NSERC recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting researchers’ and students’ capacity to conduct their regular research and training activities. NSERC has published guidelines on the consideration of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on research and training activities. These guidelines provide direction on how to describe these impacts in an application and information on how they will be considered in the review of contributions to research and training and research and training plans.
To lessen the impact of COVID-19 and to support all of our researchers and highly qualified personnel, all active Discovery Grant holders can elect to receive a one-year extension with funds at their current funding level. For more information, please consult the NSERC program information in relation to COVID-19 webpage and the Frequently Asked Questions.
In light of the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic, NSERC is also taking action to ensure effective and timely delivery of the 2021 Discovery Grants competition by adjusting the in-person meeting component of the review to take place by videoconference. NSERC is committed to maintaining a peer review process of the highest quality, including fairness and consistency between evaluating committees and across competition years.
Duration | Individual: Up to five years Project: Up to three years |
Application deadline | August 1 (notification of intent to apply) October 1 (subatomic physics project applications requesting $500,000 or more per year) November 1 (application) |
Application procedure | See below |
How to apply |
![]() To create or access a notification of intent to apply or an application, select Research portal. To view instructions, select Instructions. |
Contact | Consult the Contact list. |
The Subatomic Physics (SAP) Discovery Grants program assists in
The SAP Discovery Grants program supports ongoing programs of research (with long-term goals) rather than a single short-term project or a collection of unrelated projects that do not contribute to a cohesive program of research. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances, whether made individually or in teams. Researchers are free to work in the mode most appropriate for the research area.
NSERC recognizes that, while being of a grant-in-aid nature, SAP Discovery Grants must be sufficient to support a program of quality research that can have a meaningful impact on the field of study.
NSERC is acting on the evidence that equity, diversity and inclusion strengthen the scientific and engineering community and the quality, social relevance and impact of research. Increasing diversity and gender equity in the research enterprise are key priorities in our current strategic plan, NSERC 2020, and are highlighted in the strategic goal, “Build a diversified and competitive research base.”
Applicants are expected to increase the inclusion and advancement of under-represented and disadvantaged groups in the natural sciences and engineering, as one means to enhance excellence in research and training. Where applicable, consideration of sex, gender and diversity in the research design should be addressed in the proposal. Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations should be developed into the rationale for the composition of research teams, including trainees. On-site expert reviews for Large Projects (see Review procedures and selection criteria section below) will be expected to address equity, diversity and inclusion considerations. For more information, applicants should refer to the application instructions and the
Guide for applicants: Considering equity, diversity and inclusion in your application.
Subject matter eligibility and funding from other sources
Applicants to the Physics Discovery Grants program must present a program of research that is eligible under NSERC’s mandate, which is to promote and assist research in the natural sciences and engineering, other than health. The objectives of the research program must be to advance knowledge in the natural sciences or in engineering. The application will be rejected if NSERC determines, at any time during the review cycle, that the subject matter is outside of its mandate. Refer to
Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency, the Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health, the Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health, the Peer review manual and
NSERC Discovery Grants process for decisions on mandate eligibility
for further information on the eligibility of subject matter.
Applicants to the Discovery Grants program must present a program of research that is conceptually distinct from research supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
NSERC encourages researchers to obtain funds from other sources to support the full costs of the research program presented in their Discovery Grant application, as long as the funding source is not CIHR or SSHRC and the funds cover different expenses from the ones proposed in the Discovery Grant application.
Refer to the Peer review manual and Instructions for completing an application for further information.
Applicant categories
Applicants to the Discovery Grant program are categorized as either early career researchers or established researchers. Refer to the Discovery Grants - applicant categories for more information. Applicant categorization is the responsibility of NSERC staff and is based on the information provided by the applicant in the Canadian Common CV (CCV) and application.
To apply for a SAP Discovery Grant, applicants must first submit a SAP notification of intent to apply (NOI) by the deadline date. The NOI is a mandatory step in the application process. It allows NSERC to start the review process (e.g., confirmation of assignment to the subatomic physics evaluation section, selection of appropriate external reviewers and determination of the most appropriate review mechanism for project applications requesting major financial support). Applicants must then submit the application by the deadline date.
Applicants and co-applicants are required to complete and submit the NSERC version of the CCV at the NOI and application stages for this program. The CCV can be updated following submission with the NOI, prior to submission with the full application.
Applications are reviewed by the subatomic physics evaluation section. For each application, expert input is sought from external reviewers. Furthermore, for any application requesting an average of $1,000,000 per year or more, the subatomic physics evaluation section may also receive input from an ad hoc committee that would perform an on-site expert review of the application. NSERC reserves the right to perform an on-site expert review of any application that applies to the SAP Discovery Grants program, even for requests that are less than an average of $1,000,000 per year. Moreover, according to the internal procedures of the subatomic physics evaluation section, applicants may be invited to make oral presentations during the Large Project Day held every year by the committee. For all Large Projects, past Messages to Applicants will be provided to evaluation section members.
NSERC assigns applications to the subatomic physics evaluation section and other evaluation groups on the basis of the research topics, the objectives of the proposed research program and advice from the subatomic physics evaluation section and other evaluation groups. NSERC will make the final decision regarding the assignment.
Applications are assessed according to the following criteria. The onus is on applicants to address these explicitly in their proposal.
Note: Where applicable, teams should strive for a diverse group of co-applicants, including balanced gender representation. Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations should be reflected in the rationale for the team composition and, where applicable, in the designated roles within the team. Moreover, where applicable, the applicants should describe how they have implemented and/or will implement policies and practices to support equity, diversity and inclusion within the team (e.g., recruitment of team members, management of the team, mentorship). For more information, refer to the Guide for applicants: Considering equity, diversity and inclusion in your application (questions 1 to 4).