NSERC Idea to Innovation Grants

NSERC I2I Grants

Funds university-industry partnerships in Canada that transfer research outputs into practical innovation.

NSERC Idea to Innovation (I2I) Grants are administered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to accelerate the pre-competitive development of university-generated intellectual property and its transfer to Canadian companies. The program runs four intake windows per year — January, March, June, and September — giving university researchers quarterly opportunities to apply. Phase I is fully supported by NSERC at 100 percent of direct research costs, requiring no cash contribution from a company partner at that stage; a private-sector partner must be identified and cost-sharing arranged only for Phase II. Total funding across both phases is capped at three years for any single technology or IP asset. One grant per phase per technology is permitted, and applications route through the institution's Industry Liaison Office (ILO).

The primary applicant must be a researcher at a Canadian university or college. Phase II requires an identified private-sector Canadian company partner willing to share costs. Phase Ib Supplement (up to CAD 60,000 for six months, available to completed Phase I projects with strong investor or licensing potential) and the Market Assessment stream are both paused as of February 14, 2025, until further notice from NSERC. The program covers natural sciences and engineering disciplines; social sciences and humanities are outside scope.

I2I is designed for technology transfer, not basic research — the core question evaluators ask is whether university IP can realistically become a commercial product. Applicants maximize competitiveness by presenting a specific company partner in mind even at Phase I (though not required), documenting the IP asset clearly, and framing the project deliverables as measurable steps toward commercial readiness. The ILO must be involved from the outset, as administrative routing and institutional sign-off can add weeks to submission preparation. September and January intakes historically have the largest applicant pools; March and June windows are sometimes less competitive.