Up to six Arthur B. McDonald Fellowships are awarded annually to recognize early-stage academic researchers in the natural sciences and engineering, and to support them in enhancing their research capacity so that they can become leaders in their field and inspire others. Arthur B. McDonald Fellowships were previously known as the E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowships.

As an eligible candidate, you may self-nominate by preparing the nomination materials listed below and submitting them to your university for consideration as part of its contingent of applicants. Nominations are reviewed by a multidisciplinary committee, and should therefore be written for non-specialists.

As the nominee, you must include the following in your nomination package:

1. A nomination letter with two major sections:
   • Description of nomination (maximum 3 pages if written in English and 4 pages if written in French). Address why you deserve consideration for the McDonald Fellowship, taking into account these selection criteria:
     • research achievements and impacts
     • outreach, mentorship and leadership
       
       Outreach refers to any scientific communication that engages an audience beyond the research community. It may focus on specific research (knowledge mobilization) or on science and engineering topics more broadly (science promotion). Audiences may include policymakers, journalists, industry, undergraduate students, underrepresented groups in the natural sciences and engineering, or the general public (youth or adults), among others. Outreach can improve the impact of research, promote the role of science in evidence-based decision making, advance equity, diversity and inclusion in the research ecosystem, increase science literacy and the appreciation of science in society, and counter science-related misinformation.
       
       Mentorship refers to the formal or informal relationship between a mentor and mentee, where the mentor provides advice, counsel and support to foster the growth and development of the mentee. Topics may include learning and career guidance, networking, developing proposals and applications, effective collaborations, and navigating interpersonal conflicts, among others. Mentorship is distinct from training, which is provided by a supervisor or trainer as part of a skills education program. Mentorship can help mentees to boost confidence, overcome challenges, develop and advance learning and career goals, and improve inclusion, especially for mentees from underrepresented groups.
   • Future directions (maximum 3 pages if written in English and 4 pages if written in French)
     • research vision: Describe how your research represents an original or innovative concept or line of inquiry and how it will advance a research area or areas in the natural sciences and engineering, and if applicable, its policy- or technology-related impact.
     • proposed research: Describe the research you propose to carry out during the duration of the award. The proposed research must be primarily in the natural sciences and engineering. Considering equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the research process promotes research excellence by making research outcomes more ethically sound, rigorous, reproducible and useful. It is important to consider EDI through each stage of the research process including, but not limited to, the research questions, design, methodology, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of results and integrate these considerations where relevant. Consult Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations at each stage of the research process and the video Strengthening research by integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in the research process for more information.
     • training of highly qualified personnel (HQP): Describe your approach to training and mentoring HQP and to ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion in the research and training environment.
2. An NSERC Personal data form (Form 100) (no page limit)
   • You must complete the Most significant contributions to research and/or to practical applications section. A wide range of contributions to research, training and mentoring are considered and valued in the merit review process, with a focus on the quality and impact of these contributions. See NSERC’s guidelines on the assessment of contributions to research, training and mentoring. When research, training or mentoring occurs in the context of a large collaboration, it is important to explain your role in contributing to the collaboration’s overall achievements in these areas.
   • You do not need to limit your contributions to the last six years. (Note: If your contributions exceed 5 pages, you may append additional pages to the final nomination document).
   • Identify any eligible leaves of absence (for example parental leave, personal illness, chronic illness, mental illness, or disability associated with reduced research activity, leave taken for family-related illness or responsibilities, bereavement, extraordinary administrative duties, or delays related to COVID-19) within the last 10 years in the Delays in Research Activity section in consultation with NSERC’s guidelines on interruptions in research, training and mentoring. You do not need to describe or explain personal details (such as illness or treatment), but rather the impact on your research activity. Please:
     • state the type of eligible leave (e.g. parental leave, delay related to COVID, etc.) and duration of the circumstances
     • calculate the percentage of reduction in time devoted to regular research, training and mentoring activities during the specified time period
     • and include the impact of the interruption on your research and training activities
   • Include Appendix A of Form 100 in your nomination package
3. Page one of the Application for a grant (Form 101). Note that signatures on Form 101 are not required

   • Sensitive Technology Research Areas
     In accordance with the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC), the nominee must indicate whether research activities supported by this grant will aim to advance any of the listed areas in the Sensitive Technology Research Areas (STRA) List.

     • the STRA List includes technologies at various stages of development, notably where the concern is the advancement of a STRA during the course of the research
     • research that will merely use an existing specific application of technology is not considered advancing any of the listed areas
     • research areas outside of the listed sub-categories are not considered sensitive for the purposes of this policy

     For more information, please read the Tri-agency Guidance on the STRAC Policy.

4. An Impact assessment form (Appendix A), if required
5. An External reviewer suggestions form
   • external reviewers should not be members of your institution, former professors or supervisors, or current or former collaborators or colleagues. See the Conflict of interest and confidentiality agreement for review committee members, external reviewers and observers for more details.
   • NSERC strongly recommends that you suggest a cross-section of reviewers such as international and Canadian researchers, early career to established researchers, researchers from underrepresented groups, including women, and researchers at a variety of academic and non-academic institutions with expertise in your area of research.
6. An Attestation for Research Aiming to Advance Sensitive Technology Research Areas form, if you answered ‘Yes’ to the question ‘Will the proposed research activities supported by this grant aim to advance any of the listed sensitive technology research areas?’ in the Application for a grant (Form 101) (the third document in the nomination package, described above)
7. A Terms and conditions form for nominees, signed by you. It is your responsibility to retain a copy of the agreed terms and conditions for your records (do not use the encrypted digital signature function)

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.

To promote equity, diversity and inclusion, institutions should ensure that all eligible candidates are considered and given the opportunity to self-nominate. The Canada Research Chairs web page, Creating an Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive Research Environment: A Best Practices Guide for Recruitment, Hiring and Retention, describes how an institution can identify and select nominees to achieve these aims. On the McDonald Fellowship institution certification of nominee form (see additional details), institutions must summarize the process they used to identify and select nominees, as well as how they applied best practices in equity, diversity and inclusion.

Your institution must certify its support for your nomination by completing the McDonald Fellowship institution certification of nominee form. This form is mandatory.

Your institution must confirm your eligibility and explain how it will fully relieve you of teaching and administrative responsibilities while you hold the award. The certification form will not be shown to the selection committee. Institutions may certify up to six nominations to NSERC.

The certification form must include the following information:

• Eligibility: the date, position and institution of your first independent academic appointment as well as the total length of eligible delays in research or periods of inactivity since starting the position (Note: NSERC will credit eligible delays double their total duration)
• Teaching and administrative relief: a description of how the institution will fully relieve you of these responsibilities while you hold the award
• Nominee selection: a description of the process the institution used to identify and select nominees overall, not just the process used for your nomination
  • this process should consider best practices in equity, diversity and inclusion
  • for institutions with multiple nominations, this section can be reused for all nominees, if appropriate
• Certification by the executive head of the institution confirming your eligibility and institutional support for your nomination

Your documents must follow NSERC’s general presentation guidelines. Documents that do not meet the presentation standards may be rejected or be at a disadvantage compared with those that meet the standards. Only the documents requested by NSERC will be given to the selection committee.

Compile all your documents into a single portable document format (PDF) file. Ensure that your PDF remains interactive and is not encrypted. Submit your nomination electronically via the Innovative Collaborations and Science Promotion programs (ICSP) secure submission site.

You must submit your nomination before 8:00 p.m. (ET) on the deadline date. Late nominations will not be accepted. Once submitted, nominations cannot be updated.

In January, nominees will receive a system-generated email from NSERC with instructions on how to complete a self-identification questionnaire. This data provides information on the diversity of the population applying for and receiving NSERC awards. This information increases NSERC’s capacity to monitor its progress on increasing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in its programs, to recognize and remove barriers, and to design new measures to achieve greater EDI in the research enterprise. Although completing the questionnaire is required, if you do not want to self-identify, you have the option to choose “I prefer not to answer” for each question. Self-identification data are not seen or used by NSERC peer reviewers.