NSERC-CSE Research Communities Grants
Descriptions
Opportunity link:
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Award amount and duration:
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Eligibility
Note: Communications Security Establishment (CSE) is the sole partner organization for this program; no additional partner organizations will be accepted.
Applicants
This first Research Communities grant(s) will support unclassified research focusing on robust, secure, and safe AI. However, the funding is conditional on the applicant or one of the co-applicants, and some of the Research Community members (i.e., professors, students, and post-doctoral fellows) travel to Ottawa to conduct classified research at CSE throughout the grant period.
Canadian university researchers must be eligible to receive NSERC funds. CSE encourages researchers from multiple universities working in related domains to apply as a group to form a Research Community. However, only one application per researcher will be accepted under this call for proposals (as either applicant or co-applicant).
Applicants must ensure that they can respect the following conditions, or CSE reserves the right to reject the LOI or terminate the grant:
- When submitting the LOI, the applicant, or at least one of the co-applicants, must be a Canadian citizen, eligible for a TOP SECRET security clearance, and willing to work in Ottawa at CSE for at minimum two weeks per year. The identified researcher(s) must maintain their security clearance for the entire grant period.
- Within one year of the grant award, the grant recipient must submit the names of additional Research Community members (i.e., professors, students, and post-doctoral fellows) who are Canadian citizens, eligible for a TOP SECRET security clearance, and willing to work in Ottawa at CSE.
- Students are welcome under CSE’s Student Program and will be expected to complete at least one semester of work at CSE.
- Post-doctoral fellows and professors are welcome through CSE’s Interchange Program; the length of their visits will be variable.
- Over the grant period, the grant recipient must continue to submit the names of Research Community members (i.e., professors, students, and post-doctoral fellows) who are Canadian citizens, eligible for a TOP SECRET security clearance, and willing to work in Ottawa at CSE.
Summary
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) are partnering to fund Research Communities to conduct unclassified research on cutting-edge technologies in areas of strategic importance to CSE and the Government of Canada. A Research Community is defined as a group of researchers – and their research personnel (i.e., students, post-doctoral fellows, and research professionals) – from multiple Canadian universities working in related domains and sharing NSERC-CSE funds awarded to their project(s). The first Research Communities grants focus on robust, secure, and safe artificial intelligence (AI). CSE is the sole partner organization; no additional partner organizations will be accepted.
Robust, secure, and safe AI can be approached from the following perspectives: data-centric, model-centric, and people-centric. While the people-centric approach is important, CSE focuses on the mathematical and statistical perspectives; the data-centric and model-centric approaches.
Individual projects can request either $700,000 (small project) or $1,400,000 (large project) per year over four years from NSERC. Grant funding is provided in equal parts by NSERC and CSE. The aim is to fund one large or two small projects per call.
Submission Process
Both the LOI and application stages will be administered via RMS.
A) Letter of Intent (LOI)
- Complete your LOI in NSERC’s online system. Once the LOI is complete (including the LOI template, a preliminary budget, and Form 100A with CCV), verify and then press “Submit.” Your LOI will be sent to the Research Services Office. Please ensure your LOI is final and complete; Research Services will not review drafts, and, once received, your LOI may be submitted to NSERC without further notice.
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Complete the Pre-Award/Letter of Intent record in RMS and “Submit for academic approvals” (Under Save & Progress) in good time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the Research Services deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines. Ensure you receive all required approvals in advance of 12pm (noon) on October 13, 2023.
Note that your LOI will not be considered submitted and will not be reviewed until the LOI is both submitted in the NSERC Online System and the RMS approvals have been received. The internal deadline is a hard deadline. The three-day deadline ensures that Research Services is able to complete a basic review of the application and secure institutional signature in a timely fashion.
B) Full Application (by invitation only)
- Complete your application in NSERC’s online system. Once the application is complete (including required attachments and Form 100A with CCV), verify each section, and then press "Submit." Your application will be sent to the Research Services Office. Please ensure your application is final and complete; Research Services will not review drafts, and, once received, your application may be submitted to NSERC without further notice.
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Complete the Pre-Award/Application record in RMS and “Submit for academic approvals” (Under Save & Progress) in good time to allow for approvals from your Department Head and/or ADR prior to the Research Services deadline. Consult your department and faculty for more information on their approval processes and timelines. Ensure you receive all required approvals in advance of 12pm (noon) on January 12, 2024.
Note that your application will not be considered submitted and will not be reviewed until the application is both submitted in the NSERC Online System and the RMS approvals have been received. The internal deadline is a hard deadline. The three-day deadline ensures that Research Services is able to complete a basic review of the application and secure institutional signature in a timely fashion.
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As an optional service, you may choose a detailed review. Research Services must receive your complete and application and approved RMS record by 4pm on January 3, 2024.
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The detailed review includes checking for eligibility and UofC commitments and risk, compliance with program guidelines, completeness of application, and the opportunity for feedback to improve the application.
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The basic administrative review performed at the 3-day internal deadline involves a minimal check of the application for eligibility and any UofC commitment or risk.
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Resources
Overhead
N/A
Deadlines
Pre-application deadlines
RSO internal deadline
Pre-application program deadline
Application deadlines
RSO detailed review deadline
RSO final internal review deadline
Program application deadline
Approvals
NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.
Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.
Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.
Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:
- Principal Investigator
- Department Head
- Faculty ADR/Dean
- Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)
Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.
Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.
Additional Information
Webinars
NSERC and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) will be hosting joint informational webinars. You are welcome to submit and/or upvote any questions that you would like addressed during the sessions in advance using their Slido poll (open until September 8th, 2023).
- English Session: Tuesday, September 12, 2023; 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)
- Webex Link: https://nsercvideo.webex.com/nsercvideo/j.php?MTID=mb819ff005ca7998dea058a55a1e70b96
- Meeting number: 2772 511 4213
- Or to join by phone: +1-613-714-9906 Canada Toll (Ottawa); 1-844-426-4405 Canada Toll Free; Access code: 277 251 14213
- French Session: Thursday, September 14, 2023; 1:00 – 2 :30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)
- Webex Link: https://nsercvideo.webex.com/nsercvideo/j.php?MTID=m3ba6fe11061822cc165844ae89337c65
- Meeting number: 2771 689 3928
- Or to join by phone: +1-613-714-9906 Canada Toll (Ottawa); 1-844-426-4405 Canada Toll Free; Access code: 277 168 93928
Contact Details
Keywords
Communications Security Establishment (CSE)
NSERC-CSE Research Communities Grants
artificial intelligence (AI)