NSERC – Discovery Grant – (2025 competition) – Application
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 3rd, November 2025
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.”
Note: Notification of Intent to Apply submission is mandatory – August 1, 2024
The NOI is mandatory when applying for a Discovery Grant. Applicants who do not submit an NOI cannot submit a full application. The information contained in the NOI allows NSERC to start some aspects of the review process, including the preliminary assignment to an evaluation group, the selection of external reviewers and the verification of the eligibility of the subject matter.
The DG program supports ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances. DGs are typically five years in duration and are considered “grants in aid” of research, as they provide long-term operating funds and can facilitate access to funding from other programs but are not meant to support the full costs of a research program.
DG recipients are not restricted to the specific activities described in their applications and may pursue new research interests, provided they are within NSERC’s mandate and adhere to the principles and directives governing the appropriate use of funds as outlined in the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration. This provides researchers with the flexibility to pursue promising research avenues as they emerge and the opportunity to address higher-risk (higher reward) topics. Researchers can use their grants to participate in collaborative efforts.
See NSERC’s website for more information.