
Creating a better Canada and world through excellence in research and innovation is at the heart of what we do at the NRC.
One of the ways we enable this is through funded collaborative research and development (R&D) programs and initiatives. These allow NRC researchers to work on new technology and research ideas that could lead to game-changing discoveries and technological breakthroughs with partners such as academia and small and medium-sized businesses. Grant and contribution funding is provided to help offset the cost of the collaboration.
Created in 2018, the Ideation Fund provides individual NRC researchers and teams with funding to support their collaborative research. Every year, up to $6 million is provided to researchers and their external collaborators to test their potentially transformative ideas through the New Beginnings and Small Teams initiatives.
The first round of New Beginnings-funded projects has the potential to lead to up to 14 disclosures of intellectual property, with one third of the projects being further supported through other NRC initiatives, like Challenge programs and research centre‑supported research. Since its inception, the New Beginnings Initiative has resulted in 138 R&D projects involving 46 unique collaborators from academic and private sector organizations.
"The program provides an excellent platform for NRC researchers to explore new ideas in a joint effort with external experts"
Over the next several weeks, learn more about the Ideation-funded projects, people and collaborations that are having an impact on a wide range of disciplines—from air travel to 3D printing and more.
Potential collaborators interested in being part of an Ideation-funded project are invited to read about our grant and contribution funding for collaborators or contact the NRC's National Program Office.
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