Government of Canada makes largest investment in Canada Research Chairs Program and celebrates 20th anniversary

Ontario: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat

Research is a critical tool during times of crises and disruption as it can help society navigate toward a more promising future for Canadians. Through research and innovation, our nation can better address complex social, economic, medical and political challenges by providing clear and diverse insights that inform policy-making.

The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, today announced that the Government of Canada is investing approximately $195 million to support 259 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at 47 institutions across Canada. This investment is complemented by more than $14.2 million in new funding for research infrastructure to support 58 Chairs at 27 institutions through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). Together with the chairs announced earlier this year, the total investment marks the program’s largest in a single calendar year. This important milestone underscores the program’s continued relevance and far-reaching impact as we celebrate the Canada Research Chairs’ 20th anniversary.

Canada Research Chairs make important research contributions in areas of critical importance such as infectious disease prevention, cyber security, cancer therapeutics, queer and diversity education, data and artificial intelligence, Indigenous maternal and child wellness, and climate change impacts in the North.

The program recognizes that diversity is indispensable to research excellence and is committed to working alongside Canadian institutions to achieve its equity targets and reflect the diversity of Canada’s population by 2029. Among the 259 Canada Research Chair recipients announced today, 26% self-identified as racialized minorities, 5% as Indigenous Peoples, 10% as persons with disabilities and 51% as women.