NSERC Strategic Project Grants (SPG) Program February 10, 2011

1. NSERC Strategic Project Grants (SPG) Program February 10, 2011

2. Today’s Speakers: • Katie Wallace, NSERC Program Officer, Environment and Natural Resources, Research Partnerships Programs • Professor Shana Kelley, The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy: Successful Applicant – Miniaturized Microelectronic Devices for Cost-effective Point-of-care Diagnostics • Mike Folinas, Research Funding Manager, Research Services • Cyril Gibbons, Director, Business Dev - Phy. Sciences, Innovations and Partnerships Office

3. Strategic Project Grants Program - 2011 Competition

4. University of Toronto February 10th, 2011 Katie Wallace, Program Officer Environment and Natural Resources Research Partnerships Programs

5. Agenda • Partnerships Programs • Strategic Project Grants Program (SPG) • What’s New? • UT and SPG • Target Areas • Application and Timelines • Evaluation Process • Helpful Tips

6. NSERC Budget 2010-2011 ($1.080 billion) Administration ($54M- 5%) People ($302.4M- 28%) Innovation ($324M- 30%) Discovery ($399.6M- 37%)

7. StrategicPartnerships (targets national priorities) • Strategic Projects • Strategic Networks • Partnership Workshops • Collaborative Health Research Projects Industry-Driven (Industry participation) • Collaborative R&D • Industrial Research Chairs • Chairs in Design Engineering • Interaction • Engage RPP Toolbox • Regional Offices • Bring perspectives and • intelligence from across • the country • Forge linkages at local level • Exercise more influence Technology Transfer/Commercialization • Idea to Innovation • College and Community Innovation

8. Give companies that operate from a Canadian base and researchers from Canadian universities an opportunity to meet and identify a company-specific problem they could solve by collaborating in a subsequent research partnership. • Maximum of $5,000 for 3 months. • Trial started in late 2009. • Delivered by NSERC Regional Offices. Interaction Grants

9. Engage Grants Program • Fosters the development of new partnerships • Short-term R&D projects for a company-specific problem • Up to $25,000 for up to 6 months • Not peer-reviewed • Partner owns IP • 412 applications received, 347 awarded; 89% success rate • 4-6 week decision timeframe (NSERC Regional Offices)

10. 1 to 5 years duration, usually 2 to 3 years • Average grant $55,000 per year, but can vary from $10K/year to > $400K/year • Industry responsible for at least 1/2 costs and must exploit results • Flexible leverage: cash and in-kind • 80-85% success rate • No fixed application deadlines • Can now include project management costs Collaborative Research and Development Grants (CRD)

11. Support research and development projects with identifiable technology transfer potential • To reduce technical risk and to demonstrate the commercial potential of university discoveries • University ILO must commit to the project and work with the researcher/partners • Goal is to generate economic activity for inventions originating from the university sector • Phase I: Technologies funded are taken up by a Company; either licensed out or through the creation of a viable spin-off • Phase II: Projects lead to new market products Idea to Innovation (I2I)

12. Phase I – Researcher without a partner • Advance concept to attract partner • 100% of direct costs, up to $125k, 1 Year • Phase II – Researcher with a partner a) Early stage investor • NSERC 2/3 of direct costs • Maximum $125,000 per project, 6-18 months b) Company • NSERC 1/2 of direct costs • Company cash at least 40% of contribution • Maximum $350,000 per project, 2 years • New initiative: Market Assessment Idea to Innovation (I2I)

13. Strategic Project Grants (SPG) Objective To increase research and training in targeted areas that could strongly influence Canada’s economy, society and/or environment within the next 10 years.

14. Why the Strategic Project Grants Program? • Focus on specific areas • Opportunity to take research beyond the university • NSERC will fund direct costs of a 1 to 3 year project (students, PDFs, consumables, equipment) • There must be significant involvement from the partner BUT a cash contribution is not required

15. Increased participation of companies and/or government organizations in academic research. • New knowledge/technology with strong potential to strengthen Canada’s industrial base, generate wealth, create employment and/or Canadian public policy. • The transfer of this knowledge/technology to Canadian-based organizations that are well positioned to apply the results for economic gain or to government organizations to strengthen public policy. • Highly qualified personnel trained in the target areas. Expected Results

16. Access to: • Team of researchers with expertise in a desired area to solve a problem • Technology/idea of commercial interest • Research facilities and infrastructure that the industry lacks • Potential access to a source of HQP • Give companies a competitive edge in global markets What’s in it for the Partners?

17. Requirements • The project must: • Fall within one of the target areas • Have well-defined objectives, scope and duration (1-3 years) • Have one or more supporting organizations that are actively involved in all stages of the project and can apply the results

18. First competition with New Target Areas • Target areas are reviewed every 5 years • 2010 was the last competition for Biomedical Technologies, Quality Foods and Novel Bioproducts, and Safety and Security • Equipment Expenses • Purchase of major equipment items or systems is limited to a maximum of $150,000 total What’s New for 2011 • Government Supporting Organizations • Letter of support and form 183A must be signed by the Director General (or equivalent level) – please contact NSERC for approval for equivalent level • Instructions and Application • Status reports no longer required • Option to attach a Gantt cart in the budget justification section • Allowed up to 2 pages for references

19. Competition Statistics- (2006-2010)

20. 2006 to 2010: 164* applications, 64 awards (39%) • 2010: 50 applications, 11 awards • 2 examples • Information and Communication Technologies • Sustainable Energy Systems UT and Strategic Project Grants *does not include supplemental competitions

21. Integrated photonics for energy-efficient communications in multi-core processors for exascale computing systems- ACMI • J. Poon, Electrical and Comp. Eng. • $533,100 over 3 years • 3 co-applicants • IBM Canada Investigation of how emission control technologies mitigate health impacts from diesel fuel combustion- SES • G. Evans, Chem Eng and Appl. Chem • $475,873 over 3 years • 1 co-applicant • Environment Canada; Engine Control Systems Ltd.

22. Priority research topics within: • Information and Communications Technologies • Environmental Science and Technologies • Manufacturing • Natural Resources and Energy Four Target Areas Please note: Health and related life sciences and technologies will be covered under the Collaborative Health and Research Projects Program (check for program updates in March)

23. There are 3-8 priority research topics identified within each target area (80% of budget). • Projects that fall outside of the research topics but fit the context of the target area are termed “Exceptional Opportunities outside the research topics” (up to 20% of budget). • Research outside the 4 priority target areas will not be considered for funding Focused Research

24. Private sector • Canadian-based companies or multi-nationals with Canadian operations (R&D or manufacturing) that can apply the research results for economic gain • Public sector • Canadian government organizations that can apply the research results to strengthen policies (the proposal must clearly show how the project relates to their public policy responsibilities) Non-Academic Supporting Organizations

25. Non-Academic Supporting Organizations • Do not qualify as the only supporting organization: • NGO’s, venture capitalists, government research labs, foreign research institutions, implementation sites, potential customers

26. A supporting organization must also: • Have a demonstrated interest in the project (letters of support, in-kind contributions) • Be involved in all stages of the research (help to develop the proposal, interact with researchers and students, provide input to the project) • Validate the results of the research • Provide guidance concerning exploitation of results Supporting Organizations (continued)

27. Concurrent call for joint research projects in all Target Areas • Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France) and National Science Council (Taiwan) • Two separate but linked proposals: one submitted to each agency • Canadian applications must meet all requirements of the SPG program • International agency will fund its scientists • NSERC has not reserved funds for applications related to international concurrent calls • Funding is on a competitive basis within regular SPG Program budget • Up to 3 additional pages are allowed • There is no joint review International Collaborations

28. The SPG Application • Application for a Grant (Form 101) Parts I and II • Personal Data Forms(Form 100) + CVs of collaborators (6 pages max) • Form 183A (partner’s information and contributions) • Letter of support describing partner’s involvement

29. 11 pages total: • Introduction (~1 page*) • Identify target area and research topic • Why is the research you propose strategic and how does it address the research topic? • Justification for exceptional opportunity • For re-submissions, explain how concerns of the selection panel have been addressed selection panel and reviewers do not see cover letters! Research Proposal- Format *suggested lengths

30. Section 1 (~7 pages): • Objectives • Approach and research methodology • Workplan • Current scientific, technical, and commercial developments in the field with appropriate references • Expected impact on field of proposed research Research Proposal- Format • Section 2 (~1 page): • Training Plan • Identify roles of team members

31. Section 3 (~1 page): • Interactions with supporting organizations • Plan for knowledge and technology transfer (Intellectual Property) • Fit between the project objectives and priorities of supporting organization(s) Research Proposal- Format • Section 4 (~1 page): • Potential benefits to Canada economic, social, environmental • Potential benefits to supporting organizations • Additional pages – references (2 pages max), relationship to other research, budget justification, details of in-kind contributions

32. Support for and agreement with the proposal • Reasons for being involved in the proposed collaboration • Anticipated benefits from project outcomes • Effort required to exploit results • Benefits to Canadian economy and the relevant timeframe • Anticipated interaction of personnel with the University • Company’s contribution to the project • Company profile (for small companies or start-ups) Letter of Support- Key Points

33. Collaborations outside NSE: applicants are encouraged to collaborate with experts outside the NSE. Can represent up to 30% of the project costs. • Overlap of funds: the onus is on the applicant to provide as much information as to how/why the project differs from those currently funded (relationship to other support). • Provide as much detail as possible in your budget justification. Show all your calculations and how you arrived at totals presented. • Funding decisions are announced in October. This should be considered in the activity schedule and workplan. Additional Points to Consider

34. April 15- Submission of Applications • May/June- Pre-Selection, if required • Preliminary review by target area selection committee • Proposals with significant weaknesses are removed • July/August- External referees • Typically three per application • Technical expertise to aid the Committee • Appendix C: your suggestions • Panel suggestions and NSERC database • September- Selection Committee • Proposals are assigned to three readers • Discussion amongst the whole group • October- Results announced Evaluation Process- Timeline

35. Evaluation Process • Projects are evaluated against seven criteria. • Each criterion is graded from 1 (lowest score) to 4 (highest score). • Each criterion is of equal weight. • Only projects that are strong in all 7 criteria are eligible for funding.

36. Originality of the research • Quality of the research • Project work plan • Quality of the applicants as researchers • Training potential • Interactions with the supporting organizations • Benefits to Canada and the supporting organizations Selection Criteria

37. Originality of the Research • The project must promise to generate new knowledge or to apply existing knowledge in an innovative manner. • Quality of the Research • The project must be scientifically sound and technically feasible. It must fall within a specific target area. Selection Criteria (cont’d)

38. Project Work Plan • The project must have a clear and coherent work plan that demonstrates a high probability of achieving the objectives in the proposed time frame. • Quality of the Applicants as Researchers • The research team must have all the expertise to address the defined objectives competently and to complete the project successfully. Selection Criteria (cont’d)

39. Training Potential • The project must provide opportunities to train students and other highly qualified personnel with skills relevant to the needs of Canadian organizations. • Interactions with Supporting Organizations • The supporting organizations must have the capacity to apply the results of the research and must be actively involved in all stages of the project. Selection Criteria (cont’d)

40. Benefits to Canada and Supporting Organizations • The proposal must identify how the work will benefit the supporting organization(s) and must demonstrate that exploitation of the research results will benefit Canada within a 10-year time frame. Selection Criteria (cont’d)

41. All sections are clear and well described: • Clear summary, proposal easy to read • Roles well defined (HQP, applicants …) • Benefits to Canada clearly demonstrated • Guidelines followed and requirements addressed • Strong partner(s): • Involvement from the start • Clear expectations (including IP) • Good communication • On-going interaction Signs of a Good Proposal

42. Start early! • Make the application comprehensible to people outside your field and position your project within the current literature/state of the art - Literature review should not be Task 1 of project! • Pay full attention to all aspects of the application, not just the research proposal (i.e. budget justification, in-kind contributions, relationship to other support). • Make sure the partner is going to benefit actively from the research and will not just be an end user. • Explain the fit to the target area clearly. Top Ten Tips

43. Ensure that all partners and co-applicants are fully involved. • Understand how your proposal will be evaluated (all criteria are equally weighted!). • Tailor your Form 100 to the program you are applying to. • Explain both the applied and basic aspects of the project. • Have a peer review your proposal against the program evaluation criteria. Top Ten Tips (continued)

44. For questions relating to fit to target area, eligibility of partners or applicants or Program requirements, please send your query to: STRGR@nserc-crsng.gc.ca For questions/support regarding the on-line application process, please contact: Helpdesk: (613) 995-4273 webapp@nserc-crsng.gc.ca Resources

45. Questions?

46. NSERC Strategic Project Grant MINIATURIZED MICROELECTRONIC DEVICES FOR COST-EFFECTIVE POINT-OF-CARE DIAGNOSTICS Shana Kelley, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy & Faculty of Medicine

47. The project • Objective 1. Development of a multiplexed protein assay for ovarian cancer (12 months) • Foundational work • Objective 2. Development of a multiplexed protein/RNA profiling system (24 months) • Improvement on Objective 1 outcome • Objective 3. Integration of microelectronic chips with processing modules for validation of point-of-care capabiltiies (12 months) • Engineering/systems integration

48. The partners Kalgene Pharmaceuticals Ted Sargent (ECE)

49. Colleague feedback collected on SPG grants A strong partner is essential - need lots of lead time to ensure a great letter and timely sign-off Letter of support from partner is extensively scrutinized - Must be explicit about the exact nature of the contributions - ideally, should be tabulated, justified, quantitative - In the case of a multinational company, it’s best if the letter comes from the Canadian office. - Must show that the company has been a partner in developing the proposal Pay attention to the requirements on Form 183A – number of employees, revenues, etc. that require sign-off by company representative

50. Colleague feedback collected on SPG grants (cont.) Important to prove fit with the priority areas Important to detail why project will lead to unique training opportunity for students and PDFs > 70% of successful Strategic are multi-PI from multiple departments Budget: typical $150k/year for 3 years