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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is there a form an institution must fill out when requesting eligibility to administer NSERC programs?
No, there is no specific application form. The institution must send NSERC a written request signed by the institution’s president/principal or delegate, with all the documentation required to support the submission. Please consult the checklist before submitting an institutional eligibility request.
- What requirements must an institution meet when requesting eligibility?
To be recognized as eligible, an institution must meet eight requirements and submit all the supporting documentation. Please refer to the Institutional Eligibility Requirements for details; note that the first three requirements apply slightly differently to universities than they do to colleges.
- Is there a deadline to request institutional eligibility?
No. An institution can submit a request at any time.
- Is there a specific person to call at NSERC for further information about preparing an eligibility request?
Yes. Please see the names listed at the bottom of the Institutional Eligibility Requirements and note each person’s area of expertise. The phone numbers and e-mail addresses are provided.
- Which policies must an institution already adhere to when applying for eligibility?
NSERC recognizes the need for research to be conducted according to the highest ethical principles. Institutions that are eligible to receive NSERC funds are required to adhere to those principles and ensure that they have the necessary structure and process in place to achieve this objective. The institution must already adhere to:
An institution is required to follow the TCPS as a whole. However, when the three granting agencies review an institution’s research policy, they focus on TCPS Sections 1 (Ethics Review) and 2 (Free and Informed Consent). These two sections set out the basic requirements for the ethics review of research involving humans.
A small institution may wish to explore regional cooperation or an alliance with another eligible institution to share a Research Ethics Board (REB) or an appeal board. Any institution that has formalized a sharing arrangement must send NSERC a formal letter of agreement duly signed by the two institutions.
- Is an institution required to develop a policy on research involving humans if the institution conducts no such research on its premises or under its jurisdiction?
No. However, the institution must submit a statement confirming that research involving humans is not conducted within the institution’s premises or under its jurisdiction, or by its members and that the institution agrees to abide by NSERC’s Institutional Eligibility Requirements should it begin conducting research involving humans.
- Are there requirements an institution must meet if it conducts research using animals, or if it uses animals for teaching and/or testing?
Yes. The institution must include a statement confirming that it will adhere to the policies and guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) (http://www.ccac.ca/en/CCAC_Main.htm) and confirm that it holds a CCAC Certificate of Good Animal Practice (GAP) (http://www.ccac.ca/en/Publications/PUBLICAT/
RESOURCE/VOL212/ART4212E.HTM). More information is available in Requirements for Certain Types of Research in the Program Guide for Professors on the NSERC Web site.
- What requirements must an institution meet if it conducts other types of research?
The institution must include a statement confirming that it will abide by the policies and guidelines specified in the Requirements for Certain Types of Research policy found in the Program Guide for Professors on the NSERC Web site. This policy covers research involving human and animal subjects, biohazards, radioactive materials, research activities that could potentially affect the environment, research in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and more.
- Can an institution be recognized as conditionally eligible if, at the time of application, it has not fully met all requirements?
No. The institution can submit a request for eligibility indicating that it is still preparing certain documents. However, NSERC will declare an institution eligible only when it has received all the supporting documentation and is satisfied that the institution meets all the eligibility requirements. NSERC will not release any awards funding to an institution until it has formally declared that institution eligible.
- Are faculty members automatically eligible to apply to NSERC programs once the institution is recognized eligible?
Yes, faculty members can start applying to NSERC programs; however, they must meet certain criteria at the time of application and during tenure of the award. Please consult the Eligibility Criteria in the Program Guide for Professors on the NSERC Web site.
- How long will it take NSERC to determine whether an institution is eligible?
The review can take as little as three months if the institution has submitted all the required documentation at the outset and has clearly demonstrated its full compliance with NSERC’s policies on research. The review will take much longer if the submission is incomplete. To avoid a delay, any person who requires clarification or assistance when preparing an eligibility request should contact Louise Martel, NSERC Coordinator for the Eligibility of Institutions, at (613) 996-7542, or e-mail her at lfm@nserc.ca. Please use the checklist before submitting the application.
- Does an institution have any other requirements to meet once NSERC has declared it eligible?
Yes. The institution must sign the Memorandum of Understanding on the Roles and Responsibilities in the Management of Federal Grants and Awards (MOU) and return one signed copy to NSERC within one month of receiving it for signature. NSERC will not release funding to an institutution before receiving the signed MOU.
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