NSERC Early Career Researcher

This grant supports early career researchers (within the first five years of a tenure-track appointment) to develop their first successful application as a principal investigator (PI) to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

Guidelines

Terms and Conditions

Eligibility

Principal Investigator

• Holds a full-time tenured or tenure-track position at Carleton at the time of application (i.e., appointment date on or before the applicant submission deadline).
• Be within the first five years of academic appointment.
• Does not hold Tri-council (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, NFRF) funds as a PI at the time of application (excludes fellowships and scholarships).
• Intends to submit a competitive proposal to NSERC as a PI within the next 12 to 18 months.
• Has not been awarded a Research Development Grant (SSHRC Explore, NSERC or CIHR) within the past three years. Previous recipients of a Research Development Grant proposing a similar research project must clearly explain how they are planning to respond to committee comments. 
• NEW: the final report for the previous award must have been submitted.
• Does not hold a SSHRC Exchange Grant: Knowledge Mobilization.
• A professor may only submit one application as a PI or co-principal applicant (co-PI) in a given gate to the Research Development Grant (SSHRC Explore, NSERC or CIHR).

Co-Principal Investigator

• Holds a full-time tenured or tenure-track position at Carleton at the time of application (i.e., appointment date on or before the applicant submission deadline).
• Has not been awarded a Research Development Grant (SSHRC Explore, NSERC or CIHR) within the past three years. Previous recipients of a Research Development Grant proposing a similar research project must clearly explain how they are planning to respond to committee comments. 
• NEW: the final report for the previous award must have been submitted.
• Does not hold a SSHRC Exchange Grant: Knowledge Mobilization.
• A professor may only submit one application in a given gate to the Research Development Grant (SSHRC Explore, NSERC or CIHR).

Team Member

• Anyone is eligible, no CV submission is required.

Budget

Expenses must be eligible under the Tri-Agency Guidelines for Use of Grant Funds.

Eligible Expenses

• Stipends to students and postdoctoral fellows;
• Salaries of technical and professional staff;
• Materials, supplies and services;
• Research travel (e.g., field work); and
• Knowledge dissemination (e.g., travel to present papers at technical conferences).

Note: small equipment (i.e., computers) cannot account for more than one third of the total budget.

Ineligible Expenses

• Professional development activities;
• Partnership-building activities;
• Large equipment and renovations; and
• Teaching release.

Note: transfers of funds to other institutions are not permitted.

Evaluation

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Scientific or engineering excellence of the researcher (20%)
   • Knowledge, expertise and experience of the researcher in the natural sciences and engineering (NSE);
   • Quality and impact of contributions to the proposed research and/or other areas of research in NSE; and
   • Importance of contributions to, and use by, other researchers and end-users.
2. Merit of the proposal (50%)
   • Originality and innovation;
   • Significance of expected contributions to NSE research, potential for policy and/or technology-related impact;
   • Clarity and scope of objectives;
   • Clarity and appropriateness of methodology;
   • Feasibility;
   • Extent to which the scope of the proposal addresses all relevant issues, including the need for varied expertise within or across disciplines;
   • Consideration of sex, gender and other identity factors in the research design, if applicable;
   • Consideration of interdisciplinary methods or practices in research, if applicable; and
   • Appropriateness of, and justification for, the budget.
3. Contributions to the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) (30%)
   • Past contributions to the training of HQP (training environment, HQP awards and research contributions, outcomes and skills by HQP); and
   • Training plan, including training philosophy.

Contact Us

Christine Rivas: christinerivas@cunet.carleton.ca