The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) Program is a federal initiative administered jointly through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in partnership with Industry Canada and Health Canada.

Context

The 2013 NCE-KM Competition is comprised of three stages: stage 1) the Notification of Intent (NOI); stage 2) the Letter of intent (LOI); and stage 3) the Full Application (FA). This guide reflects the Letter of Intent stage of the NCE-KM competition.The LOI guide MUST be used in conjunction with the NCE Program Guide and the NCE-KM Competition Guide.

The NCE Steering Committee invites potential applicants to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to the NCE-KM Competition. Note that LOIs will be accepted from applicants whose eligibility has been verified through the NOI stage and also from applicants who have not submitted an NOI. In the latter case, a section pertaining to eligibility must be completed.

Guidelines for Completing a Letter of Intent (LOI)

The LOI is composed of two different elements; (1) the LOI application form (PDF format), and (2) the free-form section (five pages maximum).

Together, the two elements of the LOI provide information on the proposed NCE-KM network in relation to the goal and objectives of the NCE-KM Initiative and will be reviewed against the eligibility and evaluation criteria to determine which applicants will be invited to submit a Full Application.

The LOI should be submitted on behalf of the proposed NCE-KM network by an academic researcher (i.e., the Applicant) who is eligible to receive funding from one or more of the three federal granting agencies, and by an eligible Host Institution. (Please see the section entitled Eligibility Criteria in the 2013 NCE-KM Competition Guide).

LOI application Form (in PDF format)

The LOI application form (fillable PDF format) is available on the NCE website at: Letter of Intent (LOI) Form

Please provide the following information:

Section 1: Title of the Proposed Network

Title of the proposed NCE-KM network (in English and French) and Acronym

Section 2: Applicant's Name

Name of the Applicant

Section 3: NOI Information

Was an NOI submitted?
- No
- Yes
If not, please complete Section 4 below.
If yes, did the NCE Secretariat confirm that the application was eligible to move to the LOI stage?
- No
- Yes
If not, you are not authorized to continue to the LOI stage. Please contact the NCE Secretariat, if necessary.
If yes, please proceed directly to Section 5.

Section 4:

A. Applicant Information

Name, salutation, preferred language of correspondence
Position, Institution/Department
Address, City, Province, Postal Code at the Institution
Phone number, Extension, Email Address

B: Applicant Eligibility

Details regarding the applicant's eligibility to apply for this competition by virtue of meeting the eligibility criteria of at least one federal granting agency.

C: Host Institution Eligibility

Host Institution name
Whether the Host Institution is
1. an eligible post-secondary institution; or
2. an eligible private sector consortium
In the case of a) the names of the Agency or Agencies under whose regulations Host eligibility has been confirmed.

In the case of b) a description of the effective financial and accounting framework that render this private sector consortium eligible to host the NCE-KM network.

D: Application Eligibility

NCE-KM networks are expected to be multi-disciplinary and to significantly involve key individuals in areas that fall under the domains of two or more of the granting agencies.

In the available space, describe the disciplines from which key individuals will be drawn and from whom important commitments of time will be required.

E: Overall Goal of the Proposed NCE-KM Network

In the available space, describe the overall goal of the proposed NCE-KM network. The statement should reflect the added value that the network represents for Canada and the measurable achievement(s) that the network will accomplish by the end of the fourth year of funding. Achievements must align with the goal and objectives of the NCE-KM Initiative

PLEASE NOW PROCEED TO SECTION 6

Section 5: Changed contact information

If any contact details have changed, please indicate the changes.

PLEASE NOW PROCEED TO SECTION 6.

Note: if the Title, Applicant, Host Institution or overall goal of the proposed NCE-KM network have changed, please contact the NCE Secretariat before proceeding.

Section 6: Additional Information

A. Signatures

Provide the signatures of the Applicant and the president or CEO of the Host Institution

B. Keywords

List of 10 key words that best describe the proposed network.

C. Summary for public release

In 300 words or less, provide a summary to explain the proposal in language that the general public can understand.

Using simple terms, briefly describe the proposed NCE-KM network and its desired outcomes. Indicate why and to whom the resulting collaborations are important; the anticipated outcomes; and how Canada will benefit.

D. Strategic Importance

In the space available, please describe the strategic area(s) of importance that your application proposes to address.

E. Agency Mandate Representation

Please provide the percentages of time commitment in terms of individuals from two or more of three of the federal granting agencies

F. Knowledge Producers and Knowledge Users, including End-users

In the table provided, please list the individuals and/or organizations that will be integral to the proposed network, and their institutional affiliations where relevant. Briefly describe their roles (including Knowledge Producers, Users and/or End Users) and an estimate of their time commitment to the network. Provide Tri-Agency discipline codes, where applicable.

When completing this section, please refer to the definitions section of the 2013 NCE-KM Competition Guide.

G: Budget

In the first part of the table, please describe the total funding being requested from the NCE-KM initiative for years 1 to 4 and the anticipated expenditures of NCE-KM funds for the administrative centre and proposed activities. Include non-NCE contributions in the requisite area. Provide an overview of the expenditures of NCE funds and of non-NCE funds using the categories provided over four years.

In the second part of the table, please provide a concise budget justification, including a description of each line item. Detail the sources of non-NCE funds. Please note that a more detailed budget form will be required at the Full Application stage.

Host Institution Letter of Support (1 page maximum)

The letter of support from the proposed Host Institution must provide an outline of the nature of the anticipated support that will be provided. The Host Institution will play an important role in the NCE-KM network through direct support of the administrative centre and in the governance of the network.

This letter must be signed by the Applicant and the President or CEO of the Host institution The signatures on the letter should match the signatures in Section 6A of the Application Form.

Free form (5 pages maximum)

Using the following headings, which are the NCE-KM evaluation criteria, describe the proposed NCE-KM network in five pages or less. Any additional pages, text or material will be removed. For the detailed Evaluation Criteria please refer to the 2013 NCE-KM Competition Guide

Expected Impacts and Added Value

Describe how Canadians will benefit from the unique contribution of the proposed Network, both during the life of the network and beyond by detailing the expected impacts (social, economic, technological, and/or wellness-related) of the proposed NCE-KM network. Where there are overlaps with similar entities that are part of the NCE program or exist elsewhere in Canada or internationally, explain the added value provided by the proposed network.

Plan for Knowledge Mobilization

Provide a concise four year plan that sets out how the network will move as a cohesive and effective organization to meet its stated goal(s) The plan should include the techniques of knowledge mobilization that will be applied, performance metrics that will be applied to demonstrate that stated impacts and outcomes are being achieved, and an outline of the risks faced by the network, as well as the ways in which the risks will be mitigated.

Composition of the Proposed Network Team

Demonstrate why the key individuals, including knowledge producers and users mentioned in section 6F of the application forms are key to the success of the proposed NCE-KM network and are precisely those who need to be there. The explanation must demonstrate the engagement of key individuals in disciplines from at least two of the Tri-Council Agencies and clearly show the added value of a network approach in the area(s) of knowledge that have been chosen.

Stakeholder Engagement in the Proposed Network

Provide evidence that the proposed network will have the requisite commitment and involvement (including financial) from stakeholders at its beginning and throughout its four year life.

Management and Governance

Describe the management and governance structures that will be the mainstay of the network. Name the individuals who will be in key management and governance roles, summarizing their credentials. Include details of the finance and accounting structures that will be provided by the Host Institution.

General Presentation

The LOI free-form section must be converted to searchable PDF format and merged with the LOI application form in order for it to be submitted as a single electronic document (searchable PDF package).

The LOI free-form section must be prepared according to the following:

Page size: 8½ x 11 inches
Margins: no less than ¾ of an inch on all sides.
Font: Times New Roman (no smaller than 12 pts) or Arial (no smaller than 11 pts). Condensed type is not acceptable.
Header: include the title of the Centre at the top of every page
All pages consecutively numbered

Graphs and illustrations may be included, but will count as part of the page limits set out above. Either single or double column presentation of text, graphs or illustrations is acceptable. Any extra material will be removed.

Submission Procedures

The deadline for submission of the LOI for the 2012 NCE-KM Competition is January 10, 2013. LOIs must be received by 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Number of Copies

One unbound original copy and one USB stick with a searchable PDF version of the letter of intent.

Mailing Address

Networks of Centres of Excellence
NCE-KM Competition
16^th Floor, mailroom
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 1H5

The NCE Secretariat will confirm receipt within one week.

Contact

For more information, please contact the NCE Program, NCE-KM Competition at:

Telephone: 613-995-6010
Fax: 613-992-7356
E-mail: info@nce-rce.gc.ca

Checklist

LOI Application Form - Section 1 - Title of the proposed NCE-KM network
LOI Application Form - Section 2 - Applicant's name
LOI Application Form - Section 3 - NOI information
LOI Application Form - Section 4 - (For completion by those applicants who have not submitted an NOI)
LOI Application Form - Section 5 - (Changed contact information, for use (if necessary)-by applicants who have submitted an LOI and can move forward to the LOI stage)
Host Institution Letter of Support (I page maximum)
Free Form (5 pages maximum)
- Expected impacts and added value
- Plan for Knowledge Mobilization
- Composition of the proposed network team
- Management and governance

Evaluation Criteria

NCE-KM networks which are successful at the Full Application stage of the competition will be evaluated on a yearly basis during the tenure of the grant against the five evaluation criteria that were used during the competition process. All five NCE-KM review criteria are equally weighted; therefore the threshold of excellence must be achieved and maintained in each of the criteria.