Best Practices to Secure OCI-NSERC Funding for Industry-Academic Projects – Oct 4, 2022

The Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), formally OCE, has recently streamlined its popular research partnerships funding program, the Voucher for Innovation and Productivity (VIP), providing support to academic researchers working with Ontario companies.

In partnership, NSERC’s Alliance grant and OCI’s Voucher for Innovation and Productivity (VIP) will support post-secondary R&D collaborations with the highest potential for regional economic development and commercialization in Ontario.

U of T researchers in the Natural Sciences and Engineering fields with Ontario-based sponsoring partners are invited to attend this session to discover the joint OCI/NSERC option to maximize government support. 

Individual proposals can request at least $20,000 up to $30,000 from NSERC (Alliance grant) and at least $20,000 up to $30,000 from OCI VIP, with a corresponding $20,000 to $30,000 from the industry partner (at least 50% must be cash provided to the academic institution). The streamlined joint application and decision process will enable U of T researchers to quickly undertake new research collaborations with Ontario-based companies and have their industry cash contributions leveraged by both NSERC and OCI. The mutually beneficial projects are expected to result in economic benefits to the company and to Ontario and build impactful longer-term collaborations between the researcher and the company.

At this information session, OCI personnel will outline how U of T researchers can take advantage of this opportunity to double the funding agencies’ contribution to your research project.

In addition, the session will cover Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), highlighting best practices that you can implement in your next application; and the recently implemented National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships risk assessment process required for any VIP-NSERC project application.

Speakers: 

• Elliot King, Research and Innovation Development Officer, Ontario Regional Office, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
• Mandeep Rehal, Business Development and Commercialization Manager, Ontario Centre of Innovation
• Prof. Oh-Sung Kwon, Dept. of Civil & Mineral Engineering

Moderator:

• Colin Swift, Business Development Officer, Industry Partnerships, Innovations & Partnerships Office, University of Toronto