Discovery Grants (individual) program

Overview

On this page

• Objective
• Description
• Inter-agency Interdisciplinary Research
• Equity, diversity and inclusion
• General eligibility principles
• Application procedures
• Review procedures and selection criteria
• Funding decisions
• Resources

Objective

The Discovery Grants (DG) program assists in

• promoting and maintaining a diversified base of high-quality research capability in the natural sciences and engineering in Canadian universities
• fostering research excellence
• providing a stimulating environment for research training

Description

The DG program supports ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances. DGs are typically five years in duration and are considered “grants in aid” of research, as they provide long-term operating funds and can facilitate access to funding from other programs but are not meant to support the full costs of a research program.

DG recipients are not restricted to the specific activities described in their applications and may pursue new research interests, provided they are within NSERC’s mandate and adhere to the principles and directives governing the appropriate use of funds as outlined in the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration. This provides researchers with the flexibility to pursue promising research avenues as they emerge and the opportunity to address higher-risk (higher reward) topics. Researchers can use their grants to participate in collaborative efforts.

Inter-agency Interdisciplinary Research

Researchers whose program of research is interdisciplinary in nature are invited to apply to Discovery Horizons (DH) as a mechanism to access Discovery funding. DH grants support investigator-initiated individual and team projects that broadly integrate or transcend disciplines to advance knowledge in the natural sciences and engineering (NSE). This contrasts with DG, which funds individual programs of research within the NSE. Full applications submitted to NSERC’s DH program will be reviewed by a Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee. A Discovery Horizons grant is not meant to supplement existing DG funding.

In the context of Discovery Horizons, the term “interdisciplinary” should be understood to fully encompass all research that connects, crosses, or falls in between the traditional disciplines of the three granting agencies (natural sciences and engineering, social sciences and humanities, and health and wellness), including transdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, convergence research and other approaches at the interface. Research that connects, crosses or falls within the disciplines of NSE continues to be eligible for DG funding.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

NSERC is acting on the evidence that achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is essential to creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research necessary to advance knowledge and understanding, and to respond to local, national and global challenges. This principle informs the commitments described in the Tri-Agency Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).

Applicants are expected to increase the inclusion and advancement of underrepresented groups in the natural sciences and engineering, as one means to enhance excellence in research and training. For more information, refer to the DG application instructions and the NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research.

General eligibility principles

DGs are awarded to individual researchers, normally for five years. Researchers can apply for and hold only one DG at a time. Researchers who hold a DG cannot reapply for another DG until the last year of their current award.

Individuals cannot hold both a Discovery Grant and a Discovery Horizons grant. This rule has been effective from the 2024 competition year onwards.

Applicants to the DG program must meet NSERC’s Eligibility Requirements for faculty to apply for or hold grant funds.

Subject matter eligibility and funding from other sources

Applicants to the DG program must present a program of research that is eligible under NSERC’s mandate, which is to promote and assist research in the natural sciences and engineering, other than health. The objectives of the research program must be to advance knowledge in the natural sciences or engineering. The application will be rejected if NSERC determines, at any time during the review cycle, that the subject matter is outside of its mandate. Refer to Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency, the Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health, the Peer Review Manual, and the NSERC Discovery Grants Process for Decisions on Mandate Eligibility for further information on the eligibility of subject matter.

Applicants to the DG program must present a program of research that is conceptually distinct from research supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

NSERC encourages researchers to obtain funds from other sources to support the full costs of the research program presented in their DG application, as long as the funding source is not CIHR or SSHRC, and as long as the funds cover different expenses from those proposed in the DG application.

Refer to the Peer Review Manual and the Instructions for completing an application for further information.

Applicant categories

Applicants to the DG program are categorized as either early career researchers or established researchers. Refer to the Discovery Grants – applicant categories for more information. Applicant categorization is the responsibility of NSERC staff and is based on the information provided by the applicant in the Canadian Common CV (CCV) and application.

Application procedures

To apply for a DG, applicants must first submit a notification of intent (NOI) to apply by the NOI deadline date. The NOI is a mandatory step in the application process. It allows NSERC to start the review process (e.g., preliminary assignment to an evaluation group (EG), selection of appropriate external reviewers and verification of the eligibility of the subject matter). Applicants must then complete and submit the application by the full application deadline date.

Applicants are required to complete and submit the NSERC version of the Canadian Common CV (CCV) at both the NOI and full application stages for this program. The CCV can be updated following the NOI submission, but updates must be made prior to the submission of the full application.

Review procedures and selection criteria

Applications are submitted to the DG program and not to a particular evaluation group (EG). Applications are reviewed by EGs. Each EG comprises Canadian and international peers with diversified expertise in the areas of research covered by the EG. There may also be input on applications from external reviewers. NSERC assigns applications to EGs on the basis of the research topics, the objectives of the proposed research program and input from both applicants and EGs. At the NOI stage, applicants are asked to suggest which EG they believe to be the most appropriate to review their application. The final decision of EG assignment is made by NSERC.

For interdisciplinary research within the natural sciences and engineering, appropriate review of the application will be ensured by identifying appropriate EG members and external reviewers to review the application. Please see the Guidelines for the Preparation and Review of Applications in Interdisciplinary Research for more information.

Applications are rated according to the following selection criteria. The onus is on applicants to address these explicitly in their application. As part of an ongoing commitment to ensure that a wide range of contributions are considered and valued in the merit review, the new Guidelines on the assessment of contributions to research, training and mentoring will support the evaluation of NSERC applications.

• Scientific or engineering excellence of the researcher
  • Knowledge, expertise and experience
  • Quality of contributions to, and impact on, the proposed and other areas of research in the natural sciences and engineering
  • Importance of contributions to, and use by, other researchers and end-users
• Merit of the proposal
  • Originality and innovation; extent to which the proposal suggests and explores novel or potentially transformative concepts and lines of inquiry
  • Significance and expected contributions to research; potential for policy and/or technology-related impact
  • Clarity and scope of objectives (research program with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects)
  • Clarity and appropriateness of methodology
  • Feasibility
  • Extent to which the scope of the proposal addresses all relevant issues, including the need for varied expertise within or across disciplines
  • Consideration of equity, diversity and inclusion in the research process where relevant
  • Consideration of interdisciplinary methods or practices in research, if applicable
  • Appropriateness of, and justification for, the budget
  • Demonstration that the DG proposal is conceptually distinct from research support held or applied for through CIHR and/or SSHRC
• Contribution to the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP)
  • Quality and impact of past training of HQP (e.g., postdoctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students, technicians), including
    • training environment provided for HQP
    • HQP awards and research contributions
    • outcomes and skills gained by HQP
  • Quality, suitability and clarity of the planned training of HQP, including
    • overall training philosophy
    • research training plan for individual HQP
  • Consideration of equity, diversity and inclusion in past and planned training of HQP

The overall merit assessment of each application is based on the combination of ratings by the EG for each selection criterion. The final rating assigned and the applicant category will determine the grant level.

Funding decisions

Refer to the Discovery Grants Information Centre for more information.

Resources

• Discovery Grants – applicant categories
• Discovery Grants – Discovery Launch supplements
• Discovery Grants information centre
• Discovery Grants merit indicators
• Discovery Grants - Northern Research Supplements
• DND/NSERC Discovery Grant Supplements
• FAQ on the evaluation of the HQP criterion
• Instructions to external reviewers
• List of Evaluation Groups and Research Topics
• Memo to potential applicants (2025 DG competition)
• NSERC Discovery Grants process for decisions on mandate eligibility
• Peer Review Manual
• Pre-recorded how-to-apply videos
• Primary caregivers who are eligible for but decline taking extended leave (maternity, parental or adoption)
• Relationship Between NSERC Proposals and Other Sources of Funds
• Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency