Up to four new centre of excellence networks available in new competition

Ottawa, ON – The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) has issued an invitation for applications to compete for new networks of excellence.

The 2009 competition has significant differences from its predecessors. With a target budget of $75 million over five years, the NCE says it expects that three to four networks may be funded and begin operations in 2009. The networks will be eligible to receive funding for up to two five-year terms for a total of 10 years.

The NCE program uses the federal is aligned with the federal Science and Technology (S&T) Strategy as a guiding framework, and has chosen the following research subcategories to target in the 2009 competition:

1) Environmental science and technologies:
a. water (health, energy, security)
b. cleaner methods of extracting, processing and using hydrocarbon fuels, including reduced consumption of these fuels

2) Natural resources and energy:
a. energy production in the oil sands
b. Arctic (resource production, climate change adaptation, monitoring) c. biofuels, fuel cells and nuclear energy

3) Health and related life sciences and technologies:
a. regenerative medicine
b. neuroscience
c. health in an aging population
d. biomedical engineering and medical technologies

4) Information and communication technologies:
a. new media, animation and games
b. wireless networks and services
c. broadband networks
d. telecom equipment

Applicants applying for NCE funding to establish a new network are invited to submit letters of intent by March 2, 2009.

More information is available at http://www.nce.gc.ca/comp/NCE2009/nce_e.htm.