Industrial R&D Fellowships Program Offers Wage Subsidy for PhD Hires
NSERC provides companies in the private sector with funding support for hiring new doctoral graduates. This wage subsidy can help science and technology companies tap into the high talent pool of Ph.D. graduates and facilitate the transfer of this expertise into the company’s operations. It also allows the graduate to receive valuable research and development experience.
Eligibility Factors for NSERC Grant
This hiring mechanism is targeted towards the hiring of recent doctoral graduates. The graduate must have completed their Ph.D. in the science or engineering field within the last seven years, though five years or less is preferred. If the candidate has just submitted their doctoral thesis, they may work for the company on a contract basis until the NSERC fellowship application is accepted. They nominee must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada at the time the application is submitted. IRDFP payment is limited to one per company.
NSERC hosts a list of eligible organizations that may apply for this government support. If you are not on this list, you will first have to apply to NSERC to be included. Companies accepted must be incorporated or Canadian-owned, have sufficient research facilities, and be financial stable.
Further details on these new IRDFs are available on the OCE and NSERC Web sites.
Business Grant Funding Amount
The IRDF offers companies a $30,000 wage subsidy towards a salary of at least $40,000 per year. This amount is given each year for two years depending on the availability of funds.
Apply for Canadian Government Funding
If you are interested in applying for the IRDF, Mentor Works can help you through the application process. This consists of two main forms and supplementary information. The first form is for applying to become an eligible organization. The second is the full IRDF application form. Supplementary information includes items like the applicant’s proof of completion of Ph.D., Canadian citizenship, and the offer of employment.
Please contact Mentor Works directly if you would like help throughout this process. To learn more about the government funding mechanisms available, browse our government funding section and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.