Sponsor
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)
Program
Whale Science for Tomorrow
For More Information
NSERC - Whale Science for Tomorrow
Description
The Government of Canada is committed to taking actions to protect endangered whale populations. Through funding provided in Budget 2018 and the Government of Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) are partnering to support research that will enhance scientific research on marine mammals in Canada with a focus on southern resident killer whales, North Atlantic right whales, and the Saint Lawrence Estuary population of beluga whales. In particular, research on whale health (such as effects of contaminants) and condition (in the context of threat identification), effectiveness of threat mitigations, and whale assessment methodologies (including innovative survey technologies) are directly relevant to DFO’s programs and priorities.
Whale Science for Tomorrow is intended to provide support for activities that will:
- Enhance the ability of Canadian universities to support the Government of Canada’s whale conservation objectives;
- Broaden the base of whale protection and recovery research in Canada;
- Accelerate the development of a new generation of marine mammal scientists;
- Ultimately increase the scientific information available to support government decision-making and conservation efforts for priority whale species.
Eligibility
Eligible researchers must hold a full-time, term, adjunct or emeritus appointment with a Canadian university.
The Evaluation Criteria outlined below will be considered by reviewers when evaluating the applications:
- Excellence of researcher(s): The researcher(s) involved must have the expertise required to address the defined objectives. The contributions of individuals to the research effort must be clear. Team composition must take into account diversity and gender equity considerations.
- Merit of the proposed activities: The application should detail the quality, originality and scope of the proposed activities and how they will contribute to the objectives of the Whale Science for Tomorrow Initiative: research on whale health (such as effects of contaminants) and condition (in the context of threat identification), effectiveness of threat mitigations, and whale assessment methodologies (including innovative survey technologies, etc.) with a focus on southern resident killer whales, North Atlantic right whales, and the Saint Lawrence Estuary population of beluga whales.
- Relevance to Canada: The research activities should generate results that will further knowledge, provide benefits to partner organizations, and support the objectives of this program (described above).
- Contribution to training: The opportunities to develop the next generation of scientists in this area and the measures to advance diversity and gender equity within the project’s training activities should be outlined.
- Budget: The budget justification must show how the budget supports the proposed activities and administrative costs. The appropriateness of the overall budget will also be evaluated.
Funding Availability
$3M
Maximum Project Value
Individual projects should not exceed $1M.
Note: Part of the funding will be administered directly by DFO and must respect the program requirements of the DFO Ocean and Freshwater Science Contribution Program. Under these requirements, DFO’s contribution must not exceed 50% of eligible costs of any project for private sector recipients and 75% of eligible costs of any project for other recipients. NSERC’s funds will be administered according to its use of grant funds guidelines, outlined in the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide. The maximum level (stacking limit) of total government assistance (federal, provincial, and municipal assistance for the same eligible expenditures) must not exceed 100% of eligible expenditures.
Indirect Costs
15% on DFO’s full contribution; 0% on NSERC's contribution
Project Duration
Up to 5 years
Deadlines
If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.
| Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Internal Deadline | Please send an email to research.services@uoguelph.ca notifying of your intention to submit an application by the end of the day Thursday, July 26, 2018, so the university allocation of a single application can be managed if necessary. Institutional approval to submit the application resides with the Associate Vice-President Research Services. | |
Internal Deadline | The selected applicant must submit the full application, along with signed OR-5 to research.services@uoguelph.ca one week prior to submission to NSERC. Researcher to click "submit" online prior to submitting to the Office of Research Services. | |
External Deadline | Office of Research Services will forward the application to NSERC on behalf of the applicant. |
How to Apply
Only one application per university may be submitted - please indicate your interest in applying to research.services@uoguelph.ca by 4:30pm Thursday, July 26th, 2018. The decision resides with the AVPR on which application will move forward to NSERC.
A complete application includes:
- an Application for a Grant (Form 101);
- a Personal Data Form (Form 100) for each applicant and up to five co-applicants (up to five Form 100s from co-applicants may be submitted; additional co-applicants should be listed in the Proposal section of the application);
- Refer to the attached Instructions for Completing an Application for a list of all of the documents required for a complete submission
Information For Co-applicants
If you need to meet a deadline set by the lead institution for this opportunity, please ensure that you provide the Office of Research with at least five days in advance of the lead institution’s deadline to review the application, or your proposed component of the project. Please be in touch with the Office of Research (contact information below) ahead of the deadline if it looks like it will be difficult for you to submit all the required documentation on time (i.e. budget, proposal, OR-5 Form).
Attachment(s)
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 Instructions for Completing an Application - Whale Science for Tomorrow | 114.78 KB |