Sponsor

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada

Description

The Synergy Awards for Innovation honour partnerships of strong, complementary and collaborative teams who have generated new knowledge and accelerated the application of research results to create benefits for Canada and Canadians. The awards recognize outstanding teams who have combined their expertise and resources to create partnerships resulting in significant impacts.

Eligibility

The nominated partnership must be for research in the natural sciences or engineering. It must have also been supported, in whole or in part, by at least one NSERC research partnerships grant, i.e., Engage, Collaborative Research and Development, Strategic Partnerships (Projects or Networks), Industrial Research Chairs, Idea to Innovation, Alliance or Calls for Collaborative Research Projects. The grant must have contributed to establishing the partnership or contributed significantly to solidifying the partnership.

 and be between at least one Canadian university professor, or group of professors and one or more partnering organizations from the private, public (non-academic) or not-for-profit sectors. One member of the academic team must be designated as the nominee and all others, as applicable, as co-nominees.

An individual, team of individuals or a college may be nominated for the NSERC Synergy Awards for Innovation and other major NSERC prizes in the same year, but can receive only one such prize in a given year. There is no limit to the number of nominations for the Synergy Awards for Innovation that a university or college can put forward in a given competition.

Prize

University: $200,000 NSERC Research Grant

Industrial Partners: $50,000 voucher towards a cash portion of their required contribution in a new research partnerships grant

Special Notes

Nominated partnerships are expected to promote approaches that increase the inclusion and advancement of women and other under-represented groups in the natural sciences and engineering. See the Guide for Applicants in considering equity, diversity and inclusion.

Nominees: All nominees must read and agree to the Terms and Conditions Form for Nominees.

Nominators: Before a nominator submits documents to NSERC, they must read and agree to the Terms and Conditions Form for Nominators. 

How to Apply

The Vice-President (Research) encourages nominations for this prestigious award, and will serve as nominator for those nominees recommended by the Honours and Awards Advisory Committee. If you wish to nominate a colleague or to be considered for VPR nomination:

1. We recommend discussing your interest in this award with your College Research Manager and Associate Dean (Research).
2. Complete the Expression of Interest document.
3. Send the completed Expression of Interest document and a CV to ailsakay@uoguelph.ca and copy your College Research Manager by the internal deadline.

Career interruptions due to parental leave, family care, extended illness, or community responsibilities will not negatively impact the committee’s assessment of a candidate’s research productivity. These will be taken into consideration when EOIs are assessed.

If your nomination will be submitted by a nominator other than the VPR, please submit the nomination directly to the sponsor by the external deadline. Please also submit a copy of the full nomination and OR-5 to research.services@uoguelph.ca.

For More Information

For more information, please contact ailsakay@uoguelph.ca or visit the NSERC -Synergy Award website.