Alliance Society

Research topics

You can apply to support any R&D project that seeks to respond to a research challenge in the natural sciences or engineering (see Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency). However, you cannot use an Alliance grant to support secret or contract research.

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Collaborating outside the natural sciences and engineering

Developing and implementing policies or directly applying your research results may depend on socio-economic or other requirements, as well as scientific understanding beyond the natural sciences and engineering (NSE). You are encouraged to collaborate with academic researchers in fields other than the NSE. Such researchers may be co-applicants for Alliance grants if they meet NSERC’s eligibility criteria for faculty. Research costs for these collaborations can represent up to 30% of the project costs (see Funding your research project) and must be specifically identified in the project budget justification.

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Collaborating internationally

To increase the impact of Canadian NSE research in the global research community, you may incorporate international collaborations into your project proposal. You may interact with foreign colleagues in a variety of ways to enhance collaboration and increase your project’s impact. Refer to the Tri-agency guide on financial administration regarding the eligibility of expenses you may incur in support of such collaborations.

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Alliance Society: projects with societal impact as the main driver

To be eligible for an Alliance Society grant:

• projects must involve research at the intersection of science/engineering and society, with societal impact as the main driver
• teams must involve the people affected by these issues—who will benefit from the research results—in identifying the challenge and designing a strategy to solve the challenge 
• teams must share the results in ways that the affected groups will use; a collaborative approach is expected 

Your project may solve a challenge or take a first step toward achieving your ultimate societal goals. Because this approach is more challenging and requires more effort, NSERC covers 100% of the project costs. NSERC’s contribution will allow you to make crucial advances toward these longer-term benefits.

Your partnership must include:

• at least one partner organization that would be recognized for cost sharing under Alliance grants and that will make in-kind contributions to the project
• societal groups affected by the challenge that can benefit from and use the results of the project

Projects must meet the following three criteria. A selection committee will examine whether applications meet the criteria. Only applications that do so will continue to peer review, and applications that fail to meet these criteria will be rejected.

Societal impact

• Identify a need affecting Canadian end users and society 
• Develop an approach involving science and engineering research to meet the need
• Aim for benefits that reach societal end users and go beyond the direct interests of participating partner organizations

Your project must result in new technical knowledge that can be adopted by end users to make a positive impact on society in Canada.

Your objectives and research strategy must be well aligned with the needs of the affected societal groups. You can realize benefits in collaboration with any sector—private, public or not-for-profit.

Making connections

• Identify partner organizations and societal groups affected by—or interested in—the problem, including those outside natural sciences and engineering, when appropriate
• Engage these partner organizations and societal groups to bring their knowledge to the research design and implementation
• Involve these partner organizations and groups in integrating the solutions within and across sectors

The approach should bring together academic and societal groups, and partner organizations throughout the collaboration—from design, through execution to implementation. Impacts are stronger when the project makes connections within and outside the natural sciences and engineering. Non-academic partners and groups have a unique understanding of the challenge. Although they cannot resolve it on their own, they can define the need and participate in knowledge exchange to implement the results. Your partner organizations can advance the project through a high level of participation and sharing results beyond their own organizations. Your application must explain how the partner organizations’ involvement will lead to adoption.

Broad outputs

• Have a clear plan to communicate progress and the resulting products, services or policies beyond the academic world
• Use non-technical and innovative formats that partner organizations and societal groups can understand and that help exchange knowledge with these organizations and groups
• Demonstrate how the management of the project-generated intellectual property (IP) allows organizations and groups affected by the societal challenge to use the results without any obstacles

Your project must aim for outcomes that are more than improvements to a product or a service for increased profit. Your project may advance a sector and its practices, or it may provide evidence that leads to new policies or regulations. The results should be shared in various ways, including technical formats, such as publications, and non-technical formats that end users can find, understand and use. Your proposal must explain how all interested individuals and groups, beyond partner organizations, will learn about and use the results of your research. You must describe how your IP plan will allow the individuals and groups affected by the societal challenge to access the outcomes.

Funded projects

The following projects that were approved for funding demonstrate these criteria and may serve as examples when developing your project.

• Validating, interpreting and mobilizing community-based water monitoring

  • Societal impact: To ensure safe water supply by providing accurate and relevant data for decision-making, given that Canada’s freshwater monitoring network is currently fragmented and lacks communication and coordination.
  • Making connections: A federal department, a provincial water security agency, local community groups and a Canadian not-for-profit social enterprise.
  • Broad outputs: Development of an open data hub and partner outreach platforms connecting over 110,000 people, 130 societal groups and 1,800 online users, as well as training for 5,500 students. Interactive education tools, online training on water stewardship and intensive dissemination through networks of government, non-government organizations and community groups for sustainable and meaningful community-based water monitoring. Results will improve data for academic research and government and help make water testing programs sustainable across Canada.
• Life-cycle analysis of present and future buildings

  • Societal impact: To help the building sector reduce greenhouse gases and implement green building initiatives and eco-design by improving life-cycle analysis in the construction industry.
  • Making connections: Expertise and data is shared between a not-for-profit housing organization, a team of academics and relevant contacts in the construction industry.
  • Broad outputs: A simplified life-cycle analysis for the construction industry will be disseminated to the whole industry and public stakeholders (architects, engineers, public administration, etc.) via workshops, conferences, public symposia and the partner’s large network, to help the industry adopt green construction and guide new standards and programs for the sector.
• Conserving culturally and commercially valuable aquatic species

  • Societal impact: To understand the impact of fisheries practices and environmental changes in marine ecosystems of economic and cultural significance to Indigenous communities and rights holders.
  • Making connections: Indigenous communities and a conservation group will share their perspectives on these ecosystems with commercial fisheries that exploit them, and a federal government department will develop a framework for safeguarding the interests of all. 
  • Broad outputs: Participation of all parties in defining the issue and the path to resolving it satisfactorily for all, and policy development by the federal government department.

What's next?
Funding your research project