My goal today 1.Highlight NSERC industrial Scholarships and Fellowships programs 2.Discuss what is required from an organization to become eligible 3.Answer your questions

NSERC The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada The agency supports university students in their advanced studies, promotes and supports discovery research, and fosters innovation by encouraging Canadian companies to participate and invest in postsecondary research projects.

People Programs for Industry Attract & retain new highly trained talent Access to university resources Industrial R&D Fellowship PhDs join a business as employees Accelerates business R&D Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships Develop talent and acquaint students with business needs Industrial Undergrad Student Awards Business can test drive future employees

Success rate Applications to NSERC’s Industrial “people” programs are successful 80-90% Source: NSERC

Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA in Industry) The organization could hire up to 15 undergraduate students per year:  students do research for weeks  Could be co-op students  Cost: $1,125 each student (minimum for 16 weeks)  $4,500 per student from NSERC + travel allowance*  Organization reimbursed by NSERC after work term (*costs student incurs to get to host’s work location and return may be covered)

Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships (IPS) Goal: student completes degree  First class student for 50 + days per year at the organization, 2-3 years  research done of interest to host & relevant to thesis  No NSERC deadline, 6-8 weeks to approval*  Student gets $21K per year (very competitive > CGSM)  Foreign students may be eligible NB student is NOT an employee of company (*if application is complete, often backdated)

IPS Agreement General:  Cash to university  Agreement lasts as long as scholarship  No delay in granting of degree  Student at company for at least 50 days Intellectual Property  Intellectual property ownership specified  Benefits to Canada of scholarship  Research results to be published in open literature (6 months max delay)

Industrial Postgraduate Scholarship Profile Kendall Thiessen Civil Engineering Awarded IPS2 in 2008 (Ph.D. level) Industry Partner: AECOM “The Industrial Postgraduate Scholarship is benefiting both my studies and my career. AECOM works with the technology I have been studying, and they get value from the time I spend researching and testing, which is something they wouldn’t otherwise have the time to do. This has worked out so well on both sides that I will likely stay on after I finish my degree.” – K. Thiessen Previous Awards: Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship (2007) Undergraduate Student Research Award (2003)

Industrial R&D Fellowships (IRDF) The organization could employ a postdoctoral researcher to advance R&D and/or test future employees:  For $10 K per year (minimum)  NSERC pays $30 K per year  2 years maximum  No deadlines for applications, results in 6 weeks*  No limit to the number of IRDF/host (*if application complete)

Industrial R&D Fellowship Profile Nikolay V. Sidenko, Ph.D. Senior Environmental Geochemist, TetrES Consultants Inc. Adjunct Professor, Geological Sciences University of Manitoba Awarded IRDF in 2005 Industry Partner: TetrES Consultants Inc. “The IRDF was a great opportunity to better understand the needs of industry and apply my knowledge to solve real-world problems. At the same time, I had access to very large data sets, which gave me a better understanding of processes I studied. It was a very good experience that ultimately led to full-time employment with TetrES.” – N. Sidenko

Types of Eligible Organizations

An Organization Eligibility Application MUST Include: 1.Form 183B with an ORIGINAL signature 2.A description of the organization’s facilities 3.A description of the organization’s R&D programs and a brief statement of the organization’s objectives 4.A copy of the organization’s financial statements for the two most recent complete years, 5.If they answered Yes to any of the questions in the section entitled “Additional Organization Information,” additional information is required 6.If they answered Yes to any of the questions in the section entitled “Facilities,” additional information is required

Immediate Reasons for NOT Approving Organization Eligibility For all programs: Receiving government subsidies or public funds to a significant extent (more than 50% of their revenues) Do not possess adequate and sound financial resources Research does not fall within NSERC mandate or is not at a level appropriate for awardees For Industrial USRA and IRDF programs: Do not maintain appropriate research facilities within the organization's premises No adequate support and supervision at a level suitable for the awardee No established R&D program For the IPS program: Do not maintain appropriate production and/or administrative facilities off-campus

Actual Examples Where Eligibility was NOT Approved Organization located in a personal residence Organization located in a professor’s laboratory Proposed awardee was going to be the only employee at a new location of organization Any proposed awardees would work out of their own home Any proposed awardees would work out of a University for the entire award Organization with $42 in the bank and no other resources

Financial Statement For the Industrial USRA program only, financials do not need to be submitted but are always preferred; a letter, signed by the CFO or financial authority for the organization, confirming the commitment of funds towards any awards made and stating that participation in the program would not result in any hardship to the organization is acceptable. For the IPS and IRDF programs, financial statements are still requested and preferred, but in cases where the organization is not publicly-traded a letter is acceptable if signed by a certified accountant, confirming the commitment of funds towards any awards made and stating that participation in the program(s) would not result in any hardship to the organization. In cases where only a letter is provided, NSERC may request further financial information during the evaluation process.

NSERC Program Contacts: USRA: Claire Saumure: IPS Klara Konya: IRDF Sarah Antonakos Or