For Professors – Overview – Partnerships Programs

Basic Principles for I2I Proposals

Before submitting an application, potential applicants should carefully consider the specific points raised for each phase of the I2I program and the general ones at the end of the document to assess if their project or technology is suitable or sufficiently advanced for the program.

Phase I

One of the main reasons why Phase I proposals are rejected is that they are at too early a stage to be eligible for the I2I program. Phase I proposals must be based on strong scientific evidence and present the following elements:

1. The basic parameters of the concept must have already been explored and sufficient testing should have been done to assess its potential to work in a “product” environment.
2. The intellectual property must be protected (existing patent, etc.) or protection should have been applied for. There may be situations in which patent protection may not be the ideal course of action; these cases should be fully justified in the application.
3. There must be a clearly identified and well-described potential market. Letters of support from potential clients may be very useful.
4. The prospective competition must be identified.

A company may be involved as a testing bed for the technology (i.e. potential client). However when a collaborating company is the intended receptor for the technology, (i.e. the company that will market the end product) the cost of the project should be shared with this partner and the application submitted as a Phase II proposal.

Phase IIa

• The partnering firm must provide input into the technology transfer plan and contribute at least a third of the funds required for the project.
• It is expected that the collaborator has the financial strength to carry the project into Phase IIb or directly to market. If this seed funding will support a spin-off or entrepreneurial start-up, financing of the firm will be a major concern in the evaluation.
• The technology transfer terms must be disclosed.
• The science has to be substantiated to the point that its end product is easily identifiable.
• Thorough market research is required and potential buyers/markets must be specified. Letters of support from potential clients are very useful.
• Well justified budgets are a prerequisite, and indications of future financial requirements, as well as the plan to secure these funds, should be provided.

Phase lIb

Most of the requirements for Phase IIa listed above also apply to Phase IIb applications. As well, if the development of the technology was supported by a previous I2I phase, proof that the objectives of the earlier project were achieved must be provided, specifically:

1. The “prototype” must already be in existence;
2. A strong business plan is required;
3. The receptor capacity to manufacture, distribute, license, etc. must be substantiated;
4. Adequate budgets are required to show that the product will be at the marketing/manufacturing stage at the end of the Phase IIb program; and
5. The “in-kind” contributions should be fully justified as they will be carefully scrutinized.

Budget

Since I2I projects are focused on the rapid realization of well-defined objectives it is expected that all budget items are for costs directly related to achieving these objectives. Therefore any request for expenses such as travel, publication costs and attendance at conferences must be justified in relation to the objectives.

NSERC may potentially allocate up to 10 per cent of the award for sharing, with the institution, the costs of certain technology transfer activities. The institution must therefore clearly commit its part of the funds in order for any technology transfer funding request to be considered. Previous technology transfer expenses will not be considered in the cost-sharing of proposed activities.

Training

Since projects submitted to the I2I program are clearly time limited and for applied work they may not be appropriate for graduate students. Personnel should be chosen in view of their ability to deliver on the objectives.

 Resubmission

An applicant wishing to resubmit a project that was previously rejected should contact program staff to discuss the matter. It should be understood that the final recommendation is made to NSERC by the selection committee. Since the selection committee will consider not only the technical merit of a project but also its soundness from a business perspective, the committee’s recommendations may not be consistent with the opinions expressed by external reviewers. The main reasons for a rejected project are provided in the decision letter. If a project is considered to be at a stage that is too early for the program, a resubmission would not be possible unless significant technical progress has been achieved.