Program Update for the Canadian Council of University Chemistry Chairs

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Program Update for the Canadian Council of
University Chemistry Chairs

• Isabelle Blain
• May 29, 2009
• Hamilton, Ontario

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Outline

• 2009 Budget
• 2009 Discovery Grants Competition
• Next Steps Discovery Grants
• Other programs

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Federal Budget 2009 ST expenditures 5.1
billion including

• Investments in Knowledge Infrastructure
• University / College infrastructure - 2 billion
  / 2 yrs
• Canada Foundation for Innovation - 750 million
• Institute for Quantum Computing - 50 million / 2
  yrs
• Federal laboratories infrastructure - 250
  million / 2 yrs
• Arctic Research Infrastructure - 85 million / 2
  yrs
• Canada Health Infoway - 500 million
• Broadband implementation strategy - 225 million

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Federal Budget 2009 ST Expenditures

• Further Developing a Highly Skilled Workforce
• Canada Graduate Scholarship Temporary Increase
• 87.5 million / 3 yrs
• NSERC 35 million CIHR - 35 million SSHRC
  17.5 million
• Industrial RD Internships - 3.5 million / 2
  yrs
• Helping Small and Medium Sized Companies Innovate
• Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP)
  200 million / 2 yrs
• A More Sustainable Environment
• Clean Energy Technologies 1 billion / 5 yrs
• Atomic Energy of Canada - 351 million

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Strategic Review

• Annual process each year ¼ of federal
  organizations are involved
• In 2008, 21 federal organizations participated
• Principles
• Need and impact of program on the community it
  serves.
• Federal role and fit to NSERCs mandate.
• Alignment with the governments ST strategy.
• Value for money (efficiency and effectiveness),
  management performance and accountability.
• Results announced in Budget 2009

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Strategic Review Outcome for NSERC

• Programs to be terminated
• Centres Research in Youth, Science Teaching and
  Learning (CRYSTAL)
• University Faculty Awards (UFA)
• Research Capacity Development (RCD) program
• Special Research Opportunity (SRO) program
• Intellectual Property Mobilization (IPM) program
• Programs to be reduced
• Postgraduate Scholarships program Optional 2nd
  year of masters level support
• Major Resources Support (MRS) program
• Indirect Costs Program

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2009 Discovery Grants Competition

• Delivering on NSERCs Commitment to Excellence

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Why were improvements made?

• Excellence of Discovery Grants Program validated
  in two major independent reviews
• Strong support for existing program criteria to
  measure excellence
• Recommendations for enhancement
• new rating principles and measures to allow the
  peer review system to respond more dynamically to
  applicants performance
• new committee structure to give all applicants a
  higher quality, more focused, review (in 2010)

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Consultations and decisions

• (2007) Extensive consultation through online
  survey and stakeholders input into the 2 reviews
  
• (2008) Extensive consultations with key
  stakeholders to validate the new review process
  and committee structure
• (2008) Changes endorsed by NSERCs Council and
  its Standing Committee on Grants and Scholarships
• (2009) New rating principles and measures
  implemented in the 2009 Discovery Grants
  Competition

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Evaluation principles introduced

• Two-step process separating merit review and
  funding recommendations
• Merit assessment based on the same criteria as in
  the past
• Funding recommendations - comparable funding for
  those with similar overall ratings within a
  committee
• Greater consistency in process from committee to
  committee and competition to competition

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Enhanced two-step review process
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All program strengths retained

• The merit evaluation criteria are unchanged
• Supports a program of research, giving researcher
  freedom to pursue most promising directions
• Continuity of funding for highest performers
• Continued commitment to support meritorious
  early-career researchers
• Overall program budget is stable

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Implementation

• The introduction of the new review process went
  smoothly
• Most review committee members liked the new
  rating approach. They said it was fair and
  allowed them to spend more time focusing on the
  scientific content of the applications

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Impacts achieved

• A more dynamic system
• Continuity of funding for researchers with strong
  contributions to research and training and a
  strong research proposal
• Opportunity for significant funding increases for
  those with superior contributions and research
  plans, no matter their history in the program

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Comparing 2009 and 2008 CompetitionsChange in
Grant Amount
2009
2008
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Overall Comparative Statistics
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Discovery Grants Results 2009 Competition
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Discovery Grant Results - Chemistry
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RTI Results for Chemistry
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Towards the future

• For the 2010 competition, NSERC will introduce
  the second major enhancement the new system of
  Conference Review. It will replace the current
  Grant Selection Committees, while retaining their
  positive features.

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The view from NSERC

• At NSERC, we fuel the advancement of knowledge
  in science and engineering and ensure that
  Canadian scientists and engineers are leaders and
  key players in a global knowledge community.
• Suzanne Fortier, President, NSERC

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What others say

• Canada exists for the long term. NSERC has the
  inspiring purpose of planning for that long term.
  It does so through its understanding that the
  power of science lies in its ability to surprise,
  and that the key to releasing that power is to
  support the best of our scientists as they
  venture into the unknown. With this as its
  central tenet, NSERC will enjoy the cooperation
  and support of the nations scientific community.
  Long may it flourish.
• -Dr. John Polyani, U of T
• A commitment to excellence means accepting the
  challenge of continuous improvement by raising
  the bar. Implementing these changes will raise
  the bar.
• -Peter Nicholson, President, Council of Canadian
  Academies
• "I  commend NSERC for accepting the
  recommendations of the external review panels,
  which confirmed the extremely high value of the
  Discovery Grants Program while offering direction
  on how to further strengthen excellence and
  support Canadas most productive researchers.
• -Dr. James Blatz, Associate Head of Engineering
  U of Manitoba

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Next Steps Discovery Grants

• Conference Model

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How does the Conference Model work?
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New Evaluation Groups

• 1501 Genes, Cells and Molecules
• 1502 Biological Systems and Functions
• 1503 Evolution and Ecology
• 1504 Chemistry
• 1505 Physics
• 1506 Geosciences
• 1507 Computer Science
• 1508 Mathematics and Statistics
• 1509 Civil, Industrial and Systems Engineering
• 1510 Electrical and Computer Engineering
• 1511 Material and Chemical Engineering
• 1512 Mechanical Engineering

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Chemistry Research Topics

• CH01 Inorganic Synthesis
• CH02 Inorganic Catalysis
• CH03 Physical Properties and mechanisms of
  Inorganic Compounds
• CH04 Organic Synthesis
• CH05 Organic Catalysis
• CH06 Chemistry of biological systems
• CH07 Characterization of biological systems
• CH08 Physical Properties and mechanisms of
  Organic Compounds
• CH09 Photochemical reactivity and dynamics
• CH10 Photonics

• CH11 Theoretical physical chemistry
• CH12 Nuclear chemistry
• CH13 Development and applications of
  spectroscopic and structural techniques
• CH14 Atmospheric and Environmental Chemistry
• CH15 Analytical chemistry
• CH16 Combustion and Fuel Chemistry
• CH17 Functional Materials
• CH18 Polymer and Colloid chemistry
• CH19 Surface and Interfacial Chemistry
• CH20 Electrochemistry
• CH21 Nanomaterials
• CH22Supramolecular chemistry

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Other Programs

• CREATE
• Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
• Michael Smith Foreign Study Stipends

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CREATE

• Supports the training of teams of HQP through
  innovative training programs that
• encourage collaborative and integrative
  approaches that address significant scientific
  challenges
• facilitate the transition of new researchers from
  trainees to productive employees in the Canadian
  workforce
• CREATE will encourage
• The acquisition and development of important
  professional skills
• Student mobility between universities (even
  internationally) or to industry/government
  settings to gain valuable experience
• Interdisciplinary research

• Increased job readiness

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Focus on Priorities

• 60 of CREATE funding will be directed to four
  priority areas
• Environmental sciences and technologies
• Natural resources and energy
• Health and related life sciences technologies
• Communication and information technologies
• In fact, 19 out of the 20 proposals funded in
  2009 were in the priority areas

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Significant Funding

• Year 1 up to 150,000
• Years 2 6 up to 300,000 per year
• Total max 1,650,000
• A minimum of 80 of funds to be spent on
  stipends
• 30 may go to non-NSE trainees
• Undergrads (4,500 for 16 weeks plus supplement
  25)
• Masters (17,300 per year)
• Doctoral (21,000 per year)
• Postdoctoral (40,000 per year)
• Up to 20 to
• training program structure (e.g., salary of
  program coordinator first two years only)
• books, equipment, advertising, travel
• dissemination of training materials and research
  results
• miscellaneous

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Selection Criteria

• Letter of Intent (May 15)
• Merit of proposed training program (50)
• Excellence of the research team (50)
• 160 LOI received
• Full Application (September 22, if invited)
• Excellence of the research team
• Merit of proposed training program
• Program management and long-term sustainability

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Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

• To attract and retain world-class doctoral
  students by supporting students who demonstrate a
  high standard of scholarly achievement in
  graduate studies, as well as leadership skills
• Both Canadian and international students are
  eligible to be nominated for a Vanier Canada
  Graduate Scholarship

Canadas equivalent to the Rhodes and Fullbright
Scholarships programs
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Vanier CGSWhats new in 2009

• To be delivered as one national program
• Ramping up to 500 scholarships of 50,000/yr for
  three years
• NSERC share 166 awards
• Universities receive a three-year allocation of
  nominations
• Time line under review

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Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements

• For those holding an active CGS (M or D) award
• To spend a research period abroad (3-6 months)
• Up to 6,000 to offset the costs, including
  travel and accommodation
• NSERCs share 80 (out of 250)
• Universities to be allocated a set number of
  supplements
• Two application deadlines per year
• June 10 and October 10

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Questions?

• Isabelle Blain, Vice-President, Research Grants
  Scholarships
• isabelle.blain_at_nserc-crsng.gc.ca
• Serge Villemure, Director, Chemistry, Engineering
  Mathematical Sciences
• serge.villemure_at_nserc-crsng.gc.ca
• Program Officers
• Jennifer Bean 613/996-6217
• Catherine Podeszfinski 613/992-8101