NSERC - ECCC Call for Proposals on Plastics Science and Innovation for a Cleaner and More Sustainable Future

Eligibility

Applicant Eligibility:

If you are a Canadian university researcher who is eligible to receive NSERC funds, you can apply on your own or as a team with co-applicants who are also eligible academic researchers. However, please note that only one application per researcher will be accepted under the call (as either applicant or co-applicant).

College faculty can participate as co-applicants.

Partnering Organizations Eligibility (if required): 

If required, you may involve partnering organizations in your project. Your partner organizations can be from the private, public or not-for-profit sectors. However, for the purposes of this funding call, foreign companies will not be accepted.

You may involve whichever partner organizations you need to achieve your research goals and successfully mobilize your research results to achieve the desired impact and benefits for Canada. Cash contributions are not required. However, each partner organization must actively play a role in the project and support it through in-kind contributions. Such involvement must be achieved by doing at least one of the following:

• Playing an active role in the project’s research activities
• Using the project’s research results to help achieve its desired outcomes
• Playing an active role in translating or mobilizing knowledge to ensure that the research results have an impact and benefit for Canada.

Summary

The Government of Canada has made reducing plastic pollution and its impacts a priority. Building on the Oceans Plastics Charter, the 2018 Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste takes a circular economy and lifecycle approach to plastics and provides a framework for action in Canada.

Generating new knowledge on plastics science and building on existing research created under previous programs, for example, Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Plastics Science for a Cleaner Future.

The proposed research project must address at least one of the following CaPSA themes:

Theme 1: Detection, quantification and characterization of plastics in the environment

Theme 2: Impacts on Wildlife, Human Health and the Environment

Theme 3: Plastic Design and Alternatives

Theme 4: Sustainable Use of Plastics

Theme 5: Waste Diversion and Recovery

Research security

To ensure that the Canadian research ecosystem is as open as possible and as safeguarded as necessary, the Government of Canada has introduced the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC Policy) and the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP).

The Research Security Division is available to assist researchers adhere to research security guidelines and policies, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP) and the new policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC). Visit the Research Security website to learn more or contact researchsecurity@ucalgary.ca

Eligible expenses

You can include only 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 partner organizations

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 at the partner organization’s location

If your total expected equipment cost (including operation and maintenance) exceeds $200,000 over your project’s duration, then you should apply for an alternate source of funding, such as the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund.

For projects involving multiple partner organizations and/or universities, you may also include project management costs, up to 10% of the total direct research costs (see Guidelines for research partnerships programs project management expenses).

Please note that funding recipients could be asked to participate in ECCC’s Plastics Science Symposium in Ottawa, ON, and should build travel costs into their proposal.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

NSERC is acting on the evidence that achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is essential to creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research necessary to advance knowledge and understanding, and to respond to local, national and global challenges. This principle informs the commitments described in the Tri-agency Statement on Equity, Diversity And Inclusion (EDI) and is aligned with the objectives of the Tri-agency EDI Action Plan.

Data Management Plan (DMP)

DMPs will not be part of the scoring or the formal evaluation of the application at this time; however, reviewers will be asked to provide feedback on submitted DMPs to support applicants and inform the implementation of the Tri-agency Research Data Management Policy’s DMP requirement.

Useful DMP links:

• Instructions on DMP for this call: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Innovate-Innover/ECCC-ECCC/_docs/DMP-Instructions-e.pdf
• https://dmp-pgd.ca/ 
• https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/apply-demande/guides/guide_preparing_data_management_plan-guide_preparation_plan_gestion_donnees-eng.aspx 

Overhead

No overhead applicable. 

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

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.

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.

How to Apply

Both a submission on the NSERC Online System and an RMS are required for Steps 1 and 2. 

Step 1 - Letter of intent

The principal applicant must submit a letter of intent (LOI) to NSERC via NSERC’s online system using the LOI template. All documents must follow the NSERC online presentation and attachment standards.

The LOI template must not exceed five pages, excluding references, and must describe the following:

• The main research objectives, theme(s) and expected outcomes
• How the research fits within the program and research objectives and theme(s)
• The novelty of the project and main concepts and approaches
• Members of the team, their expertise and expected contributions
• An approximate budget request, by project year
• Key elements of a proposed knowledge mobilization plan and key elements of a proposed data management plan
• Relevance to advancing research areas of Canada’s Plastics Science Agenda
• Relevance of the project to Canada and any project partners

Note: Attach the completed LOI template under the section Form 101 – Proposal.

In addition to a completed LOI template, applicants and co-applicants must provide the following documents and information to NSERC via the online system:

• A personal data form with CCV attachment (NSERC – Form 100A) for the applicant and all co-applicants.

Instructions for submitting documents and information to NSERC:

• Log in to NSERC’s online system and select Form 101 - Grant from the drop-down menu
• Select Research partnerships programs, then Alliance grants
• For the Proposal type field, select Letter of Intent
• For the Type of call field, select [ECCC - Plastics] from the drop-down menu
• Complete the sections of Form 101 for the letter of intent (LOI)

RMS Instructions for Step 1:

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.

Step 2 - Full proposal (by invitation only)

Based on the review of the LOI, applicants may be invited to proceed with a full application. NSERC will send a letter of invitation to applicants, and only applications from those who have been invited to submit will be accepted.

The letter of invitation will provide instructions on how to apply to this call which will fall under the Alliance grants program. Full applications must be submitted via NSERC’s online system.

A complete application includes:

• An application for a grant (Form 101)
• A personal data form with common CV attachment (Form 100A) for each applicant and co-applicant
• A proposal template
• A biographical sketch for each collaborator (maximum of 2 pages)
• Partner organization(s) and other related forms (as required)
• STRAC attestation form (as required)
• Risk assessment form (as required)
• A data management plan (Please see the following document for information on how to prepare your data management plan)

RMS Instructions for Step 2:

When NSERC confirms that you have been invited for the full application submission, the RSO will mark your pre-award/Letter of Intent RMS record (from Step 1) as "Invited for full application". This will automatically create a Pre-award/Full Application RMS record with the the same RMS number. Upload a copy of the full application to this Pre-award/Full Application record and then send it forward for approvals well before the internal deadline.