The Alliance International Catalyst funding opportunity will remain suspended until further notice. NSERC will focus resources on supporting larger and more impactful projects in the short and medium term. Any reopening of Catalyst will be announced in advance on the NSERC website. Catalyst grants may be used in the future as a vehicle to deliver competitions focused on strategic objectives.

Demand for the Alliance International Collaboration program has grown significantly. To maintain fairness and keep funding within the annual budget, NSERC now issues decisions on three set dates each year. Applications received at each deadline will be ranked according to their overall merit, and the strongest applications will be funded in priority until the budget allocated to each cohort is exhausted. Because international funding agencies operate on different award schedules, this approach gives a broader range of international consortia an equal opportunity to be funded.

Yes. NSERC will accept your application based on that international award received during the pause, provided that the international collaboration remains viable and that you were unable to submit your application before the May 20, 2025 deadline. You must submit your proposal to NSERC to meet the deadline for the first funding decision date on December 10, 2026.

Only Canadian university researchers who are eligible to receive NSERC funds can apply for an Alliance International grant. However, college faculty members can participate as co-applicants in Alliance International grant applications provided, they meet NSERC’s eligibility criteria.

NSERC does not claim any ownership of IP or stipulate who must own any IP resulting from the research collaboration. However, the ownership and protection of IP generated by research supported through an Alliance International grant must follow the principles described in NSERC’s Policy on Intellectual Property. For any Alliance grant, NSERC recommends that you and your institution follow the best practice of signing a research agreement with the collaborating organization(s).

The Alliance International web page provides information on how to apply through NSERC’s online system. Before starting to prepare your application, you are strongly encouraged to carefully read all sections of the program description and the instructions for completing an application. You should also consult the following document and web pages: NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research; Equity, diversity and inclusion in your training plan and Safeguarding Your Research portal

The maximum length of the proposal in English is three pages. The application instructions include a table presenting the suggested section lengths for each section. Please note that the titles and bullets in the proposal template counts toward the overall page limit and must not be removed.

No. The font type and size requirements do not apply to text inside tables and figures. Still, for text inside tables and figures, you must use a font type and a font size that are clearly legible. NSERC reserves the right not to accept your application if it does not meet this requirement. Note that figures and tables count toward the specified page limits. The above requirements apply only to the NSERC proposal. They do not apply to your international collaborator’s proposal.

NSERC Alliance International grants are intended to fund academic-to-academic collaborations. Partner organizations, such as companies, government agencies and not-for-profit organizations, are not allowed and should not be included in the project. As a result, the risk assessment questionnaire on the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships’ risk assessment form is not required. Nonetheless, Canadian researchers are encouraged to exercise appropriate levels of due diligence when managing their research and establishing and/or continuing collaborations with international organizations. Resources to do so are provided by the Government of Canada on the Safeguarding Your Research portal, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships. NSERC reserves the right to request additional information, as needed, before making a final funding decision on your grant application.

Yes. Your application must include a training component principally intended for undergraduate, graduate and/or postdoctoral trainees. Trainees cannot consist exclusively of research professionals. As component of the application’s merit assessment, NSERC will evaluate the project’s opportunities for enriched learning experiences for undergraduate, graduate or postdoctoral trainees to develop research and professional skills.

You and your co-applicant(s) must each complete a personal data form with CCV attachment (Form 100A). This form provides information that complements that in the CCV, such as a discussion of up to five most significant contributions to research over the last six years. It is the same supplemental information collected for NSERC Discovery Grant applications. Your international collaborator does not need to complete Form 100A or CCV. You must, however, attach a biographical sketch (maximum two pages) for each Canadian and international collaborator.

No. The Tri-agency CV has not yet been implemented for the Alliance International program. NSERC will roll it out gradually, and you will receive advance notice before it becomes required for this program.

NSERC requires Canadian applicants and co‑applicants to hold an active peer‑reviewed NSERC grant as the primary applicant because it demonstrates their proven ability to obtain and manage NSERC funding. Since NSERC relies on the international agency’s peer review for this program, an active NSERC grant serves as a proxy for assessing the Canadian team’s capacity to hold and administer NSERC funds.

No. The Alliance International funding stream supports academic-to-academic collaborations. Your international collaborator(s) must hold a faculty position—equivalent to assistant, associate, or full professor—at an accredited degree-granting university. This requirement applies to all members of the international team, except for students, postdoctoral fellows, and university-based research professionals involved in the project.

Yes. Your international collaborator(s) must first secure a peer-reviewed grant from their national funding agency, comparable to NSERC. Their award must cover at least the same duration as the Canadian project. It is expected that the start dates of the Canadian and foreign projects will be reasonably aligned. To ensure a balanced participation in the project, the Canadian or the international team’s budget must account for at least 25% of the overall project cost during the overlapping years.

When you apply, attach the proposal your collaborator(s) submitted to their national funding agency. It must describe the research activities and role of your team in the international project. Include formal proof of funding, such as the award letter. In the Budget justification (Form 101), provide the annual support obtained by your collaborator(s), converted to Canadian dollars.

No. You and your international collaborator(s) must jointly develop the international proposal and the Canadian team and its role must be clearly described in the international grant application. NSERC cannot accept applications to join an ongoing project if the Canadian team’s role was not included in the original peer-reviewed international proposal. If you plan to join an international team funded through a multi‑step grant, you may enter at the start of any stage as long as your team and role are included in the renewal proposal and the continuation decision undergoes peer review.

NSERC requires the international proposal to clearly describe the Canadian team and its role because NSERC does not conduct a second peer review. It relies entirely on the international agency’s peer review. For NSERC to fund the Canadian side, the international reviewers must evaluate the full team, including the Canadian participants, their expertise, and their specific contributions.

No. Applications that were rejected or not funded cannot be resubmitted.

NSERC will communicate its decision and share all documents related to the assessment of your application using your applicant library on the secure Alliance grants extranet that is available only to the applicant. NSERC will provide you with a link to your applicant library and login instructions. If you have submitted an Alliance application and do not have access to your applicant library yet, you will receive information on how to access it once the merit assessment stage is complete. If your Alliance International application is funded, NSERC’s post-award decisions will also be communicated using your applicant library. NSERC will no longer communicate its decisions by mail or email. The onus is on you to share NSERC’s decisions with your collaborator(s) and any co-applicants.