• Context and objectives
• Equity, diversity and inclusion
• Research security
• Applicants
• Partners
• Apply
• NSERC application details
• Evaluation criteria
• Funding
• Extension of grants
• Intellectual property
• Reporting
• Results

NSERC Alliance Advantage – Alberta Innovates Advance grants invest in projects that, in alignment with Alberta’s innovation and technology strategies, advance discoveries to develop emerging technologies that can generate economic, environmental, health and social benefits for Albertans and Canadians.

Please consult the Advance Program guide available on the Alberta Innovates website. The guide outlines the eligible emerging technology areas and topics for Stream I and Stream II.

Research in these fields holds transformational potential to address challenges across multiple sectors in Alberta. Funding will support projects that accelerate the development, global market entry, and adoption of technological solutions. These efforts lay the groundwork for job creation and economic diversification in the province and in Canada.

The NSERC– Alberta Innovates Advance Program has two grant award streams:

Stream I: Alberta Innovates offers supplemental funding to researchers in Alberta who hold active NSERC Discovery grants (Individual) awarded in specific competition years (see website for details) and have R&D activities focusing on targeted emerging technology subject areas/topics.

Successful applicants will receive two-thirds of NSERC’s annual Discovery grants (Individual) award value from Alberta Innovates to a maximum of $20,000 per year per award for a maximum of two years.

Funding is available to help NSERC-eligible researchers at NSERC-eligible universities in Alberta conduct the research needed to advance high-risk (and high-reward potential) ideas or concepts toward the development stage.

Stream II: This is the general stream of the NSERC Alliance Advantage - Alberta Innovates Advance Program.

Projects must advance the readiness of technologies for future market opportunities in the emerging technology areas/topics (see the program guide available on the Alberta Innovates Advance Program website). As the primary applicant, the principal investigator must hold an active peer-reviewed grant from NSERC at the time of application.

Individual proposals can request a maximum of $150,000 per year for a maximum of two years. Alberta Innovates will provide up to $100,000 per year, and NSERC will match their contribution at a ratio of 50%, up to a maximum of $50,000 per year.

For Stream II, project funding is intended to help bridge the gap between academic research and technology validation in technology readiness levels (TRL) 2 to 4. Projects will advance an idea by developing a technological solution for a future market opportunity. Projects could lead to technology transfer activities and commercialization following the grant period. Eligible technology development within this program can begin as early as the conceptual research stage (beginning from TRL 2), up to testing/validation of ad hoc component integration in a laboratory setting (TRL 4). Projects developing technologies at later TRL stages are not eligible for this program. Industry partners are not permitted in this program; projects with industry partners should apply to the main NSERC Alliance Advantage program or other Alberta Innovates/NSERC support programs, if eligible.

Funding can be used to engage and train undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates and technicians on projects, as well as for operational and equipment costs. Intellectual property (IP) protection, market assessment, and technology transfer activities costs are not eligible expenses for this program. Project funding will support activities such as:

• Scientific technology assessment
• Characterization of the invention
• Proof-of-concept experimentation
• Testing potential to work in a laboratory environment
• Data gathering and analysis

Key goals of the NSERC Alliance Advantage – Alberta Innovates Advance grants are to improve the direction of research efforts that could lead to the proof of new ideas, the development of emerging technologies, the transfer and commercialization of such technologies and the use of these technologies in various industry sectors; and to develop an enhanced skill and knowledge base (highly qualified personnel [HQP]) for Alberta and Canada.

Technologies that successfully demonstrate a proof of concept and the potential to work in a laboratory environment in this program may be further advanced to market through other support programs, such as Agriculture & Environment, and Clean Energy programs or Entrepreneurial Investments programs (see Alberta Innovates website), or federal programs such as NSERC I2I grants. Researchers are encouraged to discuss their project with the industry liaison office (ILO) at their institution early in the project to begin interactions with industry and identify potential partners and business advisors.

NSERC Alliance Advantage – Alberta Innovates Advance grants project objectives:

• Gather strong scientific evidence and advance discoveries and concepts in/or using emerging technologies in TRL 2 to 4 range (Stream II), where a potential local/global market application has been identified
• Augment the Alberta academic researcher’s capacity to accelerate and advance research excellence in Alberta’s emerging technology areas
• Train HQP in emerging technologies responding to identified market needs
• Move research from idea to proof of concept/feasibility/prototype validation (in controlled setting)
• Explore future commercialization paths by engaging with ILOs

Alberta Innovates will support projects aligned with this program’s emerging technology areas/topics (see details in the Advance Program guide available on the Alberta Innovates Advance Program website). Projects must represent a credible Alberta-developed idea and basic concept exploration (Stream I) or concept formulation and proof (Stream II) to advance the readiness of technologies for future market opportunities.

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.

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 for more information.

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 more information, see the NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research.

Explaining how you have considered equity, diversity and inclusion in your training plan is mandatory. Please consult the Equity, diversity and inclusion in your training plan web page for guidance.

To ensure that the Canadian research ecosystem is as open as possible and as safeguarded 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.

Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern

The STRAC Policy addresses risks related to Sensitive Technology Research Areas performed with research organizations and institutions that pose the highest risk to Canada’s national security. The STRAC Policy applies to this funding opportunity.

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 (for this funding opportunity, these are the applicants and co-applicants) 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 the responsibilities of institutions.

• For Advance Stream I (NSERC Discovery grant Alberta Innovates supplement stream)
  • As the principal investigator (PI), you must hold an active NSERC Discovery Grants (Individual) at a post-secondary institution in Alberta for competition year 2024 with research focusing on the key emerging technology area/topic, as available in the Advance Program guide (see Alberta Innovates Advance Program website).
  • You may submit only one application as a PI in each fiscal year (April 1 to March 31).
  • You cannot hold more than one Advance Stream I (Supplement stream) grant simultaneously.
• For Advance Stream II (General stream)
  • As the principal investigator (PI), you must hold an active NSERC peer-reviewed grant when you apply. You must meet NSERC eligibility criteria when you apply and for the duration of the grant.
  • You must be a faculty member from one of the NSERC-eligible universities based in Alberta.
  • You may submit only one application as a PI in each fiscal year (April 1 to March 31).
  • You may submit as many applications as you wish as a co-applicant.
  • You cannot hold more than one Advance Stream II (General stream) grant simultaneously. However, current Advance Stream II (General stream) grant holders may be eligible to apply for Stream I funding if they meet eligibility requirements.

Partner organizations that are recognized for cost-sharing with NSERC are not permitted for proposals under this program. However, potential end-users for the technology being proposed should be identified in the proposal. Please ensure that you add Alberta Innovates as a joint funding partner to this application and provide the name and email of the Alberta Innovates Advance Program Manager as the contact for Alberta Innovates.

Stream I: Submit the Post-Secondary Investments & Emerging Technologies (PSIET) Intake Form on the Alberta Innovates SmartSimple Application Portal. If the PSIET Intake Form is approved, you will be invited to submit a full application.

Stream II: To start the application process for an NSERC Alliance Advantage – Alberta Innovates Advance grant, you (the applicant) must contact the Alberta Innovates Advance Program Manager to determine initial alignment with the program requirements, including one of the emerging technology research topics. Upon receiving confirmation from Alberta Innovates on preliminary alignment with the program requirements, you must complete and submit the Post-Secondary Investments & Emerging Technologies (PSIET) Intake Form on the Alberta Innovates SmartSimple Application Portal.

Alberta Innovates will review intake forms to determine whether you will be invited to submit a full application. If invited to apply, you must complete the NSERC application (without submitting it) and generate a PDF version with the preview function in NSERC’s online system. Then, complete the Alberta Innovates application form using the Alberta Innovates SmartSimple Application Portal. You must attach the NSERC application PDF as part of the Alberta Innovates application.

Alberta Innovates will complete the partner organization form once it has reviewed and assessed the details submitted through the Alberta Innovates SmartSimple Application Portal. Once Alberta Innovates has completed the partner form, you may submit the application to NSERC through NSERC’s online system.

To start the NSERC application for Stream II (General stream):

• Go to the NSERC’s online system and create a new Form 101.
• Select Research partnerships, then Alliance.
• For the Proposal type field, select Full proposal.
• For the Type of call field, select Alberta Innovates - Advance from the drop-down menu.

The proposed cost-sharing ratio for this application is 100%.

There are four components to this NSERC Alliance Advantage – Alberta Innovates Advance grants application: proposal, applicant information, partner organization information (Alberta Innovates, in this case), and a Technology Transfer Office Review Form, completed by the technology transfer office of your university. All four components need to be completed and submitted. Guidance on this page takes precedence over other NSERC Alliance descriptions and instructions.

• Proposal: Complete an application for a grant (Form 101) using the Proposal template. Provide responses in place of INSERT YOUR TEXT HERE using a maximum of seven pages. Figures and tables are welcome. The funding requested in this proposal cannot represent a budgetary or conceptual overlap with any other funding support currently held or applied for. The instructions for completing an Alliance grant application provide additional guidance for questions not addressed on this page.
• Applicant information: Submit a Personal data form with Common CV attachment for yourself and all co-applicants.
  • Following the Tri-agency guidance on the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy), if your application aims to advance a listed sensitive technology research area, you, your co-applicant(s) and your collaborator(s) must each complete the STRAC Attestation form.
• Partner organization information: Please ensure that you add Alberta Innovates as a joint funding partner to this application and provide the name and email of the Alberta Innovates Advance Program Manager as the contact for Alberta Innovates. Your contact person will be invited through the online system to provide information about the partner organization following the Partner organization instructions.
• Technology transfer office (TTO) Review Form: The TTO of your university must complete this form. Contact your TTO as early as possible (at least two weeks before you intend to submit to the program) to allow time for the TTO to review and prepare the form. TTOs can also provide assistance in preparing the overall application. Attach the completed form in the Other documents section in the NSERC online system.

Applications are evaluated using the following four equally weighted criteria. The proposal must address all the criteria and sub-criteria to be considered for funding.

Future market opportunity

• Clarity of the proposal presenting the technology solution, who would need it, in what form and how it could be brought to the end-users/market (future product)
• Positioning of the proposed technology compared to other potential solutions; description of the state of the art in the current research and market; why and how the proposed technology could compete
• Positioning of the strengths and potential advantages that favour an Alberta-developed solution

Research plan and team

• Clarity of the research objectives and expected results, appropriateness of the research plan, and suitability of the budget
• Appropriateness of academic researchers’ expertise and, where applicable, expertise of co-applicants, both for carrying out the planned research activities, and for mentoring trainees and collaborating with fellow researchers

Training

• Opportunities for enriched learning experiences for research trainees (undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows) to develop relevant research skills, as well as professional skills (e.g., leadership, communication, collaboration and entrepreneurship)
• Consideration of equity, diversity and inclusion in the training plan

Impact and benefits to Canada and Alberta

• Need for original research to address the topic, its potential to lead to advancing new technologies in a priority emerging technology target area and how the strategy will achieve the intended results
• Significance of the intended outcomes and the economic, environmental and/or other societal benefits for Canada and Alberta

Please consult the merit indicators for further details.

All project expenditures are subject to the principles and directives governing the appropriate use of grant funds as outlined in the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration. 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.

NSERC automatically provides an extension period of one year for using the grant funds. This extension period allows you to complete your planned research activities within the specified term of your grant. The extension is applicable only to the NSERC portion of the grant. To benefit from an extension toward the portion of funding from Alberta Innovates, you must seek their approval before the end date of the project.

See the Alliance Advantage Award webpage for information on NSERC’s Policy on Intellectual Property, research agreements, and how these pertain to this funding opportunity.

You will be informed of reporting requirements and the corresponding schedule when you are notified of your award. NSERC and Alberta Innovates will strive to streamline their reporting requirements to lessen the burden on participants. Alberta Innovates requires an annual presentation to demonstrate progress.