The granting agency has an overall budget of about $1.1 billion, and it is divided into three main components. The first supports what we call basic research, where researchers submit proposals, and where the research is not based on any particular topic. Another component of the budget focuses on partnership and innovation. Again, the applications are submitted to the agency for evaluation, but they are targeted to facilitate partnership between academia and the industrial sector. The third component supports talent development through Canada research chairs, scholarships and so on. So, a third of the budget aims to increase partnerships and respond to the needs of the industrial sector. These are the three components of the budget for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.
As for the National Research Council of Canada, it currently has about 15 targeted institutes that aim to develop expertise in very specific sectors, such as aeronautics.
NSERC also has a parallel program, the Industrial Research Assistance Program, which aims to provide grants on a case-by-case basis to small and medium enterprises and to create a link with academia, a link that the Jenkins report looked into and made recommendations about to the government. The government is currently considering how to improve that connection.
In short, I wouldn't say that there's any overlap, but we need to improve the connection between these two bodies.