The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) established a Liaison Committee in 1995, and it has contributed to many years of fruitful interactions between the Canadian physics community and NSERC. The Terms of Reference and composition of this Committee were updated most recently in November 2012.

The role of the Liaison Committee includes, but is not limited to:

• Identification, discussion and analysis of opportunities that the Canadian physics research community could seize or build on, and challenges it may face, in its quest to be at the forefront of research at the international level.
• Communication, discussion and analysis of suggestions of the Canadian physics research community concerning NSERC’s programs.
• Communication of developments at NSERC that affect the Canadian physics research community: reporting outcome of competitions, developments in the peer review process, or new programs and processes.
• Discussion of matters that may help to inform the NSERC Group Chair for his/her participation in the Committee on Grants and Scholarships (COGS).

The CAP-NSERC Liaison Committee operates at arm’s length from both the CAP and NSERC. The membership of the Liaison Committee is intended to reflect the diversity of the Physics research community that is represented by the CAP’s Divisions, and is based on the Research Topics of NSERC’s Physics Evaluation Group (EG 1505). The Liaison Committee thus includes one member for each of the following overarching research areas:

• Atomic and Molecular Physics, Optics and Lasers, and Plasmas (CEWIP, DAMOPC, DCMMP, DIAP, DIMP and DPP)
• Biomedical and Biological Physics (CEWIP, DCMMP, DIAP, DIMP, DMBP and DSS)
• Near-Earth and Space Physics (CEWIP and DASP)
• Condensed Matter Physics (CEWIP, DCMMP, DIAP and DSS)
• Subatomic Physics (CEWIP, DNP and PPD)
• Theoretical/Mathematical Physics (CEWIP, DCMMP and DTP)

The CAP selects three members, each representing one of the research areas listed above, in accordance with the CAP’s policies and procedures. NSERC, through consultation with the Chair of the Liaison Committee, appoints three members, each representing one of the research areas listed above. NSERC appointments are normally members of the CAP. In any given year, the committee has three CAP-selected members and three NSERC-appointed members. The elected representatives are appointed for 3-year, non-renewable, terms that run from June to June, with two representatives being replaced each year.

A Call for Nominations for representatives to this committee is issued in the Fall of each year, with the elections held before Christmas.  Both outgoing and incoming committee members are invited to participate in the Liaison Committee meeting held at the CAP Congress the subsequent June.

Official communications from the CAP Executive to NSERC or from NSERC to the CAP Executive on issues of importance to the Canadian physics community may be sent to the Liaison Committee for information purposes. The Committee may decide to review and discuss any of these issues and provide its perspective and advice.

Face-to-face meetings of the Liaison Committee are held annually at the CAP Congress, with additional teleconferences held throughout the year as needed.

Once the CAP-NSERC Liaison Committee has been established under the recently revised Terms of Reference, the list of its members will be published here.

Click here to view recent presentations by NSERC and the CAP-NSERC Liaison Committee.