The following table describes the criteria that the selection committee will use to evaluate each submission. Note that your submission must clearly demonstrate how your proposal meets each specific criterion. It is highly recommended that you address all indicators and provide all relevant requested evidence in your application. New organizations/pilot programs must include strong evidence of the feasibility and anticipated impact of the activities through support letters and/or data from similar successful programs.
In your application, use the criteria and indicators as headings and subheadings to structure your proposal.
NSERC is committed to promoting the integration of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in its practices. As a result, EDI considerations have been integrated into the selection criteria below.
Criterion – Excellence of the organization (30%)
Indicator
Evidence to be provided in application
Ability of organization and its collaborators to deliver the proposed program(s) successfully
relevant background of the organization
education/experience of staff and how this supports the organization’s science or engineering promotion to young people
program delivery team representative of target audience (especially for programming involving under-represented youth)
Continuity of the organization
evidence of sustainability
contributions to the science, engineering and education communities
Communication
publicity activities of the organization and its program(s) aimed at the public
examples of networking with and/or mentoring others involved in science and engineering promotion to share best practices
Financial status (not included in five-page limit)
realistic budget forecast and budget justification
ability to raise funds from non-federal sources
letters of commitment from outside sources
letter of commitment from the host organization (for post-secondary institutions only)
detailed description of program(s) and what participants will do
brief description of COVID-19 mitigations for the activity(ies)
suitability for intended audience (e.g., integration of Indigenous knowledge, roles of appropriate contributors/mentors especially for programming involving under-represented youth)
focus on the natural sciences and engineering
differences from other groups (i.e., originality/creativity)
Criterion – Impact and reach (40%)
Indicator
Evidence to be provided in application
Impact of program(s) on target groups
quality of the program interaction (number of participants, number of interactions per participant)
success stories
evaluation plan and highlights from past program evaluations
