The APC definition of “automotive” comprises the following: cars, light trucks, heavy trucks, buses, recreational vehicles; i.e., anything that is licensed for on-road driving. This definition does not include agricultural vehicles, military vehicles, tracked vehicles, off-road and rail vehicles.

How do I apply for funding from APC?

Researchers from academia and the NRC, with their industrial partners, should bring forth their ideas to the Project Office. The Project Office staff will work with the researchers and industrial partners to provide advice and feedback so that a proposal can be assembled which suits the needs of the industrial partners, fits within the mandates of the funding agencies and is in a form suitable for peer review. Please do not prepare a complete proposal until being advised to do so by the Project Office.

What forms do I use to write my proposal?

APC is not presently using any pre-existing forms for proposal development. The APC Project Office staff will work in concert with academia, NRC researchers and their industrial partners to develop proposals. In most cases, free-form documents will be appropriate.

Some short forms will need to be filled out for administrative purposes (e.g., a few pages of the NSERC Form 101, the NSERC Form 183A; the Finance Module when CFI funds are requested). The Project Office will advise when and what forms are required.

How will proposals to APC be evaluated?

All funding requests will be evaluated through peer and/or merit review processes to ensure only meritorious activities are supported.

Like the application process, the APC review process will be flexible. Where possible, a single, coordinated review process will be employed, even when proposed activities may seek funding from more than one partner within APC.

Do all projects have to have an industrial partner?

All projects must be clearly driven by industry needs, and must have active industrial participation during proposal development and throughout the life of the project.

How does APC define an eligible industrial partner?

An eligible industrial partner for APC-funded activities can be from one of the two categories below:

A company already in the automotive supply chain (partially or totally).
A company trying to break into the automotive supply chain. When such a company is a partner on a project, a very strong case will have to be made concerning the impact the research would have on the automotive sector and the role this partner will play in realizing that impact.

What are the required cash and in-kind contributions of an industrial partner to a project?

APC is not a matching program. As such, there are no specific amounts of cash and/or in-kind contributions required from industrial partners for a given project. Instead, APC is supporting projects, driven by industrial needs, that have active and engaged industrial participation and collaboration, and where the interactions with the industrial partner(s) are “transformational,” as described below.

However, as with all CFI funding, eligible institutions can obtain funding for up to 40 percent of the total eligible costs. The remainder must be provided by the institution(s) and/or eligible funding partners.

What exactly does “transformational” mean in the context of this initiative?

APC will not be funding research that could be funded through other pre-existing programs. As such, the proposed interactions between the researchers and the industrial partner must be “transformational.” This denotes that at least one of the following three conditions must be explicitly met (preference will be given to proposals that meet more than one):

Researchers and highly qualified personnel collaborating directly with the industrial partners’ advanced engineering, product, or service development staff (in addition to industrial R&D staff)

Research results need to get into the hands of the people who can turn these results into commercial products and services. Hence, the emphasis on involving engineering staff as well as industrial R&D staff.
Industrial partners on the project include more than one member within the automotive supply chain (with at least one Canadian-based partner being a technology receptor)

With the structure of the automotive sector, involving OEMs, Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 parts suppliers, as well as material suppliers, the adoption of new technology and knowledge is facilitated by involving more than one layer of the supply chain.
The proposed research, if successful, as judged by the industrial partner(s), would have a profound and disruptive impact on their business and the automotive sector in Canada

APC recognizes that there exists research of a high-risk nature which is of considerable interest to the automotive sector. APC wants to support these sorts of activities, but wants to ensure that despite its high-risk, early stage nature, that the research agenda is still driven by industry and that there will be collaboration between researchers and industrial R&D staff.

Are there any upper or lower limits on the amount of funding that can be requested?

There are no minimum or maximum dollar amounts that can be requested. However, all projects should first be defined by the work that needs to be carried out.

I have heard that there is particular emphasis being placed on $20-$30 million dollar projects. Is this true?

Some early communications from APC to the academic community did indicate this. However, these numbers were used more to convey the recognized need for APC to support significant activities that would have a meaningful impact on the automotive sector in Canada, rather than to prescribe a budget size.

What about project duration? Are there any preferences?

The life span of a project should be defined by the scope of the work to be completed. Projects can range from 6 months to 5 years in duration.

When is my application due?

To increase flexibility and responsiveness, APC will not involve a specific “call for proposals.” Proposals will be accepted on an ongoing basis. This will allow proposals to come forward as industry needs arise, as well as allowing for proposals to be uniquely crafted according to the requirements of the research and industry challenges at hand.

Do APC projects have to be funded by all the participating agencies within APC?

APC encourages active collaboration among natural science and engineering academic researchers, NRC researchers and social science and humanities researchers, when appropriate, for any given project. APC will not force researchers, institutions or companies to work together when it does not make sense.

Will APC support projects that have an international industrial partner?

APC will be using the same criteria as NSERC’s Research Partnerships Programs to define the eligibility of an international industrial partner. The following is an excerpt from NSERC’s Guidelines for Organizations Participating in Research Partnerships Programs:

In general, an industrial partner is defined as a Canadian-based business providing products or services which derives the majority of its revenues from the sale of these products and services and not from government aid. Such partners must be willing and able to exploit the research results for the economic benefit of Canada.

Multinationals may be eligible if they have commercial activities which take place in Canada, such as R&D or manufacturing related to the proposed research, and if the funded activity will result in significant economic benefit to Canada.

Foreign firms may be eligible as a partner, provided an eligible Canadian-based industrial partner plays a major role in the project and will exploit the research results for the economic benefit of Canada.

How will projects be monitored?

During the proposal development stage, the Project Office will provide assistance to develop appropriate requirements for project monitoring according to the project size, scope and complexity.

Project monitoring may include annual reporting and feedback from the industrial partners. Financial reporting to ensure fiscal accountability will be a requirement for all funded proposals.

The project I have envisioned requires a significant amount of equipment and/or infrastructure. What are the guidelines for accessing funds from the CFI within APC?

The CFI has committed up to $15 million to APC. Requests for funding from the CFI for research infrastructure will only be considered when they are demonstrated to be an essential part of a larger, integrated project involving research activities also supported by other APC partner agencies. As with all CFI funding, eligible institutions can obtain funding for up to 40 percent of the total eligible costs. Infrastructure supported under this initiative is not, however, eligible for Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF) support through the CFI. For more information on eligibility guidelines, please consult the CFI Policy and Program Guide or visit the CFI Web site at http://www.innovation.ca/en/programs/cfi-policy-and-program-guide

How do the social sciences and humanities fit within APC?

The importance of the social sciences and humanities within the research priorities is well recognized. There is significant social science research that correlates with the 10 research priority areas, including, but not limited to, issues of: safety, cognition and behavioral issues; supply chain management; and social science aspects of cost reduction; e.g., organizational behavior, plant performance and productivity, worker interaction and empowerment.