Industrial R&D Fellowships (IRDF) help companies hire a recent PhD graduate for a two-year period to undertake a research project (or projects) of importance to the company, and to evaluate the post doctoral fellow for potential long-term employment.
| Organization eligibility | Must meet  Eligibility Criteria for Organizations and apply for participation. An eligibility application ( Form 183B; Instructions for completing Form 183B) can be submitted at the same time as the IRDF application. |
|---|---|
| Typical application success rate | Approximately 80% |
| NSERC contribution | $30,000 per year |
| Minimum company contribution | $10,000 per year (cash) plus fringe benefits and project costs. The current average company contribution is $25,500. |
| Duration of award | Two years maximum (pro-rated where applicable) |
| Intellectual property ownership | The company's regulations normally apply. |
| What documents must be attached to the application? | The company completes Form 183C; the candidate completes Form 200. See Form 183C and Instructions Form 200 for further details. |
| Who submits the application? | The nominating (host) company |
| Evaluation method | Peer reviewed by IRDF College of Reviewers comprised of federal government scientists, engineers and research managers. |
| Application deadline | No deadline. Apply anytime. |
| Evaluation time | Six weeks from receipt of complete nomination |
| Status of the award holder | Fellow becomes an employee of the company for the duration of the award. |
| Who manages funds? | The host company pays the fellow both NSERC's and the company's portion of the salary; NSERC reimburses the company its contribution at the end of each four-month period. |
| Reporting | Annually |
| Collaborations | NSERC may allow an Industrial R&D Fellow to spend some time (no more than 20 percent) in collaborations with academic researchers or other organizations. If so, the company must negotiate an acceptable IP agreement that allows them to access the resulting IP. |
To help you find a qualified candidate quickly, NSERC has established an inventory of pre-approved IRDF candidates. Any candidates that you nominate from this inventory are automatically eligible for an IRDF, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in the Program Guide for Students and Fellows at the time of nomination. The proposed project will still have to be evaluated and approved by NSERC.
For more detailed information, please refer to the Industrial R&D Fellowships description.
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