NSERC Discovery Grant & Research Tools and Infrastructure Grants

Discovery Grant full application

To submit a full application, Discovery Grant (DG) applicants must submit an NOI via the research portal by August 1 (or the next business day if August 1 falls on a weekend or holiday). Applicants submit NOIs directly to NSERC (they are not forwarded by the Office of Research Services).

Full application deadlines:

• UBCO internal deadline (see procedure #3): Typically 5 days ahead of the Sponsor Deadline
• Applicant’s e-submission deadline (see procedure #4): Your final application should be submitted via the Research Portal on Typically 2 days ahead of the Sponsor Deadline.
• Sponsor deadline: November 1 (unless Nov 1 falls on a weekend – then it is the next business day)

Research Tools and Instruments (RTI)

• UBC internal deadline (see procedure #3): Typically 5 days ahead of the Sponsor Deadline
• Applicant’s e-Submission Deadline (see procedure #4): Your final application should be submitted via the Research Portal on typically 2 days ahead of the Sponsor Deadline.
• Sponsor deadline: October 25 (unless Oct 25 falls on a weekend – then it is the next business day)

While ORS makes every effort to submit all applications on time, applications submitted after the UBC internal deadline will not receive a guarantee of administrative review from ORS, which includes confirmation for application completeness and compliance. As ORS must forward each application to NSERC after the applicant’s final submission, we cannot guarantee that applications submitted after noon on the sponsor deadline day will be forwarded. 

Your application must be prepared and submitted using the Research Portal and NSERC’s version of the Canadian Common CV. Instructions can be found on the NSERC web site (under “Professors”).

Please select “The University of British Columbia” as the Administering Institution (do not select “Technical University of British Columbia”).

Use the Research Project Information Form (RPIF) to obtain the required internal signatures:

• UBC Applicant (Principal Investigator)
• Department Head or Director of School or Institute
• Dean or designate

Signatures required for co-applicants

A co-applicant signature page, signed by the relevant Department /Unit Head/Dean is required when the co-applicant is from a different UBC Department/School than the applicant. Please use the UBC Internal Co-Applicant signature page, which can be found on the UBCO ORS forms page. Note that a physical signature is not required from the co-applicants on NSERC’s RTI forms.

External authorized institution signature is required for co-applicants outside of UBC. Please use the ORS external co-applicant signature page.

If you are a co-applicant on a grant application initiated by a PI at another institution, you must still submit a copy of the application with required UBC signatures for ORS review and approval.

Applicants must submit either a paper or a digital copy of their application (see list of required pages below) and RPIF to the Office of Research Services for institutional approval. Digital copies can be sent to ORS administration via: ResearchOffice.UBCO@ubc.ca. Alternately you can drop off the pages to the appropriate ORS location [contact us]

As the ORS processes a large number of applications during NSERC competition periods, the internal deadline is intended to ensure that all applications receive administrative review prior to institutional support / signature (by ORS). Please ensure you have collected ALL required signatures prior to submitting to ORS (the full UBCO signature policy can be found here), and that the documents submitted to ORS are identical to your Research portal submission. You may submit the entire application if you wish, but the following are required:

• A signed UBC Research Project Information Form (RPIF) [form download].
• Complete co-applicant pages if you have any internal or external co-applicants (see also section 2.1 above for additional required forms)
• Identification page (page 1 of the application)
• Supplements/Joint Initiatives (if applicable)
• Summary of Proposal Page
• Activity Details page (this page displays the certification requirements)
• Proposed Expenditures and budget justification pages
• Quotations if applicable (per RTI guidelines, provide two (2) recent quotations for any items or any systems costing more than $25,000 before taxes. If the required number of quotations cannot be submitted, you must provide a justification in the Budget Justification section.)

Upon receiving notice by the ORS to do so, submit your full application online using the Research Portal and NSERC CCV by the portal e-submission deadline. To do this, the applicant must complete and link all the forms as described in the NSERC instructions. First “Verify” to ensure the application is complete. Then click “Submit” to submit your application to ORS for online approval.

After you submit, ORS will approve your application on the Research Portal by NSERC’s deadline. ORS has read-only access to your application and cannot make changes. If the application is not approved, ORS will return it to you for changes.  Note that at this stage, ORS is unable to examine the application carefully for any problems.

Once ORS has approved your application, the status on the NSERC Research Portal will change from “Received by Administrator” to “Received by Agency.” ORS is no longer required to physically sign applications submitted through the NSERC Research Portal.

Material or revisions received under separate cover (before or after the deadline date) will not be accepted by NSERC.

For your information, the definition of each application status on the NSERC on-line system is below:

• In Progress: Application created but not yet completed.
• Returned: Application returned to the applicant by the administrator (research administrator, scholarship liaison officer, liaison officer) for required changes.
• Received by Administrator: Application completed and submitted by the applicant to the administrator at the university, college, CÉGEP or not-for-profit organization.
• Received by Agency: Application received by NSERC.
• Deleted: Application removed from applicant’s account.

For more information, see NSERC’s Research Portal – Frequently Asked Questions

For more information, see NSERC’s Research Portal – Frequently Asked Questions

If you have questions regarding NSERC’s online system, call 613-995-4273 or email webapp@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

If you have any questions regarding Discovery or RTI Grants, please email resgrant@nserc-crsng.gc.ca