Federal Granting Agency: NSERC

NSERC Alliance Grants

2026 Guide to Alliance Advantage, Alliance Society and Cost-Sharing

NSERC Alliance grants fund research projects that Canadian university researchers carry out with partner organizations from the private, public or not-for-profit sectors. Alliance Advantage provides $20,000 to $1 million a year and matches recognized partner cash 2:1; Alliance Society provides $20,000 to $500,000 a year and covers 100% of project costs with no partner cash required. Both run 1 to 5 years, and you can apply at any time.

Facts checked against nserc-crsng.canada.ca on November 13, 2026.

Book a 20-minute ORS walkthrough Start freetrack NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR and Mitacs awards and post-award compliance in one place

What is an NSERC Alliance grant

Alliance grants are NSERC's research partnership program. They encourage university researchers to collaborate with partner organizations from the private, public or not-for-profit sectors, on projects led by strong, complementary teams that generate new knowledge and accelerate the application of research results to create benefits for Canada.

Projects range from a short project with one researcher and one partner to a multi-year project involving researchers across several universities and many partners across sectors. The research must respond to a challenge in the natural sciences or engineering, and an Alliance grant cannot support secret or contract research. Researchers from other disciplines can join as co-applicants, and research costs outside the natural sciences and engineering can represent up to 30% of the cost-shared project costs.

NSERC now runs the two core options under new names: Alliance Advantage (formerly cost-sharing option 1) funds partner-driven projects in which at least one partner shares the cost of the research, and Alliance Society (formerly cost-sharing option 2) funds projects where societal impact is the main driver. NSERC also runs international and joint Alliance opportunities, such as Alliance International Collaboration and NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Accelerate, each with its own rules.

Official NSERC Alliance Advantage page

Alliance streams open in 2026

NSERC lists these Alliance funding opportunities as current. Values are the NSERC contribution per year.

Stream	Best for	NSERC share	Value	Duration	Deadline
Alliance Advantage	Partner-driven projects focused on the partners' goals	66.7% of cost-shared direct costs (2:1 on recognized partner cash)	$20,000 to $1 million a year	1 to 5 years	None: apply any time
Alliance Society	Projects with societal impact as the main driver, designed with the groups affected	100% of project costs; partner cash not required	$20,000 to $500,000 a year	1 to 5 years	None: apply any time
Alliance International Collaboration	Joint projects with researchers at international universities (no non-academic partners)	NSERC funds the Canadian team; the collaborator's national award counts for cost sharing	$20,000 to $100,000 a year	Up to 3 years	November 25, 2026, before 8:00 p.m. (ET); three deadlines a year
NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Accelerate	Alliance Advantage projects that add Mitacs Accelerate internships for trainees	Partner cash leveraged for both NSERC and Mitacs funding	Alliance Advantage funding plus Mitacs internships	Up to 5 years	None

Closed or archived: NSERC states that Alliance International Catalyst grants will remain closed indefinitely, and the Alliance Missions page is archived (its 2021 call closed November 30, 2021). Special calls run on their own dates; the 2026 Alliance Quantum call, for example, offered $100,000 to $650,000 a year for up to two years, with full applications due October 5, 2026.

How Alliance cost-sharing works

NSERC calculates an Alliance grant on the basis of cost sharing with partner organizations. Only cash from partners recognized for cost sharing counts. Cash from the university, other funders and partners that are not recognized belongs in the budget to show the full scope of the project, but it does not increase the amount you can request from NSERC.

For Alliance Advantage, NSERC covers 66.7% of the project's direct costs: 2:1 leverage on recognized partner cash. In NSERC's own example, $10,000 counted as partner cash is matched with $20,000, for a total of $30,000. For Alliance Society, NSERC covers 100% of project costs, and other cash adds to the NSERC request.

Rules that change the math

Partner cash spent up to three months before you submit, to start the project, can count toward cost sharing, but NSERC funds only apply to expenses incurred after the award is approved.
Every partner, except organizations whose primary mission is to fund R&D, must play an active role and make in-kind contributions. NSERC assesses in-kind contributions on merit but does not count their dollar value.
Partner cash for anything other than the project's direct costs (for example, an institutional research chair) is not counted and must stay out of the total project cost.
NSERC and partner funds are paid to the university and cannot buy equipment, products or services from a partner or pay partner staff travel.
Equipment must be essential and incremental. If total equipment cost exceeds $400,000 over the project, NSERC directs you to another source such as the CFI John R. Evans Leaders Fund.
Project management costs can be eligible up to 10% of total direct research costs, if justified in the budget.

Which partner organizations count for cost sharing

From NSERC's cost-sharing table. A partner that is not recognized can still join the project; its cash simply does not raise the NSERC amount.

Sector	Cash can be recognized	Cash cannot be recognized
Private sector	Canadian private companies (registered or incorporated); multinationals with business operations in Canada; foreign companies, only when partnering with a recognized Canadian partner	Venture capital and angel investors; holding companies; companies with fewer than two full-time employees
Canadian public sector	Municipalities and local or regional governments; provincial, territorial and federal government departments; Indigenous organizations; public utilities; Crown corporations	Funding organizations whose primary mission is to fund R&D; organizations whose primary mission is to perform R&D; foreign governments
Canadian not-for-profit	Producer groups; industrial associations; registered charities; libraries, museums, zoos and other collection organizations; community organizations; Indigenous not-for-profit organizations and communities; unions	R&D funders funded or controlled mainly by government; post-secondary institutions; incubators and accelerators; hospitals and medical or clinical research institutes; consortia funded mainly by government; foreign not-for-profits; individuals

What a company needs for its cash to count

Be federally or provincially/territorially registered or incorporated.
Have at least two full-time employees (companies with fewer than five must attach NSERC's supplemental information questionnaire).
Have staff with relevant expertise to collaborate actively in the project.
Carry out R&D and/or produce goods or provide services in Canada.
Operate from its own offices or facilities (companies working from a home address or virtually must attach the questionnaire).
Have the financial, managerial and technical capacity to exploit the results within Canada.
Generate revenue from sales or get most of its revenue from private-sector investment rather than government aid, and operate independently (for example, with a board of directors).

Who can apply

The applicant is always a university researcher. Partner organizations take part in the application, but they do not apply.

A Canadian university researcher eligible to receive NSERC funds applies, alone or with co-applicants who are also eligible academic researchers.
Adjunct professors working outside the university sector (government, industry or colleges) may be co-applicants. College faculty can be co-applicants but not applicants.
You do not need a Discovery Grant: you need a faculty position that meets NSERC's eligibility criteria.
Alliance Advantage needs at least one partner recognized for cost sharing that contributes cash. Alliance Society needs at least one partner that could be recognized for cost sharing, plus the societal groups affected by the challenge.
A training component for undergraduate, graduate or postdoctoral trainees is mandatory; research professionals alone do not meet it.
The applicant and each co-applicant complete the Personal data form with CCV attachment (Form 100A).
Any private-sector partner means the application must include the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships Risk Assessment form; research that aims to advance a sensitive technology research area also needs STRAC attestation forms.

How to apply and what happens next

Alliance Advantage and Alliance Society have no deadline, so the timeline starts when your partnership is ready.

Confirm the partner

Check each partner against NSERC's cost-sharing table or the partner organization self-assessment tool. For Alliance Advantage, at least one recognized partner must contribute cash.

Prepare the application

Form 101 with the Alliance proposal template, Form 100A for the applicant and each co-applicant, and the Risk Assessment form when a partner is from the private sector. Run NSERC's Alliance application checklist before you submit.

Invite the partner and submit

The partner's contact person is invited through NSERC's online system to complete the partner organization section. Submit at any time; French content gets 20% more space.

Administrative and merit review

NSERC checks completeness, then routes the file by average annual request: small (at least $20,000 up to $75,000), medium (more than $75,000 up to $300,000) or large (more than $300,000). Alliance Society applications first go to the Public Impact Value Proposition (PIVP) selection committee.

Decision in your applicant library

NSERC posts decisions and reviewer reports to your applicant library on the secure Alliance grants extranet. It no longer sends decisions by mail or email, so you share them with your partners and co-applicants.

Funding, reporting and extension

NSERC normally transfers funds to the university within 30 days of the start date. You report regularly, tell NSERC if committed partner cash does not arrive or a partner leaves (you have up to six months to replace a recognized partner), and receive an automatic one-year extension without additional funding.

Review time and proposal length

NSERC sizes each application by its average annual request. The size sets the review route, the expected assessment time and the page limit.

Project size (average annual NSERC request)	Expected assessment time	Proposal page limit
Small Advantage project, up to $75,000 a year, applicant and co-applicants hold active NSERC peer-reviewed grants	5 to 9 weeks	7 pages
Small Advantage project, up to $75,000 a year, no existing NSERC peer review	9 to 18 weeks	Up to 11 pages
Medium: more than $75,000 up to $300,000 a year	9 to 18 weeks	11 pages
Large: more than $300,000 up to $1 million a year (Advantage)	14 to 24 weeks	27 pages
Alliance Society, up to $500,000 a year	20 to 30 weeks	11 pages (small and medium) or 27 (large), plus 3 pages for the PIVP

A further national security assessment can add up to 10 weeks. NSERC aims to meet these service standards for 80% of applications. Page limits include the template text, French content gets 20% more pages, and documents NSERC did not request, such as letters of support, are removed before review.

Merit evaluation criteria

Alliance Advantage and Alliance Society applications are rated on four equally weighted criteria, and the proposal must address every sub-criterion.

Partnership

The partner organizations' roles in the project, the value of their involvement and in-kind contributions, the relevance of the partnership, and the partners' capacity to translate, mobilize or apply the results.

Research plan and team

Clarity of the objectives and expected results, appropriateness of the plan and budget, and the expertise of the academic and partner participants to carry out the research, manage the project and provide training.

Training

Enriched learning experiences for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, including professional skills such as leadership, communication, collaboration and entrepreneurship, and consideration of equity, diversity and inclusion in the training plan.

Impact and benefits to Canada

Innovativeness of the research and its potential to advance the natural sciences or engineering, and the significance of the economic, environmental or other societal benefits for Canada and Canadians.

Alliance vs Discovery

	NSERC Alliance	NSERC Discovery
What it funds	A defined R&D project carried out with partner organizations	An ongoing program of research with long-term goals, rather than a single short-term project
When to apply	Any time (Alliance Advantage and Alliance Society)	One annual cycle: the latest Notice of Intent was due August 4, 2026 and the full application November 2, 2026
Duration	1 to 5 years	Up to five years
Value	$20,000 to $1 million a year (Advantage); $20,000 to $500,000 (Society)	See the NSERC Discovery guide

You do not need a Discovery Grant to apply for Alliance. If you and your co-applicants do hold NSERC peer-reviewed grants, a small Alliance Advantage project can be evaluated by NSERC file managers using that existing peer review, which shortens the expected assessment to 5 to 9 weeks.

Read the NSERC Discovery Grants guide

For companies: how to partner on an Alliance grant

A company cannot apply for an Alliance grant. It partners with a university researcher, who applies, and takes part in the application through NSERC's partner organization form.

Your cash is matched

Under Alliance Advantage, NSERC covers 66.7% of the cost-shared direct costs, so recognized partner cash is matched 2:1, with NSERC providing $20,000 to $1 million a year for 1 to 5 years.

You contribute more than cash

Your staff must play an active role (in the research, in using the results, or in mobilizing knowledge) and make in-kind contributions, which reviewers assess on merit.

The money stays at the university

Grant and partner funds are paid to the university. They cannot buy your company's equipment, products or services or pay your staff's travel, and Alliance cannot fund secret or contract research.

IP and research security

NSERC claims no ownership of intellectual property from Alliance projects and recommends a research agreement between the university and its partners. A private-sector partner means a Risk Assessment form is part of the application.

Where GrantOps fits

Research offices

Track NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR and Mitacs awards and post-award compliance in one place.

Partner companies

GrantOps turns the engineering and finance tools Canadian companies already use into audit-ready SR&ED claims and grant applications, automatically.

SR&ED guide IRAP guide

NSERC Alliance grants frequently asked questions

What is an NSERC Alliance grant?

An NSERC Alliance grant funds a research project led by a Canadian university researcher in collaboration with one or more partner organizations from the private, public or not-for-profit sectors. NSERC offers two core streams: Alliance Advantage (formerly cost-sharing option 1) for partner-driven projects, and Alliance Society (formerly cost-sharing option 2) for projects with societal impact as the main driver. Both fund projects of 1 to 5 years and accept applications at any time.

How much does NSERC Alliance fund?

Alliance Advantage provides $20,000 to $1 million a year for 1 to 5 years, with NSERC covering 66.7% of the cost-shared direct costs (2:1 leverage on recognized partner cash). Alliance Society provides $20,000 to $500,000 a year for 1 to 5 years, with NSERC covering 100% of project costs. Alliance International Collaboration grants provide $20,000 to $100,000 a year for up to three years.

Does the partner organization have to contribute cash?

For Alliance Advantage, yes: at least one partner recognized for cost sharing must contribute cash, and NSERC matches recognized partner cash 2:1. For Alliance Society, no: you need at least one partner that could be recognized for cost sharing, but a cash contribution is not required. In both streams every partner, except organizations whose primary mission is to fund R&D, must play an active role and make in-kind contributions. NSERC assesses in-kind contributions on merit but does not count their dollar value in cost sharing.

When can I apply for an Alliance grant?

Alliance Advantage and Alliance Society have no deadline: you can apply at any time through NSERC's online system. International and special calls set their own dates; the current Alliance International Collaboration deadline is November 25, 2026, before 8:00 p.m. (ET), and NSERC will post its 2027 dates in early 2027.

Can a company apply for NSERC Alliance?

No. Only Canadian university researchers who are eligible to receive NSERC funds can apply. A company takes part as a partner organization: the researcher invites the company's contact person through NSERC's online system to complete the partner organization form. For its cash to count toward cost sharing, a Canadian company must, among other requirements, be registered or incorporated, have at least two full-time employees, carry out R&D or produce goods or services in Canada, and have the capacity to exploit the results in Canada. Venture capital and angel investors, holding companies and companies with fewer than two full-time employees are not recognized.

How is Alliance different from Discovery?

Discovery Grants support a researcher's ongoing program of research with long-term goals, rather than a single short-term project, through one annual competition (in the latest cycle the Notice of Intent was due August 4, 2026 and the full application November 2, 2026). Alliance grants fund a defined project with partner organizations, are rated on partnership, research plan and team, training, and impact and benefits to Canada, and accept applications at any time. You do not need a Discovery Grant to apply for an Alliance grant.

Do I need a Discovery Grant to apply for Alliance?

No. You only need a faculty position that meets NSERC's eligibility criteria. One practical difference: a small Alliance Advantage project (up to an average of $75,000 a year) is evaluated by NSERC file managers when the applicant and each co-applicant, except early career co-applicants, hold an active NSERC peer-reviewed grant as primary applicant. Otherwise NSERC uses external reviewers and the expected assessment time is 9 to 18 weeks instead of 5 to 9.

Which partner organizations count for cost sharing?

Recognized: Canadian private companies, multinationals with business operations in Canada, and foreign companies that partner with a recognized Canadian partner; municipalities, government departments, Indigenous organizations, public utilities and Crown corporations; and Canadian not-for-profits such as producer groups, industrial associations, registered charities, collection organizations, community organizations, Indigenous not-for-profit organizations and communities, and unions. Not recognized: R&D funders, organizations whose primary mission is to perform R&D, post-secondary institutions, incubators and accelerators, hospitals and research institutes, foreign governments and not-for-profits, and individuals.

How long does NSERC take to decide on an Alliance application?

NSERC's service standards for Alliance Advantage are 5 to 9 weeks for small projects supported by existing NSERC peer review, 9 to 18 weeks for other small projects and for medium projects, and 14 to 24 weeks for large projects. Alliance Society takes 20 to 30 weeks. A further national security assessment can add up to 10 weeks. NSERC aims to meet these standards for 80% of applications.

Who owns the intellectual property from an Alliance project?

NSERC claims no ownership of intellectual property generated by Alliance projects and does not stipulate who must own it. Ownership and protection must follow NSERC's Policy on Intellectual Property, and each student must keep the right to defend their thesis without delays. NSERC recommends that the university sign a research agreement with the partner organizations.

Are Alliance Missions and Alliance International Catalyst grants still open?

No. The Alliance Missions page is archived (its 2021 call closed November 30, 2021), and NSERC states that Alliance International Catalyst grants will remain closed indefinitely, with any reopening announced in advance. Alliance Advantage, Alliance Society, Alliance International Collaboration and joint calls such as NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Accelerate are listed as current funding opportunities.

Primary sources

Every figure on this page comes from these official NSERC pages, read on November 13, 2026. NSERC updates Alliance pages without notice; confirm the details on the official page before you apply.

Alliance Advantage (NSERC funding opportunity)https://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/funding-opportunity/alliance-advantage (read November 13, 2026)
Alliance Society (NSERC funding opportunity)https://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/funding-opportunity/alliance-society (read November 13, 2026)
Alliance grants: instructions for completing an application (Form 101)https://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/alliance-grants-instructions-completing-application-form-101 (read November 13, 2026)
Alliance International Collaboration grantshttps://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/funding-opportunity/alliance-international-collaboration-grants (read November 13, 2026)
NSERC Alliance-Mitacs Accelerate grantshttps://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/funding-opportunity/nserc-alliance-mitacs-accelerate-grants (read November 13, 2026)
Alliance Quantum grants call for proposals (2026)https://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/funding-opportunity/alliance-quantum-grants-call-proposals-advancing-development-and-adoption (read November 13, 2026)
ARCHIVED: Alliance Missions grantshttps://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/funding-opportunity/archived-alliance-missions-grants (read November 13, 2026)
Discovery Grants program (individual)https://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/funding-opportunity/discovery-grants-program-individual (read November 13, 2026)
NSERC funding opportunities listhttps://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/funding/funding-opportunity (read November 13, 2026)

Questions about a specific project go to NSERC's Alliance staff: alliance@nserc-crsng.gc.ca or 1-855-275-2861 (toll free).

Related research-grant guides

NSERC Discovery Grants

Long-term operating funding for natural sciences and engineering research programs

CIHR Project Grants

Health-research funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

SSHRC Insight Grants

Sustained support for social sciences and humanities research

Research grants hub

All Canadian research-funding instruments in one place

Bring your NSERC Alliance awards into GrantOps

Book a 20-minute walkthrough scoped to your research office, or start free and track NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR and Mitacs awards and post-award compliance in one place.

Book a 20-minute ORS walkthrough Start freetrack NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR and Mitacs awards and post-award compliance in one place

Open the GrantOps research hub