For Professors – Overview – Partnerships Programs

Research Partnership Agreements (RPA)

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)/NSERC Research Partnerships Program

Duration	Application Deadline	How to apply
See program description	Any time	Forms 101, 100 and 183A
Program Contacts		Apply on-line

Maximum funding level: $200,000 per year

Objective

The objective of the AAFC/NSERC Research Partnerships Program is to support excellent and innovative university/industry collaborative projects that address priority research areas in the Agriculture and Agri-Food sector. The Program contributes to AAFC's objectives of securing the long-term prosperity, profitability and success of the sector and positioning Canada as a world leader for food safety, innovation and environmentally responsible production.

Program Description

The program is designed to support research, research training and commercialization activities (pilot projects) through funding of well-defined collaborative projects involving university and college researchers and the agriculture and agri-food industry. The program supports research in the following areas: Environmental Health, Sustainable Production Systems (Animal and Plant), Bioproducts and Bioprocesses, and Food Safety and Quality.

Direct project costs are shared by the industrial partner(s), AAFC and NSERC. Projects may range from one to five years in duration but most awards are for two or three years. Projects can be at any point in the R&D; spectrum that is consistent with the university's research, training and technology transfer mandate. Eligible collaborations include focused projects with specific short- to medium-term objectives and also those that are discrete phases in a program of longer-term research. All proposals require evidence of detailed planning and sound budget justification, and must clearly describe the underlying assumptions, intended approaches, milestones and deliverables. Projects that focus on the routine application of existing technology, provide routine analysis, collect data without interpreting underlying mechanisms, or provide professional practice or consulting services are not eligible.

Eligibility

The program is open to eligible faculty members of Canadian universities. Faculty at eligible colleges can participate as co-investigators in projects. Applicants must satisfy normal NSERC eligibility criteria as outlined in the NSERC Program Guide for Professors. Collaboration with AAFC researchers is encouraged but they cannot receive funds from the program.

Industrial Participation

The Partner Eligibility Guidelines section of the Guidelines for Organizations Participating in Research Partnerships Programs should be consulted to determine the eligibility of the industrial partner to participate in the program. All applications must be supported by at least one participant from the industrial sector. The nature of this support will generally be a cash contribution equal to one third of the direct research costs of the project. In-kind contributions may also be considered for leveraging. For a full discussion of eligible in-kind contributions and appropriate cost-sharing ratios, refer to the Guidelines for Evaluating Cost-Sharing Ratios and In-kind Contributions in University-Industry Collaborations.

In exceptional circumstances, applications without industrial support or involving exclusively in-kind support from industry will be accepted and funding may be provided by AAFC and NSERC on a 50/50 cost-shared basis. In such cases, applicants must provide strong justification and documentation of an exceptional opportunity to advance research in one of the program's identified priority research areas. Applicants must also describe the potential economic impact of the proposed research on Canada and present a plan for increasing the awareness and involvement of Canadian industry in this new field.

NSERC's Policy on Intellectual Property supports the premise that every effort should be made to exploit the results of AAFC/NSERC-funded research in Canada, for the benefit of Canadians. For most projects, a copy of the final, signed agreement between the industrial partner and the university must be provided to NSERC for review before the funds can be released.

Research Priorities

Proposals should fall within the following AAFC priority research areas as defined under the Agricultural Policy Framework. Applicants are encouraged to consult with AAFC researchers in one or more of AAFC's National Science Programs to explore opportunities to establish complementary research programs, noting, however, that grants are available only to support university research. Priority areas for research are:

• Agricultural technology to improve sustainability of production systems
• Indicators of Environmental quality
• Modeling systems to measure impact on agriculture
• Management systems for protection of water, and air quality
• Biodiversity

• Development of science-based animal welfare standards
• Development of new, value-added animal products
• Feeding, and animal housing management systems minimizing environmental impact
• Animal reproductive technologies

• Development of new, value-added plant products
• Crop Breeding technologies
• Pollination technology
• Post Harvest technology

• Development of technologies to produce specialty products from plant and microbial resources
• Genetic technologies to improve the exploitation of plant and animal genomes
• Technologies to develop useful bioproducts from amino acids, proteins and metabolites in biological systems
• Bioinformatics

• Linkage between agricultural production systems and ultimate product safety and quality
• Strategies to reduce contamination and improve standards of food quality throughout the food chain
• Consumer acceptability and nutritional quality; quality maintenance in storage and processing
• Processing and preservation techniques
• Novel foods
• Food Waste treatment, recovery and alternative uses

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Relevance to AAFC research priorities: The proposed research activity must address the research priorities defined for the program.
2. Scientific merit: The project must be scientifically sound, technically feasible, and promise either to generate new knowledge or to apply existing knowledge in an innovative manner.
3. Research competence: The research team must have all the expertise required to address the defined objectives competently and to complete the project successfully. Academic expertise may be complemented with the know-how residing in the company.
4. Industrial relevance: The proposal must identify how the work will benefit the company and demonstrate how the project results will benefit Canada.
5. Private-sector support: The private-sector participant must normally contribute at a level consistent with the risks and rewards involved and be in a position to exploit successful research results.
6. Contribution to the training of highly qualified personnel: The proposal should indicate how the knowledge and experience gained by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research assistants or others, including company personnel, is relevant to the advancement of the field, to developing practical applications of knowledge, or to strengthening the industrial research base. The number of undergraduate and graduate students trained is expected to be commensurate with the size of the project.
7. Benefit to Canada: The proposal should outline any additional, potential social and/or economic benefits that will be realized in Canada.

Term of Support and Reporting

Projects may be approved for terms of one to five years and to a maximum funding level of $200,000 per year. Annual progress reports are required from the grantee and the industrial partner will be asked to provide comments on the project's progress. Based on results obtained or problems encountered, grantees may propose amendments to the project objectives and milestones or budget. Release of annual instalments is contingent on satisfactory research progress, continuing industry support and the demonstrated need for AAFC/NSERC funds. Final reports are required for all projects.

Application Procedures

Applications may be submitted at any time using Forms 100, 101 and 183a. Full instructions for professors and their industrial sponsors for completion of the forms and for on-line submission are found on NSERC's On-line Services page. It is not necessary to submit an additional application to AAFC. Decisions on funding of AAFC/NSERC grants are usually made within three to five months of receipt of a complete application.

Number of copies including original for applications submitted on paper: 8

AAFC/NSERC Research Partnerships Program
NSERC
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 1H5

Additional Information

Questions about the program, its objectives, policies, completion of forms, etc. should be addressed to:

Doris Braslins
Account Manager, Bio-Industries
Research Partnerships Programs
NSERC
Tel.: (613) 996-7229
Fax: (613) 992-5337
E-mail: doris.braslins@nserc.ca