information in/about the region

• Sensitize NSERC about the needs of the region

• Act as a local source of information about NSERC programs and activities

• Promote increased and improved participation

• Facilitate partnerships among federal and provincial governments, industry, NGOs

• Support NSERC Reps

RPP & ISHQ Program

StaffRegional Offices

Division of RO-HQ ResponsibilitiesDivision of RO-HQ Responsibilities

Company Eligibility

Interaction events

Targeted ROF

Regional Intelligence

Manage Peer Review & Project Selection Process

Ensure conditions Met (e.g. IP Agreement)

Monitor Projects/Deliverables

Determine Program Criteria& Manage Program Budgets

Focus of Activities: Enhancing Research, Training and Innovation Partnerships Between Post Secondary Institutions and Business

Follow-up on referrals regional partners (e.g. ACOA; IRAP)

Analysis of regional program performance

Industry Associations & Company Outreach

What’s New at NSERC?What’s New at NSERC?

Strategy for Partnerships and Strategy for Partnerships and Innovation (SPI)Innovation (SPI)

Focused on making academic-industry collaboration easier

Funds for early actions are from reallocation of RPP budget

Discovery Grants will remain NSERC’s flagship program

Launching the last week of Nov (27th in Ontario)

You will receive a letter and attachment outlining the strategy in full shortly

What’s changing as a What’s changing as a result of SPI?result of SPI?

Interact and Engage GrantsInteract and Engage Grants

Goals:1. Increase the engagement of potential university-industry

research collaborators;

2. Foster new university-industry partnerships;

3. Actively engage existing relationship builders involved in the Canadian innovation system (e.g. university-industry liaison offices, industry associations, government agencies/organizations, etc.) in working together to achieve the first two goals.

InteractInteract Help researchers visit potential partner

companies to explore possible partnerships

Value Up to $5K

Duration Up to 3 months

Deadline none

Application Form 401

Reporting Activity report to RO 1 month after grant end

Contact Ontario Regional Office

EngageEngage Support research teams doing small

capability-demonstration projects with industrial partners.

Value Up to 25K

Duration Up to 6 months

Deadline No deadline

Application Form 100, 101, 183A

Decision Timeline Within 6 weeks

Contact Ontario Regional Office

Old MandateOld Mandate

2004-2008

Enhance the regional presence of NSERC

Enhance regional participation in NSERC programs

Enhance regional promotion of science and engineering research

New MandateNew Mandate

Enhance opportunities for collaboration between regional post secondary institutions and the business community

Enhance regional awareness, understanding and application to NSERC partnership and industrial scholarship programs

NSERC Regional Offices are being integrated into the Research Partnerships Directorate

Effective October 1, 2009

New Priorities for Regional OfficesNew Priorities for Regional Offices

New challenge: Outreach with industry and forging links between industry and academia

• Increase awareness of NSERC partnership programs with industry

• Promote industry programs with SME industries

• Create links between academia and industry

• Increase presence and participation with stakeholders that may have an influence on the industry sector to create new opportunities

Reorientation of the Regional Reorientation of the Regional Opportunities FundOpportunities Fund

$1000-$5000 grant for regional events related to science and engineering

No longer being used on science promotional events

New funding objective: - Events that support the development of

research collaborations- Events that encourage Ontario researchers to

apply to RPP.

Questions?Questions?