Applied Research Tools and Instruments grants

Applied Research Tools and Instruments grants is sponsored by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Supports the purchase of research equipment to enhance the capacity of colleges to undertake applied research projects in partnership with industry, public, not-for-profit, and health organizations.

Applied Research Tools and Instruments grants | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Applied Research Tools and Instruments grants $10,000 to $200,000, for one year November 18, 2026, before 8:00 pm (ET) College/Polytechnic/Cégep College and Community Innovation Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI) grants support the purchase of research equipment to foster and enhance the capacity of colleges to undertake applied research projects in partnership with industry, public, not-for-profit and health organizations within their community* and to provide training opportunities for college students.

Regulations, policies and guidelines Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI) grants are one-year awards that support the purchase of applied research equipment, allowing the college to better respond to the innovation needs of its partners and to provide enriched, hands-on training opportunities for college students. *ARTI grants must serve the college’s community or local/regional area (these terms are used interchangeably).

For most colleges, this is the local geographic area where the client or partner organizations that will use the research and employ the students are found. In some cases, depending on the college’s context, the geographic area can span several provinces and/or territories.

Activities supported The applied research equipment ** may be purchased to enhance the capacity of a single, multiple or institution-wide college applied research program(s) in the natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities and health sciences.

It can support projects in any discipline, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for funding across the three federal granting agencies (Canadian Institutes of Health Research [CIHR], Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council [NSERC] and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council [SSHRC]).

The college must fully justify and demonstrate the need and value of the equipment for its partners and applied research program(s) resulting in meaningful economic, environmental, social and/or health impacts for Canadians.

In addition, the college must demonstrate how the utilization of the equipment will be optimized to maximize benefits to partners and contribute to the training of a diverse pool of trainees in an inclusive environment. ** The proposed equipment may be a single item or a collection of items forming a comprehensive system.

A comprehensive system is one in which each tool or instrument forms part of an integrated system of operation to support the applied research program(s). Requests that bundle unrelated tools and instruments together will not be accepted. If requesting more than one item, NSERC may remove expenditures associated with any item found to be inadequately justified.

Equity, diversity and inclusion For information on how to integrate equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) considerations into your research proposal and for links to additional resources, see the Guide to addressing equity, diversity and inclusion in College and Community Innovation program grant applications .

NSERC is acting on the evidence that achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is essential to creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research necessary to advance knowledge and understanding, and to respond to local, national and global challenges.

This principle informs the commitments described in the Tri-agency Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and is aligned with the objectives of the Tri-agency EDI Action Plan . In this funding opportunity, you are encouraged to increase the inclusion and advancement of underrepresented groups to enhance excellence in research and training.

EDI considerations must be integrated into the training, mentorship, and professional development opportunities for students and trainees.

The aim of the proposed actions should be to remove systemic barriers to the recruitment and participation of individuals from underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), persons with disabilities, members of racialized groups and members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

Research involving Indigenous Peoples and communities The nature and extent of meaningful engagement in research should be determined jointly by the relevant individuals or communities and the research team, and appropriate to community characteristics and the nature of the research. Engagement must start at the very beginning of research planning and continue throughout the remainder of the research process.

Applicants whose research involves Indigenous Peoples or communities must consult and consider concepts, principles and protocols in the CCI guide for research involving Indigenous Peoples and communities and other similar guidance. All committee members reviewing applications are also expected to consult and consider the same concepts, principles and protocols.

Where possible, CCI program staff will ensure that reviewers on these applications have experience or expertise in research involving Indigenous Peoples or communities.

Partners and supporting organizations Partners Partners are the organizations that contribute to and implement the applied research results, use these results to help achieve their desired goals, and/or play an active role in mobilizing knowledge to ensure that the results have an impact for Canadians. Colleges may include partners when applying for an ARTI grant, although this is not a requirement.

Following the award of a grant, it is expected that the college will undertake collaborative applied research projects with involvement from partners from the private, public and/or not-for-profit sector(s). If partners are not identified in the application, NSERC will assess the potential of the requested equipment to lead to partnerships.

Partners are expected to: collaborate actively in the college’s research have a credible plan to use the research results to provide economic, social, health or environmental benefits for Canadians have the capability, maturity, and resources to implement the plan Supporting organizations At least one letter should be provided from a supporting organization that outlines their interest in the requested applied research equipment and their anticipated involvement (if applicable) in the applied research and innovation activities of the college using the proposed equipment.

The supporting organization may be a current or future potential partner who will benefit from the acquisition of the equipment but can also be a key organization from the college’s community (e.g., municipal, regional, provincial, territorial and/or federal organizations, associations).

The supporting organization may not require the equipment for their own activities but would like to support the acquisition of the equipment to benefit their region, members, and other organizations within their community. Applications without at least one letter of support will be deemed ineligible and removed from the competition. There is no maximum number of support letters that can be provided.

Although contributions from supporting organizations (cash or in-kind) are not required for ARTI grants, these may strengthen the application by demonstrating the relevance and importance of the equipment to the stakeholders of the college’s community.

If a cash contribution towards the purchase of the equipment is provided by an organization (other than the applicant’s institution), a letter of support is required from the organization confirming this commitment.

Canadian colleges (including CEGEPs and polytechnics) that are declared eligible to administer grants before the application deadline and that meet the eligibility requirements for colleges of any of the three federal granting agencies—the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and/or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)—can apply.

All applications must be submitted to NSERC. Grants are funded by NSERC, except proposals exclusively in the health sciences field, or exclusively in the social sciences or humanities fields, which are funded by CIHR and SSHRC, respectively. Colleges are invited to submit a limited number of applications per competition.

The maximum allowable applications per college will vary from competition to competition based on a number of factors, including budget availability. It is the responsibility of the college to ensure that the number of applications submitted to NSERC does not exceed the permitted limit. For the 2026 ARTI competition, a maximum of three applications can be submitted per college.

For a list of Canadian colleges currently eligible to apply, see the list of eligible institutions for the agency you are applying to ( NSERC , CIHR or SSHRC ). To become an eligible institution, see the Institutional eligibility requirements and the frequently asked questions on institutional eligibility.

$10,000 to $200,000, for one year NSERC will accept applications for research equipment whose total net cost *** is up to $350,000, provided that the applicant is able to secure funding from other sources to bring the amount requested from NSERC to a maximum of $200,000. Funding from other sources must be clearly described in the application and confirmed at the time that the application is submitted.

Following the award of a grant, if the purchase price of the equipment changes and the total costs of the project increase (compared to the original budget), the college will be responsible for any additional costs. ARTI grants must be used only to purchase the specific type of equipment for which the grant was awarded.

Grantees who wish to purchase equipment different from that specified in the application must obtain written permission from NSERC prior to its purchase. Grantees may, however, buy a model different from that requested in the application without prior approval. NSERC will only accept applications for equipment that has not yet been purchased.

All applications are reviewed on a competitive basis. *** Net cost is defined as the purchase cost of the equipment after any discount from the vendor and before taxes, customs and importation fees, transportation and shipping charges, and assembly and installation costs.

The vendor discount must be free of conditions, restrictions or limitations (e.g., cannot be offered in exchange for services from users benefiting the vendor company). For details on the use of grant funds, see the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration . Specific rules for the use of ARTI grant funds This program has exceptions to Part 2 (Use of grant funds) of the guide, detailed below.

Direct costs of research The following expenditures are eligible : Purchase or subscription, for the funded year, of new, used or refurbished equipment; for the repair, upgrade or rental of equipment; for the fabrication of equipment that is not readily available off the shelf; for hardware upgrades; or software licenses, including: taxes for equipment costs paid by the college transportation costs, shipping and handling, extended warranty, brokerage and customs charges travel required for equipment commissioning or for training The following expenditures are not eligible : Insurance costs for equipment and research vehicles Costs of the construction, renovation, or rental of laboratories or supporting facilities (construction consists of any infrastructure changes that would remain if the purchased equipment were to be removed) unless required to meet regulatory requirements Provision(s) in the budget for unforeseen costs (contingency fees, exchange rate variances, etc.) Indirect costs of research Overhead and administration costs equivalent to 20% of the annual grant amount are included automatically in the budget.

Expenditures that are eligible under the Research Support Fund are also eligible under ARTI grants; for example, expenses related to preparing the grant application or producing financial reports. See the Instructions for completing an ARTI grants application for more details. Applications must be submitted through the Convergence Portal .

November 18, 2026, before 8:00 pm (ET) When NSERC receives an ARTI grant application, it first undertakes an administrative assessment to ensure the application is complete and complies with all eligibility requirements. Once the administrative assessment is completed, applications are assigned to a multidisciplinary review committee.

Committee members conduct a merit assessment of applications by using the evaluation criteria and assigning scores based on their assessment. The Lab to Market and College and Community Innovation Programs (LTMCCIP) Steering Committee makes funding decisions based on the review committee’s merit assessment, available budget and other strategic considerations. Evaluation criteria Applications are evaluated on three evaluation criteria.

The proposal must address all of the criteria and sub-criteria below to be considered for funding.

Relevance to applied research at the college (4 points) A demonstrated need for the proposed equipment and evidence that it will increase the college’s capacity for applied research in the area(s) of the proposal The researcher(s)’ relevant experience and demonstrated ability to fully use the proposed equipment The impact on the applied research program of any delay in acquiring the proposed equipment Partnerships and innovation impacts (3 points) The potential for the proposed equipment to foster, stimulate or enable collaborations with partners from industry, public, not-for-profit and/or health organizations The innovation impact of the proposed equipment on current and potential partner-focused projects The availability and access to similar applied research equipment within the region for the college and partner organizations Appropriateness of the equipment training plan to provide college students and other trainees with enriched hands-on applied research training opportunities and marketable skills The quality and extent of training Identification of at least one concrete practice in the equipment training plan to promote a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible training environment All applications will be assessed after the submission deadline, and the assessment will be completed within approximately 16 weeks.

College and Community Innovation – Applied Research Tools and Instruments grants Receiving funding and conducting research If your application is approved for funding, you will receive an award letter, and you must adhere to the terms and conditions set out in it.

Acknowledgment of agency support and public communication about your grant Colleges are required to acknowledge the support of granting agencies (NSERC, CIHR or SSHRC, as applicable) in all communications (verbally and in writing) related to the research and research results.

Furthermore, under Canada’s Official Languages Act , federal institutions, including the granting agencies, must take measures to promote the use of both English and French in Canadian society. Hence, we ask that you acknowledge your agency’s funding in both English and French, verbally and in writing, whenever possible.

For sample text and additional information, visit the Acknowledgement and logos (NSERC), Acknowledging CIHR support or Acknowledging SSHRC support web pages. Before making an official public announcement for both annual and open competition College and Community Innovation grants, including ARTI grants, consult with NSERC’s communications team.

NSERC, in coordination with CIHR and SSHRC, will make an annual announcement of the recipients of ARTI grants. Colleges are asked to refrain from making any public announcements until after this annual announcement has been made. NSERC will notify applicants and college communications offices about this announcement with as much advance notice as possible.

This does not prevent you from confidentially sharing information about your funding with your colleagues and members of your research team or referring to CCI funding in applications for other funding. Your award letter will indicate the start date of your grant. NSERC will normally transfer your grant funds to your college within 30 days of the start date.

Note that applications funded through CIHR and SSHRC may experience additional delays due to inter-agency transfer requirements. Funding decisions should be communicated to applicants by the end of March 2027. Notifying NSERC about changes ARTI grants must only be used to purchase the specific type of equipment for which the grant was awarded.

Grantees who wish to purchase equipment different from that specified in the application must obtain written permission from NSERC prior to its purchase by contacting colleges@nserc-crsng. gc. ca .

Grantees may, however, buy a model different from that requested in the application without prior approval. The administering institution must complete a Grant amendment form and submit it to grantsadministration@nserc-crsng. gc.

ca (with CC to colleges@nserc-crsng. gc. ca ) to inform NSERC of administrative changes such as: Deferral of grant instalment Extension period for the authority to use grant funds Changes to individuals on the grant team (including the applicant) For additional information on administrative changes, consult Part 6: Administrative changes of the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration.

Extension of grants A one-year time extension to use the grant funds beyond the grant end date is automatically provided for all ARTI grants. Contact colleges@nserc-crsng. gc.

ca for additional information on grant extensions. The successful applications will be listed in the Funding decisions table once the funding decisions are made and communicated to the applicants. The table shows funding recipients since 2022 by the year they applied.

You can find older results by searching NSERC ’s, SSHRC and CIHR Awards Databases. Regulations, policies and guidelines NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR support excellent, innovative, and impactful research that advances knowledge and understanding and responds to local, national and global challenges. NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR recognize that equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles are foundational to research quality and impact.

It is essential to recognize and remove systemic barriers that limit the full participation of all individuals and communities, and to integrate EDI considerations in all aspects of research. These principles are integral to the Tri-agency statement on EDI and the Tri-agency EDI Action Plan . For more information, consult the NSERC EDI web page , SSHRC EDI web page and CIHR EDI web page .

Apply: Guide to addressing equity, diversity and inclusion in College and Community Innovation program grant applications Apply: NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research Apply: Tri-agency EDI Action Plan Apply: Tri-agency Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Apply: CCI guide for research involving Indigenous Peoples and communities Apply: ARTI budget template Apply: Instructions for completing an Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI) grant application Apply: College and Community Innovation (CCI) eligibility Apply: College and Community Innovation program partnership guidelines Apply: Resource videos: Strengthening research by integrating EDI considerations in the research process Apply: Tri-agency financial administration Apply: Terms and conditions of applying for applicants Apply: Terms and conditions of applying for co-applicants Apply: Terms and conditions of applying for contributors Apply: Terms and conditions of applying for participants Award: NSERC funding decisions Award: Terms and conditions of award List of eligible Canadian colleges Review: ARTI Peer Review Committee Email: colleges@nserc-crsng.

gc. ca Toll free: 1-855-275-2861 For help with online services Email: websupport@convergence. gc.

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