Funding opportunity
| Who? | Canadian university researchers in the natural sciences and engineering fields working with university collaborators from the United States on use-inspired research to foster the design, discovery, and development of materials to accelerate their path to deployment by harnessing the power of data and computational tools in concert with experiment and theory. |
|---|---|
| How much? | Up to CAN$100,000 per year |
| How long? | 4 years |
| Application deadline | February 4, 2025, 8pm (EST) |
Description International collaborator(s) Research topics Funding Apply Review Award Post-award Resources Contact
Please consult the Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF)
This is a joint initiative between the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the US National Science Foundation (NSF). Recognizing the potential for international collaboration to accelerate materials research and education objectives, the NSF encourages bilateral cooperation between US and Canadian academic researchers.
The world is facing technological and economic challenges, from building and maintaining resilient infrastructures, sustainable energy production, transportation and storage, dependence on critical minerals, and the development of innovative technologies to power the economy.
Canada is a leader in many areas of material development, including advanced manufacturing, aerospace, clean energy, infrastructure and transportation, building, and other specialized materials. Materials research advances several Canadian government priorities, such as the circular economy (
The DMREF program offers a unique opportunity for Canadian academic researchers to team up with their US colleagues to build interdisciplinary teams of researchers working synergistically to build the fundamental knowledge base needed to advance the design and development of materials in pursuit of the following goals:
- Unify the Materials Innovation Infrastructure (MII), a framework of integrating advanced modelling, computational and experimental tools, and quantitative data
- Harness the power of materials data
- Educate, train, and connect the materials research and development workforce
Through a lead agency model, the US Principal Investigator (PI) will submit a single collaborative proposal on behalf of the research team, which will undergo a review process by NSF, the lead agency. In parallel, the eligible participating Canadian researchers on the team must submit one simplified application to NSERC. Please refer to the
DMREF emphasizes a deep integration of experiments, computation, and theory, the use of accessible digital materials data across the materials development continuum, and strengthening connections among theorists and experimentalists, as well as academia, industry, and government.
The objective is to significantly accelerate materials and molecular discovery and the discovery-to-use timeline by building the fundamental knowledge base needed to advance the design and manufacturing of materials and molecules with social importance, with desirable properties or functionality by harnessing the power of data and computational tools in concert with experiment and theory.
DMREF will accordingly support activities that significantly accelerate the materials discovery-to-use timeline by building the fundamental knowledge base needed to advance the design, development, or manufacturability (i.e., properties relevant to manufacturing, process-property relationships, property performance metrics, potential pathways for scale-up, economic feasibility, supply chain considerations, or life cycle issues) of materials with desirable properties or functionality.
This aligns with emerging technologies, including
If you are a Canadian university researcher eligible to receive NSERC funds, you can apply independently or as a team. If you apply as a team, your co-applicants must meet
Each Canadian team should submit only one application to NSERC for their participation in a DMREF proposal. You may participate as an applicant on only one DMREF proposal, but you may be a co-applicant or collaborator on multiple proposals. Researchers from colleges who meet NSERC’s eligibility requirements may participate as co-applicants.
Other researchers and organizations (e.g., from the public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors) can participate as collaborators. Refer to the
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
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 the 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 excellence in research and training. For additional guidance, applicants should refer to
NSF DMREF applicants must address diversity, equity, inclusion and access (DEIA) considerations in the NSF portion of their application following
To ensure that the Canadian research ecosystem is as open as possible and as safeguarded as necessary, the Government of Canada has introduced the
Applicants must identify whether the grant application aims to advance a
The
You must collaborate with at least two US-based researchers who meet the NSF eligibility requirements. One of these researchers must assume the role of Principal Investigator (PI) for the NSF grant. The PI is responsible for submitting the complete NSF application package to NSF. Your collaboration may include other US researchers who meet the
To increase the impact of Canadian research, you may incorporate other international collaborators into your NSERC proposal. However, these researchers must secure their own funding to cover the cost of their research activities. You may interact with foreign colleagues in a variety of ways to enhance collaboration and increase your project’s impact. Refer to the
Private, government or not-for-profit partners are not required for this funding opportunity. However, you may include partner organizations in your research project if you wish, in which case the
As NSERC’s funding will be provided via an NSERC Alliance grant, Canada’s
Canadian partners are organizations from the private, not-for-profit or public sector who have been brought into the project by you and your team. They must be listed in the NSERC application (see
Partner organizations directly involved in the NSF proposal do not need to be listed in the NSERC application.
This call supports activities that significantly accelerate the materials discovery-to-use timeline by building the fundamental knowledge base needed to advance the design, development, or manufacturability (i.e., properties relevant to manufacturing, process-property relationships, property performance metrics, potential pathways for scale-up, economic feasibility, supply chain considerations, or life cycle issues) of materials with desirable properties or functionality.
The proposed research must involve a collaborative and iterative closed-loop process wherein theory guides computational simulation, computational simulation guides experiments, and experimental observation further guides theory. The integrated research activities could involve some combination of the following:
- Strategies to advance fundamental knowledge related to materials design and manufacturability through testing methodology, which may include novel synthetic approaches, innovative processing or advanced characterization techniques.
- Theory, computation/simulation, and modelling that leverage machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), data mining, or sparse approximation to predict behaviour or assist in simplifying the analysis of multidimensional input data.
- Automated, high-throughput, and/or autonomous experimentation, including cyber-physical systems that streamline and optimize the search of a materials space.
- Validation through synthesis, growth, processing, characterization and/or device demonstration.
This call is open to all materials research topics; however, the NSF has identified the following seven US national priority themes:
- Protecting and improving human health
- Delivering sustainable and resilient energy
- Thriving in extreme environments
- Enhancing structural performance
- Protecting the environment
- Propelling the information and communication technologies revolution
- Advancing critical and emerging technologies (
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Releases Updated Critical and Emerging Technologies List )
Please refer to the
Canadian applicants interested in collaborating with their US colleagues applying to the NSF DMREF call are encouraged to consider supporting the development of the following areas of importance to Canada:
- cleaner sources of energy, as well as the replacement of traditional fuels by electrification, leading to the reduction of emissions. This may include, but is not limited to, clean production and corrosion related to the storage and distribution of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, rare-element free magnets, battery materials, catalysts and cathodes for clean hydrogen production, recycling, etc.;
- low-carbon materials;
- carbon management, capture and conversion, etc.;
- bio-sourced and biodegradable polymers and plastics, reducing the environmental footprint and fostering a circular economy;
- electromagnetic and functional materials, quantum materials, sensors;
- the economically viable manufacturability of key materials, scale-up production and transformation.
Research efforts could include enhancing diversity and equity within material research and development, expanding investments in equity-focused science and equity-advancing efforts to advance better and more equitable outcomes.
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 grants if they meet
NSERC’s total budget allocation for this call is expected to be CAN$4 million over four years. You can request up to CAN$100,000 per year for four years to support the costs of your participation in the DMREF project. The budget and justification details must be presented in Canadian funds. The anticipated funding level is subject to the availability of funds.
You must include a budget and budget justification for funds requested from NSERC in the Supplementary Documentation section of the application submitted to NSF.
The funds from NSERC must be paid to eligible Canadian universities and cannot be used to buy equipment, products or services from any collaborating or partner organization.
All expenditures are subject to the principles and directives governing the appropriate use of grant funds outlined in the
Examples of eligible direct costs of research include:
- salary support for research trainees (undergraduate and/or graduate students 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 DMREF project
- activities to develop and grow the research collaborations with the international partner(s)
Refer to the guidelines on the use of grant funds in the
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 your institution or your Canadian or international partner(s)
Your total expected equipment cost (including operation and maintenance) cannot exceed 30% of the total budget.
If applicable, the cost of
There should be no duplication of funding requests for the same items on budgets submitted to NSERC and budgets submitted to NSF.
Important: The US Principal Investigator (PI) for your partnership is responsible for submitting the complete application package (including the research proposal) to NSF, following
Canadian researchers involved in a DMREF project must be identified in the NSF application.
To be a Canadian applicant or co-applicant on a DMREF application, you must be working in a research area supported by NSERC and meet
As the Canadian applicant, you must submit a simplified application package to NSERC, and on behalf of any additional Canadian co-applicant if applicable, at the same time that the US PI submits the full application to NSF.
NSERC: You must submit your application via
Important: Institutions may have an earlier deadline. Applicants should contact their research grants office for that internal deadline.
Every Canadian research team member participating in the DMREF grant application (the applicant and all co-applicants) must create an account in the
As the applicant, you are responsible for providing the following documents and information to NSERC via the online system by the application deadline:
- A completed form 101 (application for a grant) containing a summary of your proposed research and keywords.
- List your NSF PI as a collaborator on form 101. You do not need to include a biosketch for the NSF PI and co-PIs.
- The Canadian simplified proposal template (
available here ) includes: - Title of the proposal submitted to NSF
- Name of the US PI
- Names and affiliations of collaborators and/or partners on the Canadian team from the private sector, if applicable
- A discussion on the relevance and expected outcomes; the benefit to Canada and the roles and responsibilities of the Canadian team in the DMREF project; the Canadian training plan; and the concrete innovative measures supporting equity, diversity and inclusion in the training plan
- If applicable, the
Impact assessment form (Appendix A) must be completed and uploaded to the Impact assessment section of your application. Attestation forms from each researcher with a named role if your application aims to advance aSensitive Technology Research Area (STRA) - A Risk Assessment Form must be completed as part of the Partnerships module in the application, if applicable.
- A budget (in Canadian dollars) and accompanying justification for the funds you are requesting from NSERC. Budgets must identify expenses related to non-NSE activities if applicable.
- A completed and up-to-date personal data form with
CCV attachment (form 100A) for yourself and all Canadian co-applicants; college faculty may submit a CCI format CV. - Do not include a copy of the proposal your US collaborator submitted to the NSF. NSERC will be given access to that proposal by the NSF.
Instructions for submitting the above-mentioned documents and information to NSERC on behalf of the Canadian research team:
- Log in to
NSERC’s online system and select Create a new form 101. - Select Research partnerships programs, then Alliance grants.
- For the Proposal type field, select Letter of Intent.
- For the Type of call field, select NSF-DMREF from the drop-down menu.
By submitting an application, you, your co-applicants and your partners (when applicable) agree to the NSERC
The information you provide in your application is collected under the authority of the
If you submit a proposal under this call, you agree that information in your proposal may be shared between NSERC and the NSF for purposes consistent with the program objectives. Participants are responsible for ensuring they are aware of the NSF rules concerning the disclosure of information in the proposal. Participants should also ensure they are aware of the policies surrounding NSF programs and
NSERC is committed to supporting Indigenous research. NSERC defines Indigenous research as research in any field or discipline related to the 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.
We encourage you to consider the relevant concepts, principles and protocols for any research involving Indigenous People and communities, which are outlined in the following documents:
- The Tri-agency’s strategic plan,
Setting new directions to support Indigenous research and research training in Canada , identifies strategic directions guided by the following key principles of self-determination, decolonization of research, accountability and equitable access. Tri-Council Policy Statement 2 (TCPS 2) - Chapter 9: Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada - SSHRC’s definition of
Indigenous research Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act
All NSF and NSERC eligibility requirements must be met before submitting an application. Each agency is responsible for reviewing the eligibility of its researchers, institutions and subject matter.
When your simplified Alliance application is received, NSERC first undertakes an administrative assessment to ensure the application is complete and complies with all requirements.
NSERC will review the eligibility of Canadian participants on DMREF proposals using the simplified Alliance application.
In supporting research partnerships that endeavour to obtain the greatest possible benefits to Canada and for Canadians, NSERC reserves the right to:
- determine the eligibility of proposals and request additional information from Canadian applicants, as may be required for the review of their application;
- interpret the regulations and policies governing the national funding opportunities;
- apply conditions to individual grants as appropriate;
- terminate, suspend, reduce the amount or duration, or change the terms and conditions of an award with due notice to comply with Government of Canada laws, regulations, policies and directives, which are subject to change.
NSF intends to return, without review, proposals that do not meet the eligibility requirements. Only applications deemed eligible by both NSF and NSERC will proceed to merit assessment.
Full applications submitted to the NSF will be reviewed in competition with other proposals using the NSF’s
The merit of your NSF application will be assessed using the evaluation criteria outlined in the
Specifically, reviewers will be asked to assess proposals using the following approved National Science Board criteria:
- Intellectual Merit: The Intellectual Merit criterion encompasses the potential to advance knowledge.
- Broader Impacts: The Broader Impacts criterion encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to achieving specific, desired societal outcomes.
In addition to the above, the following specific criteria will be used to assess DMREF proposals:
- How effectively does the proposed work help accelerate materials discovery, understanding, and/or development by building the fundamental knowledge base needed to progress toward designing and making materials with specific, desired functions or properties?
- How effectively does the proposed research use collaborative processes with iterative feedback among tasks? Do the materials synthesis/growth/processing techniques, characterization/testing methodology, theory/mathematics, data science, and computation/simulation aspects of the project strongly interact with each other to promote significant advances in each of these components and advance materials design?
- How effectively does the proposed work provide training for the next generation of scientists and engineers, educated in a multidisciplinary, integrated experimental and computational approach to materials research? Has adequate data-related training been provided for students and postdoctoral researchers, as needed?
- How appropriate is the Data Management Plan for the type of data that the project is expected to create? How effectively does the proposal convey that the digital data generated by the project will be made freely available within a reasonable time from publication, without the need for request to the investigator, in a way that the data is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR)?
NSF and NSERC will determine recommendation outcomes for the proposals submitted to NSF which have undergone a merit review. NSERC’s funding decision will take into consideration the NSF merit review.
When making its funding decisions, NSERC will take into account the involvement of the Canadian team as described in both the NSF application and in the NSERC proposal, as well as the benefit to Canada and the concrete measures to support EDI in the training plan as laid out in the simplified Alliance proposal you will submit to NSERC.
Where applicable, NSERC’s funding decision will consider the potential risks for Canada’s national security pursuant to the
Once a funding decision has been made, the US PI will receive feedback about their proposal. NSF will send the PI copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers or any reviewer-identifying information. NSERC will provide separate notifications of awards to the Canada-based researchers on successful proposals.
If your application is approved for funding, you will receive an award letter from NSERC. You must adhere to the
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 and NSF intend to coordinate award timing as much as possible.
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
Notes:
- NSERC claims no rights of ownership to any intellectual property generated from projects funded by the NSF-NSERC DMREF initiative.
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
You must report regularly on how you use the funds from the grant, the activities you carry out during your funded project, and the project’s outcomes. You will be informed of reporting requirements upon receiving your award letter. You may be required to report separately to NSERC in addition to any reporting requirements imposed on the NSF portion of the grant.
Subsequent instalments of your grant depend on (1) a demonstrated need for NSERC funds and (2) adherence to all other conditions specified in the
You must notify NSERC of any changes to the Canadian research team and 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 project’s original goals 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.
If you cannot complete your planned research activities within the specified term of your grant, you must notify NSERC. You may then be allowed an additional one-year period to complete your project using existing funds. This extension is not automatic.
DMREF webinar slides NSF DMREF webinar video recording and slides
- Date and time: Thursday, November 21, 2024 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (ET)
- Event page registration:
https://nsf.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_hKdOqc86Rhm6KPn5r31RMw#/registration
- Date and time: Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024. 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m (ET)
- Event page registration:
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/1817f68e-9531-4ad8-a173-4b88f8b8ba34@fbef0798-20e3-4be7-bdc8-372032610f65
- Date and time: Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024. 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (ET)
- Event page registration:
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/390afbc5-b3eb-460f-b40e-6bbeaff88821@fbef0798-20e3-4be7-bdc8-372032610f65
NSF solicitation: Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF) NSERC-DMREF application template Attestation forms for researcher with a named role if application aims to advance aSensitive Technology Research Area (STRA) National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships’ risk assessment form Terms and conditions of applying for applicants Terms and conditions of applying for partner organizations
Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
Alliance grants: Equity, diversity and inclusion in your training plan Tri-agency statement on equity, diversity and inclusion Tri-agency EDI action plan
Email:
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