NSERC: 2028 Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Program

Eligibility

*This posting has been updated to include details of an internal selection process for UCalgary LOIs and may be revised further following the NSERC CREATE Informational Webinar for Prospective Applicants February 9, 2027 (TBC, pending NSERC confirmation) and program website/instructions release by NSERC expected March 2027. The webinar information is included in the 'Resources' section below. 

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 and February 2025. A summary of changes and information on the special call follow:

• NSERC set an 'allocation' number of three regular stream LOIs for UCalgary. 
  • If UCalgary submits only its allocated number of LOIs, NSERC will not adjudicate the LOIs and all will progress to full application. UCalgary will hold an internal selection process for the LOI stage.

• 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.

• 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:

• Regular Stream

• 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.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Faculty members who would like to participate in the 2027 intake for the 2028 CREATE program must submit an internal Notice of Intent (iNOI) to their ADR. Prospective applicants should consult their faculty ADR for internal faculty requirements. 

Timeline

Activity: optional Test Your Concept (TYC) session 

• Participate in optional Test Your Concept 

• Notify RSO if interested at ipd@ucalgary.ca (first come, first served) - By 9:00 am October 30, 2026 

• Submit Project Overview for TYC - By 9:00 am November 9, 2026

Phase: mandatory internal Notice of Intent (iNOI)

• PI/team submits iNOI to ADR (must use template attached below). The iNOI requires the same information as the NSERC LOI submission and will be reviewed internally according to NSERC's evaluation criteria.
  • Speak with Faculty Associate Dean (Research) office re: internal Faculty requirements/deadlines.

Deadline:  as determined by faculties; typically by January 12, 2027

• Faculty submits iNOI to Research Services (must use template attached below)
• PI/team submits final LOI to Research Services; approvals within RMS
  • Email to ipd@ucalgary.ca

         Deadline:  By 9am January 19, 2027 

Phase: Letter of Intent (LOI) - for teams selected to submit LOI as part of UCalgary allocation

        Deadline:  TBC, awaiting NSERC publication, expected deadline is April 23, 2027

Specific application process information for the LOI stage of the 2028 NSERC CREATE competition will be distributed to prospective regular stream applicants who submit an iNOI and are selected to move forward in the competition.

LOIs, plus approval in the Research Management System (RMS) will be required by RSO on April 23, 2027 (TBC). 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. 

Overhead

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 RMS, 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. 

NSERC regularly holds annual information webinars for prospective applicants to the CREATE program, typically hosted in early February ahead of the Letter of Intent (LOI) deadlines.

Registration is not required; anyone can connect via the associated links. Presentations and links to the webinar recordings will be uploaded to this posting once they become available. 

Funding opportunity will be updated with links as soon as specific dates are available.

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.

Industry Engagement (Research) is dedicated to assisting faculty members in establishing research partnerships with industry. For those developing an NSERC CREATE with potential relevance to industry partners, the Industry Engagement team offers the following support:

• Meet with you to understand your project and identify opportunities where industry involvement could enhance and mutually benefit the research.
• Identify and target relevant companies, leading initial outreach efforts.
• Coordinate and facilitate meetings with companies expressing interest in the partnership.
• Provide ongoing support for partnership development as both companies and researchers explore collaborative opportunities.

To access these services or request additional support, please reach out to the team manager, Carmen Rieder, at carmen.rieder@ucalgary.ca.

NSERC CREATE iNOI template

IRST grant review checklist

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award LOI

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, 2027.

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.