Public Matching Funds
Through partnership with Carleton University, you can gain access to our leading-edge research. Carleton’s Industry and Partnership Services (IPS) works with you to build research relationships and explore the public sources of funding that can complement your funding contributions.
Public sources of funding include:
Collaborate 2 Commercialize (C2C), which supports research partnerships between post- secondary institutions and Ontario companies.
- Timeline: 6–12 months
- Maximum funds available: $150,000
- Minimum leverage required: 1:1
- Approximate review time: 8–10 weeks
- COVID-19 Update: Researchers may continue to pay students that cannot work due to the COVID-19 shut down, provided that the budget change is no more than $5,000 or they file a budget change request.
OCI Collaborate to Commercialize (C2C) /NSERC Alliance joint program:
In this partnership, OCI and NSERC jointly support research & development between post- secondary institutions and Ontario companies to drive economic development and commercialization. It is expected that the projects will generate economic benefit for companies in Ontario – which may include job creation/retention, new revenue generation, investment attraction, cost savings, and/or value chain development.
- Timeline: project funded up to 12 months
- Maximum funds available: Individual proposals can request at least $20,000 up to $30,000 from NSERC (Alliance grant) and at least $20,000 up to $30,000 from OCI VIP, with a corresponding $20,000 to $30,000 contribution (cash + in-kind) from the industry partner (at least 50% must be cash provided to the academic institution).
- Minimum leverage required: 1:3
- Approximate review time: 4-16 weeks to process jointly
- Eligibility:
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- Canadian university researchers eligible to receive NSERC funds may apply
- Industry partner must be a for-profit SME organization with Canadian R&D and/or manufacturing operations related directly to the project and the capability to exploit the research results to create economic benefits
- Industry partner must have been in operation for at least 2 years
Mitacs Accelerate, which links students and postdocs with industry partners through mutually beneficial, paid internships.
- Timeline: 4–6 months per internship
- Maximum funds available: $15,000 per internship
- Minimum leverage required: 1:1
- Approximate review time: 6–8 weeks
- MITACS is accepting new submissions for the Accelerate program. New proposals submitted to Mitacs will be reviewed with funding start dates expected to begin as of April 1, 2023.
Mitacs Elevate, a postdoctoral fellowship with industry partners.
- Timeline: 2 years
- Maximum funds available: $60,000 per fellowship
- Minimum leverage required: 1:1
- Approximate review time: 2 months after competition closure
- Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis
Mitacs links companies, organizations, networks and researchers for COVID-19 solutions.
NSERC Alliance, which supports research partnerships between post- secondary institutions and Canadian-based companies in the areas of natural sciences and engineering. Note that all Alliance proposals, including Alliance International, are reviewed by IPS.
- NSERC Alliance Advantage:
- Designed for partner-driven projects
- Timeline: 1–5 years
- Maximum funds available: $1 million per year
- 2:1 leverage
- Approximate review time: 4–16 weeks
- NSERC Alliance Society:
- Designed for projects with societal impact as the main driver
- Timeline: 1–5 years
- Maximum funds available: $1,000,000 per year
- NSERC covers 100% of project costs
- Approximate review time: 4–16 weeks
A greater range of partners can now be recognized for cost sharing in Alliance grants. Potential partner organizations now include all registered charities, unions, and registered companies.
For a more fulsome update on the changes to Alliance Grants, please refer to this document.
For additional Alliance program information please reach out directly to your Faculty Research Facilitator.
NSERC Alliance/ MITACS Accelerate grants:
Applicants seeking support from both an Alliance grant and Mitacs Accelerate can apply through a streamlined joint submission and review process. This joint funding opportunity allows applicants to leverage cash contributions from partners for funding from both NSERC and Mitacs.
- Timeline: project funded up to 5 years
- Maximum funds available: Individual proposals can request $30,000 from MITACS Accelerate, and either $30, 000 through NSERC Alliance Advantage, or $60, 000 through NSERC Alliance Society, with a corresponding $30,000 cash contribution from the industry partner.
- Minimum leverage required: 1:3 or 1:4 (see above)
- Approximate review time: 11-26 weeks to process jointly
- Deadline: No deadline
Eligibility:
- Canadian university researchers eligible to receive NSERC funds can apply independently or as a team with co-applicants who are also eligible academic researchers. Applicants must meet both NSERC’s and Mitacs’ eligibility criteria when the application is submitted and when funding is released.
- As in all Mitacs internships, a cash contribution from an eligible partner is required. Applicants must have at least one partner organization (in the private, public or not-for-profit sector) whose cash contributions will be recognized for cost-sharing (see Alliance grants: Role of partner organizations), but other partner organizations who play an important role in the research project may be included in the application, whether or not their cash contributions are recognized for cost-sharing.
- To take advantage of this opportunity, applicants must complete an Alliance application and request additional support through Mitacs Accelerate internships as a component of the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP). Mitacs internships cannot be the only mechanism for HQP training in the application; HQP should also be supported by NSERC funds.
How to apply:
- To apply to the NSERC Alliance Advantage-Mitacs Accelerate program, you must make a joint submission through NSERC’s online system. Before starting your application, you must first contact your local Mitacs business development representative to obtain the Mitacs supplemental application form. Additionally, you must complete the Alliance Advantage application forms, including the Alliance Advantage proposal template following the instructions for completing an Alliance grants application. Submit the completed proposal template and supporting documents, including the personal data form with CCV attachment for the applicant and all co-applicants, and the Mitacs supplemental application form, through NSERC’s online system. For this program, you are required to complete a partner contributions form that indicates Mitacs as a joint call funding partner. Note that Mitacs should be invited to confirm its support of the application using the contributions form. Please contact a Mitacs business development representative for further guidance on how to complete this form. Please see the NSERC page for more information.
NSERC Idea to Innovation grant (I2I), which accelerates the pre- competitive development of university technology and promotes its transfer to a Canadian company.
- Timeline: Market assessment: up to one year
Phase I: up to one year
Phase IIa: from 6 to 18 months
Phase IIb: up to two years - Approximate review time: 11 weeks
- Maximum funds available: Dependent upon the project phase (see chart below)
- Minimum leverage required: Dependent upon the project phase
- Internal Faculty Deadline: Consult your Faculty Research Facilitator.
- Internal OVPRI Deadline (Approval Form and Application): Please contact Theresa White at least 3 weeks prior to each NSERC deadline
| Summary of application requirements by phase | |||||
| Market assessment | Phase I | Phase Ib | Phase IIa | Phase IIb | |
| Form 100 required | Principal applicant only | Principal applicant and co-applicants | |||
| Duration (non-renewable) | Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 6 months | 6 to 18 months | Up to 24 months |
| Maximum amount requested from NSERC (% of project costs) | $15,000 (75%) |
$125,000 (100%) |
$60,000 (100%) |
$125,000 (67%) |
$350,000 (50%) |
| Technology transfer activities: additional funds needed from ILO or its equivalent | $5,000 (25%) |
Half the cost supported by NSERC up to a maximum of 10% of the award. Institution or partner must cover the other half. | |||
| Additional funds needed from partner (cost/risk sharing) | N/A | N/A | N/A | $62,500 (33%) |
50% of direct costs through in-kind and at least 40% cash |
This is an extension to the NSERC I2I program. Lab2Market was developed to improve Canada’s research commercialization performance. The program does this by supporting researchers in the early stages of development, providing the resources, training, and guidance needed to take their innovations to market. Applicants will also have the opportunity for future funding through the NSERC I2I Phase I grant.
- Timeline: projects will be four months in duration (March 2023-June 2023)
- Maximum funds available: $15,000
- Minimum leverage required: 1:3
- Approximate review time: 4-16 weeks to process jointly
- Eligibility criteria: The program is funded through NSERC’s I2I Market Assessment program and requires a written letter of support from Industry and Partnership Services. Please complete and submit an IP Disclosure Form to Theresa.White3@carleton.ca
Contact us
Contact Carleton’s Industry and Partnership Services (IPS) to explore these public matching programs and other opportunities to leverage funding contributions. We look forward to exploring these programs in the context of your specific partnership needs.
Chris Lannon
Director of Industry and Partnership Services