Funder’s website
The funder’s website can be found HERE.
Funding Value and Duration
Up to 5 years.
Overview
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
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.
Eligibility Criteria
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.
Applicants to the DG program must meet NSERC’s Eligibility criteria for faculty.
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 in 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.
Internal Contacts
Potential applicants are encouraged to discuss this funding opportunity with their Faculty Research Facilitator.
Deadlines
*Note that dates are currently anticipated and are subject to change.
| Faculty Deadline | Consult your Faculty Research Facilitator. |
| OVPRI Approval Form Deadline | October 25, 2025 |
| Submission to Sponsor | August 1, 2025 (NOI)
November 1, 2025 (Full Application) |
Submitting Your Application
- Step 1) Submit an internal Carleton Approval Form
Submit an internal Approval Form through our central awards management database CUResearch:
https://ovpri.research.carleton.ca/Romeo.Researcher/Administrator/Default.aspx
For a user’s guide on submitting an Approval Form, click HERE. - Step 2) Submit an external application to the granting agency
Submit an external application to the corresponding grant or award agency. To navigate to the funder’s website, click HERE