Mitacs and NSERC sign MOU to boost collaboration and increase ease of access

Mitacs and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) have struck a new agreement to offer unprecedented access for industry-facing research. The memorandum of understanding will see the two organizations' work towards establishing a one-stop shop for companies and researchers seeking to move knowledge and talent into the marketplace.

The MOU is the culmination of discussions that resulted in a federal statement in the latest Budget directing Mitacs and NSERC to "collaborate to streamline and integrate application and review processes, enabling interested applicants and companies to more easily access a comprehensive range of available innovation support".

The Budget also directed NSERC to forge similar ties with the National Research Council and its Industrial Research Assistance Program with an announcement expected in the fall (R$, April 30/15).

With the MOU now in place, staff from both organizations are working to iron out the details of how the programs will work together for the benefit of both the research community and industry. Four Mitacs programs – including its flagship fellowship and internship programs – and three NSERC programs are covered under the MOU (see chart) with a focus on ease of application and quick turnaround of funding decisions.

The ultimate goal is a single application process providing access to a suite of training and industry support programs spanning the innovation continuum.

"The MOU will allow researchers to plan more extended projects from the outset and increase the runway for research. They can leverage fellowships and internships right at the beginning," says recently installed NSERC president Dr Mario Pinto. "We can take it to our industrial clients and reduce their administrative burden .. This will not be a hollow MOU (and) industry is a strong supporter of both programs."

For Mitacs, the ability to coordinate funding decisions with NSERC (and eventually IRAP) helps to boost its already strong industry-academic connections.

"This is intended to make the entry point (for support) more natural and less painful and get new researchers into the system," says Mitacs CEO and scientific director Dr Alejandro Adem. "The idea is to establish a one-stop-shop ... We want to share review processes ultimately."

Adem describes Mitacs as "in the middle" between pure research and commercialization. But with no clear cutoff along the continuum, he says collaboration with NSERC makes perfect sense.

Although the Budget did not provide addition resources to NSERC (or the other granting councils), it did provide Mitacs with a $56.4-million increase for its Accelerate program starting in FY16-17 and spread over four years. That follows $18 million more last year for its Elevate program.

While the new funding helps to position Mitacs as a major player in the innovation ecosystem, both Pinto and Adem says it doesn't indicate that a merger is down the road.

"Each does its business very well. It's building bridges that's important," says Pinto. "Everyone has vested interest in their respective organizations and Mitacs has a good, separate identity."

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