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Research & Innovation

NSERC – Collaborative Research and Training Experience program

Research Admin Offices:

  • ROADS

Funding Type:

Grant

Opportunity Type:

  • Grant

Value:

NSERC will award $1,650,000 to training programs over six years. $150,000 will be awarded in year one and up to $300,000 per year for years two to five.

Disciplines:

  • Faculty of Engineering
  • Faculty of Humanities
  • Faculty of Science
  • Faculty of Social Sciences

Sponsors:

Deadlines:

Internal Deadline:

April 22, 2026

Sponsor Deadline:

May 1, 2026

Additional Dates:

  • Notify of Intent to Apply - February 18, 2026
  • Draft Letter of Intent for review - April 1, 2026

Description:

NSERC CREATE supports the training and mentoring of teams of highly qualified students and postdoctoral fellows from Canada and abroad through the development of innovative training programs that:
  • encourage collaborative and integrative approaches, and address significant scientific challenges associated with Canada’s research priorities; and,
  • facilitate the transition of new researchers from trainees to productive employees in the Canadian workforce.

Additional Program Information:

These innovative programs must foster the acquisition and development of important professional skills among students and postdoctoral fellows that complement their qualifications and technical skills, and improve their job readiness for careers in industry, government, non-governmental organizations and/or academia.
In addition, these programs should encourage the following as appropriate:
  • student mobility, nationally or internationally, between individual universities and between universities and other sectors
  • interdisciplinary research within the natural sciences and engineering (NSE), or at the interface between the NSE and health or between the NSE and the social sciences and humanities—however, the main focus of the training must still lie within the NSE increased collaboration between industry and academia

Eligibility:

CREATE grants are tenable only at NSERC-eligible Canadian universities, and the applicant must hold an eligible full-time position at that university. Researchers at non-eligible organizations may participate as collaborators. Ensure that you consider the eligibility requirements for applicants, co-applicants and collaborators described on NSERC’s website under Eligibility criteria for faculty. The one-year COVID-19 extension to CREATE grants is added to the grant duration and affects the eligibility of applicants or co-applicants for new applications to the CREATE program.

Application/Nomination Process:

Researchers wishing to apply should complete an internal NOI: NSERC CREATE 2027 – McMaster Notice of Intent form (MS Form)

LOI Stage Review Process
McMaster’s institutional full application quota is three (3). If more than three McMaster LOI are submitted on May 01, 2026, NSERC will conduct a peer review competition of the submissions and select three to proceed to the full application stage.
LOI are submitted via NSERC Online System.
Researchers must notify ROADS and their Department Chair and Faculty ADR of their intent to apply no later than February 18, 2026 and complete the NSERC CREATE 2027 – McMaster Notice of Intent form (MS Form).
Draft LOI are due to ROADS no later than April 01, 2026 for review.
LOI are due to ROADS on April 22, 2026 for final administrative review.
ROADS will provide signed VPR Letter on or before May 01, 2026 and applicants will submit to NSERC on May 01, 2026 (8PM EDT) via Online System.

Resources:

Additional details.

Contact:

For more information on how to apply, contact Ryan Heyden, Senior Advisor, ROADS.