Information for faculty applying to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
The information presented here is intended to provide information that may not be found on the NSERC website and offer advice based on past experience. Please refer to the NSERC website (http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/index_eng.asp) for program descriptions, application forms, instructions and procedures, and competition deadlines.
About the NSERC Review Process
NSERC grant competitions are highly competitive. Having an excellent research program is not enough—success often depends on how clearly and effectively grant applications and supporting documentation are written. Knowing about NSERC's review process, the criteria used and the importance of each component of the application package is essential when preparing an application. The evaluation of Discovery Grant proposals is based on the information contained in the applications and on a comparison to the collection of proposals to be evaluated by the committee in the particular competition.
Evaluation Groups and the Conference Model
In the fall of 2009, NSERC restructured its 28 Grant Selection Committees (GSCs) into 12 new broad panels called Evaluation Groups (EGs).
Each NSERC Evaluation Group includes scientists from across Canada and sometimes from other countries. While members are chosen to represent the various aspects of a field, it is possible that your EG will not have an expert who is familiar with your specialty. Thus, members of the EGs will be broken down to meet in different combinations called Sections. These Sections carry out the review and evaluation of applications based on the match between their expertise and the specific areas of a subset of applications. This new process is referred to as the “conference model.”
Review Process
In 2009, NSERC also introduced a two-step process, whereby the scientific merit is assessed first using a set of systematic and transparent evaluation measures. The funding level is then recommended in the second step of the process.
Each of the three merit criteria (i.e., excellence of the researcher, merit of the proposal, and contributions to the training of highly qualified personnel) is important and has equal weight when determining the rating for the application. The three merit criteria are assessed using a six-point scale of Evaluation Indicators: Exceptional, Outstanding, Very Strong, Strong, Moderate and Insufficient. The combined scores that Section members assign pre-competition are not binding; they are subject to change as part of the discussion of each application. Decisions are made taking into account the internal reviews, external referees' reports and other factors. Applicants with similar scores are aggregated into combined merit categories or “bins” of comparable overall quality. Each application is also independently rated on a “Relative cost of research” factor, with the options being “normal for the discipline,” or higher or lower than the norm. In the second step, each bin is assigned a funding level.
This information is then relayed to the Group’s Executive Committee, comprised of Section chairs and members of the Committee on Grants and Scholarships (Group Chairs). This Executive Committee is responsible for making the final funding recommendations.
For more information:
Tip: Knowing Your Audience
Check out the membership list for your EG. Knowing who is on the committee will help you determine the level of technical detail to include in your proposal. If you do not recognize an individual, you may be able to read about them on the website of their university or organization. Please note, however, that it is inappropriate to contact committee members regarding your application. |
