Building a Culture of
Scientific Discovery
and Innovation
NSERC–BUILDINGACULTUREOFSCIENTIFICDISCOVERYANDINNOVATION
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WHOWEARE
TheNaturalSciencesandEngineeringResearchCouncil(NSERC)isuniqueinCanada’sresearchandinnovation
ecosystem.NSERCistheonlyCanadianagency–privateorpublic–involvedinthenaturalsciencesand
engineeringthatinvestssubstantiallyinbothdiscovery-drivenacademicresearchandcollaborativeresearch
withindustrypartnersandotherstakeholders.NSERCinvestmentshelpCanadaclaimworld-firstsinknowledge
leadingfromdiscoveriestofirstsinnewmarketabletechnologiesandservicestriggeredbypartnerships.These
investmentsplayamajorroleindevelopinghighlyqualifiedprofessionalscriticaltothegrowthofCanada’s
knowledge-basedeconomy.
SeeFurther
OurintegratedapproachgivesNSERCunparalleledinsightintoresearchandinnovationactivitiesacross
numeroussectorsinCanada.Manyoftheseactivitiesarecentraltoaddressingnationalandglobalchallenges
andopportunities,suchasfoodsecurity,cleanenergy,cybersecurity,andquantumtechnologies.Wecreate
valueforCanadabyinvestingincutting-edgeideas,supportingemergingtalent,andconveningpartnerships
acrossnodesofresearchexpertiseinthepublicandprivatesectorsthroughoutthecountry.NSERCisbuildinga
cultureofscientificdiscoveryandinnovationinCanadaandraisingthelevelofexcellenceinthenaturalsciences
andengineering.
EnsureExcellence
NSERChasarobustandwell-acceptedqualityassurancesystemtoensurethatresearchinvestmentdecisions
areimpartialanddeliverresearchexcellence.Panelsofresearchersreviewandevaluateresearchproposals
submittedbytheirpeers.Becausereviewersvolunteertheirtime,thesystemisalsocosteffective.Asimilar
processexistswhenexaminingacademic-industryresearchpartnerships,whereindustryexpertiseisrecruitedto
helpevaluateproposals.Theresultingcollaborationscreateasecondlevelofqualityassuranceandhelpassess,
validate,andde-riskideas,concepts,andinventionsforfurtherinvestment.
MEASURINGNSERC’SREACH
CreateKnowledge
NSERCisa$1.1billioninvestorinresearchandinnovationeachyear,thebiggestinCanadainthenatural
sciencesandengineering.Ofthis,approximately,69%($738million)isallocatedtoaportfolioofdiscoverybasedresearchactivities.Thisinvestmentfuelsapowerfulbraintrustanddeliversworld-classresearch.Andthis
commitmenttodiscoveryhasmeantthatCanadanotonlypublishesatahighraterelativetoourpopulation—
0.5%oftheworldpopulationproducing5%oftheworld’sscientificpublications—butalsowhatitpublishesis
amongtheworld’sbest.ComparedtoG20countries,Canadaranks7thwhenlookingatthecitationindexof
publicationsinthenaturalsciencesandengineering.
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Discoveriesbuildthenecessaryfoundationforinnovationandeconomicgrowth.Thesediscoveriesarise
becauseresearchershavethefreedomtoexplorethefrontiersofknowledgeandprobetheunexplainedand
unexpected.ApriorityforNSERCistoencourageresearcherstofullyutilizethisfreedomandtostrivetodesign
trulyaudaciousandground-breakingprogramsofresearch.
StrikePartnershipswithIndustry
NSERCallocatesapproximately31%ofitsannualbudget($330million)towardsasuiteofscalableandhighly
flexibleinvestmentprogramstofacilitateinnovationanddrivepartnershipsbetweenindustryanduniversities,
colleges,andpolytechnics.Theseprogramshaveleveragedannualcashcontributionsofcloseto$200million
fromindustryforresearchcollaborationsandcreatedarobustbaseof3,550companiesaspartners.Forthe
purposesofcomparison,theNRCIndustrialResearchAssistanceProgram—apartnerwithNSERCin
innovation—counted2,500companiesamongitsclientbase,andSustainableDevelopmentTechnologies
Canadacountedapproximately300.NSERChasbeenabletoachievethislevelofsuccesswithpartnerships
becauseofourprofoundlevelofconnectionandengagementwithCanada’sacademiccommunity.Weinvestin
over12,000researchersannuallyworkingatthecutting-edgeoftheirfields.Byconveningacademic-industry
partnerships,weprovidethespaceandthecontextwhereideas,needs,andchallengescanreceiveattention,
generatingfreshapproachesandimpactfuloutcomesforallcollaborators.
BuildtheNextGeneration
NSERCinvestments,acrossdifferentsectors,supportsubstantialtrainingofthenextgenerationofresearch
leadersinthepublicandprivatesectors,fromtheundergraduatetopost-doctorallevels.Onayearlybasis,
NSERCsupports,directlyandindirectly,30,000studentsandtrainees.NSERCstartedin1978,andalarge
percentageoftoday’smostactiveandproductiveCanadianresearchprofessionalsreceivedtheirtrainingasa
resultofNSERCinvestments.Tociteoneexample,CommanderChrisHadfieldbeganhisremarkablecareerwith
aNSERCstudentfellowship.
TheDiscovery-InnovationDynamic
Discoveryandinnovationaretwomutuallyreinforcingandintertwinedactivities.Discovery
basedresearchdrawsonitsownuniquesetofquestionsandproducesfirstsinraw
knowledge,newideas,andinventionsofvaluetoinnovation.Innovation,whichisattunedto
marketneedsandopportunities,establishesanewcontextfordiscoveryresearchandhelps
testandrealizethevalueofinventions.Theinnovationprocessalsogenerateschallengesthat
inspirefurtherdiscoveryresearch.
Inahighlyfunctioningdiscovery-innovationdynamic,thereisaconstantandseamless
exchangeofinformationandideas.Manydifferentplayersareinvolvedand,withguidance,
theyactinanintegratedandpurposefulway.Asaconvener,NSERCprovidesthefeedback
loopsfromindustrytoacademiatooptimizetechnologiesandtofurtherinformfuture
discoveryandinnovation.
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BENEFITSFORINDUSTRYANDINNOVATION
De-RiskR&D
OneofNSERC’smajorcontributionstoinnovationistode-risktheR&Denvironmentfortheprivatesector,such
asaccesstoknowledgenecessaryforproduct/serviceinnovationandtohighlyqualifiedpersonnelforcompany
expansionandgrowth.
HighlyQualifiedPeople:TheOrganizationforEconomicDevelopmentandCooperation(OECD)hasstressed
humancapitalasthebasisofinnovation,andtheOECDranksCanada#1inthepercentageofhighlyeducated
individualsintheworkforce.NSERCplaysafoundationalroleintheCanadianeconomybyprovidingsupportto
trainthenextgenerationofnumerate,technicallysavvy,andcreativeprofessionals.Specifictoindustry,27,800
studentsweretrainedinindustrialsettingsoverthepastfiveyears,and37%ofcompaniesreporthiringa
formerholderofanNSERCindustrialundergraduateaward.AmongNSERC-fundedPhDgraduates,33%worked
inindustryaspartoftheirdegree.
AccesstoKnowledge:NSERChasalsomademajorinvestmentsinknowledgetransfer.Inasurveyofcompanies
involvedinseveralofNSERC’skey,long-termcollaborativeresearchprograms,691patentswereinitiatedasa
resultofpartnershipsand143productsweredeveloped.Ofthisgroup,afurther65%ofcompaniesreported
potentialforfutureproductdevelopmentasaresultoftheresearch.AmongholdersofNSERCDiscoverygrants
(universityprofessors),27%alsoholdNSERCPartnershipgrants.Withintheengineeringdisciplines(e.g.
materialsandchemicalengineering,mechanicalengineering,and,electricalandcomputerengineering),in
2014-15,anaverageof55%ofDiscoverygrantholdersheldNSERCPartnershipgrants.
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