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.
I don’t recall a science funding announcement of this kind ever being made in Vancouver before. This is usually done back east and, if memory serves, it’s usually done in Ottawa or, as an alternative, Toronto. Rebecca Bollwitt’s July 10, 2025 posting on miss064.com shares the latest on Canadian federal science funding announcements,
Yesterday [Wednesday, July 9, 2025] at a press conference at TRIUMF Labs [TRIUMF, Canada’s Particle Accelerator Centre] at UBC [University of British Columbia], 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, announced over $1.3 billion in funding to support over 9,700 researchers and research projects across Canada.
This morning, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, joined the TRIUMF community to announce over $1.3 billion in funding to support over 9,700 researchers and research projects across Canada.
“These researchers aren’t just imagining the future—they’re building it,” said Joly, in the official press release. “Their work covers topics such as pandemic readiness and cutting-edge technology, and it reflects the Government of Canada’s commitment to driving innovation, strengthening the economy and tackling the challenges that matter most to Canadians.”
The support will be disbursed through the tri-council funding agencies, as well as a variety of grants, scholarships, and programs. It targets key areas of research and innovation that support national strategic goals, including public health, artificial intelligence, climate change and social equity.
Joly’s remarks included strong words of support for Canadian research and innovation at all levels, and highlighted the importance of collaboration and international connections in the face of the many challenges facing the global research communities.
“We want to clearly state – at a time when other countries are taking their own positions – that we believe in research,” said Joly. “We believe in science. We know that the work of our scientists and researchers is for the betterment of Canadians – and the world.”
Joly was joined by Ted Hewitt, President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Members of Parliament Wade Grant (Vancouver-Quadra) and Zoe Royer (Port Moody—Coquitlam). The group also took a tour of TRIUMF’s 13.5-acre research facility, including the Institute for Advanced Medical Isotopes and the Advanced Rare Isotope Laboratory
Oddly, there’s no mention of TRIUMF’s President & CEO, Nigel Smith, as either present or absent. In fact, there’s no mention of attendance from anyone on TRIUMF’s leadership team. It is summer and, presumably, people are on vacation. Still, I would have expected some representation from the TRIUMF team. As for two liberal party MPs (Members of Parliament Wade Grant (Vancouver-Quadra) and Zoe Royer (Port Moody—Coquitlam)) being present, that seems like a rather small turnout. Including Wade Grant, there are four liberal MPs from the City of Vancouver and many more in the Vancouver Metro region. Yes … it is summer.
Investing in Canadian research is critical to building a strong Canada and driving our success in the 21st century.
Today, 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, announced over $1.3 billion in funding to support over 9,700 researchers and research projects across Canada.
The Government of Canada is committed to building a more innovative, inclusive and resilient future. At a time when global challenges are becoming increasingly complex, this funding will empower the next generation of Canadian researchers—those whose work will drive the scientific and technological breakthroughs that underpin our national response to critical issues such as public health, artificial intelligence, climate change and social equity.
By supporting the development of life-saving treatments, advancing clean technology and generating critical evidence to shape informed public policy, these investments will not only improve the lives of Canadians but also reaffirm Canada’s standing as a global leader in science and innovation.
The funding is distributed across the country through:
2024–2025 – scholarships and fellowships – $365.6 million to 4,761 scholarship and fellowship recipients through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
NSERC Discovery Research Program – $589 million to 2,950 awardees
NSERC College and Community Innovation program – $29.8 million to 51 recipients
NSERC CREATE Grants – $26.4 million to 16 recipients
SSHRC 2024 Insight Grants – $127 million to 693 researchers
SSHRC Insight Development Grants – $55 million to 897 researchers
NFRF [SSHRC’s New Frontiers in Research Fund] 2024 Exploration – $25.1 million to 586 researchers through 101 projects
SSHRC Partnership Grants – $42 million to 17 researchers
SSHRC Partnership Development Grants – $18 million to 90 researchers
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships – $24.9 million to 166 researchers
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships – $9.8 million to 70 researchers
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Quick facts
Since 2016, the federal government has invested over $22 billion in science and research initiatives, including infrastructure, emerging talent and other science and technology support measures.
In addition, Budget 2024 provided $825 million over five years, and $199.8 million per year ongoing, to increase support for master’s and doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows, as well as $1.8 billion over five years, and $748.3 million per year ongoing, to the federal granting councils to increase core research grant funding and support Canadian researchers.
The scholarships and fellowships programs are administered by Canada’s three federal research granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Among these programs are:
the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s program, which helps develop research skills and assists in the training of highly qualified students who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies;
the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral program, which promotes continued excellence in Canadian research by rewarding and retaining high-calibre doctoral students at Canadian institutions; and
other agency-specific scholarship and fellowship programs supporting doctoral and postdoctoral research trainees.
NSERC’s Discovery Research Program, the council’s largest investment, recognizes the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances. The program supports researchers across the country in a wide variety of natural sciences and engineering disciplines.
NSERC’s CREATE program supports the next generation of Canadian research talent by enhancing training and mentoring and equipping emerging researchers with essential technical and professional skills.
SSHRC Insight Grants and Insight Development Grants build knowledge and understanding about people, societies and the world by supporting research excellence in the social sciences and humanities.
SSHRC Partnership Grants provide support for new and existing formal partnerships to advance research, research training and/or knowledge mobilization in the social sciences and humanities.
SSHRC Partnership Development Grants support the development of partnered research and related activities in the social sciences and humanities.
The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) invests in interdisciplinary, high-risk/high-reward,transformative research led by Canadian researchers working with Canadian and international partners. The NFRF is designed to support world-leading innovation and enhance Canada’s competitiveness and expertise in the global, knowledge-based economy.
The College and Community Innovation program, administered by NSERC in collaboration with SSHRC and CIHR, provides funding for applied research at Canadian colleges, CEGEPs and polytechnics. This funding strengthens research links and collaborations between Canadian colleges and partners from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, with a common goal of creating economic, social, health and environmental benefits for Canada.
