NSERC College and Community Social Innovation Fund

Insider Tip

CCSIF rewards projects with a clear, specific community problem and measurable social outcomes — not just academic research quality. The review committee includes private, public, and NPO sector experts, not just academics. Framing the project around a named community organization's concrete need (with that org's active participation) is more successful than a general research proposal. EDI is formally evaluated, not just checked off. The Mitacs integration is underused — adding Mitacs Accelerate internships strengthens the HQP training component and increases total project resources. For businesses: approach colleges rather than waiting — college research offices actively seek industry and community partners, especially those with clear social or community dimensions.

Rejection Pitfalls 8

• Insufficient community benefit or social innovation framing (project reads as pure R&D rather than community-driven)
• Weak or passive partner organization involvement (partner not actively engaged in research direction)
• EDI considerations absent or superficial in methodology

Success Profile

A Canadian college or polytechnic with: (1) a strong applied research office with grant writing capacity, (2) an established community organization partner with a specific, measurable social challenge, (3) college researchers with relevant expertise, (4) a project addressi community challenges such as newcomer integration, health equity, climate resilience, housing, disability access, or Indigenous community needs. The business or organization partner has a social/community mission and can contribute staff time and expertise. Projects in health equity, social inclusion, environmental community challenges, and Indigenous community needs appear especially well-funded.

Evaluation Criteria

Four equally-weighted criteria: (1) Quality of Proposal — focus, relevance to community innovation, methodology, EDI integration, feasibility, budget justification; (2) Partnerships and Impact — how well the community challenge is defined, partner active engagement, knowledge mobilization plan; (3) Applied Research Competence — team qualifications, EDI recruitment practices, institutional research capacity; (4) Training — student/trainee involvement, diversity in training opportunities. Review committee is multidisciplinary (public, private, and NPO sector expertise). Indigenous research projects require reviewers with Indigenous research expertise.

Application Steps

Required Documents 10

Eligible Expenses 10

• Salaries and benefits for college-based research personnel (faculty, technical, professional staff)
• Salary replacement for faculty (up to cost of temporarily replacing the researcher)
• Stipends for college students enrolled in a post-secondary program
• Stipends for post-program college graduates (up to 12 months after program completion)
• Equipment and materials directly required for the research
• Operating costs (lab supplies, consumables, software licenses)
• Knowledge dissemination activities (workshop costs, publication fees)
• Travel for team members to conduct research or share results
• Overhead and administration (automatically 20% of annual grant — not applied for separately)
• Salary research allowance for eligible non-profit collaborator employee replacement (up to 50%)

Ineligible Expenses 6

• Direct cash transfers or payments to partner community organizations
• University student salaries listed as student salary expenditures (must be paid as technical/professional staff or consultants)
• Curriculum development as the primary project objective
• Collaborator costs except for travel and travel-related subsistence
• Alcoholic beverages
• Costs incurred before Notice of Intent or project approval

Intake Periods

Annual competition. NOI deadline typically in January; full application deadline February 25 annually at 8:00 PM ET. 2026 competition closed February 25, 2026. 2027 competition expected to open December 2026.

Deadline Notes

2026 competition deadline is February 25, 2026 at 8:00 PM ET — this is today's date. Annual competition; opens December/January each year. A Notice of Intent (NOI) is also required at an earlier deadline (typically January). Applications submitted via NSERC Convergence Portal only. Maximum 5 applications per eligible college.

Open Application Portal →

Ineligible Organizations

• For-profit businesses (cannot apply directly — must partner with a college)
• Universities (only colleges, CEGEPs, and polytechnics are eligible applicants)
• Federal and provincial government agencies
• Colleges that have not been declared eligible by at least one tri-agency (NSERC, CIHR, or SSHRC)
• Colleges that have submitted 5 or more applications in the same competition
• Individuals applying outside of an institutional context

Compatible Programs

Clawback Risk

Low Risk