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NSERC Discovery Grant

Sponsor/agency: NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada)

Program: Discovery Grants (individual) program

Description 

The Discovery Grant (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.

Program Summary 

Deadlines:

  • August 1, 2025: NSERC Notice of Intent (NOI) Deadline. Applicants who do not submit a NOI cannot submit a full application.
  • September 15, 2025: Comprehensive Review Deadline 
  • October 20, 2025: Mandatory* ORS Final Administrative Completeness check. Your completed grant application package must be accompanied by a Research Grant Authorization Form signed by your Dean.   
  • October 31, 2025: Mandatory* Discovery Grant Applications to be submitted in the Research Portal at 9:00 a.m.. for a portal pre-submission check. 
  • November 3, 2025: NSERC deadline for Full Applications 8:00 p.m. (ET).  Important: Researchers acknowledges that their applications may not be forwarded to NSERC if applications are submitted to the Research Portal after EOD (i.e. 4:30 p.m.) on November 3.
  • *Important Disclaimer: If the mandatory ORS deadlines are not met, the applicant assumes all responsibility for ensuring that the application package meets the program requirements. Applications may be submitted to NSERC without ORS review.

Indirect Costs: N/A

Duration: 5 years

How to Apply:

  1. Notify Joanne Hui of your intent to apply.
  2. Submit your NOI in the Research Portal by August 1, 2025. NSERC Instructions for the NOI
  3. Optional: If you would like a comprehensive review, please submit your full application package by September 15, 2025. If you are reapplying after an unsuccessful submission, please include your past Evaluation Group comments along with your draft. Please note that due to a high volume of applicants, we are only able to offer only ONE comprehensive review per researcher. NSERC Instructions for the Full Application 
  4. Submit your completed Discovery Grant full application package to Joanne Hui for a final administrative completion check along with your Research Grant Authorization Form signed by your Dean by October 20, 2025. 
  5. Submit application in the Research Portal by October 31, 2025 by 9:00 a.m. for portal pre-submission check. 
  6. While the NSERC deadline is November 3, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. (E.T.), your application must be submitted in the Research Portal by November 3, 2025 EOD (i.e. 4:30 p.m.). Researchers acknowledges that their applications may not be forwarded to NSERC if applications are submitted to the Research Portal after EOD (i.e. 4:30 p.m.) on November 3.

Contact: ORS Grants Officer: Joanne Hui 

Agency Program Contact: resgrant@nserc-crsng.gc.ca 

Program information:

Discovery Grants (individual) program

NSERC pre-recorded videos 

NSERC live Q&A sessions: the dates for these upcoming live Q&A sessions have not yet been announced but will be communicated when they are available. You can also consult the Live Q&A sessions page regularly to learn about the upcoming sessions.

ORS pre-recorded Discovery Grant Q&A session with an Evaluation Group member


Eligibility 

Subject Matter

Applicants to the DG program must present a program of research that is eligible under NSERC’s mandate, which is to promote and assist research in the natural sciences and engineering, other than health. The objectives of the research program must be to advance knowledge in the natural sciences or engineering. The application will be rejected if NSERC determines, at any time during the review cycle, that the subject matter is outside of its mandate. Refer to Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency, the Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health, the Peer Review Manual and the NSERC Discovery Grants Process for Decisions on Mandate Eligibility for further information on the eligibility of subject matter.

Applicants to the DG program must present a program of research that is conceptually distinct from research supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

NSERC encourages researchers to obtain funds from other sources to support the full costs of the research program presented in their DG application, as long as the funding source is not CIHR or SSHRC and as long as the funds cover different expenses from those proposed in the DG application.

Refer to the Peer Review Manual and the Instructions for completing an application for further information.

Applicant 

DGs are awarded to individual researchers, normally for five years. Researchers can apply for and hold only one DG at a time. Researchers who hold a DG cannot reapply for another DG until the last year of their current award.

Individuals cannot hold both a Discovery Grant and a Discovery Horizons grant. This rule has been effective from the 2024 competition year onwards.

Applicants to the DG program must meet NSERC’s Eligibility requirements for faculty to apply for or hold grant funds (consult Sections 1.1, 2.1, 3 and 4 for university faculty) to ensure that you can participate in this grant program as an applicant. If you are an adjunct professor, see the Note on Adjunct Professors section. 

Additional Information 

Applicants to the DG program are categorized as either early career researchers or established researchers. Refer to the Discovery Grants – applicant categories for more information. Applicant categorization is the responsibility of NSERC staff and is based on the information provided by the applicant in the Canadian Common CV (CCV) and application.

Resources