NSERC-French Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR) call for proposals on quantum technologies

Eligibility

NSERC applicants

1. If you are a Canadian university researcher eligible to receive NSERC funds, you can apply independently or as a team with co-applicants who are also eligible academic researchers.
2. You must include at least one academic collaborator from France who meets ANR’s eligibility requirements. NSERC will internally review the eligibility of the Canadian researchers, and ANR will review the eligibility of the French collaborators.
3. For this collaborative call for proposals, collaborators and partner organizations (industry, public, not-for-profit) from outside academia are not permitted.
4. You are limited to one application as either a Canadian principal applicant or co-applicant. For any application limits applying to French collaborators, please consult with ANR

French collaborators

Your French collaborator(s) must be from the academic sector and meet ANR’s eligibility requirements. The French coordinator is subject to ANR’s rules (in particular of eligibility) to which all national scientific coordinators of the 2024 Generic call for proposals must comply (see AAPG 2024 Guidelines, § B.5.2. Eligibility of full proposals). Collaborators from CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique) are considered eligible by NSERC if they are affiliated with a Unité mixte de recherche (UMR) or hold an academic position at a French university.

For this collaborative call for proposals, collaborators and partner organizations (industry, public, not-for-profit) from outside academia are not permitted.

**UPCOMING WERBINARS**

NSERC’s Alliance International grants team has organized an information session on the NSERC-French Agence nationale de la recherche (ANR) call for proposals on quantum technologies. The session will be offered virtually on two occasions in December 2023, which are listed below.

French Session #1: Tuesday, December 12^th, 2023; 11:00 – 12:00 pm Eastern Time (ET)

Webex Link: https://nsercvideo.webex.com/nsercvideo/j.php?MTID=m8fe3f05e0cbc87e27b61fca37af3dd23

Meeting number: 2770 207 4484

Or to join by phone

+1-613-714-9906 Canada Toll (Ottawa)

1-844-426-4405 Canada Toll Free

Access code: 277 020 74484

English Session #2: Wednesday, December 13^th, 2023; 11:00 – 12:00 pm Eastern Time (ET)

Webex Link: https://nsercvideo.webex.com/nsercvideo/j.php?MTID=m30b63dbedd4c57997622e13d7bcb150e

Meeting number: 2773 263 1483

Or to join by phone

+1-613-714-9906 Canada Toll (Ottawa)

1-844-426-4405 Canada Toll Free

Access code: 277 326 31483

Summary

This collaborative opportunity with ANR is open to scientific challenges in quantum science that aim to advance the National Quantum Strategy (NQS) – Mission: Make Canada a world leader in the continued development, deployment and use of quantum computing hardware and software by advancing research in any of the following areas of quantum technologies, or a combination thereof:

• Quantum algorithms/encryption, including post-quantum cryptography
• Quantum communications
• Quantum computing
• Quantum materials
• Quantum sensing

Proposals may also combine any of these quantum technology thrusts with other research topics in the natural sciences and engineering. Proposals that do not address the NQS Mission: Make Canada a world leader in the continued development, deployment and use of quantum computing hardware and software and that do not have a primary research focus in the above areas of quantum technologies may be removed from consideration; see the Important note for additional information on what to include in your proposal. Questions about the appropriateness of a proposal should be directed to NSERC.

Through a lead agency model, the Canadian applicant will submit a single collaborative proposal on behalf of the Canadian and French research teams, which will undergo a review process by NSERC, the lead agency. Please refer to the Apply section for more details. Researchers in France will need to consult the Generic call for proposals – AAPG 2024 available on the ANR website for more information.

Successful Canadian participants will receive funding from NSERC via an Alliance International Collaboration grant to support their involvement in the joint project, while eligible French participants will be supported by ANR.

At all times, Canadian researchers are encouraged to exercise appropriate levels of due diligence when managing their research and establishing and/or continuing partnerships with national, international and multinational partners. Resources to do so are provided by the Government of Canada on the Safeguarding Your Research portal, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships. NSERC reserves the right to request additional information, as needed, before making a final funding decision. 

At the UCalgary, please reach out directly to research.security@ucalgary.ca for additional information and help about research security. 

Overhead

No overhead

Eligible Canadian expenses

You can only include NSERC-eligible direct costs of research in your project budget, such as:

• Salary support for research trainees (undergraduates, graduates and postdoctoral fellows) to perform research and related training;
• Salary support for technicians and research professional personnel;
• Materials and supplies;
• Activities that support collaborations and knowledge mobilization related to the project;
• Activities to develop and grow the research collaborations with the French collaborator(s).

Refer to the guidelines on the use of grant funds in the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration.

You can also include the costs of equipment, provided that the equipment is:

• essential to achieving the objectives of the research project;
• incremental to the equipment already available at the university or to your French collaborator(s).

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

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.

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.

This competition will be run through Research Management System (RMS).

1. If you are working with a private sector partner organization then you will need to complete a risk assessment form which can be found here.  Please reach out directly to research.security@ucalgary.ca for additional information and help. 

2. Complete your application in the NSERC On-line system using these ANR call-specific instructions. Once the application is complete, 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.

A complete application includes:

• An application for a grant (form 101); 
• A personal data form with a common CV attachment (form 100A) for each Canadian applicant and co-applicant;
• A common research plan developed jointly by applicants in Canada and France (maximum 7 pages, free form; see below for details);
• Annual funding to be requested from ANR (€EUR);
• A 2-page biosketch for each French collaborator.

3. Complete the Pre-Award applictation record in RMS (login at https://research.ucalgary.ca/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.  

• Please note, your application will not be considered submitted and will not be reviewed until both the application is submitted in the Research Portal (a paper copy is not required) and the RMS Approvals have been received. As Alliance is a rolling intake, once we have received both the completed RMS record and the NSERC application in the NSERC portal, please indicate if you would like a basic (allowable turnaround time is 3 days) review or a detailed (allowable turnaround time is 2 weeks) review.

• The detailed review includes a detailed review of the application, checking for eligibility and UofC commitments and risk, compliance with program guidelines, completeness of application, and the opportunity for feedback to improve the application.

• The basic administrative review involves a minimal check of the application for eligibility and any UofC commitment or risk.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

Excellent research considers EDI both in the environment in which research takes place (forming a research team, student training) and in the research process itself. For Alliance grants, EDI considerations are currently evaluated in the training, mentorship and professional development opportunities for students and trainees. The aim is to remove barriers to the recruitment and promote full participation of individuals from underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis), persons with disabilities, members of visible minority/racialized groups and members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Applicants are encouraged to increase the inclusion and advancement of underrepresented groups as one way to enhance the excellence in research and training. For additional guidance, applicants should refer to Alliance grants: Equity, diversity and inclusion in your training plan and the NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research.