Does NSERC require CRediT?

No - NSERC policy text is silent on contributorship taxonomies. Authorship on resulting publications is governed by journal policy and host-institution rules.

Should I include CRediT roles in an NSERC Discovery Grant application?

It is optional. The CCV Contributions section accepts CRediT-aligned phrasing where it clarifies your role on cited works; the Discovery Grant proposal narrative itself does not require it.

How does NSERC handle contributorship on Alliance industry-collaboration grants?

Through the partnership-management section of the Alliance template rather than a formal CRediT field. CRediT vocabulary can clarify intellectual contribution where the team structure spans academic and industry partners.

Does the tri-agency RDM policy apply to NSERC the same as to CIHR?

Yes - the tri-agency RDM policy is shared across CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC and is being phased in identically. RDM compliance is independent of CRediT.

CRediT statement guide

NSERC - using CRediT in your application

NSERC policy text is silent on CRediT and contributorship taxonomies. Use the Canadian Common CV (CCV) Contributions section to articulate your role on cited multi-author works in CRediT-aligned terms, where it aids reviewer understanding.

SilentPolicy year 2024CanadaBack to NSERC funder mandate

At application stage

What NSERC asks for in proposals

NSERC applications are submitted through the NSERC online application system using the Canadian Common CV (CCV). Discovery Grants - NSERC's flagship programme - emphasise long-term programmes of research rather than project-specific deliverables. Industrial collaboration programmes (Alliance, CREATE) have structured templates layered on the CCV. CRediT does not appear in any NSERC template.

Where to embed a CRediT statement

The CCV Contributions section is the only natural place for CRediT-aligned articulation in an NSERC application. For Alliance grants with industry partners, the partnership-management section invites description of how academic and industry partners will contribute, and CRediT vocabulary can clarify intellectual versus operational contribution where the team structure is complex.

Sample wording

In a CCV Contributions entry: "Conceptualization and Supervision lead on this multi-author paper; contributed Investigation and Writing - review & editing." In an NSERC Alliance partnership-management section: "Industry partner holds Resources and Funding acquisition; academic team holds Conceptualization, Methodology, and Investigation."

At final-report stage

How CRediT figures in NSERC progress and final reports

NSERC annual and final reports catalogue publications and research outcomes. Tri-agency financial reporting runs in parallel. NSERC reporting is structurally weighted toward programmatic continuity over per-output attribution.

Does NSERC ingest CRediT as structured metadata?

NSERC does not ingest CRediT as structured metadata. The chain runs through publication: journal records CRediT in JATS, the accepted manuscript is freely accessible within 12 months of publication (tri-agency OA policy), and contribution metadata is recoverable at the article layer.

Common pitfalls

Things to avoid

Treating NSERC silence on CRediT as a reason to omit it from resulting publications; most receiving journals require it independently of NSERC policy.
Confusing NSERC programmatic-continuity framing with project-specific reporting expectations from other funders.
Failing to use the standard NSERC funding-acknowledgement format that names the Discovery Grant or other programme reference.
Using the wrong CCV section to articulate contributorship; the Contributions section is the right home, not the Education or Recognitions sections.

Worked example

Sample CRediT statement for a NSERC proposal

Illustrative wording (names invented) - adapt to your team and confirm the NSERC-specific funding-acknowledgement format current at time of submission.

Conceptualization: P. Macdonald, R. Bouchard. Methodology: P. Macdonald, R. Bouchard, A. Lefebvre. Software: A. Lefebvre, D. Cheung. Validation: D. Cheung, R. Bouchard. Formal analysis: P. Macdonald, A. Lefebvre. Investigation: P. Macdonald, D. Cheung. Resources: P. Macdonald. Writing - original draft: P. Macdonald. Writing - review & editing: all authors. Visualization: A. Lefebvre. Supervision: P. Macdonald. Project administration: R. Bouchard. Funding acquisition: P. Macdonald. This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) under Discovery Grant RGPIN-XXXX-XXXXXX.

Frequently asked

NSERC + CRediT - common questions

Does NSERC require CRediT?: No - NSERC policy text is silent on contributorship taxonomies. Authorship on resulting publications is governed by journal policy and host-institution rules.
Should I include CRediT roles in an NSERC Discovery Grant application?: It is optional. The CCV Contributions section accepts CRediT-aligned phrasing where it clarifies your role on cited works; the Discovery Grant proposal narrative itself does not require it.
How does NSERC handle contributorship on Alliance industry-collaboration grants?: Through the partnership-management section of the Alliance template rather than a formal CRediT field. CRediT vocabulary can clarify intellectual contribution where the team structure spans academic and industry partners.
Does the tri-agency RDM policy apply to NSERC the same as to CIHR?: Yes - the tri-agency RDM policy is shared across CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC and is being phased in identically. RDM compliance is independent of CRediT.

Related guidance