NSERC-NRCan partnership to fund research on small modular reactors – EOI
Environment, Energy and Natural Resources
Deadlines
Academic Unit: Inquire within unit
Memorial Deadline: RIS review required - please contact RIS for further information
External Deadline: Tuesday 11th, April 2023
Description
RIS will be offering support with application development for this opportunity. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. Jennifer Stevens (v5js@mun.ca) early during the development process to discuss the services available to them.
In support of Canada’s Small Modular Reactor Action Plan, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) is partnering with NRCan to fund research on SMRs. As stated in Budget 2022: “Support to develop this technology can position Canada as a clean energy leader; support the decarbonization of provincial electricity grids in places like New Brunswick and Saskatchewan; facilitate the transition away from diesel power in remote communities; and help decarbonize heavy emitting industries.”
NRCan has set aside approximately $1M per year, over 4 years, to co-fund research projects through NSERC’s Alliance grants program. Once the proposed research project has been approved by NRCan, eligible university researchers can apply for an Alliance grant with a duration of 1 to 4 years. Partners from industry, government and not-for-profit organizations are encouraged to participate as per NSERC’s Alliance grants program. NSERC’s funding contribution will be calculated using the Alliance cost-sharing formula.
University researchers must first contact NRCan to discuss their proposed research project and obtain approval before submitting an application to NSERC. To engage NRCan in supporting your research project, request an expression of interest (EOI) form via email to smr-prm@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca. Please include your area of interest/expertise in your initial email to NRCan to help facilitate the process.
The EOI must explain how your project will address one or more of the specific research objectives and how it will help enable responsible deployment of SMRs in Canada.
You are encouraged to contact NRCan early in the process to discuss your project concept; EOI forms are due to NRCan by 11:59 pm on April 11, 2023. Submissions sent after this deadline will not be eligible.
An EOI alone is not considered an application for funding. NRCan will use EOI forms to do a comparative initial review to determine which ensemble of project ideas will best meet the objectives detailed above. A limited number of applicants will be invited by NRCan to submit a full application to NSERC for funding. Funding decisions will then be made based on NSERC’s Alliance grants application and review process.
More details can be found here.