CAP launches survey to obtain feedback from members on the changes at NSERC (Deadline May 25, 2012)

On May 15, 2012, the CAP President sent the following message to CAP members:

CAP Request for Physics Community Feedback on NSERC’s two-step Discovery Grant (DG) Evaluation Process plus the Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) and Major Resources Support (MRS) Programs

Discovery Grant Evaluation Process:

In 2009, NSERC responded to two external reviews of the Discovery Grant program by implementing a number of significant changes to the way this program is administered. As stated on the NSERC web site regarding the DG Program: “Planning for the five-year review is now underway. There will be an opportunity for the research community to provide comments and feedback as part of the review process, individually or as part of an interested group or scientific association. The process for submitting your feedback will be finalized and communicated by early 2013.

(http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/FundingDecisions-DecisionsFinancement/DGICAbout-CISDSujet_eng.asp )

It is vital that individuals and associations such as the CAP be prepared to respond to the request for feedback in a timely and constructive way.  As announced in a previous issue of Physics in Canada (https://cap.ca/en/publications/physics-canada-pic/issue/67/4 ), the CAP is initiating a process to collect from its membership feedback concerning the DG evaluation system. Based on this input, and on interactions with its sister organizations, the CAP will formulate a set of specific recommendations on behalf of its membership that it will propose to NSERC through the CAP-NSERC Liaison Committee (https://cap.ca/en/about-cap/committees/cap-nserc-liaison-committee ).

RTI and MRS Programs:

NSERC recently announced a moratorium on the MRS program (http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/RTII-OIRI/MRS-ARM_eng.asp) and that the RTI program would be phased out (http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/RTII-OIRI/RTI-OIR_eng.asp) as part of the Government of Canada’s efforts to return to balanced budgets.

The CAP is now soliciting your input on all of these recent developments, as was indicated in my recent letter to the membership.

You can participate in this important process and ensure that your viewpoints are considered by responding to the questionnaire accessed by logging in to member services at https://cap.ca/services and then selecting the 2012 NSERC Survey link on the left. We have tried to make the survey fairly comprehensive in order to obtain maximum value. It nonetheless takes only ten minutes or so to complete. It is vital that we get input from a significant proportion of members to enable the CAP to formulate a set of recommendations that accurately reflects the views of its membership at large.

J. Michael Roney, P.Phys.
President, Canadian Association of Physicists