ARCHIVED - RPP 2006-2007
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

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Section III – Supplementary Information

Organizational Information

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 Act¹² (1985).

Mandate

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:

• promote and assist research in the natural sciences and engineering, other than the health sciences; and
• advise the Minister in respect of such matters relating to such research as the Minister may refer to the Council for its consideration.

Council and Governance Structure

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.

NSERC Governance Structure

The diagram below describes NSERC’s governance structure.

NSERC Corporate 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 less than five per cent of total planned spending.

Pilot Programs and Recent Initiatives

NSERC has developed and implemented several pilot programs to address particular issues with research capacity, technology transfer from colleges to industry, and the training of young Canadians in fundamental science and mathematics concepts.

Pilot Programs

The following programs are currently funded on a pilot basis. In all cases, a national competition was held to select grantees 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.

• College and Community Innovation – When technical expertise is made available to local industry, and particularly to small business, the local capacity for innovation is enhanced. In October 2004, NSERC awarded six grants to increase the capacity of community colleges, institutes of technology and Cégeps to work with local industry and businesses and to advance innovation at the community and regional level. NSERC is working with the colleges funded through this program to measure its progress and impact.
• Research Capacity Development in Small Universities – Researchers in smaller universities across Canada face particular challenges in establishing high quality research programs. Some universities have a very limited supply of graduate students due to a lack of graduate programs, while universities in rural areas may have difficulty establishing partnerships with a diverse range of businesses. To make the most of Canada's research talent, wherever it is located, NSERC launched a pilot program to help small universities further develop their research capabilities. Seven awards were announced in October 2004 to help small universities build the foundations and reduce barriers to increased productivity in research.
• Centres for Research in Youth, Science Teaching and Learning (CRYSTALs) – To be counted among the world’s most innovative people, Canadians must build a stronger foundation of understanding and appreciation of science and math, and attract more of the brightest youth to science and engineering careers. CRYSTALs are multi-disciplinary research centres that work with the provinces to improve research into primary and secondary school science and math education. In May 2005, five grants were announced for such centres across Canada.

Recent Initiatives

• Regional Offices – NSERC is committed to building a network of small regional offices to play a stronger role in research, training and innovation in all regions of the country. NSERC officially opened its Atlantic Regional Office in Moncton, New Brunswick, in July 2004 and a second Regional Office in September 2005 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 2006-07, NSERC will open a Regional Office in Vancouver, British Columbia, with offices in Québec and Ontario to be opened in the next two years.
  
  While the mandate of each Regional Office is tailored to the needs and makeup of the community it serves, in general their role includes:
  • Presence – Being aware of the needs of clients and partners and participating in the development of new opportunities for the region;
  • Access to programs – Promoting greater understanding in the region of the programs and opportunities provided by NSERC; and
  • Promotion – Showcasing science and engineering, celebrating research and innovation successes, and promoting science and math education.

Measuring the Impact of Government Investments

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 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.

NSERC Participation in Government-Wide Initiatives

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.

Major Science Framework

The Office of the National Science Advisor is currently developing a Framework for the Evaluation, Funding and Oversight of Canadian Major Science Investments. A partner with the National Research Council in launching the initiative, NSERC will continue to work with the Office of the National Science Advisor in developing a comprehensive framework for the planning, evaluation, funding and oversight within the overall context of Canadian science and technology.

Service Improvement Initiative

NSERC is participating in the TBS-led Service Improvement Initiative designed to achieve significant, measurable and sustainable improvement in client satisfaction with services provided by federal departments and agencies.

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 eBusiness Project, the Web site, and the Helpdesk service. For these key services, NSERC has established baseline client satisfaction levels and performance improvement targets. This plan, as well as the results of periodic surveys, is available on NSERC’s Web site.

NSERC will also continue to refine its on-line application submission and peer review system. This will include developing new tools for the on-line review and evaluation of applications by selection committee members and referees. It will also include collaboration with SSHRC and CIHR to improve clients’ ability to conduct all of their business with the three granting agencies electronically.

Table 1:  Departmental Planned Spending and Full-Time Equivalents

($ millions)	Forecast Spending	Planned Spending	Planned Spending	Planned Spending
	2005-2006	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
1.1 – Promote Science and Engineering	3.8	4.1	4.1	4.1
1.2 – Support Students and Fellows	131.8	137.7	137.7	137.7
1.3 – Attract and Retain Faculty	133.6	167.7	166.8	166.9
2.1 – Fund Basic Research	379.2	391.9	402.4	400.3
2.2 – Fund Research in Strategic Areas	58.0	52.3	56.5	58.5
3.1 – Fund University-Industry-Government Partnerships	108.0	115.0	115.2	114.7
3.2 – Support Commercialization	14.8	16.5	17.2	17.4
Budgetary Main Estimates (Gross)	829.2	885.3	899.9	899.7
Non-Budgetary Main Estimates (Gross)
Less: Respendable Revenue
Total Main Estimates	829.2	885.3	899.9	899.7
Adjustments:
Governor General Warrant (Period 3)
Carry-forward From 2004-05	1.7
Advertising Reserve	0.1
Collective Bargaining	1.3
2005 Federal Budget	1.4
Procurement Savings	(0.1)
Treasury Board Vote 5 Items
2005 Federal Budget	30.4
Canadian Light Source	1.0
2006-07 Supplementary Estimates
Procurement Savings		(0.3)
Budget 2006		17.0
Total Adjustments	35.8	16.7	0.0	0.0
Total Planned Spending	865.0	902.0	899.9	899.7
Total Planned Spending
Less: Non-Respendable revenue	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8
Plus: Cost of Services Received Without Charge	4.9	4.9	4.9	4.9
Net Cost of Program	869.1	906.1	904.0	903.8
Full-Time Equivalents	309	313	319	319

Table 2: Program by Activity

2006-2007
($ millions)	Budgetary			Non- budgetary	Total Main Estimates	Adjust- ments (Planned Spending not in Main Estimates)	Total  Planned Spending
	Operating	Grants and Contributions	Net	Loans, Invest- ments and Advances
1.1 – Promote Science and Engineering	0.2	3.9	4.1	–	4.1	0	4.1
1.2 – Support Students and Fellows	6.8	130.9	137.7	–	137.7	0.1	137.8
1.3 – Attract and Retain Faculty	2.9	164.8	167.7	–	167.7	0	167.7
2.1 – Fund Basic Research	15.9	376.0	391.9	–	391.9	14.4	406.3
2.2 – Fund Research in Strategic Areas	3.6	48.7	52.3	–	52.3	2.1	54.4
3.1 – Fund University-Industry-Government Partnerships	10.0	105.1	115.1	–	115.1	0.1	115.2
3.2 – Support Commercialization	0.7	15.8	16.5	–	16.5	0	16.5
Total	40.1	845.2	885.3	0	885.3	16.7	902.0

Table 3: Voted and Statutory Items Listed in Main Estimates

($ millions)	Truncated Vote or Statutory Wording	Current Main Estimates	Previous Main Estimates
Vote or Statutory Item
70	Operating expenditures	36.002	32.761
75	Grants and contributions	845.165	792.740
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	4.091	3.731
	Total Department or Agency	885.258	829.232

Table 4: Services Received Without Charge

2006-2007
($ millions)	Total
Plus: Services Received without Charge
Accommodation provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC)	3.26
Contributions covering employer’s share of employees’ insurance premiums and expenditures paid by TBS (excluding revolving funds)	1.67
Worker’s compensation coverage provided by Social Development Canada	0.0
Salary and associated expenditures of legal services provided by Justice Canada	0.01
Less: Non-respendable Revenue	4.94

Table 5: Sources of Non-Respendable Revenue

($ millions)	Forecast Revenue	Planned Revenue	Planned Revenue	Planned Revenue
	2005-2006	2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
Fund Basic Research
Refunds of previous years’ expenditures	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8
Total Non-Respendable Revenue	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8

Table 6: Details on Transfer Payment Program

Over the next three years, NSERC will manage the following transfer payment programs in excess of $5 million.

2006-2007	2007-2008	2008-2009
Grants and Scholarships	Grants and Scholarships	Grants and Scholarships
Canada Graduate Scholarships	Canada Graduate Scholarships	Canada Graduate Scholarships
Perimeter Institute

Name of Transfer Payment Program: Grants and Scholarships (voted)
Start Date: April 1, 1978	End Date: No end date	Current Terms and Conditions will expire October 31st, 2011
Purpose of Transfer Payment Program: 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 People: Highly skilled science and engineering professionals in Canada. Discovery: High quality Canadian-based competitive research in the Natural Sciences and Engineering (NSE). Innovation: Productive use of new knowledge in the NSE.
Expected Results (Outputs and Outcomes) Support of people: support 22,000 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 10,000 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 800 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 ($ millions)	Forecast Spending 2005-2006	Planned Spending 2006-2007	Planned Spending 2007-2008	Planned Spending 2008-2009
PEOPLE
Program Activity 1.1: Promote Science and Engineering
Total Grants	$3.8	$4.1	$4.1	$4.1
Planned Audits and Evaluations	–	–	–	–
Program Activity 1.2: Support Students and Fellows
Total Grants	$131.8	$137.7	$137.7	$137.7
Planned Audits and Evaluations	–	Evaluation (Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships: USRA, PGS, IPGS)	Evaluation (Postdoctoral/ Industrial Research Fellowships)	–
Program Activity 1.3: Attract and Retain Faculty
Total Grants	$133.6	$167.7	$166.8	$166.9
Planned Audits and Evaluations	Evaluation (University Faculty Awards)	Evaluation (Industrial Research Chair)	–	–
Total for PEOPLE	$269.2	$309.5	$308.6	$308.7
DISCOVERY
Program Activity 2.1: Fund Basic Research
Total Grants	$379.2	$391.9	$402.4	$400.3
Planned Audits and Evaluations	Evaluation (Research Tools and Instruments, Major Resources Support)	–	–	–
Program Activity 2.2: Fund Research in Strategic Areas
Total Grants	$58.0	$52.3	$56.5	$58.5
Planned Audits and Evaluations	–	–	–	Evaluation (Strategic Projects)
Total for DISCOVERY	$437.2	$444.2	$458.9	$458.8
INNOVATION
Program Activity 3.1: Fund University-Industry-Government Partnerships
Total Grants	$108.0	$115.0	$115.2	$114.7
Planned Audits and Evaluations	–	–	Evaluation (Collaborative Research & Development Grants)	Evaluation (Strategic Network Grants)
Program Activity 3.2: Support Commercialization
Total Grants	$14.8	$16.5	$17.2	$17.4
Planned Audits and Evaluations	–	Evaluation (Intellectual Property Mobilization)	–	–
Total for INNOVATION	$122.8	$131.5	$132.4	$132.1
Total for Transfer Payment Program	$829.2	$885.2	$899.9	$899.6
Name of Transfer Payment Program: Canada Graduate Scholarships (voted)
Start Date: April 1st, 2003	End Date: No end date	Current Terms and Conditions will expire May 31st, 2008
Purpose of Transfer Payment Program: The NSERC portion of the Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) program provides financial support to high-calibre scholars who are engaged in master's or doctoral programs in the natural sciences or engineering.
Strategic Outcome: Highly skilled science and engineering professionals in Canada
Expected Results (Outputs and Outcomes): Program results in: a significant increase to the existing total funding commitment from the granting agencies for graduate studies and research training; improved access to scholarships for outstanding students to complete Master’s and/or PhDs; increased incentives for students to enrol in and complete Master’s and/or PhDs in a timely manner; increased enrolment in graduate studies in Canada; improved time to completion of degrees for CGS scholarship holders, relative to national statistics for time to completion in their discipline; enhanced capacity of Canadian universities to attract the best and brightest young people who will become the next generation of researchers; increased retention of the next generation of researchers by Canadian universities; highly qualified personnel, expert in research, available to pursue various knowledge-intensive careers in industry, government and other sectors of the economy, for example, to help renew the faculty at Canadian universities; improved branding of Canada as the home of research excellence and of Canadian universities as world-class research centres.
Program Activity Category ($ millions)	Forecast Spending 2005-2006	Planned Spending 2006-2007	Planned Spending 2007-2008	Planned Spending 2008-2009
Program Activity 1.2: Support Students and Fellows
Total Grants	$24.9	$31.5	$31.5	$31.5
Planned Audits and Evaluations	–	Evaluation of CGS program	–	–
Total for Transfer Payment Program	$24.9	$31.5	$31.5	$31.5
Name of Transfer Payment Program: Perimeter Institute (voted, Named Grant)
Start Date: December 1st, 2002	End Date: March 31st, 2007	Total Funding: $25 million
Purpose of Transfer Payment Program: NSERC manages the federal investment in the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, an international focal point of cutting-edge research in foundational theoretical physics financed largely by a private donation. The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics is a not-for-profit corporation and a Canadian research focal point with a mandate to pursue world-class, non-directed research in foundational theoretical physics.
Strategic Outcome: High quality Canadian-based competitive research in the NSE.
Expected Results (Outputs and Outcomes): Increased support for world-class research in theoretical physics in Canada. Improved branding of Canada as a world-class des tina tion for conducting and applying theoretical physics research; increased support for the development of highly qualified personnel in theoretical physics; and, improved potential to lever contributions from other funding sources towards basic research in theoretical physics in Canada.
Program Activity Category ($ millions)	Forecast Spending 2005-2006	Planned Spending 2006-2007	Planned Spending 2007-2008	Planned Spending 2008-2009
Program Activity 2.1: Fund Basic Research
Total Grants	$5	$5	$0	$0
Planned Audits and Evaluations	Evaluation	–	–	–
Total for Transfer Payment Program	$5	$5	$0	$0

 

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