Today [December 9, 2025], the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, and the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, accompanied by Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, announced $1.7 billion to launch the Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative, a suite of programs that will attract leading international researchers to Canada, as outlined in Budget 2025.
This initiative represents one of the largest recruitment programs of its kind globally, uniquely designed for exceptional speed and flexibility in securing top research talent. These features will ensure Canada remains at the forefront of scientific innovation.
Through this initiative, the Government of Canada will invest up to $1.7 billion over 12 years to attract and support more than 1,000 leading international and expatriate researchers, including Francophone researchers. Recruitment will target individuals who are advancing world-leading research in critical fields that will deliver direct economic, societal and health benefits for Canadians.
This initiative has four streams:
The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program offers $1 billion over 12 years to support institutions in attracting world-leading researchers. New chairs and their teams will advance transformational research projects that can be applied and/or commercialized by connecting with receptors in industry, government and society, while also developing the next generation of highly qualified personnel. Importantly, the program funds both researcher salaries and supporting infrastructure, ensuring comprehensive support for recruited researchers.
$120 million over 12 years is being provided for institutions to attract international early career researchers (ECRs) through the Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders program. This program will add more global talent to the Canadian research ecosystem, bringing in fresh ideas, diverse perspectives and significant potential.
Another $400 million will be used to create the Canada Impact+ Research Infrastructure Fund over six years to establish a complementary stream of research infrastructure support to ensure the recruited research chairs and ECRs have the world-class facilities they need to achieve their research goals.
The Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards will invest $133.6 million over three years to enable top international doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers to relocate to Canada.
Canada’s research community is already home to exceptional talent. By leading major research teams, these chairs will work alongside Canadian experts, creating new opportunities for collaboration and discovery and contributing to addressing key economic, environmental and societal challenges and opportunities at this critical time for our country.
In an era of intense global competition and rapid technological change, Canada is committed to fostering excellence in its research ecosystem.
By attracting world-leading talent, Canada aims to drive innovation, strengthen strategic industries and safeguard its long-term economic security and competitiveness.
The urgency is clear, and Canada faces a historic opportunity to attract world-leading researchers at a pivotal time for global innovation. Canada welcomes global research talent—and with world-class facilities, strong funding programs and a welcoming research environment, it is already a premier destination for international researchers.
Recruiting top researchers from around the world will complement Canada’s existing research excellence and commitment to diversity to help build Canada into a leading hub for science and innovation, driving the economy and supporting the health and well-being of people living in Canada through breakthrough discoveries and new technologies.
Quotes
“As other countries constrain academic freedoms and undermine cutting-edge research, Canada is investing in—and doubling down on—science. By attracting the top minds from around the world to work alongside exceptional Canadian researchers, the Government of Canada is building the kind of scientific and academic powerhouse that drives the strongest economy in the G7. Today’s investment is about securing Canada’s place at the forefront of discovery and innovation and leveraging our strength in science to support our future well-being and prosperity for generations to come.”
– The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
“Better health care begins with better research. And in Canada, we believe in science. We value our scientists. These investments will attract the best and brightest in the world, including Francophone researchers. This is the exact talent we need to drive better health care outcomes for Canadians and grow the Canadian economy.”
– The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health
“When we create the conditions for researchers to thrive, we build stronger institutions for Canada to lead across generations. Today’s investment is about attracting talent and protecting Canada’s position as a global leader in innovation. Whether it’s clean technology or medical research, we are empowering Canadian excellence that will benefit us all.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
“Our government has chosen science and believes in science. It has chosen to tackle some of Canada’s biggest challenges with this world-leading investment. The Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative will attract the world’s leading and most promising researchers, whose work will bring direct economic, societal and health benefits for Canadians.”
– Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry
Quick facts
As part of the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada is working to attract the best talent to our country and retain it. Today’s announcement builds on this important work, including recently announced targeted immigration measures to boost Canada’s supply of doctors.
The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs will be awarded either $8 million or $4 million over eight years, with a potential four-year extension at 50% of the initial award value.
The Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders program funding will be awarded at $100,000 per year over six years, with a potential continuation of funding for up to an additional six years at $100,000 per year.
The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs and Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders programs are a tri-agency initiative of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). They are administered by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat, which is housed at SSHRC.
The Canada Impact+ Research Infrastructure Fund will support the infrastructure needs of the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs as well as individuals recruited through the Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders program (as applicable), including both capital costs and operating and maintenance costs. The award value will vary based on need, with a maximum of $6 million per chair. This measure is being administered by the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
The Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards will provide up to 600 doctoral scholarships, each valued at $40,000 per year for three years, and up to 400 postdoctoral research awards, valued at $70,000 per year for two years. These awards will be managed by the three federal research granting agencies.
Recruitment will focus on research areas critical to Canada’s sovereignty, resilience and long-term prosperity, including advanced digital technologies (artificial intelligence, quantum, cybersecurity); health, including biotechnology and life sciences; clean technologies; environment and climate resilience; food and water security; democratic and community resilience; manufacturing and advanced materials; and defence and dual-use technologies. Research that cuts across multiple priority areas is also eligible.
Canada has launched an aggressive strategy to lure leading international investigators and research teams to its universities and research hospitals as it seeks to establish itself “at the forefront of scientific innovation.” The timing of the move is strategic, taking maximum advantage of the uncertainty now surrounding the U.S. government’s declining support of scientific research.
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Although this week’s announcement did not specifically mention that it was targeting U.S. researchers who’ve grown increasingly disheartened and disgruntled by what’s widely perceived as the anti-science policies of the Trump administration, the intent to lure U.S. faculty northward was unmistakable.
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My guess is that while the government is keenly aware that researchers in the US might feel concerned and be looking for options, the effort is not confined to US researchers. And of course, Canada is not the only jurisdiction hoping to benefit from the current US science situation; I expect that other jurisdictions wil making their own flashy announcements in the hope of luring researchers from the US and elsewhere.
Getting back to the announcement, Hannah Liddle’s December 11, 2025 article for University Affairs offers more detail, Note: A link has been removed,
The Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative, announced Tuesday [December 9, 2025[ by Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, will support universities to attract 100 new research chairs, plus hundreds of early career researchers, doctoral students and postdocs from abroad.
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Its centrepiece is the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program, which will provide $1 billion to Canadian universities over 12 years to recruit 100 new chairs. The program will target leading internationally based researchers, including Canadian scholars working abroad, whose work addresses national and global challenges.
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While Minister Joly did not name U.S. president Donald Trump directly, the launch comes as his administration seeks to impose its political agenda on universities south of the border while continuing to slash funding for fundamental research.
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The funding, which will be distributed by Canada’s Tri-Council agencies, will award approximately $1 billion to universities who submit successful applications to select and recruit Impact+ Research Chairs.
Chairholders will receive one of two awards, valued at either $1 million or $500,000 per year for eight years. Chairs can then apply for four-year funded extensions at 50 per cent of the award value.
Focus on priority research areas
The 100 new chairs will be selected in part for their potential contribution to Canada’s economy in the government’s priority areas, including advanced technologies (such as quantum and artificial intelligence), clean technology, defence, democracy, health and biotechnology and climate resilience.
Of the $1 billion, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) will grant the largest share, up to $530 million, while $340 million will be granted by Canadian Institutes of Health Research and $198.5 million by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
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Application deadlines next spring
Eighty-two universities will be eligible to recruit Impact+ chairholders and will be expected to support their research endeavours throughout their time in Canada. Degree-granting universities must have previously received an annual average of $100,000 or more from the Tri-agencies to qualify.
Universities can apply for any combination of $500,000 or $1 million per year award values up to a yearly, institution-specific dollar limit determined by the government. Canada’s largest universities were allocated the highest ceilings, with the University of Toronto capped at $35 million and the University of British Columbia and McGill University at $25 million each. The bulk of universities were limited to either $3 million (32 institutions) or $2 million (23 institutions).
Universities must make their Impact+ Research Chairs applications by March 2026 for the first intake and June 2026 for the second intake.
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Targeting early-career researchers, PhD students and post-docs
A complementary initiative is aimed at early-career researchers (ECRs). Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders is a $120 million fund over 12 years to bring more internationally based ECRs to Canada. Universities that are nominating an Impact+ Research Chair can request an additional $100,000 per year over six years to recruit an ECR.
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The suite of funding also includes $133.6 million over three years to help top international doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers relocate to Canada. The Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards will provide 600 doctoral scholarships valued at $40,000 per year and 400 postdoctoral research awards at $70,000 per year to international talent working in the government’s priority research areas.
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I haven’t found as many articles about this initiative as I would have expected. Plus, I haven’t found any articles offering critiques about this $1.7B federal government gamble. Perhaps more time is needed to digest the information.
