Description

NSERC invites interested applicants to their upcoming webinar for the NSERC Discovery Horizons pilot program. No registration is required and interested applicants may join the webinar via the Microsoft Teams links below.

A short presentation of the program will precede a Q&A session. The webinar will be recorded and distributed to this mailing list shortly after.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Furthermore, NSERC would like to share with you some answers to frequently asked questions:

Can applicants who hold a Discovery Grant (DG) submit a letter of intent (LOI) to the Discovery Horizons (DH) program?

  • No. Active DG holders are not eligible to submit an LOI to the DH program.
  • Following the very high volume of letters of intent received in the first two years of the DH program, and to support the program’s objectives, eligibility requirements were revised.
  • However, applicants whose DG will expire, or whose DG is automatically extended without additional NSERC funds, may apply to the DH program.

Can applicants and co-applicants who have held a DH grant since 2022 or 2023 apply to the DG program in future years?

  • The change in eligibility applies since 2024 DH competition, meaning that grantees from the 2022 or 2023 DH competitions are still eligible to apply to the DG program while holding their DH grant.

Can applicants who are applying for a DG submit an LOI to the DH program the same competition year?

  • Individuals can apply to both programs, meaning they can submit an LOI to DH and an NOI to DG, but those invited to submit a full proposal to DH will have to choose which program they would like to submit a full application to, depending on the nature of the proposed research.

Can applicants who hold a Discovery Development Grant submit an LOI to the DH program?

  • Yes. Applicants holding a Discovery Development Grant are eligible to apply to the DH program.

Can co-applicants be from non-NSE disciplines (for example, economics, sociology)?

  • As long as faculty members meet all eligibility requirements, they can be from any discipline. However, in the DH proposal, they must demonstrate that their participation will advance knowledge in the NSE.

Can outstanding DG installments be declined to accept DH funding?

  • DG holders must terminate their DGs before the June deadline to submit an LOI to the DH program. Termination of a grant is final. If their DH LOI or application is not successful, they will not be able to reinstate their DG grant, nor will they be able to apply to the current DG competition. They will have to wait until the following summer to apply to either the DG or DH program.

Can applicants hold a DH grant and a Subatomic Physics (SAP) Discovery Grants program (individual or project) award at the same time?

  • No. Applicants who hold an SAP Discovery Grants program (individual or project) award are not eligible to apply for DH.

Is it mandatory for applicants to have research activities that involve Indigenous Peoples and communities?

  • Applicants are welcome to submit applications that include research activities involving Indigenous Peoples and communities, but this is not a mandatory requirement for the DH program.

Does a DH proposal need to represent research across all three of the traditional disciplines of the granting agencies: social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health and wellness?

  • No. Discovery Horizons proposals must have a primary objective of advancing knowledge in the NSE and must involve interdisciplinary research spanning at least one additional discipline outside the NSE. Proposals are not required to include all three traditional disciplinary domains of the granting agencies.

How does the DH program and the Tri-agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review process differ from the interdisciplinary research funded under the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF)?

  • The NFRF was also created to fund interdisciplinary research in response to the Fundamental Science Review’s recommendations. It focuses on high-risk, high-reward and fast-breaking research, and supports research that proposes novel interdisciplinary approaches that bring together disciplines that do not traditionally work together. Please see the New Frontiers in Research Fund website for more details. Discovery Horizons, as well as the other funding opportunities reviewed by the Tri-agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee, will complement NFRF by focusing instead on investigator-initiated interdisciplinary research projects that align with the core funding programs at each of the three granting agencies, including research projects that use existing interdisciplinary approaches.

Can I submit the same application to more than one of the funding opportunities participating in the Tri-agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee?

  • No. Applicants may not submit identical or essentially identical applications to more than one funding opportunity participating in the Tri-agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee: NSERC’s DH program, SSHRC’s Insight Grantsand Insight Development Grants programs, and CIHR’s Project Grants program. In addition, all applications must meet the eligibility requirements and guidelines of the funding opportunity to which they apply. As a result, it is important to consult the funding opportunity’s web page.

How do I determine which funding opportunity to apply to in order to have my application reviewed by the Tri-agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee?

  • Applicants should apply to the agency funding opportunity that supports the dominant research area of their proposal.

Will interdisciplinary applications that fall entirely within the research areas of one agency be considered by the Tri-agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee?

  • No. Applications that fall entirely within the research areas of one agency should be directed to existing committees or evaluation groups, based on the practice and criteria of each agency. For example, interdisciplinary research solely within the natural sciences and engineering, with no social sciences, humanities, health or wellness components should be directed toward another NSERC program, such as the DG program.

Can a non-NSE applicant be the lead applicant on the DH application?

  • Yes. A non-NSE applicant may be the lead applicant, provided they meet all the eligibility criteria and apply together with a researcher from the NSE. The proposed research activities in the application must respond to the three objectives of the NSERC Discovery Horizons program. For eligibility-related questions, you may contact eligibility@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
Alert Classifications
Category:
Workshops and Events

Disciplines:
Health and Life Sciences
Humanities
Information and Communications Technology
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Social Sciences