The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program leads the world in research areas as diverse as disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, natural resource management and industrial information technology and provides opportunities for Canadian researchers and students to work with receptor communities to accelerate the creation and application of knowledge.

NCE networks are large-scale, academically-led virtual research networks that bring together partners from academia, industry, government and not-for-profit organizations. For more than 20 years, the NCE program has successfully brought together the best minds in many disciplines and sectors to find solutions to critical issues for Canadians, and has leveraged more than $386 million in industry cash and in-kind support.

The program harnesses the creativity and inventiveness of Canadian health, natural, social and biomedical scientists and engineers and unites academic, private, public and not-for-profit sectors to focus on issues that are critical to Canadians, and to the world.

Impacts of the NCE program

The NCE program has been mobilizing the economy, helping to create and apply knowledge and delivering results to Canadians since its inception.
The NCE program is a world-class research model of the many benefits and impacts of cross-sector, multi-disciplinary partnership, training of highly qualified people, and knowledge application.
Nations including Australia, the European Union and South Africa have adapted their own programs from the NCE program model.
The NCE program has touched the lives of millions of Canadians over its 20 year span, including improving the way the chronically ill are cared for, working on the cutting edge of medical discoveries, the creation of safer bridges and structures, training more than 36,000 highly qualified Canadians, and fuelling thousands of industrial opportunities, companies and patents.