NSERC Discovery Horizons Webinars

In preparation for the submission of Discovery Horizons grant applications, NSERC will host the following webinars:  

French session: May 26th, 10:00 – 11:30 am (Ottawa time) 

English session: May 26th, 12:00 – 1:30 pm (Ottawa time) 

A short presentation of the program will precede a Q&A session. 

NSERC has shared some answers to frequently asked questions. Please see below. 

1. Can applicants who hold a Discovery Grant or are applying for a Discovery Grant in Fall 2021 submit a LOI to Discovery Horizons? 

   Yes, researchers holding a Discovery grant or applying for one this year are eligible to apply to Discovery Horizons. 

    

2. Can co-applicants be from non-NSE disciplines (Economics, Sociology …) 

   As long as the faculty members meet all eligibility requirements they can be from any departments. However, in the Discovery Horizons proposal, they must work towards advancing knowledge in the NSE. 

    

3. Is the proposed work under Discovery Horizons expected to be drastically different from the work proposed for Discovery? Is conceptual overlap allowed as long as there is no budgetary overlap? 

   Discovery Horizons proposals should be different from Discovery Grants (applied for or held) since the Discovery Horizons applications, due to their broad level of interdisciplinarity with the social sciences or health research are not suitable for the DG program. At the full application stage, applications must indicate that the funds requested from the Discovery Horizons program will be for expenses that are distinct from those covered by support from other sources. For funding applied for, you must indicate that there will be no duplication of funding for the same expense(s) and explain how funds will be used if all applications are successful. 

    

4. Does the application need to have all three components: (1) social sciences and humanities, (2) natural sciences and engineering, and (3) health and wellness? 

   No, Discovery Horizons applications must be rooted in the NSE and integrate elements from the social sciences and humanities and/or health and wellness. 

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) recently announced a new Discovery Horizons Grants funding opportunity to support interdisciplinary investigator-initiated research to advance knowledge in the natural sciences and engineering (NSE). Full applications submitted to this program will be reviewed by a tri-agency interdisciplinary peer-review mechanism.  A summary is provided below. 

Objective 

To support Discovery research projects that would significantly benefit from being assessed by a tri-agency interdisciplinary peer review committee, and aim to: 

1. Answer natural sciences and engineering (NSE) research questions that are best addressed through interdisciplinary approaches 
2. Advance NSE disciplines through cross fertilization and new ways of thinking about research questions, ideas and frameworks; approaches and methods; platforms, tools and infrastructure; people, partners and trainees 
3. Provide leading-edge NSE training for highly qualified personnel (HQP) in interdisciplinary research environments 

Eligibility 

Individuals are only allowed to participate in one Discovery Horizons application, as either an applicant or co-applicant, per competition cycle. 

Value 

$50K – $100K per year 

Duration 

Up to 5 years 

Deadlines 

Please contact your Faculty Research Office for information on their internal deadlines. 

ORS is accepting electronic applications – the process is outlined here:  

https://yulink-new.yorku.ca/documents/20182/1241545/Electronic+submission+of+res+apps+and+ORS+Checklists+Maqy+2020/6132a1da-89e2-472c-876b-b54431281e12 

For full details about this funding opportunity and how to apply please visit the following webpage: 

https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/Grants-Subs/DH-HD_eng.asp