NSERC Alliance – Enhancing Industry-University Collaboration with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) funding for highly qualified personnel (HQP) training – Research Component

Eligible Recipients

• Canadian universities

Eligible Projects

To be eligible, all research projects must include the following elements:

• Research projects that have already received an NSERC Alliance grant under NSERC – Alliance Grants Program for a 1 to 5 year period;
• Research projects that are currently underway or about to start and that will be ongoing for at least a one-year period following the issuance of a CSA EIUC grant.
• Research activities of interest to Canada related to space science and technology disciplines and their applications. More specifically, activities related to at least one (1) of the research priorities identified for this EIUC AO (see Section 3.3).
• Collaboration with at least one industry partner related to the space sector. If the industry partner(s) is not related to the space sector, the applicant must explain how this industry partner contributes or plans to contribute to the space sector.
• The participation of Canadian students who will contribute actively to the project, specifically:
  • Undergraduate university students and/or.
  • Graduate university students (master’s and doctorate levels) and/or.
  • Post Doctorate Fellows (PDF).

  For the purpose of this AO, the term “Canadian students” refers to all students (including international students) that are registered in a Canadian university.

  Applicants are encouraged to propose projects that increase the representation and advancement of women and Indigenous Peoples in space sciences and engineering. Applicants should strive for a balanced gender representation in the group of students and amongst their supervisors, role models and mentors.

• Applications must include a training plan for any new student not originally considered in the NSERC Alliance Grants Program proposal. The training plan should also mention any and all opportunities all students will be given for training at the partner organizations (internships, mentorships, etc.). Details on what to include in the training plan are found in APPENDIX A.

Please note:

A project may not be eligible for funding if the applicant was previously awarded funding by the CSA for a similar ongoing project. If the proposed project is directly or indirectly related to a project that was previously funded through a CSA AO or Request for Proposal (RFP), the applicant may still be eligible for funding as long as the proposed project activities are complementary in nature and do not overlap with those of the previously funded project that is ongoing (see Section 4 of the application form).

Note that an application must be submitted by only one eligible applicant, who would be the only signatory of a grant agreement (a proposal submitted by two or more co-applicants will not be accepted). Collaborating universities may submit separate applications for different elements of the same project. In such cases, each application must include separate research or scientific activities requiring the participation of different Canadian students and/or PDFs, and the applicant must demonstrate that their project can achieve success regardless of the acceptance or refusal of the other university’s application.

All development phases necessary for a project are eligible. Any logical breakdown or combination of these phases can constitute a funded project under this AO. However, breaking down a project into numerous phases submitted as distinct proposals to obtain more than the maximum grant or contribution under this AO is not allowed. Furthermore, the completion of a funded phase does not automatically guarantee future funding of the remaining phases.

Links to CSA Priorities

To be eligible, projects supported under this AO must demonstrate their link to one of the priorities identified in Space Strategy for Canada, Canada’s Strategy for Satellite Earth Observation, or further the research in the field of quantum technology as related to the space sector. Quantum technology has been identified as a national priority in the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Mandate Letter (pm.gc.ca).The CSA reserves the right to select projects with research disciplines deemed high priority, including: quantum technology in the Space Sector (satellite quantum key distribution, mapping of near-Earth environment, and quantum sensing of the near-Earth environment), adapting to climate change with space-based data, innovative technology in the space sector including advanced robotics, deep-space food, deep space health and understanding space weather.

Other topics found in the Space Strategy for Canada or Canada’s Strategy for Satellite Earth Observation that are not listed here may also be eligible.

Applicants proposing projects that respond to more than one research discipline must indicate one primary research discipline in the application form. All other research disciplines will be considered as secondary. Evaluations will be completed based on the applicant’s selection of primary research discipline.

Links to the Class G&C Program Objectives

To be eligible, projects supported under this AO must contribute to the achievement of the following objective:

• To foster the continuing development of a critical mass of researchers and highly qualified people in Canada in areas relevant to the priorities of the Canadian Space Agency.