Important information
- NSERC's Memo to Potential Applicants (Updated March 2025)
- NSERC's webinars on Discovery Grants
- FAQ on Highly Qualified Personnel (PDF 120 KB) (Updated June 2023)
- FAQ on Discovery Grants 1-year extension with funds due to COVID-19 (Updated March 2025)
Timeline for Queen's Applicants
| Date and/or Time | Description |
|---|---|
|
Monday, June 23, 2025 |
Panel Discussion and Q&A Session with Queen’s researchers who have experience on a Discovery Grant Evaluation Group (in-person event) Registration for this session is now closed. |
|
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 |
NSERC Discovery Grant, Session 1: Notification of Intent Boot Camp
Presenters:
Registration for Session 1 is now closed. See session recording and slide deck below. Queen's NetID is required to view session materials: |
|
8:00 pm on Friday, |
NSERC Discovery Grants NOI deadline. Applicants have to submit their NOI including a Canadian Common CV (CCV) on the NSERC portal. The NOI is mandatory for you to submit a full application. |
|
Wednesday, August 6, 2025 |
NSERC Discovery Grant, Session 2: Budget, Relationship to Other Funding, Summary and Sample Papers This session will cover all the required components of an NSERC Discovery Grant (DG) application. We will discuss DG budget requirements, Relationship to Other Research Support, Summary of the Proposal and Samples of Research Contributions. Presenters:
|
|
Wednesday, August 13, 2025 |
NSERC Discovery Grant, Session 3: Proposal This information session will focus on the proposal attachment required for an NSERC Discovery Grant (DG) application. We will discuss in detail all the important sections in your proposal including Recent Progress, Objectives, Literature Review, Methodology and Impact. Presenters:
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|
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 |
NSERC Discovery Grant, Session 4: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization (EDII) This information session will be presented by Aleksandra Bergier, the Research Advisor on EDII in the Vice-Principal Research Portfolio. There are 4 places in an NSERC Discovery Grant (DG) application where EDII considerations are relevant: Most Significant Contributions to Research, Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) Training Plan, Past Contributions to the Training of HQP and the Proposal. Aleks will provide expert advice on how to address the EDII requirements in each of these sections. Presenter:
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|
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 |
NSERC Discovery Grant, Session 5: Contributions to Research and Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) Our final information session will focus on contributions to research and HQP sections of an NSERC Discovery Grant (DG) application, including Most Significant Contributions to Research, Additional Information on Contributions, HQP Training Plan and Past Contributions to the Training of HQP. Presenters:
|
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Before Wednesday, |
The submission period for in-depth review by a Research Projects Advisor (RPA): please send a draft of your CCV, proposal and application sections to the following: Applicants from Faculty of Health Sciences and Smith School of Business: send the draft to Merline Fonkwe at @queensu.ca. Applicants from Smith Engineering: send the draft to Bei Cai at beicai@queensu.ca Applicants from Faculty of Arts & Science: send the draft to Adam Jeziorski at adam.jeziorski@queensu.ca Applicants are also highly encouraged to send their draft to several peers for review of the technical aspects of their proposal. |
| Tuesday, October 14, 2025 |
TRAQ DSS file submission deadline. Applicants must create a TRAQ file for their Discovery Grant application. Instructions for submitting a TRAQ DSS for a Discovery Grant Proposal |
|
Before 9:00 am on Wednesday, |
Mandatory Submission Deadline: all applicants must submit their application on the NSERC Portal by that date, the earlier the better. Research Services has to do extensive checks on all proposals, and we need enough time so that applicants can still fix any issues that our checks uncover. |
|
8:00 pm on Monday, |
NSERC deadline for Discovery Grants applications. |
- Queen's 2020 Step-by-Step Guide to Completing a CCV (PDF 1006 KB) (with screenshots and detailed instructions for importing publications, updated July 12, 2020, to include import from ORCID, PubMed, Web of Science)
- NSERC Instructions for the CCV
- NSERC FAQs for the Portal and the CCV
- Queen's URS FAQ for the NSERC Portal
- 2023 NSERC videos for the NOI stage
- Guidelines for Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency . Read very carefully to ensure you understand which research areas are eligible for NSERC vs. CIHR vs. SSHRC funding.
- NSERC Instructions for the Discovery NOI form
Content will be updated regularly, as new information from NSERC becomes available.
Queen's Research Services Resources:
- NSERC DG Best Practices document. (Queen's NetID is required. Contact adam.jeziorski@queensu.ca if you do not have a Queen's ID)
- Word document with a list of application form sections and their character/page limits
- Excel spreadsheet template for the Proposed Expenditures table (EXCEL 15 KB) (file downloads to computer when clicked)
- Sample template for a Gantt Chart for a Discovery Grant to plan your HQP (WORD 34 KB) (file downloads to computer when clicked)
- Instructions for submitting a TRAQ DSS for your Discovery application
- How to make your publications from NSERC grants open access in accordance with NSERC policy (PDF 81 KB)
- Queen's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion document for Discovery Grant applications (PDF 304 KB)
NSERC Guidelines and Information:
- NSERC Guide on Integrating EDI Considerations in Research
- NSERC Instructions for Completing a Discovery Grant Application
- Research Portal Presentation and Attachment Standards (i.e. Formatting Guidelines)
- NSERC Review Committees
- NSERC Statistics Dashboard for Discovery Grants
NSERC Grant Review Materials:
- Discovery Grants Merit Indicators Table (PDF 207 KB) - NSERC's scoring rubric for Discovery Grants
- Discovery Grants Peer Review Manual (PDF 540 KB)
NSERC Support:
For Discovery Grants inquiries: Email: resgrant@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
For NSERC Research Portal inquiries: Email: webapp@nserc-crsng.gc.ca | Telephone: 1-855-275-2861
For CCV: Email: support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca | Telephone: 613-954-1968 | Toll Free Telephone: 1-888-603-4178
Queen's Contact Information for Discovery Grant applicants:
Bei Cai
Research Projects Advisor
for researchers in Smith Engineering
beicai@queensu.ca
Adam Jeziorski
Research Projects Advisor
for researchers in the Faculty of Arts and Science
adam.jeziorski@queensu.ca
Merline Fonkwe
Research Projects Advisor
for researchers in all other faculties/schools
merline.fonkwe@queensu.ca