Transcript Slide Show of BL-NCE Information

NCE Secretariat
Business-led
Networks of Centres of Excellence
December 2007
Jean-Claude Gavrel, Associate Vice President
Pamela Moss, Senior Program Manager
Natasha Gauthier, Communications Manager
The NCE is a joint initiative of Industry Canada,
NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR.
Today’s Agenda
• Overview of the NCE
Secretariat
• S&T Strategy 2007
• BL-NCE Competition
Program Created in 1989
The NCE mission:
“To mobilize Canada’s research talent in the
academic, private and public sectors and
apply it to the task of developing the economy
and improving the quality of life of Canadians”
NCE Scale
• 16 Networks operating as “Virtual” Institutes
• Mobilizing approximately 7,000 People:
– university professors and researchers
– industry and partner researchers
– research associates and students
• Bringing together 1200+ Canadian organizations
– universities and hospitals
– government agencies (federal/provincial)
– industry and other partners
NCE Impacts
(Typical 7 year cycle)
Over 27,000 refereed publications
2,300+ students trained in research & innovation
(per year)
Approx 320 Patents issued or filed
Approx 540 Licenses granted or in
negotiation
70 Spin-off companies
Numerous Research Findings
applied in new Policies and
Practices (Knowledge Translation)
Three Components of Federal S&T Strategy
• Entrepreneurial Advantage
– Fostering a Competitive and Dynamic Business
Environment
– Pursuing Public-Private Research and
Commercialization Partnerships
– Increasing the impact of Federal R&D Assistance
Programs
Three Components of Federal S&T Strategy
• Knowledge Advantage
– Focusing Strategically on Research in National Interest
– Maintaining our G-7 Leadership in Public R&D
Performance
– Enhancing value for money, Accountability and
Responsiveness of Three Granting Councils
– Exploring New Approaches to Federally Performed
Science and Technology
Three Components of Federal S&T Strategy
• People Advantage
– Enhancing Opportunities for Science and Technology
Graduates
– Increasing the Supply of HQ and Globally Connected S&T
Graduates
– Getting Canadians excited about Science and Technology
Budget 2007 & NCE Secretariat:
• Public-Private Research & Commer. Partnerships
(Entrepreneurial Advantage)
– Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and
Research (CECR) ($165M in 07-08; $30M/yr in future)
– Business-led NCE (BL-NCE) ($46M starting in 08-09)
– Private Sector Advisory Board for CECR and BL-NCE
• Enhancing Opportunities for S&T Graduates
(People Advantage)
– Industrial R&D Internship program ($7M over 2 years)
– Expect to eventually support 1000 Internships
A Suite of “NCE” Programs
• “Classic” NCE ($82.4M per year)
– Research-driven partnerships with longer-term goals
– 2 X 7 years, Complete Funding for res., admin, KT &TT
• CECR ($165M for 3-5 years)
– Public-private research & commercialization partnerships
– 5 years, renewable in some cases,
– Funding for operating & commercialization (50%-75%)
• BL-NCE ($46M over 4 years - $11M in 1st year)
– Private sector problem-driven research partnerships
– 4 years for 1st phase, funding for research., admin, and KT/TT
• Industrial R&D Internships ($7M over 2 years)
– R&D terms for graduate & postdocs in industry setting
– Cost shared @ 50% - managed by NCE or others
Business-led NCEs
Goal
 to fund large-scale collaborative networks to
perform research;
 to enahnce private sector innovation;
 and to deliver economic, health, social and
environmental benefits to Canadians and to
encourage an Entrepreneurial Advantage.
Business-led NCEs
• No restriction on the Canadian industrial sector
that can apply for a Network.
• However, the research undertaken by the
proposed Networks must be in one or more of the
five (5) priority research areas:
–
–
–
–
–
Environmental science and technologies.
Natural resources and energy.
Health and related life sciences and technologies.
Information and communications technologies.
Management, business or finance.
Business-led NCEs
Who Can Apply?
Organizations eligible to receive funds are not-for-profit
consortia* that represent the interests of private sector forprofit enterprises with substantial R&D operations in
Canada, or potential to benefit from R&D, (ideally
comprising a mix of sizes, research providers and researchusers)
These applicants must form research partnerships with a
mix of Canadian academic, government and/or private
sector researchers and innovators as appropriate to achieve
their objectives.
* Consortia must be incorporated at time of funding
Business-led NCEs
The applicant must have:
 a clear vision of their represented sector/cluster’s
shared needs over the next 5-10 years;
 the major R&D and commercialization challenges
and barriers to that vision; and
 a comprehensive research plan that shows how
the proposed network will set research goals and
objectives that will address these challenges to
ultimately enhance their innovativeness and
competitiveness.
How do these Networks differ from “Classic” NCEs?
Business-led NCEs
Description
“Classic” NCEs
Managed collaborative virtual network that delivers a
research program
Lead
Private sector
Academia
Host Institution
Not-for-profit consortia
representing the private
sector
University / Some not-forprofit examples
Network Leader/
Scientific
Director
Director of the not-for-profit
consortium
University affiliated
(professor, clinician etc.)
Research
Agenda
Private sector-driven
research topics determined
by establishing a vision
University strategically
determined research agenda
with stakeholder input
Duration
Four (4) years
Seven (7) years – renewable
How do these Networks differ from “Classic” NCEs?
Business-led NCEs
“Classic” NCEs
Direct Research
Costs
Only 50% of direct research costs
can come out of BL-NCE funds –
balance to be made up of private
sector cash & in-kind contributions
Majority of research costs paid out of
NCE funds – contributions from the
private sector are strongly encouraged
Administrative
Costs
Only 75% of administrative costs
can come out of BL-NCE funds –
balance to be made up of private
sector cash & in-kind contributions
Majority of administrative costs paid
out of NCE funds – contributions from
the private sector are strongly
encouraged
Research Area
Targeted to 5 Priority Areas
identified in the S&T Strategy and
Budget 2007
Open or targeted competitions
Funding source
Research
Providers
Role of
Government
Scientists
NCE funds flowing through the 3 granting agencies
(NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC)
University labs
Private sector labs
Government labs (see below)
Mainly university labs
No direct funding but eligible for student support if Adjunct Professors – bring
own resources to the NCE
Business-led NCEs would deliver….
• Outputs
 strengthened links among firms, private sector research
institutes, colleges and universities, and provincial and
federal government labs.
 targeted investments in research, training, and
technological development to implement priorities
identified by industry with potential to contribute to
raising the industry to world leadership
Business-led NCEs would deliver….
• Impacts
 improvement in the global and innovation focus of the firms
involved;
 more and deeper networks and relationships among sector firms
and with the sources of knowledge in the economy;
 additional skilled jobs for highly qualified graduates in industry;
 increased proportion of firms’ sales from innovative products;
• Objective
a more competitive, more productive Canadian economy.
The Competition Process
• Two stage review, involving a Private Sector
Advisory Board (PSAB) with expert input.
• Stage 1 – Letter of Intent (LOI)
– Reviewed by NCE staff for compliance
– Reviewed by PSAB for recommendation to NCE
Steering Committee - three granting agencies
Presidents, Industry Canada DM and CFI President
(observer)
Competition Process – Stage 2
• Applicants of LOI selected by Steering Committee
will be invited to submit full applications to be
reviewed as follows:
– Full proposals circulated to experts for evaluation of
research relevance for a sector
– Individual expert panels (EP) set up for each invited
applications with site visit
– Applications, EP reports and other inputs are submitted
to PSAB for final recommendations
– NCE Steering makes final decision and submits Centres
selected for funding to Government
The BL-NCE Evaluation Criteria
(1) Benefits to Canada
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The potential to increase private sector R&D capacity and to
strengthen public-private sector collaboration to address significant
research challenges that meet business needs;
The opportunity offered by the network to create, grow and retain jobs
in Canada;
The opportunity to accelerate the commercialization of leading edge
technologies, goods and services in priority areas for Canada;
The strength of domestic and international collaborations to ensure
that benefits spill over to a wide array of firms, sectors and regions of
the country.
The BL-NCE Evaluation Criteria
(2) Track Record and Potential of Applicants
– Past achievements and ability to lead and direct the network’s
research program;
– Ability to identify and select the best possible expert researchers in
academia, government and/or the private sector to carry out and
achieve the research objectives;
– Ability of the private sector partners to assist in the training of and to
potentially hire innovative and world class researchers in areas and
technologies critical to Canada and for private and public sector;
– Ability to attract investment.
The BL-NCE Evaluation Criteria
(3) Strength of the Business Plan
– Excellence, focus and coherence of the research program;
– The strength of the path to market or business application for the
proposed research;
– Interest level of the private sector and willingness to contribute to the
network with cash or in-kind contributions;
– Effectiveness of the plan to manage and exploit IP;
– Quality of proposed governance & management;
– Accountability and effective financial decision making.
Content of Letter of Intent
• Cover Letter from Not-for-Profit Consortia
• Application Form (includes the budget and a
summary form)
• LOI Proposal
– Articulation of the Vision
– Discussion of proposed benefits to Canada;
– Information to help assess the track record and potential
of the key applicants; the main research providers and
the BOD
– Business Plan for the Network: its program, partnerships,
IP and commercialization, and management
Letters of Support
• A limit of 10 on the number of letters
– Maximum 2 pages per letter
• Should include letters from key Stakeholders
including:
– Companies involved in the consortia
– VPs of research from academic institutions that will be
involved in the research
– Heads of government departments & agencies that will
be involved in the research
– Other research providers
Timeline for BL-NCE Competition
• Competition Launched
• LOI Deadline
• PSAB/Steering Review
• Invitation Stage 2
• Full Proposal Deadline
• Expert Panel Site Visits
• PSAB/Steering Decision
• Launch of up to 5 new BL-NCEs
November 6/07
January 30/08
March /08
April /08
July 31 /08
September /08
November /08
Early 2009
Questions?
Additional Information:
Pamela Moss
613-996-2335
[email protected]
Website: http://www.nce.gc.ca/comp/BNCE/bnce_e.htm