NSERC RTI – Research Tools and Instruments Grants program
Aboriginal Peoples
Arctic and Northern Regions
Environment, Energy and Natural Resources
Information and Communication Technology
Oceans, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Well-being, Health and Biomedical Discovery
Deadlines
Academic Unit: Inquire with unit
Memorial Deadline: RIS Review not required
External Deadline: Monday 26th, October 2026
Description
Academic Units with both an Associate Dean of Research (ADR) and a unit Grants Facilitation Officer (GFO) are assuming the responsibility for institutional review and electronic submission of applications for the CIHR Project, SSHRC Insight, SSHRC Insight Development, and NSERC Discovery and RTI Grants competitions. Research Initiatives & Services will no longer be completing the electronic submission for these grants in units with both an ADR and GFO. For units without both an ADR and GFO, Research Initiatives & Services will review and approve applications following the same process as other Tri-Agency programs. If you are intending on applying to any of these competitions, please contact your Grants Facilitation Officer, Associate Dean (Research) or Research Initiatives & Services to obtain information on deadlines and processes for institutional review and electronic submission for your unit.
The RTI grants program provides the primary avenue for university researchers in the natural sciences and engineering to obtain up to $150,000 in support for research tools and instruments with a net cost between $7,001 and $250,000. Net cost is defined as the purchase cost of the equipment after any discount from the vendor and before taxes, customs and importation fees, transportation and shipping charges, and assembly and installation costs. The vendor discount cannot be offered in exchange for services from users benefiting the vendor company.
NSERC will only accept the following requests:
- – for tools and instruments that form a comprehensive system intended to support NSERC-funded research in the natural sciences and engineering:
- – a comprehensive system is one in which each tool or instrument forms part of an integrated system of operation to support the research program(s)
- requests that bundle unrelated tools and instruments together will not be accepted
- – for the purchase of new, used or refurbished equipment, for the repair, upgrade or rental of equipment or for the fabrication of equipment that is not readily available off the shelf
- for equipment that is purchased or rented after the application deadline
Note: Equipment and items that are part of laboratory infrastructure or intended to render other equipment compliant with health and safety standards are ineligible for RTI support.
See here for more information.
Deadline: October 26, 2026, 8:00 pm (ET)