About the NCE Secretariat

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.

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 four national programs: Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE); Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR); Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE); and Industrial Research and Development Internships (IRDI).

By funding research partnerships between academia, industry, government, and not-for-profit organizations, NCE programs turn Canadian research and entrepreneurial talent into economic and social benefits for all Canadians. NCE initiatives engage thousands of talented researchers, attract and train tomorrow’s scientific and industrial leaders, and ensure that Canada remains competitive in the global economy.

Impacts of the NCE

• The networks and centres of the NCE have helped to train more than 36,000 highly qualified personnel, and to create over 100 spin-off companies.
• The number of NCE partners increased dramatically since the NCE was made a permanent program, from 358 in 1994-1995 to 2,152 in 2008-2009. This includes partners from industry, government, not-for profit and other organizations.
• Since its inception, the NCE has invested more than $1.5 billion in networks and centres, funding research, commercialization and knowledge translation to enhance the lives of Canadians.
• In an average year, the networks and centres leverage additional cash and in-kind contributions of almost $71 million from partners, file over 100 patents and obtain close to 50 licenses.
• NCE networks and centres boast an impressive track record of accomplishments, including improving care for the chronically ill, making leading-edge medical discoveries, developing safer bridges and structures, training highly qualified people, fuelling commercial opportunities, and developing preventative strategies to ensure the social well-being of all members of  society. The impacts of the NCE touch the health, wealth and well-being of all Canadians.