As per Budget 2018, the research and commercialization activities of the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) and the Business-led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE) programs are being consolidated and transferred to the Strategic Innovation Fund. The programs continue to support Business-Led Networks and Centres until the end of their funding agreements. Learn more about the currently funded networks and centres.

As per the December 2018 NCE Program news, funding for the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) Program is gradually being transitioned to the New Frontiers in Research Fund and will continue over the next few years. During the transition period, networks continue to be fully supported until the end of their funding agreement. Learn more about the currently funded networks and centres.

In light of this, the NCE Secretariat will not be conducting any future calls for proposals for all of its programs and initiatives.

NCE Programs Overview

Building on Canada's engineering, health, and natural, social and biomedical science successes is more important than ever in today’s global economy. Canada’s economic competitiveness depends not only on developing new discoveries, but also on our ability to transform these discoveries into products, services, and processes that improve the quality of life of Canadians. Fostering partnerships involving the public and private sectors, within Canada and internationally, helps achieve these goals.

With the aim of mobilizing Canada’s best research and development talent to build a more advanced, healthy, competitive, and prosperous Canada, the NCE Secretariat manages three national programs: Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) (includes the NCE Knowledge Mobilization [NCE-KM], the Canada-India Research Centre of Excellence [CIRCE] and the International Knowledge Translation Platforms [NCE-IKTP] initiatives); Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR); and Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE). These programs address the particular needs of each stage along the innovation continuum:

Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE)

Challenge: Solving critical issues calls for a collaborative approach and a wide range of research expertise

Solutions:

Mobilize multi-disciplinary research capacity from across Canada to accelerate the creation of new knowledge in a specific research area
Create large-scale, academic-led research networks
Engage partners from multiple academic institutions, industry, government and not-for-profit organizations
Train the next generation of highly qualified people
Work with end users to facilitate the application of knowledge
Increase collaboration between researchers in Canada and abroad

Program description

Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR)

Challenge: Research breakthroughs and innovative ideas need timely support to achieve commercial success

Solutions:

Bridge the gap from innovation to commercialization by matching clusters of research expertise with the business community
Share knowledge, expertise and resources to bring new technologies, products and services to market faster
Offer a flexible array of models, including centres that act as investors, incubators, service providers or product development centres
Allow centre leadership to come from a university, college, not-for-profit organization, company or other interested non-government party

Program description

Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE)

Challenge: Solving issues critical to the needs of the private sector calls for a collaborative, network approach

Solutions:

Set up networks led by not-for-profit industry consortia
Respond directly to R&D challenges facing a Canadian industrial sector
Allow industry partners to propose network-funded research projects that will be conducted at their own facilities
Increase private-sector investments in Canadian research through collaborative projects
Create, grow and retain companies whose innovations can capture new markets
Accelerate the translation of research into commercial products and services

Program description