NCDEAS Meeting April 2005

International Review of the Discovery Grants Program

May 2007

NCDEAS Meeting April 2005

Context

• Value for Money and Accountability Review carried out in 2006

• Concern raised:– Is a 75% success rate consistent with

international standards of quality?– Are the best researchers supported at an

internationally competitive level?NSERC convening an International Review

Committee (IRC)

NCDEAS Meeting April 2005

Broad Mandate• Four broad issues to be addressed by IRC:

– Balance between supporting a diversified base and fostering and supporting excellence

– Suitability of the philosophy of the DGP for the Canadian context and country's needs

– Ability to support the best researchers at a world-class level through its suite of programs

– International impact of the research supported through the DGP

NCDEAS Meeting April 2005Int’l Review Committee

Membership

Chair: Peter Nicholson President, Council of Canadian

Academies

• 1 other Canadian researcher• 8-9 international members

NCDEAS Meeting April 2005

Methodology

• Multiple lines of evidence– Description of the Canadian context– Description of NSERC programs– Benchmarking of Canadian R&D

performance– “What if” scenarios– Case studies– Input from Canadian stakeholders

NCDEAS Meeting April 2005

Methodology (cont’d)

• Input from key stakeholders is crucial– University administrators– Scientific/engineering societies– Individual researchers– Foreign members of GSCs– Other stakeholders

NCDEAS Meeting April 2005

How you can contribute

• Provide input– Individually through the upcoming survey– Collectively though

• Your scientific society• The administrators at your university

NCDEAS Meeting April 2005

Contact Point

Isabelle Blain isabelle.blain@nserc.ca

613-995-5833