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Industrial R&D Fellowships (IRDF)
Who should read this section?Although this section is intended for potential applicants, it also provides important information for companies that want to nominate Industrial R&D Fellows. What kind of support do Industrial R&D Fellowships provide?These fellowships provide financial contributions that support the most promising recent doctoral graduates engaged in industrial research and development. Their objective is to:
The presence of highly qualified personnel through these fellowships promotes the development of a long-term research capacity in Canadian companies (especially small and medium-sized ones). Are you eligible for a fellowship?Industrial R&D Fellowships are intended primarily for recent doctoral graduates seeking employment in Canadian industry for the first time. To be nominated for a fellowship, you must:
In addition...
Who is not eligible?You are not eligible if:
However... If you have submitted your doctoral thesis, you may accept a short-term employment contract of up to six months with your nominating company while waiting for a decision from NSERC on your fellowship application. Subsequent employment must be conditional on your receiving a fellowship. However, if the application is not recommended for an award, you may not be eligible to apply again if you have accumulated more than six months of industrial experience. It is therefore recommended that you accept a temporary contract only if necessary, and that the period of the contract be kept as short as possible. What is the duration of the fellowship?The Industrial R&D Fellowship provides support for two years. Support for the second year will be subject to:
Where can you hold your fellowship?You may hold your fellowship within the Canadian-based research facilities of any Canadian private-sector organization that NSERC has approved for participation in this program. Awards may not be held outside Canada. The criteria upon which this approval is based are listed in the upcoming section, "Which private-sector organizations are eligible to participate?" Please refer to NSERC's list of eligible companies. Note, however, that this list is not all-inclusive and other companies may be eligible. If the proposed company is not on the list, the applicant or organization should consult with NSERC before proceeding with the application. Which private-sector organizations are eligible to participate?There is an application process to become eligible to participate in the IRDF program. To apply, companies must complete and submit Form 183B, Application for Eligibility of Organizations to Participate in NSERC's IRDF and Industrial USRA Programs, at any time during the year or with the nomination for a fellowship. NSERC offers a number of programs for training people in industry. To participate in the NSERC Industrial R&D Fellowships Program, a private-sector organization must:
Organizations that represent a group of Canadian enterprises or producers (such as agricultural or fishing cooperatives, or trade associations), consulting firms, engineering firms, and other enterprises that do not have production facilities are also eligible. These types of organizations must demonstrate their ability to fund and apply the research through a Canadian company or association. If a company is applying for eligibility and at the same time submitting an IRDF nomination, the company should ensure that it meets all company eligibility requirements. IRDF candidates must take up their fellowship within three (or at most six) months of being offered the fellowship, and must not have worked for the company for more than six months in a temporary position when they take up the award. If the company eligibility approval is delayed while the company attempts to meet the requirements, the candidate may no longer be eligible for the IRDF. What will your salary be?As a fellow, your salary will be at least $40,000 per year. The average annual salary offered to successful applicants last year was approximately $52,000.
Also, keep in mind that it is up to you to negotiate your salary and fringe benefits with the company. Nomination and appointment proceduresIf you would like to be nominated for an Industrial R&D Fellowship, you must first contact a company that is willing to nominate you. You and the company must negotiate the details of your research project and position. The company will then submit your nomination to NSERC. The nomination must include:
In addition, if the work involves interactions with other organizations, the nomination must include a letter from a representative of each collaborating organization who is authorized to enter into such interactions. This letter will outline the nature of the interaction and the organization's commitment (financial, equipment, technical expertise, etc.) to your activities. Multiple nominationsIf more than one company is nominating you, you must submit separate applications and supporting documents to each company. There is no limit to the number of nominations that an individual company may make. However, the total number of awards that NSERC will make, as well as the number of awards held in a given company, will be limited each year. NSERC does not reserve a quota of positions for specific research disciplines. Review procedures and selection criteriaTwo members of the NSERC IRDF College of Reviewers, composed of federal government employees from departments and agencies with an interest in research and development, will review each nomination. Members may also confer with other federal government colleagues with expertise in areas addressed by specific applications. If the nominating organization does not wish certain individuals or groups to see the proposal, it should clearly identify them in a covering letter. The members separately assess the merit of the candidate and the merit of the research proposal. To be successful, both the applicant and the research proposal must be meritorious. The members evaluate applicants based on the following criteria (their relative weighting is in parentheses):
The reviewers evaluate the research proposal based on the following criteria:
The match between the applicant’s background and the proposed research project will also be evaluated. The candidates may spend up to 50 per cent of their time on technology transfer activities. Such activities would enable the evaluation and ultimately the acquisition of external technologies which are not currently used by the company. These technologies may come from Canadian or foreign sources (public or private). It is expected that the nominating organization would further develop the technology into new products, processes, materials, or services for its own benefit. The proposal must demonstrate clearly the expected benefits to the host organization of acquiring such technologies, and detail its impact on the Canadian economy either through increasing competitiveness, reducing costs, or creating jobs. In such cases, the IRDF proposal will also be evaluated on its potential to acquire new or unique technology, and on the benefits to the IRDF candidate in terms of developing expertise and skills. It should be noted that where the company has participated previously in the program, the experience gained by the fellows during tenure of their awards, and the company's success in integrating previous fellows into the regular staff of the company upon the expiration of the awards, will also be considered by the selection committee. Resubmitting your nominationIf NSERC rejects your nomination for a fellowship on the basis of your merit and past record, it is strongly recommended that you wait for one year before you reapply either with the same company or a different one. You may reapply only once, provided you continue to meet the eligibility criteria. If NSERC rejects the nomination for a fellowship due to an inadequate project or project description submitted by the company, the nomination may be resubmitted by the same company within one year as long as the project or project description is revised. Only one resubmission from the same company will be permitted. However, you may be nominated by a different company within the following two years as a pre-approved candidate, provided that you continue to meet all eligibility criteria. If you are nominated after that two-year period, your qualifications will have to be re-evaluated. Notification of decisionNSERC will inform companies of the results, usually within six weeks of receiving the complete application. Conditions of the awardPlease refer to the IRDF Award Holder’s Guide for regulations about holding the award (e.g., the start date, deferment, holidays and leave, etc.). |
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