NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program

Sponsor’s Website

Visit the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) website for more information on the Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program.

Internal Contact

Kate Swan: kate.swan@carleton.ca

External Deadlines

Overview

The CREATE program supports the training and mentoring of teams of highly qualified students and postdoctoral fellows from Canada and abroad through the development of innovative training programs that: 

• Encourage collaborative and integrative approaches, and address significant scientific challenges associated with Canada’s research priorities.

• Facilitate the transition of new researchers from trainees to productive employees in the Canadian workforce. 

These innovative programs must foster the acquisition and development of important professional skills among students and postdoctoral fellows that complement their qualifications and technical skills, and improve their job readiness for careers in industry, government, non-governmental organizations and/or academia. 

Value and Duration

Up to $150,000 in the first year and up to $300,000 for up to five subsequent years, for a maximum of $1.65 million over six years.

Eligibility

CREATE grants are tenable only at NSERC-eligible Canadian universities, and the applicant must hold an eligible position at that university. Researchers at non-eligible organizations may participate as collaborators.

Visit the NSERC website for more information on eligibility to apply.

Institutional Quota

Carleton is allowed to submit an unlimited number of LOIs, but only two regular stream LOIs will be invited forward to the full proposal stage.

For the 2027 competition, NSERC will fund one additional CREATE initiative through quantum funding announced in Budget 2025 as part of the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy. The initiative will help advance the strategy’s workforce development priorities by supporting training opportunities that result in skilled and technologically proficient research trainees in areas including, but not limited to, quantum communications, quantum sensing, quantum materials, quantum computing and quantum software. Applications will be evaluated through the normal CREATE peer-review process, but applications should include “quantum” in the title. LOIs submitted to the Quantum call are not included in each university’s allotment of LOIs advancing to the application stage. Each university can submit up to one LOI for the Quantum call.

Information Sessions

NSERC will be holding an information session on Monday, February 9th from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Please contact Kate Swan (kate.swan@carleton.ca), Institutional Research Facilitator, for details.

Submitting Your Application

Internal Process

The internal process consists of two stages:

1. Internal Expression of Interest (EOI)
   • Please complete the internal EOI form ASAP or by February 27, 2026
2. Carleton-adjudicated NSERC CREATE LOI
   • Please complete by March 23, 2026
   • This internal LOI form is developed each year and mirrors NSERC’s Form 187. Details on LOI requirements will be available in late February 2026.

Internal Evaluation

A multi-disciplinary internal review committee is established each year to review the internal LOI submitted for consideration. Committee members will review each LOI against the NSERC evaluation criteria related to “merit of the proposed training program” (60%) and “excellence of the team of researchers” (40%) and then meet to discuss the merits of each proposal.

For applications in the regular stream, the committee will share feedback with the Carleton Office for Research Initiatives and Services (CORIS) and the applicants regarding the strengths and weaknesses of each LOI, in addition to making recommendations as to whether they are sufficiently developed to submit for consideration for the current round or would benefit from extra time in development. As there is no mandatory quota, teams may choose to go forward and submit the LOI to NSERC for formal adjudication.

Each university is allowed to submit one LOI to the Quantum stream. If more than one LOI is submitted for internal evaluation, the committee will make recommendations to the Vice-President (Research, Innovation and International) who will decide which LOI will be submitted to NSERC.

External Submission Steps

1. Submit an internal Approval Form through our central awards management database cuResearch by April 24, 2026. Consult the user’s manual for guidance.
2. Submit the Letter of Intent to NSERC through their online portal by May 1, 2026 at 8 p.m. Please note: it is not a two-stage submission at the LOI stage (i.e., when you submit, your application proceeds directly to NSERC rather than through CORIS).

External Evaluation

The NSERC CREATE selection committee will adjudicate all submissions and select the two strongest regular-stream LOIs led by Carleton to invite forward to the full proposal stage.

The LOI submitted to the Quantum call within the university’s allocation will automatically be invited forward to the full proposal stage.