The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) has awarded $32 million over six years for 20 projects designed to raise the standards for best practices in the mentoring and training of new researchers and enhance their employability skills. The awards under the Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program are intended to attract highly qualified students, increase their mobility nationally and internationally and establish links to further their chosen career paths. At least 80% of the awards — which average $1.6 million — must go to student stipends with the remainder to be used for related expenses. The universities of Dalhousie, Laval, McMaster and Queen's received two awards each, with single awards going to the universities of Victoria, St Francis Xavier, Saskatchewan, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec at Rimouski, Lethbridge, McGill, British Columbia and École polytechnique. The program was launched in 2009….