NATURAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH COUNCIL

Their core work

NSERC is Canada's primary federal funding agency for university-based research in natural sciences and engineering. In the H2020 context, NSERC participates as a funding body in ERA-NET Cofund actions, co-financing transnational research calls alongside European counterparts. Their role is not to perform research but to coordinate Canadian participation in joint international research programs covering areas from water sustainability to gender equality in research. They bring the perspective and resources of the Canadian research funding system into European collaborative frameworks.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

NSERC's early H2020 involvement (2016) focused on thematic research co-funding, specifically water resource efficiency through the WaterWorks2015 ERA-NET. By 2017-2020, their participation shifted toward research system governance — gender equality in funding (GENDER NET Plus) and research infrastructure policy (ICRI 2020). This evolution suggests a broadening interest from co-funding specific research domains to shaping how international research systems operate.

NSERC is moving from thematic research co-funding toward systemic research policy engagement, making them a relevant partner for future projects addressing research governance, inclusivity, or international infrastructure coordination.

How they like to work

NSERC participates exclusively as a non-coordinating partner, consistent with their role as a funding agency joining multilateral ERA-NET and CSA actions rather than leading research projects. Despite only three projects, they connected with 47 partners across 26 countries — a reflection of the large consortium sizes typical of ERA-NET Cofund actions. Working with NSERC means gaining access to the Canadian research funding ecosystem and its network of university researchers.

Through just three projects, NSERC has connected with 47 unique partners across 26 countries, giving them a remarkably broad network for a non-European funding body. This reach spans most of the EU and reflects the multilateral nature of ERA-NET Cofund schemes.

What sets them apart

NSERC is one of very few non-European national funding agencies participating in H2020, providing a direct bridge between the European Research Area and the Canadian research system. For consortium builders, partnering with NSERC opens the door to Canadian co-funding and access to Canadian university research groups. Their dual engagement in thematic research funding and research governance policy makes them a distinctive international partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GENDER NET Plus
  An ERA-NET Cofund promoting gender equality across the European Research Area, notable for its systemic approach to embedding gender analysis into research funding decisions.
• WaterWorks2015
  NSERC's only funded project (EUR 23,925), representing a concrete co-funding commitment to transnational water sustainability research from 2016 to 2021.