Sponsor

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

Program

Discovery Grants

For More Information

• List of evaluation groups and research topics [1]
• Peer review manual [2]
• FAQ on the evaluation of the HQP criterion [3]
• Discovery Grants merit indicators [4]
• NSERC Discovery Grants process for decisions on mandate eligibility [5]
• Relationship between NSERC proposals and other sources of funds [6]
• DND/NSERC Discovery Grant Supplement [7]
• Discovery Grants Northern Research Supplement [8]
• Subatomic Physics Discovery Grants program [9]
• Discovery Grants information centre [10]
• Discovery Grants: applicant categories [11]
• NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research [12]
• NEW - Guidance on the STRAC Policy [13]

NSERC Q&A Sessions

• Thursday, August 21, 2025 from 1 - 2:30 pm (ET): Live Q&A session August 21, 2025 [14]
• Thursday, September 11, 2025 from 1 - 2:30 pm (ET): Live Q&A session September 11, 2025 [15]
• Tuesday, September 16, 2025 from 1 - 2:30 pm (ET): Live Q&A session September 16, 2025 [16]

You can also review their Pre-recorded videos [17] and NSERC's DG presentation [18]. 

Description

The Discovery Grants (DG) program supports ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances. Discovery Grants are considered “grants in aid” of research, as they provide long-term operating funds and can facilitate access to funding from other programs but are not meant to support the full costs of a research program.

Recipients of Discovery Grants are not restricted to the specific activities described in their applications and may pursue new research interests, provided they are within NSERC’s mandate and adhere to the principles and directives governing the appropriate use of funds as outlined in the Tri-agency guide on financial administration [19]. This provides researchers with the flexibility to pursue promising research avenues as they emerge and the opportunity to address higher risk topics. Researchers can use their grants to participate in collaborative efforts. 

Applicants are expected to increase the inclusion and advancement of under-represented and disadvantaged groups in the natural sciences and engineering field, as one means to enhance excellence in research and training. Applicants should refer to the Discovery Grants application instructions and the Guide for applicants: Considering equity, diversity and inclusion in your application [20].

The Discovery Grants Program assists in:

• Promoting and maintaining a diversified base of high-quality research capability in the natural sciences and engineering field in Canadian universities;
• Fostering research excellence; and,
• Providing a stimulating environment for research training.

For full details on the program, please visit the NSERC Discovery Grants [21] program webpage.

Eligibility

Applicant Eligibility

• Eligibility for applying for/holding an NSERC grant [22]:
  • Hold (or have a firm offer) of an appointment at an eligible Canadian institution [23] to hold grant funds. If the offer of a position is still pending approval at the time of application, the appointment must be confirmed in writing to NSERC within six weeks following the application deadline. Your appointment must be ratified by the person(s) or body responsible for approving appointments or their authorized delegate(s).
    • The appointment can be:
      • Permanent (no fixed end date)
      • A term or contract that can be renewed during the grant term if the eligible appointment is not established for the full grant term.
  • Your responsibilities at the eligible Canadian institution must include engagement in research that is not under the direction of another individual; and,
  • For university applicants or co-applicants, permission to supervise and/or co-supervise the research of students or postdoctoral fellows. The supervision of postdoctoral fellows or thesis supervision of students registered in an undergraduate or graduate degree program would meet this requirement. The supervision of regular course or laboratory assignments is not considered to be supervision or co-supervision of students.
• While there are no specific sections dedicated to naming or describing specific collaborations, it is at the applicant’s discretion if they would like to disclose such information.
• Applicants are categorized as either Early Career Researchers or Established Researchers. Refer to the Discovery Grants: applicant categories [11] for more information.
• Researchers can apply for and hold only one Discovery Grant at a time. Researchers who hold a Discovery Grant cannot reapply for another Discovery Grant until the last year of their current award. If you currently hold a team grant and wish to apply individually, consult NSERC.
• Individuals cannot hold both a Discovery Grant and a Discovery Horizons grant. This rule has been effective from the 2024 competition year onwards.

Subject Matter Eligibility and Funding from Other Sources

Applicants to the Discovery Grants program must present a program of research that is eligible under NSERC’s mandate, which is to promote and assist research in the natural sciences and engineering field, other than health. The objectives of the research program must be to advance knowledge in the natural sciences or in engineering. The application will be rejected if NSERC determines, at any time during the review cycle, that the subject matter is outside of its mandate. Refer to Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency [24], the Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health [25], the Peer review manual [26] and NSERC Discovery Grants process for decisions on mandate eligibility [27] for further information on the eligibility of subject matter.

Applicants to the Discovery Grants program must present a program of research that is conceptually distinct from research supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

NSERC encourages researchers to obtain funds from other sources to support the full costs of the research program presented in their Discovery Grant application, as long as the funding source is not CIHR or SSHRC and the funds cover different expenses from the ones proposed in the Discovery Grant application.

Indirect Costs

0%

Project Duration

Grants are typically for five years.

Please note: Researchers can apply for and hold only one DG at a time. Researchers who hold a DG cannot reapply for another DG until the last year of their current award.

Special Notes

Research involving Indigenous Peoples and Communities

NSERC defines Indigenous research as research in any field or discipline related to natural sciences and engineering that is conducted by, grounded in, or meaningfully engaged with First Nations, Inuit, Métis or other Indigenous Nations, communities, societies or individuals, and their wisdom, cultures, experiences or knowledge systems, as expressed in their dynamic forms, past and present. For additional guidance on NSERC’s expectations, read the CCI guide for research involving Indigenous Peoples and communities [28].

Please note: For the 2025 competition, NSERC has developed the new Indigenous Engagement & Collaboration Agreement (IECA) template for the 2026 Discovery Grants cycle. The template will be required at the full application stage for any proposal that includes Indigenous research and will be downloadable from the full application instructions in August.  A copy of the template has been provided in the attachment section. 
 

Sensitive Technology Research Areas

If an applicant selects "Yes", for this section in the application, they must complete and attach an attestation form to their grant application. In accordance with the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern [29], all researchers involved in the activities supported by a research grant that aims to advance a Sensitive Technology Research Area (STRA) must review the List of Named Research Organizations [30]. By using the attestation form template [31], the applicant must complete an attestation form certifying that they have read, understood, and are compliant with this policy. For more information, please read the Tri-Agency’s detailed guidance [32] for this policy. The applicant must complete and upload the attestation form as a single PDF file in the research portal.

If you have questions about this policy or need guidance to determine whether this policy applies to your research area, please contact the University's research security team at research.security@uoguelph.ca [33].  
 

NSERC Live Webinars and Pre-recorded Videos

NSERC is replacing live webinars with pre-recorded videos followed by live Q&A sessions. This series is meant to assist the research community on how to complete an application using the Research Portal [34] and the NSERC Canadian Common CV [35] (CCV). Pre-registration is not required to attend the live Q&A sessions. Please note, NSERC staff may not have time to respond to all individual questions during the session. Any additional questions should be directed to their support team at resgrant@nserc-crsng.gc.ca [36].

For complete details on the live Q&A sessions and to access the pre-recorded videos, please visit the NSERC webinars [37] webpage.

How to Apply

Applicants must have successfully submitted a Notice of Intent (NOI) in order to be eligible to submit a Full Application. This is a mandatory step in the application process.

The full application including List of References, Budget Justification and Samples of Research Contributions (maximum of 4 reprints or preprints and/or manuscripts, excerpts from your thesis, technical reports, etc.) along with a Canadian Common CV, are to be submitted electronically to RSO via the NSERC Research Portal [39].  Upon approval, RSO submits the final version on behalf of the University using the Research Portal [39].

Attachment(s)

Attachment	Size
Indigenous Engagement and Collaboration Agreement Template-e.docx [40]	84.66 KB