Information About Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

  NSERC aims to make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for the benefit of all Canadians. The agency supports university students in their advanced studies, promotes and supports discovery research, and fosters innovation by encouraging Canadian companies to participate and invest in postsecondary research projects. NSERC researchers are on the vanguard of science, building on Canada’s long tradition of scientific excellence.

Vision

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) helps make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for the benefit of all Canadians.

Mission

NSERC invests in people, discovery and innovation through programs that support post-secondary research in the natural sciences and engineering on the basis of national, peer-reviewed competitions.

Role

NSERC’s role is to make investments in people, discovery and innovation for the benefit of all Canadians. We invest in people by supporting 28,000 university students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. We promote discovery by funding nearly 11,800 university professors every year. And we help make innovation happen by encouraging about 1,500 Canadian companies to invest in university research and training. Over the last ten years, NSERC has invested more than $7 billion in basic research, university-industry projects, and the training of Canada’s next generation of scientists and engineers.

NSERC in Brief

NSERC is the national instrument for making strategic investments in Canada's capability in science and technology. NSERC supports both basic university research through discovery grants and project research through partnerships among universities, governments and the private sector, as well as the advanced training of highly qualified people.

NSERC is a separate employer of the Government of Canada, reporting to Parliament through the Minister of Industry. It is governed by a President and a Council of 21 distinguished members selected from the private and public sectors, and universities. The Council is advised by various standing committees that are guided by a Peer Review Process.

Prairies

The NSERC Prairies Regional Office works with a wide range of innovation stakeholders in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta to facilitate regional research partnerships and maximize participation in

NSERC programs. 

The office is located at:

435 Ellice Avenue, Suite 430

Winnipeg, Manitoba

R3B 1Y6

Tel.: 204-984-6462

Fax: 204-984-7171

E-mail: nserc-prairies@nserc-crsng.gc.ca