Table of Contents

Partnerships Support Program - Application Guide for the 2009 Competition Announcement

Objective

The Canadian Space Agency's objectives for the Partnerships Support Program are:

• To increase the involvement of Canadian post-secondary academic institutions in advanced technology research areas of interest to the Canadian Space Program
• To support the training of skilled personnel in space technologies

The key result expected from this Program is to increase the supply of scientists and engineers with PhDs and/or Masters' with research experience in addressing real space problems faced by industry and/or government institutions.

Other benefits are:

1. Enabling academic-industrial-governmental research partnerships
2. Aligning R&D priorities across the Canadian Space Sector

NSERC's objectives are posted on its Collaborative Research and Development Website (www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/RPP-PP/CRD-RDC_eng.asp)

Eligibility

Applicants submitting a proposal to the Program must hold a research position in a Canadian post-secondary academic institution that meets the general eligibility requirements of NSERC.

Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria of the specific NSERC Partnerships Programs targeted - in this instance, the "Selection Criteria" of the Collaborative Research and Development Grants Program (www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/RPP-PP/index_eng.asp)

In addition to NSERC's eligibility criteria, research project proposals submitted to the Program must focus on the advancement of one of Canada's current space technology priorities (www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/industry/technology.asp)

NEW: The Partnerships Support Program is now accepting Partnerships with or without CSA in-kind collaboration.

Grant value and eligibile costs

For fiscal year 2009-2010, CSA will invest up to a total of approximately $150,000 cash in annual instalments of PSP Grants to projects of one to three years in duration. Depending upon the availability of internal funds, CSA will be prepared to award grants, each of which will match the industry cash commitment over the same period. The maximum yearly contribution that the CSA will provide to a single project is $100,000. The minimum yearly contribution that the CSA will provide to a single project is $12,500.

NSERC, CSA, and other potential partners where relevant, will jointly fund approved research projects. The value of the CSA grant will cover no more than 50% of the total eligible direct project costs, up to a maximum of $100,000 per annum. The share of the other partner(s) must be in accordance with existing conditions for the targeted NSERC Partnerships Program. The CSA's grants can be approved for up to three years.

Grant Recipients will be required to disclose all sources of funding for a research project before its start and at its end. The stacking limit for Total Government Assistance (federal, provincial and municipal assistance for the same eligible expenditures) for a research project will be set appropriately according to the targeted NSERC Partnerships Program but will never exceed 100% of total eligible direct project costs. Where a researcher secures additional Government funding in order to expand the scope of the project, the additional project costs and the additional funds associated with such an expansion will be taken into consideration to ensure that the stacking limit is not exceeded. In the event that actual Total Government Assistance to the Grant Recipient is superior to the stacking limit, the CSA will reduce the amount of its grant (and seek reimbursement, if necessary) so that the stacking limit is not exceeded.

Eligible costs will be the direct expenses incurred by researchers in carrying out an approved research project, as defined in the NSERC guidelines on the Web Site, Use of Grant Funds. The only exception is the ineligibility of indirect or overhead costs incurred by researchers in carrying out an approved research project. Such costs are not eligible in the context of a PSP grant.

Basis and timing of payments

The payment of the grants will be made in accordance with the Policy on Transfer Payments and the Grant Agreement. Upon acceptance and notification of funding approval of a research proposal from NSERC, and signature of the CSA Grant Agreement, CSA will release its annual payment to the grant recipient. (Note that the researcher whose application has been approved is the grant holder, while the Institution is the grant recipient). For the second and subsequent year(s), the CSA grants will be payable upon confirmation of the ongoing eligibility of the recipients.

Delivery schedule to NSERC-CRD/PSP

The delivery schedule is driven by the constraints on the Program's funding availability and the duration of the evaluation process. The available yearly funding of the CSA PSP program reside in the government of Canada fiscal year (April 1 to March 31).

Deadline

All applications must be received at the CSA no later than June 30, 2009

Submit your application by mail to:

Partnerships Support Program Manager
Canadian Space Agency
6767 Route de l'Aéroport
Saint-Hubert, QC J3Y 8Y9

Tel.: 450-926-4458
Fax: 450-926-4613
E-mail: psp@asc-csa.gc.ca

Application form

Application procedures¹

Summary of application procedures

The key milestones for the 2009 Competition are as follows:

1. Strategic assessment of proposals and preparation of preliminary letters of expression of interest from the CSA;
2. Preparation of the full proposals for submission to NSERC with CSA Letter of Expression of Interest; and,
3. Signature of the Collaboration Agreement (with the IP agreement contained within it) before November 15, 2009.

Candidates must declare other government assistance requested or received, as well as disclose any involvement as former public servants who are under the Conflict of Interest and Post-employment Guidelines (to be included on the CSA form).

Step 1

The Academic Champion establishes an initial contact with a potential industrial partner and the staff involved in the CSA internal R&D activities to engage in discussion on a collaborative project that aligns with the strategic interests of all three potential parties.

Step 2

A strategic assessment of the short proposals submitted will be conducted by the CSA. APPENDIX B presents the criteria that will be used.

Projects need to be structured with two options. The first one being a full scope project and the second one being of reduced scope but nevertheless viable in the event that the CSA's PSP grant does not materialize.

Should CSA be unable to provide financial support for a selected proposal, NSERC may investigate the possibility of funding the larger of the two scopes proposed alone with industry but with the collaborative inkind support to which CSA will have committed.

Step 3

After receiving approval from CSA, the Academic Champion drafts a CRD proposal on NSERC Form 101, with the help of the industrial partner and CSA researchers and managers; this document should describe the work that CSA personnel will perform along with other required CSA in-kind support in the same detail as the work to be done and the resources to be committed at the academic institution and at the premises of the industrial partner.

Step 4

The Academic Champion submits the completed draft proposal and completed NSERC form 183A from the prospective industrial partner to the CSA PSP Manager who will review the proposal to ensure that it respects the terms and conditions of the Partnership Support Program.

CSA sends the Academic Champion a Letter of Expression of Interest along with a Form 183A for CSA participation in the project.

Step 5

The Academic Champion submits the proposal and supporting documents to NSERC's CRD Program. In all cases, the industrial cash support must be firm.

Proposals are evaluated according to NSERC policy and criteria see Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) Grants. An important timeline consideration is the three to four months required for a decision from NSERC.

NSERC announces the results and sends letters of decision to applicants with copies to the CSA Program Manager. The applicants communicate directly with NSERC to confirm acceptance of the offer.

Step 6

On receiving a request from NSERC and an invitation from CSA, the Academic Champion commences negotiations with his/her project partners to complete a Collaboration Agreement, which contains a Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Agreement. NSERC requests that all the partners sign an Intellectual Property Agreement, before issuing the first instalment. The CSA requires the signature of a Collaboration Agreement before awarding the PSP Grant.

Applicants are usually given six months to protect IP and produce this agreement (after NSERC has transmitted the letter of provisional award). NSERC Intellectual Property (IP) policy provides for: ownership by the inventor; access to the IP through a licensing arrangement, usually a non-exclusive license with an option to negotiate an exclusive license; and publication of the results with the removal of company proprietary information. Companies or other organisations cannot be assigned ownership of IP on the basis of their cash support to projects.

The PSP requires completed Collaboration Agreements to be completed before 15 November 2009; the other institutions may receive offers of collaboration, but no grants.

For convenience of the applicant, a Template Collaboration Agreement (including a Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Agreement) is available (Collaboration Agreement).

Step 7

On receiving the letter of grant offer from CSA, the recipient institution countersigns the acceptance block and returns it.

The first PSP Grant instalment will be paid as soon CSA receives the Collaboration Agreement and Grant Agreement both fully signed.

For the subsequent years, the grant installment will be paid when the recipients have complied with the terms of the Grant Agreement, particularly on satisfactory progress accomplished in implementing the project and confirmation of continued financial and in-kind support from the partners. The first CSA payment for the project must occur before the end of the fiscal year (for fiscal year 2009-2010, it is March 31, 2010). Therefore, the collaboration agreement must be signed at least a few weeks before the end of the fiscal year to allow NSERC and CSA sufficient time. These conditions will be specified in the Letter of Expression of Interest sent following Step 4.

¹ A graphical representation of the entire process that an application will follow under the Partnerships Support Program is presented in APPENDIX A.

CSA assessment procedure

The purpose of the assessment is to identify:

1. Projects that CSA is prepared to support, subject to a subsequent and successful NSERC evaluation, with a PSP grant and through in-kind participation;
2. Projects that CSA is unable to support with a PSP grant but is prepared to support through in-kind participation subject to a subsequent and successful NSERC evaluation;
3. Projects that CSA is prepared to support, subject to a subsequent and successful NSERC evaluation, with a PSP grant but without in-kind participation
4. Projects that CSA is unable to support either through a PSP grant or through in-kind participation. (Such a project is not disqualified from the NSERC CRD Program. However, either the proposal needs to be re-scoped to eliminate the work packages and resources originally requested of CSA or it needs to identify alternate resources.)

Evaluation procedures and approval

NSERC appoints the Selection Committee to review proposals to its CRD Program according to NSERC policy. NSERC contact information may be found at www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/RPP-PP/CRD-RDC_eng.asp

Based on the results of the evaluation process, NSERC will make an internal funding recommendation on a research project proposal and forward it to the CSA Program Manager. In the event that NSERC supports a project and providing that funding is still available, the CSA will approve the award of a PSP grant and will notify the Applicant and NSERC of its decision.

Grant agreement, letter of offer

A Grant Agreement with the Grant Recipient will set the objectives, content, financial provisions, and terms for the payments of the grant. CSA will send a letter of grant offer that, when countersigned, becomes the Grant Agreement.

CSA contact

Partnerships Support Program Manager
Canadian Space Agency
6767 Route de l'Aéroport
Saint-Hubert, QC J3Y 8Y9

Tel.: 450-926-4458
Fax: 450-926-4613
E-mail: psp@asc-csa.gc.ca

Appendix A. Application flowchart

Appendix B. Strategic assessment evaluation criteria²

The assessment will be made in accordance with the score obtained by each proposal and according to the availability of funding.

² Not all passing/accepted proposals can be funded since available funding is limited.