Canadian researchers work with international colleagues to pursue new knowledge, technologies, and solutions to complex problems. These collaborations strengthen research excellence in Canada and abroad, and NSERC recognizes the need to support engagement with international collaborators to further develop areas of Canadian research strength and leadership. By combining the expertise of Canadian and leading international researchers, it is expected that Canadian researchers will leverage the best international knowledge to help address important research challenges in the natural sciences and engineering (NSE) disciplines and will provide trainees with an outstanding research environment.

Alliance International will provide support for researchers in Canada to work with leading international researchers from the academic sector, and to establish and grow international research collaborations and projects that have a high potential for impact in NSE disciplines. The overall objectives are to: 1) allow Canadian researchers to initiate the development of international collaborations; and 2) provide support for Canadian researchers participating in international collaborative projects of global importance and benefit to Canada. Two grant types are offered: Catalyst grants and Collaboration grants.

Catalyst grants will provide funding for one year to support Canadian researchers in initiating international research collaborations in the NSE disciplines. These grants will allow Canadian researchers to identify and initiate the first stage of collaboration with the intent of

• supporting exploratory research activities
• initiating exchanges for Canadian personnel where appropriate

Collaboration grants will allow Canadian researchers to participate in international projects and leverage the best international expertise in the NSE disciplines to help address research challenges of impact and benefit for Canada. International academic collaborators are expected to have already secured funding from their own national funding agency for the collaborative project and identified the Canadian academic researcher(s) in their proposal. This proposal must have been peer-reviewed. The eligible Canadian researchers participating in the international project can then apply for a Collaboration grant to cover the costs of their participation in the global-scale project. The funding obtained by the international academic collaborator(s) will be recognized for cost sharing. This funding must be at least equal to the amount requested from NSERC.

These grants cannot be used to support secret or contract research, nor can they be used to support the work or expenses incurred by the international collaborator(s).

At all times, Canadian researchers are encouraged to exercise appropriate levels of due diligence when managing their research and establishing and/or continuing partnerships with national, international and multinational organizations. Resources to do so are provided by the Government of Canada on the Safeguarding Your Research portal, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships. NSERC reserves the right to request additional information, as needed, before making a final funding decision.

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. You and any Canadian co-applicants must have an active NSERC peer-reviewed grant, as primary applicant, at the time of application. The Alliance International funding stream is only intended to fund academic to academic collaborations. Your international academic collaborator must be the equivalent of an assistant/associate/full professor from an accredited degree-granting postsecondary institution. For this funding opportunity, non-academic collaborators and partner organizations (private, public or not-for-profit sectors) are not permitted.

In the case of an Alliance International Collaboration grant, your international collaborator must have secured funding from their own funding agency within three months prior to the time of your application to NSERC. The foreign funded project can not involve non-academic participants or partner organizations, whether or not these would collaborate directly with you.

Your international collaborator(s) must be from the academic sector, and they must have secured funding from their national funding agency to cover their participation in the project. Each collaborator must actively play a role in the project. Such involvement must be achieved by doing at least one of the following:

• Actively participating in the project’s research activities
• Providing an enriched training experience for Canadian research trainees
• Utilizing the project’s research results to help achieve its desired outcomes

You must explain in your application the added value of the international collaboration for Canada and of your selected international collaborator(s).

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 Alliance International to support secret or contract research.

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 International if they meet NSERC’s eligibility criteria for faculty. Research costs for these collaborations can represent up to 30% of the project costs and must be specifically identified in the project budget justification.

NSERC will provide funding for the research undertaken by eligible  Canadian applicants. All expenditures are subject to the principles and directives governing the appropriate use of grant funds outlined in the Tri-agency guide on financial administration. You must only include NSERC-eligible direct costs of research in the budget submitted to NSERC. Your international academic collaborator(s) is (are) expected to bring their own resources to the collaboration. Costs incurred by your international academic collaborator(s) are not eligible, and you do not need to include these in your budget submission to NSERC.

The funds from NSERC must be paid to eligible Canadian universities and cannot be used to buy equipment, products or services from any collaborating organization.

NSERC will provide 100% of the funding for Alliance International Catalyst grants, up to $25,000 for one year.

The amount you can request for an Alliance International Collaboration grant will depend on the amount of funding obtained by your international academic collaborator(s) from their own national funding agency. The funding secured by your international collaborator(s) will be recognized for cost sharing purposes. This contribution must be at least equal to the amount requested from NSERC. NSERC will provide up to $100,000 per year, for up to three years, to support the costs of your participation in the international project. To secure the maximum amount ($100,000 per year) your international academic collaborator(s) must obtain at least $100,000 per year from their national funding agency. In the Budget justification section of your proposal (form 101), you must include information on the annual support obtained by your international collaborator(s). Please note that all amounts are in Canadian dollars.

Grants awarded to international collaborators after September 21, 2021, (three months before the launch of the NSERC program) will be accepted for cost-sharing purposes until March 31, 2022. Consistent with other Alliance streams, we will accept, on an ongoing basis, applications where international collaborators are already in place (have secured their funding) for up to three months before an application to NSERC is submitted. For example, if your international academic collaborator secures their funding on July 1, 2022, then you will have until October 1, 2022, to submit your Collaboration grant application to NSERC. The three-month window aligns with our current policy for recognizing contributions from partner organizations for cost-sharing in Alliance Option 1 and Option 2 streams. In all cases, the Canadian research team, and a description of their part of the research project, must have been included in the proposal submitted by the international academic collaborator to their funding agency.

You can only include 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
• materials and supplies
• activities that support collaborations and knowledge mobilization related to the project
• activities to develop and grow the research collaborations with the international collaborator(s)

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 to your international collaborator(s)

For projects involving multiple international collaborators and/or universities, you may also include project management costs, up to 10% of the total direct research costs (see Guidelines for research partnerships programs project management expenses).

• You can apply at any time. Follow the instructions for completing an Alliance International application, fill out the proposal template and complete the other sections of your application.
• The limit of applications, review mechanisms and expected assessment times may differ for each type of grant.
• See also Terms and conditions of applying for applicants.

You are limited to one application within a 12-month period as either applicant or co-applicant. It is expected that a maximum of 100 grants will be awarded per year. You and any Canadian co-applicants must hold, as primary applicant, an active NSERC peer-reviewed grant at the time of application.

Submit your grant application and supporting documents, including the Personal data form with Common CV attachment for the applicant and all co-applicants, and the biosketch of your international collaborator(s) through NSERC’s online system. You can apply at any time.

You are limited to one application within a 12-month period as either applicant or co-applicant. You and any Canadian co-applicants must hold, as primary applicant, an active NSERC peer-reviewed grant at the time of application.

Submit your grant application and supporting documents, including the Personal data form with Common CV attachment for the applicant and all co-applicants, and the biosketch of your international collaborator(s) through NSERC’s online system. You can apply at any time. To confirm funding from your international academic collaborator(s) for this project and to confirm your role in the project, you must append the research proposal from your international collaborator(s) to your application, as well as their award letter (these documents are for NSERC’s internal use only).

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 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 the 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.

When NSERC receives an Alliance International application, it first undertakes an administrative assessment to ensure the application is complete and that it complies with all requirements. Once the administrative assessment is satisfactorily completed, NSERC proceeds with the merit assessment of the application.

NSERC reserves the right to select the most appropriate review process, regardless of the amount of funding requested.

The merit of your application is evaluated using the following five equally weighted criteria. The proposal must address all of the criteria and sub-criteria to be considered for funding.

Relevance and expected outcomes

• Significance of the research and the intended outcomes, and the potential for generating new knowledge in natural sciences and engineering (NSE) and further developing areas of Canadian research strength and leadership

Collaboration

• Added value of the proposed international collaboration for Canada and the rationale for the selected international collaborator(s)

Training

• Opportunities for enriched training experiences for research trainees (undergraduates, graduates, postdoctoral fellows) to develop relevant research skills as well as professional skills such as leadership, communication, collaboration and entrepreneurship (where possible and relevant, international experiences for Canadian trainees are encouraged)

Equity, diversity and inclusion

• Consideration of equity, diversity and inclusion in the research and training environment (for guidance, consult the Equity, diversity and inclusion in the training plan document)

Need for funds

• Budget commensurate with the requirements of your participation in the international research project
• Appropriateness of, and justification for, the planned expenditures

NSERC uses established merit indicators to rate each evaluation sub-criterion/criterion.

At all times, Canadian researchers are encouraged to exercise appropriate levels of due diligence when managing their research and establishing and/or continuing partnerships with national, international, and multinational partners. Resources to do so are provided by the Government of Canada on the Safeguarding Your Research portal, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships. NSERC reserves the right to request additional information, as needed, before making a final funding decision.

NSERC’s funding decision will take into consideration the merit evaluation, as well as the assessment of potential risks for Canada’s national security, when applicable.

NSERC will use the merit indicator ratings assigned to applications to select proposals for funding on a competitive basis. Decisions stemming from the national security risk assessment will be based on the risks identified and the mitigation measures proposed.

NSERC is committed to achieving these service standards for 80% of applications, recognizing that some proposals may require additional time.

If your application is approved for funding, you will receive an award letter, and you must adhere to the terms and conditions set out in it.

Your award letter will indicate the start date of your project. NSERC will normally transfer your grant funds to your university within 30 days of that start date.

NSERC recommends that you and your university follow best practices by signing a research agreement that defines the intellectual property rights and obligations of all organizations involved in your research project. The agreement must be aligned with NSERC’s policy on intellectual property, which promotes the use and/or exploitation of knowledge and open access to results of research funded by NSERC.

Note:

• NSERC claims no rights of ownership to any intellectual property generated from projects funded by Alliance International.
• NSERC’s policy on intellectual property stipulates that each of your students must maintain their right to defend their thesis without delays or impediments.
• All participants, including any trainees, should consult this policy to ensure that they are aware of their rights and obligations.

You must acknowledge NSERC support in any communications or presentations about your research supported by Alliance International.

You must report regularly on how you use the funds from your grant, the activities you carry out during your funded project and the outcomes of this project. You will be informed of reporting requirements upon receiving your award letter.

Subsequent instalments of your grant depend on (1) a demonstrated need for NSERC funds and (2) adherence to all other conditions specified in the terms and conditions of an award.

You must notify NSERC if any of your international collaborators leave the project. In this case you should discuss with NSERC the impact on your ability to achieve the original goals of the project and whether the project may need to be amended or terminated.

If you fail to provide the requested feedback, your subsequent applications may be denied.

NSERC automatically provides an extension period of one year for using the grant funds. This extension period allows you to complete your research activities planned for within the specified term of your grant.

Email: allianceinternational@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
Toll free: 1-855-275-2861