The U.S. National Science Foundation and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, or NSERC, announced the first formal partnership between the agencies that support fundamental discovery research in the U.S. and Canada. The partnership paves the way for new collaborations between researchers in both countries to build inclusive partnerships at the frontiers of science and emerging technologies and fosters a shared commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion within the research enterprise.

“NSF values partnerships for accessing a broader network of ideas, innovations and experiences to address and solve real-world problems,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “This partnership with our counterpart Canadian funding agency opens doorways to new possibilities for international collaboration between U.S. and Canadian researchers in areas of mutual interest and national investment, such as AI and quantum.”

The MOU, signed at a virtual meeting of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee, builds on a series of strategic workshops delivered jointly by NSF and NSERC in 2020 and 2021 focused on inclusive and intersectional engineering and computer science research.

“This new partnership exemplifies a shared vision and values that are embodied by our two organizations and builds on the extensive research ties between Canada and the United States. We look forward to creating new opportunities that will push the boundaries of scientific knowledge, enrich training experiences for early-career researchers and broaden participation in research through inclusive and intersectional approaches,” said NSERC President Alejandro Adem.