Mobilize grants
Review
When NSERC receives a Mobilize grant application, it first undertakes an administrative assessment to ensure the application is complete and that it complies with all eligibility requirements. Once the administrative assessment is satisfactorily completed, applications are assigned to a multidisciplinary review committee for the College and Community Innovation program, who will conduct a merit assessment of the application and make a funding recommendation to NSERC.
The review committee will use merit indicators to assess the evaluation criteria.
Evaluation criteria
Mobilize grant applications are evaluated based on the following four criteria. The proposal must address all of the criteria and sub-criteria to be considered for funding.
Potential for innovation
- The potential to meet the innovation needs of the college's communities, including the alignment of the college's research program(s) with the innovation gaps of the organization(s) within its community, and the significance and sustainability of the resulting impacts on business, environment, society, and/or health.
- Coherence and feasibility of the plan to create research project partnerships and to maximize synergistic research collaborations between the college and other innovation support providers.
Applied research competence
- Quality and extent of the college's track record (past achievements) in applied research focused on the priorities of the college's partner(s) in contributing in an impactful way to their innovation needs, as an indicator of future success.
- Breadth and depth of the college's research capabilities (human and technical) to enable leading-edge applied research and launch, manage, and successfully complete time-critical applied research projects in collaboration with partners, resulting in impactful technology transfer and/or knowledge exchange.
- Quality of proposed measures to ensure that equity, diversity and inclusion are being intentionally and proactively considered when recruiting, selecting and/or integrating personnel into the research team.
Training
- Quality, quantity and impact of past student training to meet the needs and skill requirements of the community and partner(s).
- Appropriateness of the overall institutional plan to incorporate student training as an integral component of college applied research activities, including opportunities for enriched student experiences in applied research and problem-solving skills, and in professional skills, such as leadership, communication, collaboration and entrepreneurship.
- Quality of proposed measures in the training plan to promote the participation of a diverse group of students and trainees, including those from underrepresented groups, as well as to promote an equitable, inclusive and accessible training environment.
Excellence of the proposal
- Appropriateness of the stated objectives; alignment of the objectives with the college's strategic priorities in applied research; and feasibility of the college's plan to successfully meet the objectives.
- Demonstration of the need for the requested funding, including alignment with the level of previous college research activity, as measured by the college's past applied research funding (e.g., partner contributions, provincial support), and realistic projections of other sources of funding the college will receive over the term of the grant.
- Quality of the proposed leadership and evidence of sound managerial accountability likely to result in effective operational and financial planning.
Funding decision
NSERC's funding decision and level of funding will take into consideration the merit indicator ratings assigned to applications by the review committee and the budget available for Mobilize grants. Therefore, the funding awarded may be less than the funding requested. Colleges will receive a Message from the Review Committee (MRC) with an overview of the merit indicator ratings for their application.
For more information about review process timelines, consult the Application deadlines and notification of decision page.
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