All E2G projects must bring together three core elements: a clear pathway to one of the primary economic outcomes defined in the RNS Statement of Purpose, alignment with a priority sector, and work that meets the RNS definition of research. These three elements are connected. A project is not competitive simply because it is in a priority sector or produces a useful research output.

Applicants must explain how the research output will be used by named end users to generate economic growth or productivity benefits in Nova Scotia.

Alignment should be clearly articulated within the proposal, rather than assumed. Review the RNS Statement of Purpose to gain greater understanding of how these elements form the fundamental pillars of E2G.

Economic outcomes do not need to be fully realized during the project period. However, applicants must show a realistic pathway from research activities to outputs, adoption or application, and eventual economic outcomes. Strong proposals identify the expected timeline to impact, the end users responsible for applying the outputs, the baseline condition, and the target improvements that will be used to assess progress.

E2G is not a student, HQP, or early-career researcher capacity-building program. Students or HQP may be included as project personnel where they are needed to deliver research that supports one of the primary economic outcomes identified in the RNS Statement of Purpose.

Workforce skill development may be identified as a secondary outcome where the project creates enduring skills or organizational capabilities needed to adopt, operate, adapt, or improve a research-based innovation. Projects focused only on supporting students or HQP during the project period, without a credible pathway to one of the primary economic outcomes are not aligned with E2G.

E2G does not require match funding, and partner contributions are considered as one of several contextual factors in assessing a proposal. Contributions may strengthen a proposal where they support the project’s pathway to a primary economic outcome.

Funding leverage may be identified as a secondary outcome where RNS funding is expected to attract co-investment or enable essential infrastructure, equipment, or project costs needed to achieve one of the primary economic outcomes. However, E2G is not intended to provide stand-alone match funding for another funding opportunity. External funding, equipment, or infrastructure requests must be clearly connected to the project’s pathway to economic impact.

No, a Project Lead may only submit one proposal per funding round. Project Leads may also not hold more than one active E2G-funded project at a time. Project Leads with an existing E2G award are not eligible to apply until that project has concluded.

If your project was not funded, you are welcome to resubmit your proposal in a subsequent funding round. In doing so, we recommend reviewing any feedback you received for the initial submission.

If the work in the proposal is materially the same as what was reviewed by a trusted third party (e.g. one of the Tri-Agencies) that conducted a scientific review, we will accept the result of that review. If there are material differences, the proposal will go through scientifc merit review through RNS.

E2G investment holders may be eligible to use a portion of their investment to leverage additional funds from the Mitacs programs. If your project would benefit from having a student or postdoc working with a project partner and you are considering including Mitacs funding in your project, indicate your intention to apply to Mitacs in your full proposal by including the anticipated Mitacs amounts in both the Partner Contributions (Mitacs portion) and RNS Funding Request (RNS funds to be leveraged) section of your application. See the Full Proposal Handbook for further details.

If your host organization is a post-secondary institution or health authority, you should inform your organization of your intent to apply as soon as possible as they will need to approve your proposal through Jura prior to the EOI or full proposal deadline. If the organization associated with your Jura account is different than the host organization who will administer the funds, please be sure to let us know so we can resolve this issue within Jura.

If your organization is not a post-secondary institution or health authority (e.g., industry, community group), RNS will confirm host organization approval at the full proposal stage.

The Project Lead and Host Organization must be based in Nova Scotia, but team members and project partners can be from outside of Nova Scotia.

There are no eligibility requirements for roles other than the Project Lead or Co-Project Lead(s) and Host Organization. Please see the Eligibility section of the EOI Handbook for additional information.

There are no specific requirements for the composition of a research team, however, applicants should consider the types of team members (end users, community partners, etc.) that could increase the strength of their proposal.

Applicants should provide a realistic estimate of the project’s total cost and the funding requested from RNS at the EOI stage. The budget is expected to reflect careful consideration of the proposed project’s size, scope, and requirements.

Significant increases to the budget will generally not be permitted at the Full Proposal stage. However, RNS may consider reasonable adjustments arising from the development of the detailed proposal, such as updated vendor pricing or changes to planned project personnel. If there is a change to the budget between stages, an explanation of this change must be provided in the Full Proposal.

Applicants should not inflate their EOI budget in anticipation of possible costs. The amount of funding requested will be considered when EOIs are assessed, including whether the proposed budget is reasonable and proportionate to the project’s scope and anticipated outcomes.

RNS will communicate with the Project Lead via email to the address provided in the Jura submission.

If you are having trouble navigating the Jura system, please contact helpdesk@researchns.ca for assistance.