Learn more about the call for proposals Advancing the development and adoption of quantum technologies in Canada.

Consult the call for proposals Advancing the development and adoption of quantum technologies in Canada to determine whether you are eligible to apply.

Submit your application through NSERC’s online system. The application includes:

• Proposal: complete an application for a grant (Form 101)
• National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships’ Risk Assessment form: complete the risk assessment questionnaire and the risk mitigation plan (when applicable) when your research partnership involves one or more partner organizations from the private sector (including industrial associations and/or when they participate alongside other partner organizations from the public and/or not-for-profit sectors)
• Attestation for Research Aiming to Advance Sensitive Technology Research Areas form: complete the attestation form, and ask any co-applicant(s) and collaborator(s) to also complete one since your application is aiming to advance a sensitive technology research area
• Applicant information: complete a personal data form with CCV attachment (Form 100A) and ask any co-applicants also to complete one
• Partner organization information: ask the representative at each partner organization to complete the Partner organization section; other funders and post-secondary institutions do not complete this section

Consult the call for proposals Advancing the development and adoption of quantum technologies in Canada for information on the specific application deadlines.

In addition to the call for proposals Advancing the development and adoption of quantum technologies in Canada, you may consult additional resources, including:

• Equity, diversity and inclusion in your training plan
• Tri-agency guidance on research security

If you have questions about the program:

• email the Alliance Quantum grants team

If you have questions about NSERC’s online system:

• check the frequently asked questions on how to use the online system
• contact the online services helpdesk: send an email to webapp@nserc-crsng.gc.ca or call 613-995-4273; include your email address and telephone number

The instructions below will guide you through the modules in NSERC’s online system.

Provide a title that describes the subject of the research in plain language that the public can understand. Spell out scientific symbols and acronyms. Do not include a company or trade name. The title will be made available to the public if your proposal is funded.

The cost-sharing ratio with NSERC is 100%.

Select a primary research subject code. You may add a secondary research code (optional).

• Consult the NSERC code tables

Select a primary area of application code. You may add a secondary area of application code (optional).

• Consult the NSERC code tables

Provide a maximum of 10 keywords that describe the proposal.

Before completing this section, consult the Requirements for certain types of research.

Research involving humans:

If you select Yes, you must provide your institution’s administration with the appropriate certification indicating that research involving humans has been reviewed and has received the required approval.

Research involving human pluripotent and/or totipotent stem cells:

If you select Yes, or if, through peer review, the application is found to fall into this category and is recommended for funding, it will be forwarded, with your consent, to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s stem cell oversight committee (SCOC) to ensure compliance with Chapter 12, Section F of the Tri-council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2). The SCOC review is in addition to the normal review by local research ethics boards (REBs). Funding will not be released until approval has been obtained from the SCOC.

Research involving the use of animals:

If you select Yes, you must provide your institution’s administration with the certification from the animal care committee at the institution that the experimental procedures proposed have been approved and that the care and treatment of animals is in accordance with the principles outlined in the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) guide.

Research involving hazardous substances:

If you select Yes, you must provide your institution’s administration with the certification from the biosafety committee at the institution that the laboratory procedures being used comply with the safety precautions necessary for the level of containment required by the research.

Environmental impact:

The Impact Assessment form (Appendix A) may be required. For more information, consult NSERC’s guidelines on impact assessment.

In accordance with the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships, applications involving at least one partner organization from the private sector (including industrial associations) are required to be submitted with a risk assessment form. You must select “yes” or “no” to indicate whether your application includes at least one partner organization from the private sector.

If you answer “yes,” you must complete and attach the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships’ Risk Assessment form (please review the Risk Assessment form instructions).

All researchers and their institutions must adhere to the Tri-agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research (2021). Adherence to the Framework includes appropriately identifying and addressing any real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest, in accordance with all participating institutions’ policies on conflicts of interest in research. You must attest on behalf of you, your co-applicants and all other members of the research team that this collaboration complies with the conflict-of-interest policies of all participating institutions.

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

• The listed STRAs include 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 as advancing any of the listed areas
• Research areas outside of the listed sub-categories are not considered sensitive for the purposes of this policy

Since your application aims to advance quantum science and technology, you must select “yes” to indicate that research activities supported by this grant will aim to advance at least one of the listed STRAs.

By answering “yes,” you must complete and attach the STRAC attestation form(s) to your grant application – in the STRAC attestation attachment section – to comply with the policy.

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

Attach a cover letter if you wish to provide NSERC with information that will not be shared with external reviewers. In your cover letter, include your name, the NSERC funding opportunity to which you are applying and the title of your application.

• Consult the NSERC online presentation and attachment standards

Indicate co-applicants who will participate in your application. Co-applicants will automatically be invited to provide their personal data form with CCV attachment (Form 100A).

• To determine whether a potential co-applicant is eligible to participate, consult the call for proposals Advancing the development and adoption of quantum technologies in Canada and the eligibility requirements for individuals to apply for or hold grant funds

Enter the email address and family name of the co-applicant as these appear in the co-applicant’s Form 100A. This allows the co-applicants access to your application. When you select Save, an automated email message will be sent to the co-applicants, informing them that they have been invited to participate in your application. The status of their participation will appear as Not linked.

When co-applicants link a personal data form with CCV attachment (Form 100A) to the application, their personal information will appear on the Co-applicant page, and the status will change to Linked.

Advise co-applicants outside your institution that the authorized officer of their institution must agree to their participation. NSERC will confirm this agreement directly with the authorized officer.

List any collaborators. Collaborators contribute to the overall intellectual direction of the research project and bring their own resources to the collaboration. The collaborator will not have access to the grant funds and must be qualified to undertake research independently. Compensation in the form of an eligible expense may be paid to Indigenous Elders, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, or Indigenous Peoples affiliated with public or not-for-profit organizations who are not already being compensated for conducting research.

• For the definition of a collaborator, consult the eligibility requirements for individuals to apply for or hold grant funds
• For more information on the eligibility of Indigenous Collaborators, consult the Tri-agency guideline on remuneration for Indigenous People participating in funded projects

As members of the research team, collaborators are subject to applicable agency policies, following the terms and conditions of the award. This includes requirements under the Policy on Sensitive Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy). Therefore, since your grant application aims to advance at least one of the listed Sensitive Technology Research Areas, a completed attestation form is required from all listed collaborators – regardless of their employment location/sector. This includes anyone named in the collaborator section who is also a member of the staff from the partner organizations (i.e., private, public, not-for-profit sectors) and individuals based outside of Canada.

You may attach a biographical sketch or CV for collaborators and/or key staff of partner organizations whose role in the project is similar to that of a collaborator (optional). In a maximum of two pages (2.4 pages for French content) for each person, provide the individual’s name/affiliation, education/training, employment/affiliations, research funding and up to five significant contributions related to the project.

For upload purposes, all biographical sketches or CVs from collaborators and/or key staff of partner organizations must be saved as a single PDF file.

Write a summary of the proposed research in plain language that the public can understand.

Using plain terms, briefly describe the nature of the work. Indicate why and to whom the research is important, and describe the anticipated outcomes and advancements that will result in economic, social or environmental benefits for Canada and Canadians.

This plain-language summary will be made available to the public if your proposal is funded. The summary can be submitted in one official language or both official languages at your discretion.

The summary must fit in the field provided in the Application for a grant – Form 101.

Complete the Alliance Quantum grants proposal template specific to this call for proposals within the maximum number of pages outlined in the table below. Figures and tables are welcome within the specified page limits.

If you choose not to use the template, you must include the section headings and the text of the bullets from the proposal template. You must also respect the guidelines outlined in the NSERC online presentation and attachment standards.

In preparing your proposal, address the criteria that will be considered when evaluating the application.

The number of suggested and maximum pages always includes the NSERC template text.

Pages exceeding the maximum or documents not requested by NSERC (e.g., letters of support) will be removed and not considered in the application assessment. NSERC may return or reject applications exceeding the maximum number of pages.

In preparing your proposal, consult NSERC’s Guide for applicants: Considering equity, diversity and inclusion in your application.

If relevant to your research, consult NSERC’s Guidelines for the preparation and review of applications in interdisciplinary research and/or Guidelines on the assessment of contributions to research, training and mentoring.

To complete these sections, consider the following:

• Refer to the Funding section of the call for proposals Advancing the development and adoption of quantum technologies in Canada 
• Consult the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration for information about the eligibility of expenditures for the direct costs of research and the regulations governing the use of grant funds
• If your budget includes collaborations and/or activities in fields other than the natural sciences and engineering (NSE), these costs can represent up to 30% of the project costs covered by NSERC and must be specifically identified in the project budget justification

NSERC funds and cash contributions (if any; not required) from partner organizations must be paid to eligible universities and cannot be used to buy equipment, products or services from any partner organization or to cover any part of the travel and travel-related subsistence expenditures for partner organization personnel. Expenses that are direct costs of research and essential for the success of the project incurred by partners that are Indigenous organizations in the public or not-for-profit sectors may be included in the application budget. Please consult with NSERC before submitting your application.

In the Proposed expenditures section, enter the planned spending in each budget category for each year of the project.

For the Budget justification section, prepare a separate document that provides a breakdown of each category and a detailed justification for spending in each category. Provide sufficient information to allow reviewers to assess whether the resources requested are appropriate. Attach the document in the Budget justification section. The categories are as follows:

Give the names (if known), categories of employment, proposed salaries and non-discretionary benefits of students, postdoctoral fellows, research staff such as technical/professional assistants and the project manager. Briefly describe the responsibilities of each position and indicate the percentage of time they will spend on this project over its lifespan. If applicable, explain the need for project management expenses. Do not include the salaries of faculty in project costs.

Consult the Form 100A instructions for information on obtaining consent to name individuals in your proposal.

Give a breakdown of the items requested. Provide details on models, manufacturers, prices and applicable taxes. Justify the need for each item requested. Describe any fees for using equipment or a facility (e.g., hours and rate).

If your total expected equipment cost (including operation and maintenance for new and already available equipment) exceeds $400,000 over your project's duration, then you must secure an alternate source of funding to complement NSERC’s support. Note that the joint application and review procedure NSERC and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) have established for associated Alliance and CFI’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund applications does not apply to this call for proposals.

Alliance Quantum grants are not infrastructure grants. They are primarily intended to support collaborative research and training activities through partnerships between universities and partner organizations, with the aim to generate new knowledge and apply it for the benefit of Canada. The costs of equipment in your application must be consistent with this purpose.

Equipment obtained from the partner organizations must be provided as in-kind contributions.

Provide details of materials and explain major items. Materials and supplies obtained from the partner organizations must be provided as in-kind contributions.

Explain briefly how each planned travel activity relates to the proposed research.

Provide details of publication costs, user workshops or other activities that support collaboration and knowledge mobilization related to the project.

List the expenditure for field trials, prototypes, scale-up costs, demonstration projects, workshops and other activities to develop and grow the research collaborations with the partner organizations.

Note that hospitality costs (non-alcoholic refreshments and/or meals) for workshops are only eligible if one or more of the individuals participating is not a member of the grant team and not involved in the day-to-day funded research/activities (academic and partner organization participants).

Use this page to provide the contributions committed to the research project by the partner organizations, post-secondary institutions, as well as other funders, and to invite the partner organizations to complete the Partner organization section. The invitation will be sent to the authorized contact.

Provide the information required for each organization. For each organization, you must select one of four categories:

• Partner organization recognized for cost sharing
• Partner organization not recognized for cost sharing
• Other funder (not involved in the research)
• Post-secondary institution

To determine the appropriate category for each partner organization (recognized or not recognized for cost sharing), refer to the Partner organizations section of the Alliance Advantage webpage.

Select the organization from the list or enter the name if it is not available.

List the resources the partner organization will provide for the proposed research, including:

• Cash contributions (if any; not required) from your partner organizations paid to your institution for the direct costs of your research project (not including overhead); this amount will be transferred to the appropriate line on the Proposed expenditures page
• In-kind contributions (staff time and donations of services, materials and equipment, travel expenditures for staff)
• Amounts paid to your institution for overhead (if any)

After you have created, completed and saved the Contributions page in Form 101 for a given partner organization, click on the Lock/Invite button to automatically email a link to the partner organization representative. Upon clicking the link, the partner organization representative will be directed to a webpage where they can navigate the required questions using the tabs on the left-hand menu. As part of this process, the representative for the partner organization will be able to preview the application and the partner form as it will appear in the submitted application. After completing the required sections and clicking “Verify Form” in the Confirm and Submit tab to validate completeness, the partner organization representative must click “Submit.” They will then be prompted to accept the partner terms and conditions.

It is important that the representative for the partner organization review the Alliance grants: Partner organization form instructions before completing the required sections.

You can monitor the status of the partner form in the Contributions section of Form 101. The status will change from “Invitation sent” to “Invitation accepted” to “Completed by partner.”

If changes are required after the partner organization representative has submitted the partner organization form, you can release it for changes by using the Edit, Save, Lock/Invite buttons to modify the content.

Provide a detailed explanation of all in-kind contributions. This information will be used to assess the level and nature of each partner organization’s involvement and the importance of its contribution to the success of the project’s success.

• Salaries for scientific and technical staff: list the name of each staff member, their role at the partner organization and their specific expertise, details as to what they will be providing to the project (link to milestones if possible), the number of hours they will devote to the project and their hourly rate
• Salaries of managerial and administrative staff: list the name of each staff member, their role at the company, details as to what they will be providing to the project, the number of hours they will devote to the project and their hourly rate
• Donation of equipment, software: list each item of equipment and/or software being donated to the project, explaining how it will be used and its importance to the success of the project; provide details on how the cost of the equipment/software was calculated
• Other contributions: describe the contributions to be provided (e.g., travel expenditures for staff), their importance to the project and how their cost was calculated

For upload purposes, explanation of contributions from all partner organizations must be saved as a single PDF file.

You may use this section if you need to provide other documents requested by NSERC.

For upload purposes, all other documents must be saved as a single PDF file.

An Impact Assessment form (Appendix A) must be completed and uploaded to the Environmental impact page, as required.

You must use this section to provide your completed National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships’ Risk Assessment form in the case where your partnership involves one or more partner organizations from the private sector (including industrial associations and/or when they participate alongside other partner organizations from the public and/or not-for-profit sectors).

For resources to assist in completing the Risk Assessment form, please consult the array of Guidelines and Tools to Implement Research Security and Research Security Training Courses available on the Safeguarding Your Research portal.

Before you attach your completed Risk Assessment form to your application, you must convert it from a fillable to a read-only PDF. For this purpose, one option is to click on Print in the form, select the PDF format as the printer, and save the file.

In accordance with the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern, all researchers involved in the activities supported by a research grant that aims to advance a Sensitive Technology Research Area (STRA), such as your Alliance Quantum grant, must review the list of Named Research Organizations.

As you would have selected “yes” in the Sensitive Technology Research Areas section, you must use this section to provide a completed Attestation for Research Aiming to Advance Sensitive Technology Research Areas form(s) for the applicant, co-applicant(s), and collaborator(s), if applicable, certifying that they have read, understood, and are compliant with this policy. Should the application be successful, they and their research team(s) will also be required to comply with the policy for the duration of the grant.

The applicant must collect and compile all the completed attestation forms and save them as a single PDF file. Before you attach the file, you must convert it from a fillable to a read-only PDF. For this purpose, one option is to click on Print in the form, select the PDF format as the printer, and save the file.

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

Suggest the names of five independent experts competent to assess the technical aspects of the proposal. This list should include experts from the academic and non-academic communities, such as the government and industrial sectors. Also, include reviewers competent in assessing any research aspects outside the natural sciences and engineering. This list should also consider equity, diversity and inclusion; for example, the list should include women.

Give the name, address, telephone number, email address and the area(s) of expertise of potential external reviewers.

External reviewers should be able to review the proposal in the language in which it is written.

Suggested external reviewers should not be in a conflict of interest. Refer to the Conflict of interest and confidentiality policy of the federal research funding organizations for more information. In addition, reviewers must sign the Conflict of interest and confidentiality agreement for review committee members, external reviewers and observers before they access the application material.

You can request that an individual, a group of individuals or a specific non-academic organization not be involved in the review of your application (optional). Specify a general reason for this request (e.g., perceived conflicts of interest, prior disputes, school of thought bias, professional or personal association not specified in the conflict-of-interest policy). You may include any exclusions requested by the partner organizations in this list.

While NSERC cannot be bound by this request, it will consider it when selecting reviewers. NSERC may also exclude reviewers because of conflicts of interest, as described in the Conflict of interest and confidentiality policy of the federal research funding organizations.

Information concerning exclusions may be accessible to those individuals named in this section, under the Privacy Act.

The collection, use and disclosure of personal information provided to NSERC are outlined in the following policy statements:

• The Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act (including the use and disclosure of personal information provided to NSERC)
• Data Retention Information

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 described in Information about programs and information holdings.

You must ensure that others listed in the application have agreed to be included.

NSERC does not require original signatures on applications or other documents submitted electronically through its online system. The electronic submission of applications through this system represents approval and replaces the traditional “physical” or “wet” signatures. Refer to the frequently asked questions in the program guide for professors for more details.

Before you, as an applicant or co-applicant, can submit your application to NSERC or link your Personal data form with CCV attachment to an application, you must read and agree to the terms and conditions of applying that appear in a pop-up window during the submission process.

The signature of the institutional authority certifies that:

• the institution will abide by the roles and responsibilities as set out in the Agreement on the administration of agency grants and awards by research institutions with the three federal granting agencies, including the Tri-agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research (2021)
• the applicant and co-applicant(s) have met, or will meet, the eligibility requirements
• prior to submission of this application, the institution has obtained written approval from any other institutions involved in the application process

Before you, as the authorized representative of the partner organization, submit information as part of an application to NSERC, you must read and agree to the terms and conditions of applying during the submission process.