CREATE
Program Committee Guidelines

Purpose

The Program Committee (PC) will guide the strategic direction of the CREATE training initiative, in an advisory capacity. It will not be assessing the research program per se; rather it will play a role in challenging the group of researchers to think innovatively as they establish their group of students and postdoctoral fellows who will participate in the training initiative. It will provide input and guidance in the conduct of program reviews, any related major changes in the program, and in the setting of performance indicators and program evaluation. Progress reports must first be presented to the Program Committee (PC) for their input and approval.

Membership

CREATE teams should strive for a diverse PC, including balanced gender representation. Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations should be reflected in the rationale of the PC composition and in the designated roles within the PC.

Three to five members would typically serve on the PC. However, the number of members of the committee should correspond to the size of the initiative (the number of co-applicants involved).

The composition of the PC should include a variety of stakeholders relevant to the objectives of the training program, from among the following (non-exhaustive list);

• senior executives of private/public sector organizations who would be potential recruiters of trainees;
• curriculum developers and educators;
• deans and department heads from universities and colleges;
• graduate and postdoctoral trainees representation is encouraged;
• researchers from other fields—business  finance, etc.;
• the Program Director (NSERC applicant) as a non-voting member;
• a representative from industry is mandatory for industrial applications.

The PC should hold a minimum of two meetings per academic year.

Chair

The Chair would be chosen from among the membership and may not be the applicant, a co-applicant, a direct collaborator (e.g., financial stakeholder, internship host, trainee supervisor, research collaborator or joint author), the Program Coordinator or a trainee.

The above PC should be distinct from any scientific or management committee that may be put into place to oversee the research activities that are being conducted as part of the CREATE initiative (such a committee is not required by NSERC). It should also be noted that the CREATE grant holder (the director of the training program supported by a CREATE grant) and the respective university are accountable for the management of the NSERC funds and responsible for the outcome of the program.