• Overview
• Who can apply
• How to apply
• Research security
• Review
• Receiving your funding and starting your project
• During your research project
• Resources
• Contact information

The Belmont Forum is a partnership of funding organizations, international science councils and regional consortia committed to advancing transdisciplinary science. Guided by the Belmont Challenge, the Belmont Forum aims to support international transdisciplinary research that generates knowledge for understanding, adapting to and mitigating global environmental change. As a mechanism to support international collaboration, the Belmont Forum issues collaborative research actions (CRAs) that mobilize funding partners around shared research priorities.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is participating in the Belmont Forum Collaborative Research Action (CRA) “Towards the ocean we want: biodiversity and ecosystem sustainability for nature and human well-being” (Ocean 2), along with other Belmont Forum partners. This CRA aims at coordinating actions and projects through a transdisciplinary approach, fostering co-creation, co-design, and co-implementation of innovative solutions to address global environmental challenges related to the ocean, its biodiversity, from genes to ecosystems. The CRA will fund multinational research teams based on a two-step competition.

NSERC will provide funding through an Alliance-type grant to eligible Canadian researchers in the natural sciences and engineering to support their participation in the funded research projects. For more information about the competition and application process, visit the Belmont Forum website.

This CRA is administered by France’s Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR).

This CRA focuses on the following areas:

• Biodiversity conservation and nature-based solutions
• Ocean-biodiversity-climate integration
• Nature futures, ocean governance, and ethics for sustainability

See the call text on the Belmont Forum website for a full description of the areas and priorities. Proposals must include elements from at least one of the three areas listed above.

This CRA is a formal contribution to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (“The Ocean Decade”). As such, each proposal must clearly identify the Ocean Decade Challenges being addressed and explain how the proposed project contributes to overcoming them. Challenge 10: Ensuring society has the capacity and conditions to achieve the Ocean Decade’s objective is a mandatory requirement for all projects.

If you are a Canadian university researcher eligible to receive NSERC funding, you may apply independently or as a team. If you apply as a team, your co-applicants must also be academic researchers from Canadian universities who meet NSERC’s eligibility requirements. To be the principal applicant, you must be working in a research area supported by NSERC, and you must meet the eligibility requirements at the time of application. Researchers from colleges who meet NSERC’s eligibility requirements may participate as co-applicants.

Important

Given the complexity and scope of these challenges addressed by this CRA, each research consortium must be truly transdisciplinary, including a minimum of three consortium researchers or partners, including one from each of the following areas:

a) Social sciences, humanities or economics

b) Natural sciences, physical sciences, engineering or technology

c) Societal partners (for example, citizens, industry, civil society organizations or conservation organizations)

The research consortium must request funding from at least three different funding agencies participating in the CRA and must include participants from at least three different countries. Additional knowledge holders may join the research consortium once these minimum criteria are met. See the individual annexes of each funding agency for detailed requirements.

Each research consortium must designate a Research Consortium Lead who facilitates collaboration and communication and is responsible for submitting the registration form, full proposal and annual reports to the Belmont Forum. The Research Consortium Lead must request funding from a participating funding agency and may not participate in a self-financed or in-kind capacity.

Participation in this CRA involves a two-stage process. The Research Consortium Lead must submit materials through the Belmont Forum Grant Operations (BFGo) portal, while Canadian applicants must also submit documents to NSERC through the NSERC online system.

1. Registration stage
   1. The Research Consortium Lead must submit a registration form to the Belmont Forum
   2. The Canadian team must submit the letter of intent (LOI) to NSERC
2. Full proposal stage (by invitation only)
   1. The Research Consortium Lead must submit the full proposal to the Belmont Forum
   2. The Canadian team must submit a simplified application to NSERC

Important note: Proposals submitted to the Belmont Forum may be written in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese. The Research Consortium Lead must follow Belmont Forum guidelines for submitting the registration form and full proposal through the BFGo portal.

Each Canadian research team member participating in the Belmont Forum grant application (the applicant and all co-applicants) must have an account in the NSERC online system. If they do not already have one, they must create one before applying.

Each member of the Canadian team must complete and submit a personal data form with CCV attachment (Form 100A) as part of the NSERC submission. Researchers working in the social sciences or humanities must use research subject code 8000 when identifying their area of expertise. For more information, see the instructions for completing Form 100A and the NSERC Frequently asked questions web page.

Step 1: Registration stage

Step 1a: Registration form submitted to the Belmont Forum by the Research Consortium Lead

A Registration form must be submitted by the Research Consortium Lead through the BFGo portal before 20:00 UTC on April 30, 2026. Submitting a Registration is required in order to be considered for an invitation to submit a full proposal. For more information on the registration instructions, see the Belmont Forum website.

Step 1b: Letter of intent submitted to NSERC by the Canadian principal applicant

The Canadian principal applicant must submit an LOI to NSERC on behalf of the Canadian team through the NSERC online system before 8:00 pm (ET) on April 30, 2026. The LOI may be submitted in the official language of your choice. All documents should follow NSERC’s online presentation and attachment standards.

The LOI must include:

• A completed Form 101 (Application for a Grant) that includes:
  • A summary of your proposed research
  • A list of keywords describing your proposed research
  • A list of co-applicants, collaborators and partner organizations (if applicable), including the Research Consortium Lead
  • A budget (in Canadian dollars) and an accompanying justification for the funds requested from NSERC
• A separate document (maximum three pages, excluding references) that includes:
  • The project title and acronym (must match the title submitted in the Registration form to the Belmont Forum)
  • A brief summary of the main objectives and research challenges and the expected outcomes and benefits of the proposed research
  • The relevance of the project to Canada
  • A description of your role, and that of the Canadian team, in the project
  • A plan to foster equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within the training environment
• A complete and up-to-date personal data form with CCV attachment (Form 100A) for yourself and all Canadian co-applicants
  • College faculty may submit a College and Community Innovation (CCI) program format CV
  • Researchers working in the social sciences or humanities must use research subject code 8000 to indicate their area of expertise

Instructions for submitting documents and information to NSERC on behalf of the Canadian research team:

• Log in to NSERC’s online system and 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 Belmont Forum- Ocean from the drop-down menu
• Once all the required sections have been filled, click Verify to change the Form 101 status to Completed
• Click Submit to send your application to your institution for approval

Note: you must contact the research office of your university to inquire about internal deadlines to submit, as it may be earlier than the NSERC deadline.

Step 2: Full proposal stage (by invitation only)

Step 2a: Full proposal submitted to the Belmont Forum by the Research Consortium Lead

Full proposals must be submitted by the Research Consortium Lead through the BFGo portal before 20:00 UTC on August 27, 2026. For more information on the full proposal instructions, see the Belmont Forum website.

Step 2b: Simplified application submitted to NSERC by the Canadian principal applicant

The Canadian principal applicant must submit a simplified application to NSERC on behalf of the Canadian team through the NSERC online system before 8:00 p.m. ET on August 27, 2026. The simplified application may be submitted in the official language of your choice. All documents should follow NSERC’s online presentation and attachment standards.

You will receive detailed instructions for preparing and submitting your application when invited to submit a simplified application.

Minor changes to the Canadian research team between the LOI and simplified application stages (for example, between the Belmont Forum registration form and full proposal) may be permitted if justified.

A complete simplified application must include the following:

• A completed Form 101 (Application for a Grant)
• A complete and up-to-date personal data form with CCV attachment (Form 100A) for yourself and all Canadian co-applicants
  • College faculty may submit a College and Community Innovation (CCI) program format CV
  • Researchers working in the social sciences or humanities must use research subject code 8000 to indicate their area of expertise
• A completed proposal template
• A budget (in Canadian dollars) and an accompanying justification for the funds requested from NSERC
• A biographical sketch for each collaborator (Canadian and International) (maximum two pages)
• Partner organization and other related forms, as required
  • If the application includes at least one partner organization from the private sector, you must complete and attach a risk assessment form. This requirement is part of the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships.
• Attestation forms for each researcher with a named role in the proposal, as required
  • If your application aims to advance a sensitive technology research area, you must submit attestation forms for all applicants, co-applicants and collaborators (including international collaborators). This requirement is part of the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy)
• A completed impact assessment form (Appendix A), as required

By submitting your application, you and your co-applicants (if applicable) agree to the Terms and conditions of applying for applicants.

If you submit a proposal under this call, you agree that information contained in your proposal may be shared between NSERC and Belmont Forum funding partners for purposes consistent with the program’s objectives. Researchers are responsible for understanding Belmont Forum rules regarding the disclosure of proposal information, as well as policies related to program delivery and post-award administration.

The information you provide in your application is collected under the authority of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act. NSERC is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. The information you provide is stored in a series of NSERC data banks, as described in Information about programs and information holdings. You must ensure that all individuals listed in the application have agreed to be included.

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 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 Alliance grants: Equity, diversity and inclusion in your training plan and the NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research.

To help keep Canada’s research ecosystem as open as possible and as secure as necessary, the Government of Canada has introduced the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy) and the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP).

For more information about research security at the granting agencies, refer to the Tri-agency guidance on research security.

The STRAC Policy addresses risks related to sensitive technology research areas conducted with research organizations and institutions that pose the highest risk to Canada’s national security. The STRAC Policy applies to this funding opportunity.

To comply with the policy, applicants must identify whether the grant application aims to advance a sensitive technology research area. If so, the submission of attestation forms will be required from researchers with named roles (applicants, co-applicants, and collaborators) to certify that they are not currently affiliated with, nor are in receipt of funding or in-kind support from, a Named Research Organization (NRO).

The Tri-agency guidance on the STRAC Policy provides more information on applicable procedures and requirements, including new responsibilities of researchers and institutions.

The National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships integrate national security considerations into the development, evaluation and funding of research partnerships. These guidelines provide a framework to help researchers, research institutions and Canada’s federal funding organizations undertake consistent, risk-targeted due diligence to identify and mitigate potential national security risks linked to research partnerships.

The National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships apply if your project involves one or more partner organizations from the private sector, even when other partners are from the public or not-for-profit sectors. If your project includes private sector partners, you and your post-secondary institution must complete a Risk Assessment form for your research project and submit it as a part of your application.

For more details, see the Tri-agency guidance on the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP).

NSERC reserves the right to request additional information, as needed, before making a final funding decision.

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 outside the NSE. These researchers may be co-applicants if they meet NSERC’s eligibility criteria for faculty.

Research costs related to these collaborations or activities outside the NSE may represent up to 30% of the total project costs (NSERC budget) and must be clearly identified in the project budget justification.

Each funding agency will provide funding to its national researchers, subject to its own rules and budget availability. Canadian applicants are eligible to receive funding only from NSERC.

The total NSERC budget for this CRA is expected to be $900,000 (Canadian dollars) over three years. NSERC may provide up to $300,000 per project (up to $100,000 per year) over three years to support the research of eligible Canadian applicants. NSERC funds cannot be used to purchase equipment, products or services from any collaborating or partner organization. All Canadian expenditures must comply with the principles and directives outlined in the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration, which govern the appropriate use of grant funds.

Refer to the guidelines on the use of grant funds in the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration.

You can only include NSERC-eligible direct costs of research in your project budget. These may include:

• Salary support for research trainees (undergraduates, 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 project
• Activities to develop and grow the research collaborations with international collaborators

You can also include the costs of equipment, provided that the equipment is:

• essential to achieving the objectives of the research project
• incremental to what is already available at your institution or at your Canadian or international collaborators’ institution

Your total expected equipment cost, including operation and maintenance, must be well justified and must not exceed 30% of the total NSERC grant budget. Do not submit duplicate funding requests for the same items in the budget submitted to NSERC and those submitted to other participating funding agencies.

Note: Belmont Forum-funded projects are expected to participate in coordinated activities throughout the project’s duration, such as attending the CRA kick-off, mid-term, and end-term meetings, which may be held at an international conference.

NSERC will review the Canadian submission—both the letter of intent and the simplified application—to ensure they are complete and meet all eligibility and program requirements. This includes consideration of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the training plan, which is a screening criterion. NSERC will verify that the Canadian team has an active and appropriate role in the overall project and confirm the individual eligibility at the start of the evaluation process. If your application is incomplete or does not meet all program requirements, it will be rejected. Belmont Forum Full Proposals that do not meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the CRA and the individual annexes of the relevant funding partners will be removed from the competition.

Registration forms and full proposals submitted to the Belmont Forum will be reviewed by a panel of international experts convened by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), the administrator of this CRA.

Proposals will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Quality and intellectual merit
• Fit to the call objectives (including user engagement and societal or broader impacts)
• Personnel and quality of the consortium
• Co-production and societal relevance
• Resources and management
• Data and digital outputs management plan and other required documents

NSERC will not conduct a parallel merit review.

See the call text on the Belmont Forum website for more information.

Funding decisions for this CRA will be made by NSERC and the other Belmont Forum funding partners based on the results of the merit review and each agency’s program requirements.

When making its funding decision, NSERC will consider:

• the involvement of the Canadian team, as described in the Belmont Forum full proposal and the Canadian simplified application submitted to NSERC
• the expected benefit to Canada
• the outlined measures to support equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the training plan
• any potential risks to Canada’s national security, in accordance with the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships, where applicable

NSERC’s contribution will be awarded as an Alliance-type grant and be administered by the Canadian principal applicant’s institution. The funding is intended to support the activities of eligible Canadian researchers and must be used in accordance with the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration.

If your application is approved for funding, you will receive an award letter and must comply with its terms and conditions.

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 other Belmont Forum funding partners intend to coordinate award timing where possible. However, because each agency may have different funding cycles, some projects may have different start and end dates.

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 or exploitation of knowledge and open access to research results funded by NSERC.

Note:

• NSERC claims no rights of ownership to any intellectual property generated from Alliance-funded projects
• NSERC’s policy on intellectual property stipulates that each student maintains the right to defend their thesis without delay or restriction
• 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 this initiative.

You must report regularly on how you use the grant funds, the activities you carry out during the funded project, and the project's outcomes. You will be informed of specific reporting requirements upon receiving your award letter. You must provide a final report within three months of the end of your project. You may be required to report separately to the Belmont Forum.

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

You must notify NSERC of any changes to the Canadian research team, including co-applicants, collaborators, or partner organizations, or if any of your international collaborators leave the project. In such cases, you should discuss with NSERC the potential impact on your ability to achieve the project’s original objectives and whether the project should be amended or terminated. You must also notify NSERC if the nature of your research changes such that activities supported by the grant would aim to advance a Sensitive Technology Research Area.

Failure to provide the requested information may result in subsequent applications being denied.

If you cannot complete your planned research activities within the term of your grant, you must notify NSERC. You may be allowed an additional year to complete your project using existing funds.

Application instructions and materials

• Belmont Forum call text
• Belmont Forum Registration form
• Belmont Forum full proposal template
• Instructions for completing a personal data form with CCV attachment (Form 100A)
• How to complete NSERC’s version of the Canadian Common CV
• Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy)

Supplementary guidelines

• Equity, diversity and inclusion in your training plan
• Safeguarding Your Research portal

Terms and conditions of applying

• Alliance grants terms and conditions of applying for applicants
• Alliance grants terms and conditions of applying for partner organizations

Award

• Terms and conditions of award
• Policy on intellectual property

Additional links

• Belmont Forum workshops to support application preparation
• Eligibility
• Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration

NSERC: BelmontForum@nserc-crsng.gc.ca