Building a Culture of Scientific Discovery and Innovation

(DateCreated:8April2016) 1

NSERC–BUILDINGACULTUREOFSCIENTIFICDISCOVERYANDINNOVATION________________________________________________________________________________________

WHOWEARE

TheNaturalSciencesandEngineeringResearchCouncil(NSERC)isuniqueinCanada’sresearchandinnovationecosystem.NSERCistheonlyCanadianagency–privateorpublic–involvedinthenaturalsciencesandengineeringthatinvestssubstantiallyinbothdiscovery-drivenacademicresearchandcollaborativeresearchwithindustrypartnersandotherstakeholders.NSERCinvestmentshelpCanadaclaimworld-firstsinknowledgeleadingfromdiscoveriestofirstsinnewmarketabletechnologiesandservicestriggeredbypartnerships.TheseinvestmentsplayamajorroleindevelopinghighlyqualifiedprofessionalscriticaltothegrowthofCanada’sknowledge-basedeconomy.SeeFurtherOurintegratedapproachgivesNSERCunparalleledinsightintoresearchandinnovationactivitiesacrossnumeroussectorsinCanada.Manyoftheseactivitiesarecentraltoaddressingnationalandglobalchallengesandopportunities,suchasfoodsecurity,cleanenergy,cybersecurity,andquantumtechnologies.WecreatevalueforCanadabyinvestingincutting-edgeideas,supportingemergingtalent,andconveningpartnershipsacrossnodesofresearchexpertiseinthepublicandprivatesectorsthroughoutthecountry.NSERCisbuildingacultureofscientificdiscoveryandinnovationinCanadaandraisingthelevelofexcellenceinthenaturalsciencesandengineering.EnsureExcellenceNSERChasarobustandwell-acceptedqualityassurancesystemtoensurethatresearchinvestmentdecisionsareimpartialanddeliverresearchexcellence.Panelsofresearchersreviewandevaluateresearchproposalssubmittedbytheirpeers.Becausereviewersvolunteertheirtime,thesystemisalsocosteffective.Asimilarprocessexistswhenexaminingacademic-industryresearchpartnerships,whereindustryexpertiseisrecruitedtohelpevaluateproposals.Theresultingcollaborationscreateasecondlevelofqualityassuranceandhelpassess,validate,andde-riskideas,concepts,andinventionsforfurtherinvestment.MEASURINGNSERC’SREACHCreateKnowledgeNSERCisa$1.1billioninvestorinresearchandinnovationeachyear,thebiggestinCanadainthenaturalsciencesandengineering.Ofthis,approximately,69%($738million)isallocatedtoaportfolioofdiscovery-basedresearchactivities.Thisinvestmentfuelsapowerfulbraintrustanddeliversworld-classresearch.AndthiscommitmenttodiscoveryhasmeantthatCanadanotonlypublishesatahighraterelativetoourpopulation—0.5%oftheworldpopulationproducing5%oftheworld’sscientificpublications—butalsowhatitpublishesisamongtheworld’sbest.ComparedtoG20countries,Canadaranks7thwhenlookingatthecitationindexofpublicationsinthenaturalsciencesandengineering.

(DateCreated:8April2016) 2

Discoveriesbuildthenecessaryfoundationforinnovationandeconomicgrowth.Thesediscoveriesarisebecauseresearchershavethefreedomtoexplorethefrontiersofknowledgeandprobetheunexplainedandunexpected.ApriorityforNSERCistoencourageresearcherstofullyutilizethisfreedomandtostrivetodesigntrulyaudaciousandground-breakingprogramsofresearch.StrikePartnershipswithIndustryNSERCallocatesapproximately31%ofitsannualbudget($330million)towardsasuiteofscalableandhighlyflexibleinvestmentprogramstofacilitateinnovationanddrivepartnershipsbetweenindustryanduniversities,colleges,andpolytechnics.Theseprogramshaveleveragedannualcashcontributionsofcloseto$200millionfromindustryforresearchcollaborationsandcreatedarobustbaseof3,550companiesaspartners.Forthepurposesofcomparison,theNRCIndustrialResearchAssistanceProgram—apartnerwithNSERCininnovation—counted2,500companiesamongitsclientbase,andSustainableDevelopmentTechnologiesCanadacountedapproximately300.NSERChasbeenabletoachievethislevelofsuccesswithpartnershipsbecauseofourprofoundlevelofconnectionandengagementwithCanada’sacademiccommunity.Weinvestinover12,000researchersannuallyworkingatthecutting-edgeoftheirfields.Byconveningacademic-industrypartnerships,weprovidethespaceandthecontextwhereideas,needs,andchallengescanreceiveattention,generatingfreshapproachesandimpactfuloutcomesforallcollaborators.BuildtheNextGenerationNSERCinvestments,acrossdifferentsectors,supportsubstantialtrainingofthenextgenerationofresearchleadersinthepublicandprivatesectors,fromtheundergraduatetopost-doctorallevels.Onayearlybasis,NSERCsupports,directlyandindirectly,30,000studentsandtrainees.NSERCstartedin1978,andalargepercentageoftoday’smostactiveandproductiveCanadianresearchprofessionalsreceivedtheirtrainingasaresultofNSERCinvestments.Tociteoneexample,CommanderChrisHadfieldbeganhisremarkablecareerwithaNSERCstudentfellowship.

TheDiscovery-InnovationDynamicDiscoveryandinnovationaretwomutuallyreinforcingandintertwinedactivities.Discovery-basedresearchdrawsonitsownuniquesetofquestionsandproducesfirstsinrawknowledge,newideas,andinventionsofvaluetoinnovation.Innovation,whichisattunedtomarketneedsandopportunities,establishesanewcontextfordiscoveryresearchandhelpstestandrealizethevalueofinventions.Theinnovationprocessalsogenerateschallengesthatinspirefurtherdiscoveryresearch. Inahighlyfunctioningdiscovery-innovationdynamic,thereisaconstantandseamlessexchangeofinformationandideas.Manydifferentplayersareinvolvedand,withguidance,theyactinanintegratedandpurposefulway.Asaconvener,NSERCprovidesthefeedbackloopsfromindustrytoacademiatooptimizetechnologiesandtofurtherinformfuturediscoveryandinnovation.

(DateCreated:8April2016) 3

BENEFITSFORINDUSTRYANDINNOVATIONDe-RiskR&DOneofNSERC’smajorcontributionstoinnovationistode-risktheR&Denvironmentfortheprivatesector,suchasaccesstoknowledgenecessaryforproduct/serviceinnovationandtohighlyqualifiedpersonnelforcompanyexpansionandgrowth.HighlyQualifiedPeople:TheOrganizationforEconomicDevelopmentandCooperation(OECD)hasstressedhumancapitalasthebasisofinnovation,andtheOECDranksCanada#1inthepercentageofhighlyeducatedindividualsintheworkforce.NSERCplaysafoundationalroleintheCanadianeconomybyprovidingsupporttotrainthenextgenerationofnumerate,technicallysavvy,andcreativeprofessionals.Specifictoindustry,27,800studentsweretrainedinindustrialsettingsoverthepastfiveyears,and37%ofcompaniesreporthiringaformerholderofanNSERCindustrialundergraduateaward.AmongNSERC-fundedPhDgraduates,33%workedinindustryaspartoftheirdegree.AccesstoKnowledge:NSERChasalsomademajorinvestmentsinknowledgetransfer.InasurveyofcompaniesinvolvedinseveralofNSERC’skey,long-termcollaborativeresearchprograms,691patentswereinitiatedasaresultofpartnershipsand143productsweredeveloped.Ofthisgroup,afurther65%ofcompaniesreportedpotentialforfutureproductdevelopmentasaresultoftheresearch.AmongholdersofNSERCDiscoverygrants(universityprofessors),27%alsoholdNSERCPartnershipgrants.Withintheengineeringdisciplines(e.g.materialsandchemicalengineering,mechanicalengineering,and,electricalandcomputerengineering),in2014-15,anaverageof55%ofDiscoverygrantholdersheldNSERCPartnershipgrants.