NSERC launches reviews to determine whether Discovery Grants Program and peer review meet future needs

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) is placing its bedrock Discovery Grants Program (DGP) under the microscope with a pair of reviews to determine whether it's designed to meet the needs of the research community and the country over the next 10 years. The two reviews will examine the $310-million DGP and its success rates in the context of the broader research funding environment and assess the Grant Selection Committee (GSC) to consider whether a new structure and processes are required to meet the increasingly interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of today's research environment.

The assessment of the DGP and its success rates will be conducted by a high-level International Review Committee chaired by Dr Peter Nicholson, president of the Council of Canadian Academies. Its work is scheduled for completion in Spring/08. The review was launched in response to a recommendation made in a previous review of NSERC and its sister agency — the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council — known as the Mitchell Report (R$, March 8/07).

The review of the GSC will result in a blueprint by Summer/08 although its implementation will be determined by the extent of the changes recommended.

"This is the most important initiative we've had in a long long time … The Discovery Grants Program is our largest and longest-running program (and) it's foundational as other NSERC programs build on it," says Isabelle Blain, VP of NSERC's Research Grants and Scholarships Directorate. "We need to go into this with an open mind. All options are open and we will listen to Canadian and international opinion."

Both reviews will be underpinned by an online survey of the research community which was launched two weeks ago and runs until mid-September. Of the 13,000 potential respondents, NSERC received 1,400 in the first week alone, indicating strong interest in the DGP and its future. A separate survey will be sent to senior research administrators and scientific societies including the directors of the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) and university VPs research. The reviews will also be benchmarked against similar programs in the US, UK and Australia.

DGP supports 10,000 researchers

The DGP accounts for about $310 million in research funding annually and has changed little since it was conceived when NSERC was still part of the National Research Council. Designed to support the long-term research programs of individual researchers, the DGP has experienced success rates approaching 75% and is highly popular within the NSERC community. It provides modest grants averaging $31,000 over five years to further its primary objectives of supporting a diversified research base, fostering excellence and providing a rich environment for the training of highly qualified personnel.

Previously known as Operating Grants and Research Grants, the Discovery Grants support the long-term research of more than 10,000 individuals, often lasting their whole careers. With such a foundation, researchers can then develop specific projects within their research program and seek funding from other NSERC programs or external sources.

"It gives researchers the latitude to pursue their research along different avenues," says Blain, adding that the amounts awarded are modest in an international context. "The question raised for years, and most recently in the Mitchell report, is whether NSERC is spreading the peanut butter too thinly. The flip side of the high success rates is, can we support internationally recognized, world-class scientists at these levels? Is the Discovery Grant philosophy the best for Canada in 2007 and beyond? Does it provide the most efficient vehicle for research support?"

fundamental examination of peer review

The Grant Selection Committee Structure Review will be conducted internally by NSERC. The peer review process that determines resource allocation for the DGP is also much the same as it was since its original implementation nearly 30 years ago. That's in stark contrast to the research environment which, in addition to becoming more collaborative and interdisciplinary, has also become internationalized and has increased linkages between sectors and institutions.

To date, NSERC has responded by augmenting or modifying the existing committee structure. These changes included adding increasingly specialized committees to deal with emerging areas of research or discipline that are converging, re-grouping committees or splitting existing committees into two and extending Discovery Grants from four to five years.

"We need to go further to consider other elements ... The GSC review goes to the heart of the peer review process," says Blain. "The push for change has been growing over time but there's never been a fundamental look at the interface between disciplines ... This project started by looking at the GSC structure and expanded to the broader peer review process."

Although the idea for the GSC review was hatched more than three years ago, it took time to scope it out and establish the terms of reference. Lack of resources delayed the project further until it was kickstarted with the hiring of Andrew Woodsworth as project director late last year.

The reviews come at a time of considerable change for Canada's granting agencies. Both NSERC and SSHRC were the focus of a value-for-money and accountability review earlier this year (the Mitchell report). More recently, the federal government reaffirmed its commitment to university-based research as the main foundation of excellence. In the last federal Budget, the granting councils were given modest funding increases that were targeted to specific research areas (R$, March 26/07).

Provisions in the new national S&T Strategy went even further ( R$, May 31/07). Proposed changes include separating the functions of the granting council presidents and chairs of their respective governing councils and making appointments to increase the levels of business and community representation.

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