Industrial Research Chairs Renewals

Instructions for Completing an Application – Form 101

• General Information
• Completing the Application
• Signatures
• List for a Complete Application

General Information

About the Grant

Read the grant description in the Program Guide for Professors before you complete the application.

Who Completes the Application?

The applicant must complete the application and include all required documentation using the On-line System. In addition, the Personal Data Form (Form 100) must be completed by applicants and co-applicants and linked to the application form.

Presentation Standards

You are responsible for submitting a complete application that conforms to the presentation standards established by NSERC. Incomplete applications and applications that do not meet the presentation standards may be rejected, or be at a disadvantage, in comparison with those that are complete and respect the presentation standards. Where page limits are stated, pages in excess of the number permitted may be removed.

For more information, read the NSERC On-line Presentation and Attachment Standards.

Application Deadlines

Your application must be received at your institution’s research grants office by their internal deadline date; contact your research grants office for those deadlines.

For programs with deadlines, the application must be received at NSERC by by 8:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the deadline date. If it is not received by the deadline, it will be considered late and will be rejected. Application deadlines are indicated in each of the program descriptions, as well as on the Application Deadlines and Notification of Decision page.

Material or updates received under separate cover (before or after the deadline date) will not be accepted.

Personal Information

The collection, use and disclosure of personal information provided to NSERC are outlined in the following policy statements:

• the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act (including the Use and Disclosure of Personal Information Provided to NSERC)
• Data Retention Information
• Privacy Notice

The information you provide in your application is collected under the authority of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act. NSERC is subject to the  Access to Information Act and the  Privacy Act. The information you provide is stored in a series of NSERC data banks described in  Information about programs and information holdings.

Help with Program Information

• Contact the staff responsible for the program to which you are applying.

Help with the NSERC On-line System

• Check the Frequently Asked Questions on how to use the On-line System;
• Review the instructions available in the application;
• Contact the On-line Services Helpdesk. Send an email to: webapp@nserc-crsng.gc.ca or call 613-995-4273. Include your email address and telephone number.

The person submitting an Industrial Research Chair (IRC) proposal [the "applicant" on an Application for a Grant (Form 101)] must hold a senior administrative position in the university (such as department head, dean, vice-president or president), with direct or ultimate management responsibility for the proposed Chairholder. The applicant cannot be the Chair candidate or, for a renewal application, the current Chairholder. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NSERC staff before submitting a proposal.

Note: Due to the structure of the On-line System, the applicant's Personal Data Form (Form 100) has to be completed and linked to the application. This step is required to electronically submit the finalized application; however, it will not be used in the evaluation process.

Information Required from Organizations Participating in Research Partnerships Programs (Form 183A)

See the instructions for completing Form 183A.

It is very important that the letters from the supporting organizations address the points outlined in the instructions for Form 183A.

Completing the Application

Application Profile

Title of industrial research chair

The title of the Industrial Research Chair will be used for publication purposes and must adhere to a specific format. The convention to be followed for the title of the Industrial Research Chair is as follows:

NSERC/Partner Org 1/Partner Org 2/etc. Industrial Research Chair in “Research Subject”

The title must begin with the word “NSERC,” and may contain the names of other partner organizations, if appropriate (see Notes below). “NSERC” and each of the names of the partner organizations must be separated by a forward slash (/). “NSERC” and the names of the supporting organizations must be followed by “Industrial Research Chair in” and the subject of the research program to be established. Scientific symbols or acronyms in the title must be spelled out.

The following are examples of valid titles:

NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Solidification and Metallurgy of Aluminum Alloys

NSERC /Ultra Electronics Maritime Systems Industrial Research Chair in Wireless Information Transmission and Networking

NSERC/Hydro-Québec/Schneider Electric Industrial Research Chair in Optimization for the Smart Grid

Notes

• The addition of supporting organization names in the title is at the discretion of the university with input from the supporting organizations. There is no requirement by NSERC to include any of the supporting organizations in the title.
• The role of the Chairholder (i.e., Senior, Associate, Executive) should not be included in the title. In the case where there is more than one Chairholder in the Chair program, each of the Chairholders should use the same title.
• The name of the university should not be included in the title.

Current IRC file number

Indicate the current IRC file number, as well as the year of original application. This number should be referenced in all NSERC's correspondence related to the IRC as: IRC [File Number] – [Year of Original Application].

Note that it is not the IRCSA or the IRCPJ sub-file number. The NSERC manager assigned to your grant will be able to assist you in identifying the IRC file number, if needed.

List of Chairholders

Enter the name of the Chairholder(s) and the type of Chair (Senior or Associate).

Enter the time devoted by each Chairholder (in hours per month) to the proposed research/activity.

Note that the applicant must give each Chairholder access to the application via the Access Manager page, in order to allow the Chairholders to attach their Form(s) 100 to the application.

Collaborators

Collaborators are expected to contribute to the overall intellectual direction of the research project or program of research and to bring their own resources to the collaboration. Collaborators will not have access to the grant funds and must be qualified to undertake research independently. Examples of collaborators are: government scientists, academic researchers, company staff members or research scientists.

Area(s) of Research

Research subject codes

Consult the NSERC Code Tables. All applicants are required to select a primary research code.

Area of application codes

Consult the NSERC Code Tables. All applicants are required to select a primary area of application code from the list of Area of Application Codes.

Key words

Provide a maximum of 10 key words that describe the proposal.

Certification/requirements

Before completing this page, consult the Policies and Guidelines of the Program Guide for Professors concerning the requirements for certain types of research.

Research involving humans: If you select Yes, you must provide your institution's administration with the appropriate certification indicating that research involving humans has been reviewed and has received the required approval.

Research involving human pluripotent stem cells: If you select Yes, or if through peer review the application is found to fall into this category and is recommended for funding, it will be forwarded, with your consent, to CIHR’s Stem Cell Oversight Committee (SCOC) to ensure compliance with  Chapter 12, Section F of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2). The SCOC review is in addition to the normal review by local Research Ethics Boards (REBs). Funding will not be released until approval has been obtained from the SCOC.

Research involving the use of animals: If you select Yes, you must provide your institution's administration with the certification from the animal care committee at the institution that the experimental procedures proposed have been approved and that the care and treatment of animals is in accordance with the principles outlined in the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) guide.

Research involving hazardous substances: If you select Yes, you must provide your institution's administration with the certification from the biosafety committee at the institution that the laboratory procedures being used comply with the safety precautions necessary for the level of containment required by the research.

Environmental impact: The Environmental Information Form (Appendix A) may be required. For more information, consult NSERC’s Guidelines on Environmental Review and Assessment.

Supporting Organizations

For each supporting organization partnering in the project, enter information about the authorized representative(s).

If the application is being submitted in paper format, a signature must be provided by each authorized representative of the supporting partner in the project.

Summary of Proposal for Public Release

The summary is intended to explain the proposal in language that the public can understand.

Using simple terms, briefly describe the nature of the work to be done. Indicate why and to whom the research is important, and describe the anticipated outcomes and advancements that will result in economic, social or environmental benefits for Canada and Canadians.

This plain language summary will be available to the public if your proposal is funded.

If you wish, you may also provide a summary in the other official language in the text box identified for that purpose.

Activity Schedule

For each Chairholder, separately list the activities/steps required to achieve the objectives for each year of the grant.

Indicate the start and end dates for the activities leading to the milestones, as well as the major results expected.

• The milestone definition and the work plan (provided in the Proposal page) will be used to assess whether a program is feasible and whether the available resources are adequate to complete it on schedule.

Proposed Expenditures

Before completing this page, read the instructions and consult the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide for information about the eligibility of expenditures for the direct costs of research and the regulations governing the use of grant funds.

The overall support (combined salary and research portions) to the Chair budget by the eligible partner(s) must equal or exceed the amount requested from NSERC. The NSERC versus partner funding distribution between the salary and research components may vary. Your NSERC manager will assist in establishing the ratios upon releasing the funds, if awarded.

For each Chairholder, list the following for each year of the grant:

• Salary costs:
• For a second term only: List salary on a declining scale as follows: 90%, 75%, 50%, 25%, and 10% respectively, of the value of the Chairholder's salary and fringe benefits at the start of the second term. This starting value, from which the declining values are calculated, may be reset to an amount higher than that funded in the first term to account for nominal salary increases that may have applied and been paid by the university during that time. The declining amount calculated will be the maximum contribution from combined sources (NSERC and the partner[s]); the expectation being that the university will assume an increasing commitment toward the Chairholder's salary. If a partner chooses to contribute an additional amount beyond the declining salary scale calculated above, NSERC will not recognize, for leveraging purposes, these additional partner funds allocated to Chairholder salary support.
• For a third or subsequent term, NSERC support is only for a research program and does not include a salary component.
• Research costs: Direct costs of the research program for each of the following categories and corresponding sub-categories: Salaries and Benefits; Equipment or Facility; Materials and Supplies; Travel; and Dissemination Costs.

When using the On-line System to complete the form, the Consolidated Budget page and the Sum Total page will be automatically generated with the information you have already entered.

For paper submissions, complete these pages only after having completed the Contributions from Supporting Organizations section.

• If there are several Chairholders, complete the Sum Total page:
• Calculate the sum total expenditures for each category from individual Chair budget pages, and transfer the totals to this page;
• Calculate the sum total cash contributions from industry or other eligible partners, university and other sources; and transfer the totals to this page;
• Calculate the total amount requested from NSERC. This amount will be transferred to the Consolidated Budget page.
• Complete the Consolidated Budget page:
• Calculate the sum total expenditures and contributions from the Proposed Expenditures and Contributions from Supporting Organizations sections; and transfer the amounts to this Consolidated Budget page:
• Cash expenses to salary and research costs (senior/executive and/or associate Chairs, as applicable);
• Summary of cash contributions to the Chair program (not including overhead) from industry or other eligible partners, university, other sources, and the total amount requested from NSERC;
• Summary of "cash equivalent" in-kind contributions¹ to the Chair program from industry or other eligible partners, university and other sources;
• Summary of other in-kind contributions to the Chair program from industry or other eligible partners, university and other sources.

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1 Refer to the Contributions from Supporting Organizations section for an explanation of the term "cash equivalent" in-kind contributions.

Budget Justification

Use additional pages to explain and justify for each Chairholder the need for each item listed in the research program costs.

Provide sufficient information to allow reviewers to assess whether the resources requested are appropriate.

Salaries and benefits

Give the categories of employment and proposed salaries (including non-discretionary benefits) of students, postdoctoral fellows, research staff, and the project manager. Describe the roles of any undergraduate or graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows who will be participating in the program. The majority of the salary support for the direct costs of the IRC research should be directed to students and postdoctoral fellows who will be trained within the program and then graduate or move on.

If applicable, any additional salary requests for support staff specifically required to help achieve the research outcomes (research associates/assistants, technicians, project manager, or other professional staff) must be clearly justified and their roles explained. It is expected that the number of support staff should be in a clear minority in comparison to the students and postdoctoral fellows mentioned above.

Note: Partner staff salaries are not an eligible program cost.

Equipment or facility

Give a breakdown of the items requested. Provide details on models, manufacturers, prices and applicable taxes. Justify the need for each item requested.

Fees to be paid for the use of equipment or a facility should be described (e.g., hours and rate).

Note: Equipment purchases from the partner(s) are not an eligible program cost.

Materials and supplies

Provide details and explain major items.

Travel

Explain briefly how each activity relates to the proposed research.

Dissemination

Provide details of publication costs, user workshops or other activities.

Other expenses

List all items not relevant to previous categories, and provide a brief explanation for major items.

Contributions from Supporting Organizations

For the Industrial Research Chair grants, the total eligible partner cash commitment in any five-year term must be at least equal to NSERC's funding commitment during the same period. Note that eligible cash contributions from supporting organizations must be deposited in a university grant account.

List all contributions from organizations that are eligible for matching funding, and from other supporting organizations that are not eligible for matching funding by NSERC.

For each supporting organization:

• List all the cash contributions to the Chair program (do not include contributions to university overhead);
• List all "cash equivalent" in-kind contributions, if applicable. Although these contributions are not eligible for matching funding by NSERC, the contributions indicate a level of commitment from the supporting organizations that can add strength to the proposal;
• List all other in-kind contributions, if applicable. Although these contributions are not eligible for matching funding by NSERC, the contributions indicate a level of commitment, including collaboration with the university research team, from the supporting organizations that can add strength to the proposal;
• Contributions to university overhead (optional).

Form 183A, Letter of Support and Impact Questionnaire (and attachments, as required)

See the instructions for completing Form 183A.

A completed Form 183A, letter of support and any other required documents must be attached for each partner organization participating in a research project. In the case of a multinational partner collaborating from outside Canada, letters of support from both the company’s international R&D location and either its Canadian headquarters or the Canadian subsidiary are required. Either the applicant or the partner organization must complete all applicable pages of the form and provide the required documents.

To allow a supporting organization the ability to link a Form 183A to your application, use the Access Manager page of Form 101. For details on how to use this function, refer to the Access Manager instructions.

For applicants who are filling out Form 183A on behalf of the participating organization use the Link Manager page of Form 183A to link to your application. For details on how to use this function, refer to the Link Manager instructions.

If you are submitting your application in paper format and the supporting organization(s) is filling out Form 183A, you must request paper copies of the form, letter of support and any other attachments required. The PDF version of Form 183A is available on the NSERC website. To access the PDF form, go to the On-line Services page and select PDF Forms and Instructions. In the For Industry heading, select Form 183A – Orgs Info. for RPP from the Forms drop-down list.

NSERC will send an impact questionnaire to each supporting organization currently involved in the Chair, who must fill it out and return it directly to NSERC. The completed questionnaire from each organization is a required document in support of the renewal application of the Chairholder. The questionnaire focusses on the impact of the Chair to-date. It does not replace the letter of support from each sponsoring organization, which should focus on the expectations of the future term, such that the two documents should provide complementary information. The letter of support must include the following:

• a brief summary of the information provided in the impact questionnaire which situates the context of the organization’s involvement in the Chair; this information should include: the extent to which the Chair objectives have been met to-date; the involvement of organization personnel with the team; the benefits accrued from the Chair; and the impacts the Chair has had on the organization’s activities;
• the motivation for supporting the Chair for another term;
• the extent of the organization’s continued involvement in the Chair program for the next term, as it relates to the previous term;
• the impacts and benefits expected from the Chair in the next term; NSERC expects that a Chair’s industrial impact will increase from one term to the next;
• the nature and extent of the company's support (cash and in-kind) for the next term;
• the expected level of interaction with the research team, including students, in the next term.

Supporting organizations not currently involved in the Chair do not need to submit an impact questionnaire; they need only submit a letter of support that addresses their commitment for the future term.

Contributions from Supporting Organizations – Attachment

"Cash equivalent" in-kind contributions to direct costs of research

Explain the rationale for including this contribution as a "cash equivalent" in-kind contribution. Justify the value of each item. Clearly show that this contribution represents an incremental expense that the supporting organization would not incur outside of the Chair's research program.

Other in-kind contributions

Justify the value of each item. Clearly indicate how this contribution will enhance the overall quality of the program.

Relationship to Other Research Support

Any relationship and/or overlap, conceptual or financial, with work supported by NSERC or other funding sources must be explained.

Applicants must provide clear and concise information on the conceptual and budgetary relationship or difference between this application and all other support currently held or applied for by the Chairholder.

They must also explain perceived duplication in funding or, if applicable, indicate how the NSERC application complements research funded by other sources.

The onus is on the Chair candidate/Chairholder to provide sufficient information to enable the reviewers to evaluate the relationship with other sources of support and to recommend the appropriate NSERC funding level. The consequence of not providing adequate information to assess the relationship to other research support is that the reviewers may recommend reduced or no funding.

Intellectual Property

NSERC's Policy on Intellectual Property (IP) is based on the principle that the results of NSERC-funded research should be exploited for the benefit of Canada and Canadians. NSERC recommends that the partner(s) and university(ies) negotiate an agreement over the ownership and management of IP generated in the collaborative research partnerships—compliant with NSERC’s IP Policy. Confirmation that a research agreement has been signed will be requested by NSERC. This confirmation must be provided within six months from the date of the conditional offer.

Discuss plans for the protection and disposition of intellectual property arising from the grant. Outline the broad terms of the agreement between the partner(s) and academic institutions on the rights to the research results, and on the freedom to publish (see Policy on Intellectual Property).

Note: A copy of the signed research agreement does not have to be submitted to NSERC for review. A research agreement is not required if all results will be openly disseminated and there will be no publication restrictions; this situation should be communicated in the proposal and discussed in the letter of support from the partner(s).

Proposal

Refer to the description of the Industrial Research Chair (IRC) Selection Criteria in the Program Guide for Professors for a list of criteria that will be used to evaluate the application.

Note that there are two sections to this document: the first section must be completed by the university; and the second must be completed by each Chairholder.

Section I: Rationale for renewing the Chair (to be prepared by the University)

In a recommended length of 10 pages, the applicant must provide the following information in order to justify the request for renewal (contact the NSERC manager responsible for this grant if you feel additional pages are needed):

• the benefits and impact that the Chair has had on the university as a whole, on individual departments, on the university's research capacity, on graduate student training and on teaching;
• the administrative arrangements in place during the current term, including reporting lines, provision of laboratory space, teaching and administrative responsibilities and those anticipated for the subsequent term;
• the direct and indirect support the university has provided to the Chair during the current term and intends to provide during the subsequent term;
• any difficulties the university has experienced as a result of establishing the Chair and how they were dealt with;
• for second-term renewal applications where the Chairholder was an internal candidate (already a member of the faculty at the time of his Chair appointment), indicate where the freed up salary funds have been allocated during the first term;
• the tenure status of the Chairholder (Senior Chairholders eligible for renewal must be tenured).

Section II: Detailed research proposal (to be prepared by the Chairholder(s))

Using the headings below, and in a recommended length of 15 single-sided pages (not including literature references), describe the research proposed. For multi-chair proposals, parts of this section will be written jointly, and others will be written separately by each Chairholder, as appropriate.

Synopsis: Provide a concise overview of the scientific or technical objectives, approach, and the new knowledge, expertise, or technology that could be transferred for the benefit of the partners and of Canada and Canadians. Indicate the benefits expected to accrue to the partner(s), the academic institution(s), and to the scientific or engineering discipline.

Background: This section should reference the attached progress report describing accomplishments over the previous term. Relate the proposed research to the current state of scientific, technical, and commercial developments in the field, with references to the current literature and prevailing conditions.

Proposed research: Describe in detail the research program to be undertaken. Outline the scientific, technical, or strategic areas encompassed, and the research problems or technical complexities involved. Discuss the hypotheses and methodologies proposed for their elucidation or resolution. Emphasize the innovative approaches to be taken, and/or novel results to be obtained.

Also describe the major results and accomplishments expected at key points in the five years of the Chair and relate this to the milestone schedule from the ACTIVITY SCHEDULE.

Proposed collaborations: Describe anticipated collaborations with academic colleagues and how these will enhance the capacity to meet the objectives of the Chair. Show how their various contributions will be integrated. Where relevant, outline very briefly the collaborators' complementary research programs.

Similarly, describe the expected interactions of the Chair with and the effect on the supporting organization(s) and the broader industrial community.

Research management: Describe the organizational and management structures planned for (a) the effective scientific direction and management of the research personnel and facilities, and (b) the communication between the university research group and the supporting organization(s). If applicable, please detail the project manager’s qualifications, involvement, role, and responsibilities.

Training of highly qualified personnel: Describe the significance of the opportunities the Chair offers for advanced training, or other relevant experience, for students, postdoctoral fellows, or the supporting organizations’ R&D staff, in the area proposed for the Chair. The number of undergraduate and graduate students trained is expected to be commensurate with the size of the program of research. Students and postdoctoral fellows are expected to enhance their experiential learning and gain new skills through interactions with the partner(s) (e.g., participation in planning meetings, internships or other means that allow active exposure to industrial processes such as R&D, manufacturing, regulatory, intellectual property or commercialization issues). Describe the nature of the proposed interactions where appropriate.

Industrial Relevance and Benefits: Describe the anticipated impact of the research results, highlighting the relevance and potential value of the scientific or technical advances for the partner(s). If applicable, explain how this research will address critical knowledge gaps that pose barriers to developing new and innovative products, services, processes or technologies in Canada. Demonstrate clearly the relevance of the research and the benefits that will accrue to the partners(s).

Benefits to Canada: In addition to the anticipated benefits for the partner(s) described under the Industrial Relevance and Benefits criterion, detail any economic, social or environmental benefits for Canada and Canadians, as well as explaining any advantages Canada stands to gain from the planned partnership(s).

References

• Use this section to provide a list of literature references.
• Do not refer readers to websites for additional information on your proposal.
• Do not introduce hyperlinks in your list of references.

Letters of Reference

Unless specifically requested by NSERC, letters of reference are only required for applications to renew as a different Chair type than that of the previous term, namely from an Associate to a Senior Chair or from an Executive to a Senior Chair. For such candidates, three letters of reference must be sent directly to NSERC. These letters must be provided by experts who are all external to the host university and to the sponsoring organizations and who can attest to the stature and scientific reputation of the candidate. Authors of these letters should be sufficiently at arm’s length from the candidate to provide an objective assessment. At least one of these letters must come from experts outside of Canada. These letters should emphasize the international stature of the candidate, the impact of his/her research and the value of his/her publication and training records. Where possible, letters of reference should discuss the impact of the accomplishments in the first term as an Industrial Research Chair.

For each Chair candidate, list the name and the organization and country of each of the three persons who will be providing letters of reference.

Format of Letters of Reference

Experts should be informed that the letters of reference they send directly to NSERC must be on letterhead, be dated and signed and include:

• the expert's name, position, department, organization address, e-mail address and telephone number;
• the name of the candidate;
• a statement from the expert clearly describing how their relationship to the candidate is sufficiently at arm’s length to provide an objective assessment;
• the period of time and capacity in which the expert has known the candidate;
• an assessment of the suitability of the candidate for an Industrial Research Chair.

Progress Report

A detailed progress report template will be provided to you to complete. It is especially important in renewals for a third term or greater that the progress report clearly outline a demonstrated return on the investment made through this grant to-date and include strong indications of the Chair’s impact in industry. The report should be complete and concise, and contain a brief discussion of each of the following:

• the research program, including accomplishments achieved or anticipated to the end of the current term and the scientific and/or engineering significance of the results. Please relate these accomplishments to the milestones approved at the start of the current Chair term;
• participation in and scientific contributions to the program of each member of the research team, including graduate students. For graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and research associates, identify by position within the Chair, the degree and date of completion, and the current position (state employer if known);
• the nature and scope of the collaboration with the partner(s). Be sure to discuss specifics on how the research program has impacted each partner, in terms of improved processes and products, business intelligence, competitive advantage, cost savings and any other economic benefit gained by the partner(s).
• all the dissemination, through publications or by any other means, of research results to the scientific and industrial communities and the impact of the results on these communities;
• the change in research capability (personnel and facilities) over the term of the Chair – Has the overall scientific quality and industrial relevance of research activity at the University been enhanced by the Chair position?
• the extent of collaboration with academic colleagues, internally and externally, to the university;
• other tangible outcomes;
• a description of any problems being encountered in any aspect of the Chair.

Environmental Information Form (Appendix A)

An Environmental Information Form (Appendix A) must be completed and uploaded to the Environmental impact page if required.

External Reviewer (Referee) Suggestions – Appendix C

Suggest the names of seven people competent to assess the technical aspects of the proposal. This list should include experts from the academic community and the government sector, and must include at least one expert from the industrial sector. As appropriate, also include people competent to assess the research aspects outside the natural sciences and engineering. This list should also take into consideration equity, diversity and inclusion; for example, the list should include women.

Give the name, complete mailing address, telephone and facsimile numbers, e-mail address and the area(s) of expertise of potential external reviewers (referees).

External reviewers (referees) should be able to review the proposal in the language in which it is written.

You may also request, in a cover letter, that some individuals or companies not be involved in the review of your application. Your request will be taken into account by NSERC.

Suggested external reviewers (referees) should not be in a conflict of interest. Refer to the  Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy of the Federal Research Funding Organizations for more information. In addition, reviewers must sign the  Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Agreement for Review Committee Members, External Reviewers, and Observers before they access the application material.

Other Documents

If you need to provide other documents, such as a collaborator's curriculum vitae (C.V.), give a brief description of the document and indicate whether you will be submitting it as an attached file or as a paper copy.

Cover Letter

The cover letter is optional and should only be used if you wish to provide NSERC with additional information that will not be shared with external reviewers, such as a request that an individual or group of individuals not be involved in the review of your proposal. NSERC will take such a request into consideration. The cover letter must contain your name, the NSERC grant to which you are applying and the title of your application.

Note: This letter may be accessible to these individuals under the Privacy Act.

Signatures

NSERC does not require original signatures on applications or other documents submitted electronically through its On-line System. The electronic submission of applications through this system represents approval and replaces the traditional "physical" or "wet" signatures. Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions in the Program Guide for Professors for more details.

What do the electronic or original signatures on the application mean?

For applicants

Before you, as an applicant or co-applicant, can submit your application to NSERC or link your Personal Data Form to an application, you must read and agree to the Terms and Conditions of Applying that appear in a pop-up window during the submission process. It is your responsibility to retain a copy of the agreed Terms and Conditions for your records.

The signatures of the institutional authorities certify that:

• the institution will abide by the roles and responsibilities as set out in the  Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions with the three federal granting agencies, including the  Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research;
• the applicant and co-applicant(s) have met, or will meet, the eligibility requirements;
• prior to submission of this application, the institution has obtained written approval from any other institutions involved in the application process;
• if the applicant discloses any potential intellectual property (IP) arising from the research, he or she and the institution will endeavour to obtain the greatest possible economic benefit to Canada from the resulting commercial activity. Note: This requirement for disclosure is not intended to supersede any IP ownership policy that the institution already has in place.

The signatures of authorized officers of other supporting organizations certify that the organization:

• agrees with the content of the application and will provide the committed resources;
• agrees to the release of the public summary of the award and to the publication of the organization's name as a supporter of the initiative.

If you are both the applicant or co-applicant and a principal of a collaborating organization, another senior official must sign on behalf of the organization.

List for a Complete Application

Use the following list to make sure your application is complete.

• Application for a Grant (Form 101)
• Application profile
• List of Chairholders
• Collaborators – if required
• Areas of research
• Certification / Requirements
• Supporting organizations
• Summary of proposal
• Activity schedule
• Proposed expenditures
• Budget justification (attachment)
• Contributions from supporting organizations
• Contributions from supporting organizations (attachment)
• Relationship to other research support (attachment)
• Intellectual property description
• Proposal (attachment – two sections: rationale for renewing the Chair, to be prepared by the University; and a detailed research proposal, to be prepared by the Chairholder(s))
• Literature references
• For Associate or Executive Chairs renewing to Senior Chair: Letters of reference identifying the senders (the letters themselves will be sent directly to NSERC)
• Progress report (attachment)
• Appendix A (Environmental Information Form) – if required
• Appendix C (External Reviewer [Referee] Suggestions)
• Other documents – if required
• Cover letter – optional
• Personal Data Form (Form 100) – for the applicant if submitted on-line, and for each Chairholder
• Personal information (appointment, academic background, HQP)
• Experience
• Research support
• List of HQP
• Contributions
• Appendix A (Personal Data) – one original only – do not photocopy
• Appendix B (Eligibility Questionnaire) – one original only – do not photocopy (if required)
• Appendix C (Description of Applicant’s Activities) – if required
• Information Required from Supporting Organizations (Form 183A) – for each partner
• Letters of Support from all supporting organizations (attachment)
• Partner profiles from all supporting organizations.
• Three letters of reference (only if the candidate’s Chair type is changing from Associate or Executive Chair to Senior Chair) – to be sent directly to NSERC.

Note: itemized financial statements on the use of the NSERC and partner funds [a Grants in Aid of Research, Statement of Account (Form 300) or equivalent] are required for all accounts associated with the previous five-year term of the Chair, and should be sent directly to the manager in charge of your file.