NSERC: 2026 Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Program

Eligibility

*This posting has been updated following the NSERC CREATE Informational Webinar for Prospective Applicants February 6, 2025. The webinar materials have been posted in the “Resources” section below. Further updates may follow after NSERC updates its website and LOI instructions and content, expected early to mid-March.

For a full record of NSERC’s Eligibility Criteria, please refer to its website: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/Eligibility-Admissibilite/faculty-corpsprof_eng.asp 

Summary

**Note: NSERC introduced significant changes to the program in November 2024, with further changes in February 2025. A summary of changes follow:

1. New, and for 2026 competition only, NSERC will fund 4 CREATE training programs in Genomics nationally. 
   • Genomics applications will be evaluated through the normal CREATE peer review process and will be awarded in addition to the regular stream CREATES awarded nationally.
2. NSERC set an “allocation” number of three regular stream LOIs and two Genomics stream LOIs for UCalgary. 
   • UCalgary is not limited in the number of regular stream LOIs it can submit – there is no longer an institutional selection process for this stream. UCalgary will submit more than its allocated number (3) of regular stream LOIs; this means all regular stream LOIs will be adjudicated and only three will be invited by NSERC to progress to full application.
   • UCalgary will be allowed to select an additional two Genomics CREATE stream LOIs that will automatically progress to full application. Since UCalgary is limited in the number of Genomics CREATE LOIs that can be submitted institutionally, there will be an internal selection process to select the two CREATEs that will constitute the Genomics allocation.
3. The content and format of the LOI will be communicated by NSERC in March 2025.
   • The total number of new regular stream CREATE grants that can be awarded to an institution is capped at 3 per competition year, with a maximum additional 2 Genomics CREATEs for 2026. 

Significant changes to the past CREATE 2025 call that will continue include:

1. Mandatory mobility experiences for all M.Sc. and Ph.D. trainees, with a minimum duration of 1 month for M.Sc. and 2 months for Ph.D.
2. Elimination of the Industrial stream. Industrial participation in CREATE initiatives is encouraged, but the extent and nature of industrial participation is determined by the applicants and their industrial partners.

___________

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program supports the training and mentoring of teams of highly qualified students and postdoctoral fellows from Canada and abroad through the development of innovative training programs.

There are several streams of opportunity within the CREATE program:

1. Regular Stream
2. International Collaboration – An agreement between the German Research Foundation Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and NSERC is in place to support bilateral training programs that involve the exchange of students between Germany and Canada.

Please note that NSERC has not yet updated the competition information on their website for the 2026 competition (intake in 2025). We will provide notification and additional information as necessary. 

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Faculty members who would like to participate in the 2025 intake for the regular stream of the 2026 CREATE program must submit an internal Notice of Intent (iNOI) to Research Services by January 27, 2025. Prospective applicants should consult their faculty ADR for internal faculty requirements. 

NEW for February 2025: Faculty members who would like to participate in the 2026 Genomics CREATE stream competition must contact Research Services ASAP (email ipd@ucalgary.ca), and no later than February 28, 2025 (consult ADR for faculty-specific requirements). Genomics CREATE applicants will not be required to submit an internal Notice of Intent, but will be required to have a complete LOI draft prepared for SUPPORT review by March 17, 2025.

Timeline

Phase: optional Test Your Concept session OPPORTUNITY CLOSED

• Participate in optional Test Your Concept – COMPLETED NOVEMBER 2024

Phase: mandatory internal Notice of Intent (iNOI)

• PI/team submits iNOI to Research Services (must use template attached below)
  • Speak with Faculty Associate Dean (Research) office re: any additional internal Faculty requirements/deadlines.

         Deadline:  By 9am January 27, 2025 – COMPLETED

Phase: Letter of Intent (LOI)

• PI/team submits draft LOI to Research Services for SUPPORT review
  • Email to ipd@ucalgary.ca

        Deadline:  By 9am March 17, 2025

• Review and feedback on LOI by SUPPORT to PI/team

        Deadline:  By April 4, 2025

• PI/team submits final LOI to Research Services; approvals within RMS
  • Email to ipd@ucalgary.ca

         Date:           By 9:00 am April 24, 2025

Specific application process information for the LOI stage of the 2026 NSERC CREATE competition will be distributed to prospective applicants who submit an iNOI or notify Research Services of intent to apply for a Genomics CREATE, and for the full application stage to teams selected to move forward in the competition.

LOIs, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS) will be required by RSO by 9am, April 24, 2025. Complete the Pre-Award/LOI record in RMS (login at https://research.ucalgary.ca/rms). Please use the “NSERC – Collaborative Research and Training Experience” funding opportunity and be sure to select "Submitted for approvals" (Under Save & Progress) in RMS 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. A step sheet for creating an application record in RMS is available in the Resources section below.

Note: If you plan to participate in the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) stream, please let Research Services know as soon as possible via email to ipd@ucalgary.ca. 

RESOURCES

For training programs involving Indigenous Research, support with the development of your grant application is available internally through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST). Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage. The attached IRST Grant Review checklist can also be used, in consultation with IRST, to determine if a project involves Indigenous research.

For assistance in identifying international partners, contact the International Research and Innovation team at UCIresearch@ucalgary.ca.

CREATE iNOI template

NSERC CREATE LOI info session for applicants Feb 2025

NSERC Session d'information pour demandeurs février 2025

For a link to a recording of the webinar, which will be available until June 2025 , please contact NSERC directly at CREATE@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.

RST grant review checklist v3.0

Creating a Pre-Award LOI

Overhead

not applicable

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

Application deadlines

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.

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.

Please use the internal Notice of Intent template form attached. 

Projects being led elsewhere: faculty members participating in CREATE initiatives being led elsewhere are asked to contact Research Services (ipd@ucalgary.ca) by March 31, 2025.

RMS Training

As the full application will run through RMS, we encourage applicants to view the step sheets available at the RMS Training page. 

For training or technical support, you can contact RMS at: rms@ucalgary.ca and 403.210.9309.