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NSERC is a separate employer of the Government of Canada, reporting to Parliament through the Minister of Industry, and governed by a Council as mandated in the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act (1985).28
28The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act was first passed in 1977. A modification to the Act was passed in 1985 (http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/N-21/index.html). |
The functions of NSERC, based on the authority and responsibility assigned to it under the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act (1976-77, c.24), are to:
NSERC is governed by a Council which consists of a president and 21 members who are drawn from universities as well as from the private and public sectors, and are appointed by the Governor-in-Council. Members serve part-time and receive no remuneration for their participation. NSERC’s President serves full-time and functions as the Chair of the Council and the Chief Executive Officer.
The diagram below describes NSERC’s governance structure.
NSERC and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) share a Common Administrative Services Directorate which is responsible for finances, facilities, security, human resources and information services for both Councils. This structure maximizes the efficiency of both Councils’ administrative requirements and is one of the reasons that NSERC is able to maintain its administration budget at 5% of total planned spending.
2007-2008
|
|||||
($ millions)
|
Budgetary
|
Total Main Estimates
|
Adjustments (Planned Spending not in Main Estimates)
|
Total Planned Spending
|
|
Operating
|
Grants
|
||||
Strategic Outcome 1: People: Highly skilled science and engineering professionals in Canada | |||||
Program Activity 1.1: Promote Science and Engineering |
0.2
|
3.9
|
4.1
|
|
$4.1
|
Program Activity 1.2: Support Students and Fellows |
6.8
|
129.6
|
136.4
|
|
$136.4
|
Program Activity 1.3: Attract and Retain Faculty |
2.9
|
164.9
|
167.8
|
|
$167.8
|
Strategic Outcome 2: Discovery: High quality Canadian-based competitive research in the natural sciences and engineering | |||||
Program Activity 2.1: Fund Basic Research |
16.2
|
387.2
|
403.4
|
0.229
|
$403.6
|
Program Activity 2.2: Fund Research in Strategic Areas |
3.8
|
53.9
|
57.7
|
|
$57.7
|
Strategic Outcome 3: Innovation: Productive use of new knowledge in the natural sciences and engineering in Canada | |||||
Program Activity 3.1: Fund University-Industry-Government Partnerships |
9.9
|
105.1
|
115
|
|
$115
|
Program Activity 3.2: Support Commercialization |
0.8
|
14.4
|
15.2
|
|
$15.2
|
All of NSERC’s program activities contribute to the achievement of the Government of Canada’s “Innovative and Knowledge-based Economy” outcome area (within the Economic Affairs cluster).
29An additional $0.2M has been allocated to NSERC’s operating budget in support of internal audit activities for 2007-08 by the Secretariat of the Treasury Board. |
NSERC has developed and implemented several pilot programs to address particular issues such as research capacity, technology transfer from colleges to industry, and the training of young Canadians in fundamental science and mathematics concepts.
The following programs are currently funded on a pilot basis. In all cases, a national competition was held to award grants for the pilot phase and the programs are being monitored to determine their impact on the issues they aim to address. These pilot programs have been designed so that results can be measured against the program objectives early in the life of the program. For pilot programs that have a positive impact relative to their stated objectives, continued funding for the program will be sought.
It is important to demonstrate to Canadians the results of public investments in research, training and innovation, and to ensure that such investments are the most efficient and effective methods of furthering the goals of Canada’s productivity and prosperity agenda.
NSERC is committed to monitoring the results of its investments. It maintains a long-term evaluation plan to ensure its programs are reviewed regularly and program mechanisms are achieving their intended objectives. NSERC posts the results of program evaluations on its Web site, and each year provides information on all scholarships, fellowships and grants awarded as well as key statistics relating to Canadian research, training and innovation performance.
NSERC will continue to work with its stakeholder communities, other funding agencies, and other federal departments and agencies to ensure that the information collected and disseminated properly demonstrates the impact of such public investments. See Table 6: Internal Audits and Evaluations.
NSERC is committed to organizational innovation to improve its program delivery and reach, and to better communicate the impact of publicly funded research on quality of life. To further this goal, NSERC is an active participant in federal working groups and multi-departmental initiatives.
NSERC will continue to liaise with science-based departments and agencies on government priorities and issues that transcend a single department’s mandate. NSERC will also pursue opportunities to develop policies and initiatives in conjunction with SSHRC and CIHR, especially when such initiatives relate to research that falls within the mandate of more than one granting agency, or where common policies, procedures and systems will provide more efficient service for the Canadian research community.
The agencies will continue to enhance the very strong coordination and collaborations that are in place in the management of tri-council programs such as the Networks of Centres of Excellence, the Canada Research Chairs and the Indirect Costs of Research, as well as stewardship and control initiatives such as the tri-council Secretariat on Research Ethics, the Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Roles and Responsibilities in the Management of Federal Grants and Awards. Another example of harmonized stewardship are the monitoring activities at institutions receiving funding from the granting agencies, to ensure that they have appropriate control frameworks in place. These are conducted jointly by NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR.
In the area of electronic business solutions, NSERC and SSHRC have established a new bi-council Integrated Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) Steering Committee to replace their respective equivalent steering committees. In June 2006, three strategic priorities and nine business objectives were approved by the Steering Committee. In conjunction with this initiative the Electonic Service Delivery and eBusiness approaches and teams were consolidated. The resulting team, the Electronic Business Solutions team (EBS), has defined a new mandate which currently serves as a focal point for the IM/IT consolidation effort across the three functional teams involved in the endeavour. The EBS vision and accompanying strategic themes have been documented and are being used to prioritize and align IM/IT projects and initiatives to the bi-council priorities and objectives. In this context, both Councils have adopted a standards-based approach for their electronic business initiatives. Subsequently, both Councils became foundational members of a new impartial standards body which will promote the definition and adoption of standards across the research funding and administration domain. The Consortia Advancing Standards in Research Administration Information (CASRAI) is expected to release its first standard in the first quarter of 2007.
In compliance with the SII instituted by the Secretariat of the Treasury Board of Canada, NSERC has developed and published service standards, and established baselines and targets designed to achieve significant, measurable and sustainable improvement in client satisfaction with services it provides. These baselines are based on surveys conducted since 2004 with NSERC’s main clients regarding their satisfaction levels with the key services delivered by NSERC.
NSERC has developed a structured service improvement plan that covers the key services it provides to its clients. The plan details the expectations and priorities for service improvement throughout NSERC, and calls for periodic client-satisfaction surveys with the objective of improving service delivery, and for updating the current client-centred internal service standards applied by NSERC’s directorates.
Most of NSERC’s key services are delivered to its clients through the eSubmission system, the Web site, and the Help Desk service. For these key services, NSERC has established baseline client satisfaction levels and performance improvement targets. Information on performance and service standards is available on NSERC’s Web site at http://www.nserc.gc.ca/about/p_s_standards-eng.asp.
NSERC will also continue to refine its on-line application submission and peer review systems. In the medium-term, this will include developing new tools for the on-line review and evaluation of applications by selection committee members and external referees. It will also include collaboration with SSHRC to improve clients’ ability to conduct all of their business with the granting agencies electronically.
($ millions) |
Forecast Spending
|
Planned Spending
|
Planned Spending
|
Planned Spending
|
2006-2007
|
2007-2008
|
2008-2009
|
2009-2010
|
|
1.1 - Promote Science and Engineering |
1.5
|
4.1
|
4.1
|
4.1
|
1.2 - Support Students and Fellows |
135.2
|
136.4
|
134.6
|
130.3
|
1.3 - Attract and Retain Faculty |
163.8
|
167.8
|
167.9
|
167.9
|
2.1 - Fund Basic Research |
411.9
|
403.4
|
403.2
|
398.5
|
2.2 - Fund Research in Strategic Areas |
47.9
|
57.7
|
59.7
|
59.7
|
3.1 - Fund University-Industry-Government Partnerships |
107.5
|
115.0
|
114.4
|
114.4
|
3.2 - Support Commercialization |
17.5
|
15.2
|
15.4
|
15.4
|
|
|
|
|
|
Budgetary Main Estimates (gross) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-Budgetary Main Estimates (gross) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less: Respendable revenue |
|
|
|
|
Total Main Estimates |
885.3
|
899.6
|
899.3
|
890.3
|
Adjustments: |
|
|
|
|
Supplementary Estimates |
|
|
|
|
Federal Budget 2006 Funds |
16.9
|
|
|
|
Operating Carry-forward from 2005-06 |
1.6
|
|
|
|
International Polar Year Operating Funds |
0.7
|
|
|
|
Transfer from Industry Canada to support the France-Canada Research Fund |
0.2
|
|
|
|
Compensation for Salary Adjustments |
0.1
|
|
|
|
Procurement Savings |
(0.3)
|
|
|
|
Transfer to DND for Canada Research Chairs at RMC |
(0.3)
|
|
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
Internal Audit |
0.2
|
|
|
|
Total Adjustments |
18.9
|
0.2
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
Total Planned Spending |
904.2
|
899.8
|
899.3
|
890.3
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Planned Spending |
|
|
|
|
Less: Non-Respendable revenue |
(1.0)
|
(1.0)
|
(1.0)
|
(1.0)
|
Plus: Cost of services received without charge |
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
5.0
|
Total Departmental Spending |
$908.2
|
$903.8
|
$903.3
|
$894.3
|
Full-Time Equivalents |
313
|
319
|
319
|
319
|
Vote or Statutory Item ($ millions) |
Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording
|
Current Main Estimates
|
Previous Main Estimates
|
70
|
Operating expenditures
|
$36,537
|
$36,002
|
75
|
Grants
|
$858,915
|
$845,165
|
(S)
|
Contributions to employee benefit plans
|
$4,099
|
$4,091
|
Total Department or Agency
|
$899,551
|
$885,258 |
2007-08 |
|
($ millions) |
Total
|
Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) |
$3.3
|
Contributions covering employers’ share of employees’ insurance premiums and expenditures paid by TBS (excluding revolving funds) |
$1.6
|
Worker’s compensation coverage provided by Human Resources and Social Development Canada |
$0.0
|
Salary and associated expenditures of legal services provided by Justice Canada |
$0.0
|
Other services provided without charge |
$0.1
|
Total Services Received without Charge |
$5.0
|
Forecast Revenue
|
Planned Revenue
|
Planned Revenue
|
Planned Revenue
|
|
($ millions) |
2006-07
|
2007-08
|
2008-09
|
2009-10
|
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council |
|
|
|
|
Fund Basic Research |
|
|
|
|
Refunds of previous years’ expenditures |
$1.0
|
$1.0
|
$1.0
|
$1.0
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Non-Respendable Revenue |
$1.0
|
$1.0
|
$1.0
|
$1.0
|
Over the next three years, NSERC will manage the following transfer payment programs in excess of $5 million:
Further information on these transfer payment programs can be found at http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rpp/2007-2008/info/ps-dp-eng.asp.
Details on Transfer Payment Programs
Name of Transfer Payment Program : Grants and Scholarships (voted) | ||||
Start Date: April 1, 1978 |
End Date: |
Current Terms and Conditions will expire October 31st, 2011 | ||
Description: NSERC invests in people, discovery, and innovation to build a stronger Canadian economy and to improve the quality of life of all Canadians. NSERC’s Grants and Scholarships program supports university-based basic and project research, provides scholarships and fellowships to young researchers, and facilitates links between universities, colleges, governments and the private sector. | ||||
Strategic Outcomes: |
||||
Expected Results: Support of people : support 23,000 university students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies each year; students and fellows gain research experience in an academic or industrial setting; excellent researchers are attracted and retained; students are motivated to pursue advanced studies and training in the NSE; human capital and research capacity are enhanced; Canadian industry, government and universities have access to highly qualified personnel with leading-edge scientific and research skills; the discovery, innovation and training capacity of university researchers in the NSE is enhanced. Ultimately, a highly skilled workforce is available for all sectors of the economy. Support of discovery : fund the research programs of more than 11,000 university professors each year; high quality research is conducted in Canadian universities in the NSE; major national and regional research facilities are maintained; a diversified research base is maintained; research capacity is developed in all regions of the country; strong linkages and partnerships are created between university, industry, and government; knowledge and/or technology with economic or social benefits to Canada are transferred. Ultimately, there is generation of ideas and innovation and there is development of expertise that keep Canada internationally competitive in research as well as able to access knowledge generated around the world. Support of innovation : encourage more than 1300 Canadian companies to invest in university research; mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations are formed; new knowledge and/or technology is created in areas of national importance and of relevance to industrial needs; research results are used by the public sector to inform and improve policy-making. Ultimately, there is productive creation, use and commercialization of new knowledge in the NSE for competitiveness, prosperity and quality of life in all sectors of the economy and society. |
||||
Program Activity Category |
Forecast
Spending 2006-2007 |
Planned
Spending 2007-2008 |
Planned
Spending 2008-2009 |
Planned
Spending 2009-2010 |
PEOPLE | ||||
Program Activity 1.1: Promote Science and Engineering | ||||
Total Grants |
1.5
|
4.1
|
4.1
|
4.1
|
Planned Audits and Evaluations |
–
|
Mid-Term Review |
Evaluation (PromoScience)
|
Evaluation (Prizes)
|
Program Activity 1.2: Support Students and Fellows | ||||
Total Grants |
135.2
|
136.4
|
134.6
|
130.3
|
Planned Audits and Evaluations |
–
|
Evaluation (Graduate Scholarships: PGS, IPGS)
|
Evaluation (Postdoctoral/ Industrial Research Fellowships)
|
–
|
Program Activity 1.3: Attract and Retain Faculty | ||||
Total Grants |
163.8
|
167.8
|
167.9
|
167.9
|
Planned Audits and Evaluations |
Evaluation (Industrial Research Chairs)
|
–
|
Evaluation ( Canada Research Chairs)
|
–
|
Total for PEOPLE |
300.5
|
308.3
|
306.6
|
302.3
|
DISCOVERY | ||||
Program Activity 2.1: Fund Basic Research | ||||
Total Grants |
411.9
|
403.4
|
403.2
|
398.5
|
Planned Audits and Evaluations |
Evaluation |
Mid-Term Review |
–
|
–
|
Program Activity 2.2: Fund Research in Strategic Areas | ||||
Total Grants |
47.9
|
57.7
|
59.7
|
59.7
|
Planned Audits and Evaluations |
–
|
–
|
–
|
(Strategic Projects)
|
Total for DISCOVERY |
459.8
|
461.1
|
462.9
|
458.2
|
INNOVATION | ||||
Program Activity 3.1: Fund University-Industry-Government Partnerships | ||||
Total Grants |
107.5
|
115.0
|
114.4
|
114.4
|
Planned Audits and Evaluations |
–
|
Evaluation |
Evaluation
(Collaborative Research and Development Grants) |
Evaluation
(Strategic Network Grants) |
Program Activity 3.2: Support Commercialization | ||||
Total Grants |
17.5
|
15.2
|
15.4
|
15.4
|
Planned Audits and Evaluations |
Mid-Term Review |
Evaluation
(Intellectual Property Mobilization) |
–
|
Evaluation
(Idea-to-Innovation) |
Total for INNOVATION |
125.0
|
130.2
|
129.8
|
129.8
|
Total for Transfer Payment Program |
885.3
|
899.6
|
899.3
|
890.3
|
Name of Transfer Payment Program: Canada Graduate Scholarships (voted) | ||||
Start Date: April 1st, 2003 |
End Date: |
Current Terms and Conditions will expire |
||
Description: The NSERC portion of the Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) program provides financial support to high-calibre scholars who are engaged in master's or doctoral programs in the natural sciences or engineering. | ||||
Strategic Outcome: Highly skilled science and engineering professionals in Canada. | ||||
Expected Results: Program results in: a significant increase to the existing total funding commitment from the granting agencies for graduate studies and research training; improved access to scholarships for outstanding students to complete Master’s and/or PhDs; increased incentives for students to enrol in and complete Master’s and/or PhDs in a timely manner; increased enrolment in graduate studies in Canada; improved time to completion of degrees for CGS scholarship holders, relative to national statistics for time to completion in their discipline; enhanced capacity of Canadian universities to attract the best and brightest young people who will become the next generation of researchers; increased retention of the next generation of researchers by Canadian universities; highly qualified personnel, expert in research, available to pursue various knowledge-intensive careers in industry, government and other sectors of the economy, for example, to help renew the faculty at Canadian universities; improved branding of Canada as the home of research excellence and of Canadian universities as world-class research centres. |
||||
Program Activity Category ($ millions) |
Forecast
Spending 2006-2007 |
Planned
Spending 2007-2008 |
Planned
Spending 2008-2009 |
Planned
Spending 2009-2010 |
Program Activity 1.2: Support Students and Fellows | ||||
Total Grants |
31.5
|
31.5
|
31.5
|
31.5
|
Planned Audits and Evaluations |
–
|
Mid-Term Review of CGS program
|
–
|
–
|
Total for Transfer Payment Program |
31.5
|
31.5
|
31.5
|
31.5
|
1. Name of Evaluation
|
2. Type of Program
|
3. Status
|
4. Expected Completion Date
|
5. Electronic Link to Report
|
Evaluation of the Research Partnership Agreements | Transfer payment | Completed | http://www.nserc.gc.ca/about/aud_eval-eng.asp | |
Fifth-Year Evaluation of the Canada Research Chairs program | Transfer payment | Completed | http://www.chairs.gc.ca/web/about/publications-eng.asp | |
Evaluation of the Reallocations Exercise | Transfer payment | Completed | http://www.nserc.gc.ca/about/aud_eval-eng.asp | |
Evaluation of SPARK | Transfer payment | Completed | http://www.nserc.gc.ca/about/aud_eval-eng.asp | |
Evaluation of the University Faculty Awards Program | Transfer payment | Completed | ||
Evaluation of the Industrial Research Chairs program | Transfer payment | Completed | ||
Joint Evaluation of Research Tools and Instruments and Major Resources Support programs | Transfer payment | In progress | February, 2007 | |
Mid-Term Review of the College and Community Innovation Pilot program | Transfer payment | In progress | March, 2007 | |
Evaluation of the Networks of Centres of Excellence program | Transfer payment | In progress | July, 2007 | |
Mid-term review of the Canada Graduate Scholarships program | Transfer payment | In progress | October, 2007 | |
Evaluation of the Intellectual Property Management program | Transfer payment | In progress | December, 2007 | |
Joint Evaluation of the Collaborative Research and Development program and Strategic Project Grants | Transfer payment | Planned | May, 2008 | |
Mid-term review of the Small University Capacity Development Pilot program | Transfer payment | Planned | March, 2008 | |
Mid-term review of Centres for Research in Youth, Science Teaching and Learning (CRYSTALs) Pilot program | Transfer payment | Planned | March, 2008 |
1. Name of Internal Audit | 2. Audit Type | 3. Status | 4. Expected Completion Date | 5. Electronic Link to Report |
2007 / 2006 Follow-up audits of: - Travel Practices and Expenditures - Information Technology - Award Monitoring Activities - Contract Management Practices |
Follow-up audits | Planned | Spring 2007 | N/A |
2006 / 2005 Audit of NSERC and SSHRC Travel Practices and Expenditures |
Assurance - Compliance | Completed | October, 2005 | http://www.nserc.gc.ca/about/aud_eval-eng.asp |
2005 / 2004 Audit of the Information Technology |
Assurance – Functional & General Management | Completed | February, 2005 | http://www.nserc.gc.ca/about/aud_eval-eng.asp |
Audit of the electronic Common Information Management System (eCIMS) Development Project | Systems Under Development (SUD) Audit | Completed | December, 2004 | http://www.nserc.gc.ca/about/aud_eval-eng.asp |
System Under Development Audit of the eBusiness Project – 2004 | Systems Under Development (SUD) Audit | Completed | June, 2004 | http://www.nserc.gc.ca/about/aud_eval-eng.asp |
Assessment of NSERC/SSHRC Award Monitoring Activities | Assurance - Compliance | Completed | June, 2004 | http://www.nserc.gc.ca/about/aud_eval-eng.asp |
Audit of Contract Management Practices in the Common Administrative Services Directorate (CASD) | Assurance - Compliance | Completed | May, 2004 |