October 10, 1996
OTT promotes and facilitates the transfer of technology between McGill researchers and outside sponsors including industry and government; this includes research contracts from industry and government and patenting and licensing of inventions to industry. Visit us at our OTT Web site: http://www.McGill.ca/fgsr/ott.htm, or contact the Office by phone (4200), or fax (8479).
Annual Report shows impressive results
During fiscal 1995/96, the total number of all new research contracts increased by 24% to 125. The total value of these new contracts was $8,889,157, of which $2,166,253 was collected as "overhead" and distributed back to the operating budgets of the University and the Faculties where the contract research was conducted.
Last year saw a very definite trend shift towards industry as the leading source of funds for contract research. In previous years government was the major funding source. Not only has the number of industrial research contracts doubled to 85 (up from 42 the previous year), but the total dollar value has also doubled to $6,332,858 (up from $3,136,478 the previous year). Industrial research contracts now comprise 68% (up from 42% in 1994/95) of the total number of contracts, and 71% (up from 36% in 1994/95) of the total dollar value of all contracts for the past fiscal year. The number of professors participating in contracts has increased by 34.2% to 110.
During the past fiscal year, OTT received and managed 61 new research inventions. A total of 9 licence agreements and options were concluded during 1995/96, and OTT is currently managing 72 active licence and option agreements. During fiscal 1995/96 royalty income collected amounted to $252,615, which was distributed to the inventors and the University.
From this short summary, it is clear that 1995/96 was a very busy and productive year for OTT and University researchers involved with research contracts and/or inventions. If you wish to see the full text of the annual report, it will soon be posted on our new Web site.
NSERC promotes collaboration and interdisciplinary research
NSERC has made a number of changes to the Research Grants Program to facilitate, where appropriate, the support of collaboration and interdisciplinary research. There is, therefore, no longer a distinction between Individual and Team Grants. Researchers who apply individually are now asked to describe their collaborative activities in their proposal. Researchers who work together in a long-range collaborative program are encouraged to apply as a team.
However, to encourage researchers to apply as a team, the Grant Selection Committee (GSC) will have to justify to NSERC any reduction in the total funding to be awarded to a team below the sum of the individual grants held previously by the members of the team. Also, applicant and co-applicant(s) are considered on the same footing when the excellence of the team is assessed; the applicant is simply the researcher identified as responsible for administering the award.
Interdisciplinary applications reviewed by one discipline's GSC may receive input from other disciplines, as needed, through an appropriate selection of external referees or through consultation with other discipline GSCs. If necessary, additional interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary committees will be created. Please note that researchers will still be able to hold only one Research Grant at a given time.
Plain language, please
The summary field in the application is replaced by a Public Summary field in which researchers are asked to explain and justify their research in plain language that "their teenage children or parents would understand." This summary is intended for public release by NSERC.
For other changes to programs of major granting agencies, please refer to the September 1996 issue of the RGO Newsletter.