NSERC Alliance Grants (Advantage stream) is sponsored by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). NSERC Alliance Advantage Grants co-funds collaborative research between Canadian university researchers and industry partners, supporting applied research projects aligned with the partner organization's goals.

Alliance Advantage | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Overview Overview Who? University researchers collaborating with private-sector, public-sector or not-for-profit organizations College faculty can participate as co-applicants How much? $20,000 to $1 million per year How long?

1 to 5 years Application deadline No deadline NSERC is pausing the intake of requests for extensions with additional funds as of February 27, 2025, at 8:00 p. m. (ET).

NSERC has observed unprecedented demand for Alliance Advantage grants and is seeking to maximize opportunities to support new applications for partnered research. NSERC is pausing the intake of requests for extensions with additional funds as of February 27, 2025, at 8:00 p. m.

(ET). Until further notice, NSERC will not consider requests for additional one-year funding for existing Alliance Advantage grants beyond this deadline. Requests received before 8:00 p.

m. (ET) on February 27, 2025, will be processed, and decisions will be subject to the availability of funds. To request an extension with additional funding by this date, please contact your NSERC File Manager.

Other extension opportunities with no additional funding remain available. Funding your research project Review of your application Receiving your funding and starting your project During your research project Frequently asked questions Description Alliance grants encourage university researchers to collaborate with partner organizations, which can be from the private, public or not-for-profit sectors.

These grants support research projects led by strong, complementary, collaborative teams that will generate new knowledge and accelerate the application of research results to create benefits for Canada. Alliance Advantage grants (formerly Alliance cost-sharing option 1) are for partner-driven projects. They fund projects focused on the partners’ goals, with at least one partner sharing in the costs of research.

Research supported by Alliance Advantage grants will: generate new knowledge and/or technology to address complex challenges create economic, environmental and/or other societal benefits contribute to Canada’s long-term competitiveness train new researchers in areas that are important to Canada and partner organizations draw on diverse perspectives and skill sets to accelerate the translation and application of research results For projects with societal impact as the main driver (formerly cost-sharing option 2), see Alliance Society .

Who can apply? If you are a Canadian university researcher who is eligible to receive NSERC funds, you can apply on your own or as a team with co-applicants who are also eligible academic researchers. Adjunct professors working outside the Canadian university sector (e.g., government, industry or colleges) may apply as co-applicants.

You must have at least one partner organization (in the private, public or not-for-profit sector) that can be recognized for cost sharing (see Alliance Advantage: Partner organizations ), but you may include other partner organizations who play an important role in your research project, whether or not their cash contributions are recognized for cost sharing.

Alliance grants support projects of varying scale and complexity, from short-term smaller projects involving one researcher to long-term projects involving researchers across several universities, and from one-on-one collaborations with one partner organization directly involved in the research to projects involving many partner organizations across multiple sectors.

Equity, diversity and inclusion 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 . Excellent research considers EDI both in the research environment (forming a research team, student training) and in the research process.

For Alliance grants, EDI considerations are currently evaluated in the training, mentorship and professional development opportunities for students and trainees.

The aim is to remove barriers to the recruitment and promote the full participation of individuals from underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis), persons with disabilities, members of visible minority/racialized groups and members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities.

Applicants are encouraged to increase the inclusion and advancement of underrepresented groups as one way to enhance excellence in research and training. For additional guidance, applicants should refer to Alliance grants: Equity, diversity and inclusion in your training plan and the NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research .

Research security To ensure that the Canadian research ecosystem is as open as possible and as safeguarded as necessary, the Government of Canada has introduced the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy) and the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP).

For more information about research security at the granting agencies, refer to the Tri-agency Guidance on Research Security . Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern The STRAC Policy addresses risks related to Sensitive Technology Research Areas performed with research organizations and institutions that pose the highest risk to Canada’s national security.

The STRAC Policy applies to this funding opportunity. Applicants must identify whether the grant application aims to advance a Sensitive Technology Research Area.

If so, the submission of attestation forms will be required from researchers with named roles (for this funding opportunity, these are the applicants, co-applicants, and collaborators) to certify that they are not currently affiliated with, nor are in receipt of funding or in-kind support from, a Named Research Organization (NRO) .

The Tri-agency guidance on the STRAC Policy provides more information on applicable procedures and requirements, including responsibilities of researchers and responsibilities of institutions . National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships The National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships integrate national security considerations into the development, evaluation and funding of research partnerships.

These guidelines provide a framework through which researchers, research institutions and Canada’s granting agencies can undertake consistent, risk-targeted due diligence to identify and mitigate potential national security risks linked to research partnerships.

The National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships apply to Alliance grant applications involving one or more partner organizations from the private sector, including when they participate alongside other partner organizations from the public and/or not-for-profit sectors.

For such partnerships, you and your post-secondary institution are required to complete the Risk Assessment form for your research project and submit it as an integral part of your Alliance application. The Tri-agency guidance on the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships provides more information on applicable procedures and requirements.

Refer to How to apply and the instructions for completing an Alliance grant application for further information. Partner organizations Your partner organizations can be private, public or not-for-profit. You may involve whichever partner organizations you need to achieve your research goals and successfully mobilize your research results to achieve the desired impact.

At least one of these partners must have a demonstrated ability to exploit such research results, while other partners may be chosen for their ability to generate and mobilize knowledge. Your partner organizations must collectively support the project through cash contributions, where applicable (see Funding your research project ).

Each partner organization must actively play a role in the project and support it through in-kind contributions.

Such involvement must be achieved by doing at least one of the following: Playing an active role in the project’s research activities Using the project’s research results to help achieve its desired outcomes Playing an active role in translating or mobilizing knowledge to ensure that the research results have an impact Active participation in the project and in-kind contributions are not required from funding organizations (e.g., other provincial or federal funding agencies) providing financial support to the project.

Role of partner organizations In an R&D project considered for an Alliance Advantage grant, the partner organizations must contribute funding to support the project, either individually or collectively. For Alliance Advantage grants, at least one partner organization must be recognized for cost sharing with NSERC and must make cash contributions.

To be recognized for cost sharing, a partner organization must: be listed as a type of organization whose cash contributions can be recognized for cost sharing with NSERC, in section 1 below meet the detailed requirements that apply to the partner organization’s sector (private, Canadian public or Canadian not-for-profit), in section 2 below If your project is receiving funding from other government agencies, these agencies should be included as partners in the application to show the full scope of the project and its financial support.

Funders are not required to participate in the project or provide in-kind contributions, although they may. However, funding from these government agencies may not be included in cost-sharing calculations unless the agency fulfills the criteria for public-sector organizations in the table below and plays an active role in the project.

In reviewing your application for an Alliance Advantage grant, NSERC will assess the relevance of each partner organization, their capacity to translate, mobilize and/or apply the research results to achieve the intended outcomes, and the value of their proposed in-kind contributions. NSERC will prioritize funding to projects that most clearly fulfill the objectives of Alliance Advantage grants.

All partner organizations, including foreign and multinational companies, are responsible for complying with NSERC policies and procedures, and with other Canadian laws, regulations, standards or policies that apply to the collaborative research activities outlined in the proposal. In rare cases, restrictions such as Canadian economic sanctions may apply to partnerships with foreign companies.

The applicant will ask partners to participate in the application by completing a partner organization form (see the instructions ). In addition, at NSERC’s request, a partner organization must provide supplemental information that describes the organization and enables NSERC to determine whether the partner organization can be recognized for cost sharing.

Number of participating organizations If you are applying for an Alliance Advantage grant, you can include just one partner organization or several—whichever you need to support the planned activities (given their size and scope) and produce the desired research results and widest possible benefits.

Your application must demonstrate that the contributions and involvement of the partner organization(s) will create the necessary conditions for the project’s success. Partner organizations recognized for cost sharing To determine which of your proposed partner organizations can be recognized for cost sharing, follow the three steps below. Alternatively, you may complete the partner organization self-assessment tool .

Section 1: Check where each partner organization is listed in the following table.

Types of partner organizations whose cash contributions can and cannot be recognized in NSERC cost-sharing calculations Type of partner organization Cash contributions can be recognized Cash contributions cannot be recognized Private sector Canadian private companies (registered or incorporated) Multinationals with business operations in Canada (see detailed requirements below) Foreign companies (only if they are partnering with a Canadian partner organization that is recognized in NSERC’s cost-sharing calculations) Venture capital/angel investors Companies with fewer than two full-time employees Municipalities and local or regional governments established by or under provincial or territorial statute Provincial/territorial government departments Federal government departments Funding organizations (federal, provincial, territorial, international) whose primary mission is to fund R&D Organizations whose primary mission is to perform R&D Producer groups (typically representing agriculture, aquaculture or viniculture producers) Organizations whose primary mission is to maintain collections (e.g., historical, scientific, artistic or cultural) for the public good, such as libraries, museums, zoos or aquariums Indigenous not-for-profit organizations and communities Not-for-profit organizations whose primary mission is to fund R&D and are funded or controlled primarily by government Post-secondary institutions Incubators and accelerators Hospitals and medical/clinical research institutes Consortia with the majority of their funding originating from government sources Foreign not-for-profit organizations Section 2: If the partner organization’s type is listed above as being recognized for cost sharing, then determine whether it meets the following detailed requirements.

Requirements for partner organizations’ cash contributions to be recognized in NSERC cost-sharing calculations (includes Canadian public or private for-profit companies) Partner organization must: be federally or provincially/territorially registered or incorporated have at least two full-time employees All companies with fewer than five full-time employees must complete the Partner organization supplemental information questionnaire and attach it to the NSERC application have staff with relevant expertise to collaborate actively in the project carry out R&D and/or produce goods or provide services in Canada operate from its own offices or facilities All companies operating from a home address or a virtual work setting must complete the Partner organization supplemental information questionnaire and attach it to the NSERC application have the financial, managerial and technical capacity to exploit the results of the proposed research within Canada generate revenue from sales or derive the majority of its revenues from private-sector investment (i.e., government aid does not represent the majority of its revenues) operate independently (e.g., have a board of directors or similar oversight) The following two situations will be considered for NSERC cost sharing: The multinational company has business operations in Canada, and it plans to make its in-kind contributions toward your research project from any of its Canadian locations.

In this case, the company’s Canadian-based operations must meet the partner organization requirements outlined in the Canadian private sector category . The multinational company is either headquartered in Canada or operates a Canadian subsidiary that meets both of the following conditions: it has more than 100 employees and it either produces goods/services in Canada or conducts R&D in Canada.

(Note: the provision of sales and/or after-sales services of goods produced outside of Canada does not meet the definition of producing services in Canada.) In this case, the company must have the financial, managerial and technical capacity to exploit the results of the proposed research within its Canadian subsidiary.

The company has the option to make some or all of its in-kind contributions to your Canadian research project from any of its locations outside Canada. The following requirements must be met and the benefits to Canada and Canadians must be clearly demonstrated.

The location(s) outside Canada that is/are chosen to contribute to the collaboration must: have R&D facilities and capabilities suitable for the project have the research and financial capacity to collaborate in the project carry out business activities that are aligned with the research objectives The value of the cash contributions recognized by NSERC will be determined in Canadian dollars at the time of application for the duration of the grant and will not be adjusted by NSERC to reflect fluctuations in the currency exchange rate.

(defined as a company incorporated outside of Canada that does not carry out R&D or produce/manufacture goods or services in Canada) participate with at least one Canadian partner organization that is recognized in NSERC’s cost-sharing calculation and meets all of NSERC’s partner organization requirements demonstrate that it has the research and financial capacity to collaborate in the project clearly outline in the proposal the benefits to Canada and Canadians of including the foreign company in the research project The cash contribution toward the project will be recognized as it is for Canadian companies.

The value of the cash contributions will be determined in Canadian dollars at the time of application for the duration of the grant and will not be adjusted by NSERC to reflect fluctuations in the currency exchange rate.

Crown corporations (including other public organizations owned by Crown corporations) Municipalities, local or regional governments established by or under provincial or territorial statute Provincial/territorial or federal government departments Must have staff who will play an active role in the project’s research activities and either: have a mandate to create or modify policy or regulation that is relevant to the proposed project and the capacity to use the research results, or have the capacity to exploit the research results directly for economic gain In some cases, funding from a grants and contributions program may be recognized for cost sharing if the above conditions are met.

(typically representing agriculture, aquaculture or viniculture producers) be legally established as an organization under applicable federal, provincial or territorial statutes have a mandate to coordinate and fund research on behalf of their members in areas of importance for the commodities the organization represents and/or to mobilize knowledge to encourage the growth and sustainability of the industry demonstrate in the proposal that staff or committees with relevant expertise to collaborate in the project will be involved throughout the project, either through one of the organization’s boards or committees or through one or more of the organization’s members clearly outline in the proposal the roles and contributions of the organization’s members who intend to participate in the project, if applicable disseminate information to all members; translate and mobilize knowledge from the project to members and indicate how its impact will be measured clearly outline in-kind contributions through project design, project oversight, meetings, or through participation of staff, board or committee members or member producers clearly outline training of highly qualified personnel through the producer group or its members be legally established as an organization under applicable federal, provincial or territorial statutes have the mandate to coordinate and fund research in areas of importance for the group or sector the organization represents demonstrate in the proposal that staff with relevant expertise to collaborate in the project will be involved, either directly or through one or more of the organization’s members clearly outline in the proposal the roles and contributions of the organization’s members who intend to participate in the project clearly outline in the proposal a credible plan to exploit the research results and demonstrate the availability of resources to implement the results, either directly or through one or more of the organization’s members clearly outline in-kind contributions, typically by the association members with project management by the association clearly outline training of highly qualified personnel, typically through the involvement of a member company or member companies be registered with the Canada Revenue Agency and appear on its List of charities and certain other qualified donees employ staff with relevant expertise to collaborate in the project (e.g., historical, scientific, artistic or cultural) for the public good such as libraries, museums, zoos or aquariums employ staff with relevant expertise to collaborate in the project have the ability to contribute to guiding the research have the ability to contribute to guiding the research employ staff with relevant expertise to collaborate in the project have a credible plan to exploit the research results, and the necessary resources to implement the results National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships In the case where your NSERC Alliance application involves one or more partner organization from the private sector, including when they participate alongside other partner organizations from the public and/or not-for-profit sectors, you must complete the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships’ Risk Assessment form and submit it as an integral part of the application.

The requirement to submit the completed Risk Assessment form applies to industrial associations since their member organizations are principally from the private sector. When filling out the form, you must consider the association’s private-sector member organizations participating in the project (when applicable) and/or those that will exploit the research results.

Conflict of interest guidelines for collaborations with partner organizations These guidelines changed as of December 5, 2023 to provide flexible access to NSERC Alliance grants while ensuring that funds are used responsibly and all research participants are protected.

NSERC requires applicants, co-applicants and other participants in Alliance grants to report any conflict of interest to their institution before applying for a grant and as a condition of accepting an award. Institutions must assess conflicts of interest and implement mitigation plans to comply with conflict of interest requirements in the Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions .

All participants must also adhere to the Tri-agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research (2021) . Under the agreement and framework, conflict of interest encompasses not only real but also perceived or potential conflicts of interest. NSERC encourages participants to discuss conflicts of interest at the earliest stages of developing a partnership.

Transparency in disclosing affiliations, relationships and sources of funding is also important to ensure that research is conducted in line with best practices for research integrity and research security . The best means to minimize potential impacts of conflicts of interest is to declare such conflicts and develop and implement a mitigation plan. What is a conflict of interest?

The guiding principles below refer to this broader definition of “conflict of interest. ” When activities or situations place an individual or institution in a conflict between the duties or responsibilities related to research and personal, institutional or other interests, this is considered a conflict of interest.

Such interests include national or international business, commercial, financial or other interests of the institution, the individual, their family members, friends, or their former, current or prospective professional associates. Divided loyalties may consciously or unconsciously bias researchers and institutions, adversely affecting research outcomes and the welfare of participants.

As researchers or institutions, you must assess conflicts of interest when conducting research, as such conflicts may jeopardize the integrity of the research and the protection of participants. As a researcher, you must transparently disclose any conflicts of interest to your institution and all participants in the proposed research activities, including trainees.

When necessary, you must take steps to minimize and manage these conflicts according to your institution’s conflict of interest policy and disciplinary standards. All participants should always strive to avoid conflicts of interest. As a researcher, you must make prospective participants aware of all conflicts of interest at the earliest stage so they can make an informed decision about their participation.

As researchers, institutions and research ethics boards, you should identify and address conflicts of interest to discharge professional and institutional obligations, maintain public confidence and trust, and ensure accountability.

For more information, refer to the: Terms and conditions of applying for applicants Terms and conditions of applying for partner organizations Research topics You can apply to support any R&D project that seeks to respond to a research challenge in the natural sciences or engineering (see Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency ). However, you cannot use an Alliance grant to support secret or contract research.

Collaborating outside the natural sciences and engineering Developing and implementing policies or directly applying your research results may depend on socio-economic or other requirements, as well as scientific understanding beyond the natural sciences and engineering (NSE). You are encouraged to collaborate with academic researchers in fields other than the NSE.

Such researchers may be co-applicants for Alliance grants if they meet NSERC’s eligibility criteria for faculty . Research costs for these collaborations and/or activities outside the NSE can represent up to 30% of the cost-shared project costs (see Cost sharing ) and must be specifically identified in the project budget justification.

Collaborating internationally To increase the impact of Canadian NSE research in the global research community, you may incorporate international collaborations into your project proposal. You may interact with foreign colleagues in a variety of ways to enhance collaboration and increase your project’s impact.

Refer to the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration regarding the eligibility of expenses you may incur in support of such collaborations. Funding your research project You and your co-applicants may receive funds from multiple sources to cover the costs of your research project.

These sources of funds could include the following: Alliance grant funding from NSERC to cover the direct costs of the research, in proportion to the amount provided by the partner organizations recognized for cost sharing (see Cost sharing ) Cash contributions from your partner organizations for the direct costs of your research project (not including overhead) Cash provided by the university or by external sources, such as other funding agencies The funds from NSERC and the partner organizations must be paid to eligible universities and cannot be used to buy equipment, products or services from any partner organization, or to cover any part of the travel and travel-related subsistence expenditures for partner organization personnel.

For Alliance Advantage, expenses that are direct costs of research and essential for the success of the project incurred by partners that are Indigenous organizations in the public or not-for-profit sectors may be included in the application budget. Please consult with NSERC before submitting your application. NSERC funds can only be applied to expenses incurred after an award is approved.

Cost sharing NSERC’s grant is calculated on the basis of cost sharing with partner organizations. The portion of the cost of your project that can be shared with NSERC includes only cash contributions from partner organizations that are recognized for cost sharing (see Cash contributions from partner organizations ).

You can include cash contributions that were spent up to three months before the application is submitted to start the project. However, NSERC funds can only be applied to expenses incurred after an award is approved.

The calculation of the amount you can request from NSERC does not include cash contributions from: partner organizations that are not recognized for cost sharing Alliance Advantage Limit on number of applications per year: none Value: over $20,000 to $1 million per year Duration: one to five years At least one partner up to an unlimited number of partners.

Partners can be from the private sector, government or not-for-profit organizations NSERC contribution to project’s direct costs To calculate the maximum amount of NSERC funding you may request, you must: determine the total project cost subtract any cash contributions from partner organizations not recognized for cost sharing, such as the university or other funders; the result must equate to the total cash contributions from partner organizations recognized for cost sharing plus the NSERC request To show the full scope of the project, you must include all of the project's direct costs funded by sources other than NSERC in the budget table.

All costs must be explained in the proposal and will be considered in the merit assessment of your proposal. In-kind contributions are important for the success of the project even though they are not taken into account in the cost-sharing calculations with NSERC. All partner organizations participating in the project must play an active role and make in-kind contributions through such involvement.

In-kind contributions are considered in the merit assessment of your proposal (see Evaluation criteria ). Cash contributions by partner organizations toward expenses other than the project’s direct costs (e.g., cash contribution toward an institutional research chair held by the applicant) may be described in the proposal to provide broader context about the depth of the partnership.

Such contributions are not taken into account in the cost-sharing calculations with NSERC and must not be included in the total project cost. Voucher for early career researchers If you are an applicant who is an early career researcher (see Discovery Grants: What is an early career researcher? ), you can apply for a $10,000 voucher to replace some or all of the required cash contributions from your partner organizations.

The $10,000 will be counted as part of cash contributions from partners in calculating NSERC’s funding toward the project. NSERC matches partner contributions in a 2:1 ratio for Alliance Advantage grants. Therefore, the $10,000 voucher will be matched with $20,000 for a total of $30,000.

Vouchers are being offered through a pilot program to make it easier for early career researchers to participate in Alliance Advantage grants and to involve partner organizations. The pilot program will provide vouchers to up to 200 eligible researchers. You must submit a letter of intent (LOI) through NSERC’s online system (see Alliance Advantage — Letter of intent and redemption: voucher for early career researchers ).

The LOI involves providing basic information about yourself and attaching your personal data form with CCV (Form 100A) . You must submit your LOI by February 22, 2024, 8:00 p. m.

(ET). If NSERC receives more than 200 LOIs, it will choose recipients through a random selection process.

Eligible expenses You can include only NSERC-eligible direct costs of research in your project budget, such as: Salary support for research trainees (undergraduates, graduates and postdoctoral fellows) to perform research and related training Salary support for technicians and research professional personnel Activities that support collaborations and knowledge mobilization related to the project Activities to develop and grow the research collaborations with the partner organizations Refer to the guidelines on the use of grant funds in the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration .

You can also include the costs of equipment, provided that the equipment is: essential to achieving the objectives of the research project incremental to the equipment already available at the university or at the partner organization’s location If your total expected equipment cost (including operation and maintenance) exceeds $400,000 over your project’s duration, then you should apply for an alternate source of funding, such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) John R.

Evans Leaders Fund. NSERC and CFI have developed a joint application and review procedure for these cases. You may contact NSERC or CFI for more details.

Project management costs may be an eligible expense, up to 10% of the total direct research costs (see Guidelines for research partnerships programs project management expenses ). The need for project management expenses must be explained in the budget justification section. Extension of grants Your grant can be extended in various ways.

You can take advantage, as required, of two types of extensions: an automatic one-year extension without additional funding or an additional one-year extension without additional funding for extenuating circumstances. These extensions can also be combined.

Automatic one-year extension (no additional funding) Following the initial period of your grant, NSERC will automatically extend your grant for one year to allow you to complete your planned activities. No additional funding is provided for this automatic one-year extension. Automatic extensions do not apply to special Alliance calls funded jointly with other organizations unless mentioned in the special call.

Additional one-year extensions for extenuating circumstances (no additional funding) If you need additional extensions due to justifiable extenuating circumstances, you can apply for these using a grant amendment form . Such extensions are up to one year at a time and do not include additional funding. How to apply You can apply at any time.

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