Details on transfer payment programs

The Business-led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE) program funds large-scale collaborative research networks that bring a wide range of research expertise to bear on specific challenges identified by an industrial sector. This tri-agency program is administered by NSERC on behalf of SSHRC, CIHR and NSERC.

There is no repayable contribution under this TPP.

In 2024-25, NSERC did not provide funding to the Business-led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE) program.

The funding for NCE suite of programs was transferred to ISED’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) as grants reached the end of their terms.

There are no plans to evaluate this program as the BL-NCE was transferred to the Strategic Innovation Fund managed by ISED and will be evaluated as part of that fund. The program had been evaluated regularly (every five years) since its inception in 2007. Given this solid evaluation history, few lessons remain to be learned from further evaluation.

The Canada 150 Chairs program provides Canadian universities with a one-time investment to attract top-tier, internationally based scholars and researchers (including Canadian expatriates) to Canada. This program is administered by SSHRC on behalf of CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC.

There is no repayable contribution under this TPP.

In 2024–25, the Canada 150 Research Chairs program (C150) invested a total of $12.2 million to support 20 C150 at 12 Canadian institutions, with four (20%) that align with CIHR’s mandate, 11 (55%) that align with NSERC, and five (25%) that align with SSHRC.

With the program approaching its sunsetting, key chairholder results and achievements were featured in research stories on the SSHRC website and social media and in national and international media sources in 2024-25.

The 2024 Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC)-C150 symposium—hosted by the Université de Sherbrooke—enabled chairholders to build connections, share knowledge and experience, and foster synergies that will enhance the success of both programs and maximize their benefits for Canadians. Preparation for the 2025 CERC-C150 symposium, to be hosted at Memorial University of Newfoundland, began in 2024–25.

The program has attracted world-renowned researchers, emerging talent and partners from various sectors, both nationally and internationally, to conduct research in various disciplines such as chemistry, microbiology, evolutionary genomics, gender and African politics, global governance, neurosciences, epigenetics, public health and psychology.

In 2024-25, 58.3% of the funded C150 chairs were women and 20.8% were racialized individuals. The number of chairs who self-identified as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) or persons with disabilities was too low to report as per tri-agency privacy guidelines.

The Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) program is a tri-agency initiative that supports Canadian universities in their efforts to build on Canada’s growing reputation as a global leader in research and innovation. The program awards world-renowned researchers and their teams to establish ambitious research programs at Canadian universities. This program is administered by SSHRC on behalf of CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC.

There is no repayable contribution under this TPP.

In 2024-25, the program supported 42 Canada Excellence Research Chairs with a total annual budget of $42.8 million, including 13 (31%) that align with CIHR’s mandate, 23 (55%) that align with NSERC’s mandate and 6 (14%) that align with SSHRC’s mandate.

The fourth CERC competition awarded a total of $248 million over eight years in support of 34 new CERCs at 18 Canadian postsecondary institutions. Of these, 14 chairholders began their positions in 2024-25 at 10 institutions. This past year, all chairs developed and submitted a governance plan, a data management plan, a research proposal and an equity, diversity and inclusion action plan.

Of 34 grants awarded in the fourth competition, 53% of the funded chairs were women and 29% were racialized individuals. The number of nominated principal investigators who identify as belonging to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) or persons with disabilities collectively represent 26% of awarded chairholders.

The 2024 CERC-Canada C150 Research Chairs (C150) symposium—hosted by the Université de Sherbrooke—enabled chairholders and administrators to build connections, share knowledge and experience, and cultivate synergies that will enhance the success of both programs and ultimately maximize their benefits for Canadians. Preparation for the 2025 CERC-C150 symposium, to be hosted at Memorial University of Newfoundland, began in 2024–25.

This past year, the 2026 CERC competition was launched, with an allocated budget of approximately $157 million intended to support chairholders over a period of eight years.

The program contributes to the branding of Canada as a location of choice for world-renowned researchers, emerging talent and partners from various sectors, nationally and internationally, helping build a critical mass of expertise in strategic areas that will improve Canadians’ health and enrich Canada’s society and economy.

The Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) supports Canada’s postsecondary institutions in their efforts to become global research leaders. CFREF helps institutions: (i) compete with the best in the world for talent, for partnership opportunities and to make breakthrough discoveries; (ii) seize emerging opportunities and strategically advance their greatest strengths on the global stage; and (iii) implement large-scale, transformational and forward-thinking institutional strategies. This program is administered by SSHRC on behalf of CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.

There is no repayable contribution under this TPP.

Eleven recipients from the third CFREF competition (awarded in 2022–23) continued to receive support in 2024-25, representing a tri-agency investment of $196.8 million, with 30% of these funds falling under CIHR, 40% under NSERC, and 30% under SSHRC. The award recipients are implementing new governance and research strategies and have developed EDI action plans.

The 2024 CFREF symposium—hosted by the University of Calgary—brought together all CFREF cohorts, enabling researchers and their teams, as well as research administrators to share strategies and best practices, develop solutions to mutual challenges, forge new connections and collaborative networks, and foster other synergies that will maximize CFREF success and its benefits for Canadians. Preparation for the 2025 CFREF symposium, to be hosted at the University of Toronto in May 2025, was undertaken in 2024–25.

CFREF funding is helping Canada’s postsecondary institutions compete with the world’s best research establishments in attracting top talent and partnership opportunities to excel in research areas of economic and social advantage to Canada, as well as lead the world in developing solutions to critical global challenges, such as climate change, health crises, economic and social inequality, food sustainability and enabling technologies.

NSERC’s Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) program provides financial support to high-calibre scholars who are engaged in Master’s or doctoral programs in the natural sciences or engineering. This tri-agency program is administered by each respective agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC).

There is no repayable contribution under this TPP.

In 2024-25, NSERC awarded 891 Master’s-level scholarships, with an investment of $22 million. At the doctoral level, NSERC’s total investment for new awards and ongoing awards from previous years was $41 million, supporting 1,116 doctoral students through CGS.

In 2024-25, NSERC used the Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements Pilot Initiative to increase the number of awards offered to Indigenous applicants. This pilot leveraged the Canada Graduate Scholarships–Master’s (CGS M) program by awarding all meritorious Indigenous applicants with a scholarship and a supplement. Twenty-three Indigenous students received awards through the CGS M program.

The Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program bridges the challenging gap between innovation and commercialization. The program matches clusters of research expertise with the business community to share the knowledge and resources that bring innovations to market faster. Centres advance research and facilitate commercialization within four priority areas: the environment; natural resources and energy; health and life sciences; and information and communications technologies. This program is administered by NSERC on behalf of CIHR, SSHRC and NSERC.

There is no repayable contribution under this TPP.

In 2024-25, NSERC did not provide funding to the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program.

The funding for NCE suite of programs was transferred to ISED’s Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) as grants reached the end of their terms.

There are no plans to evaluate this program as the CECR was transferred to the Strategic Innovation Fund managed by ISED and will be evaluated as part of that fund. The program has been evaluated three times since its inception in 2007. Given the solid evaluation history, there are few lessons to be learned from an evaluation.

The objective of the CCI Program is to increase innovation at the community and/or regional level by enabling Canadian colleges to increase their capacity to partner with local or regional organizations, primarily small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) but including other organizations from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

The suite of CCI Program grants support applied research, training, and knowledge and technology transfer activities. The colleges collaborate with partners in areas where the college has recognized expertise and that meets local or regional needs and have the potential to increase innovation in the community. Supported activities range from applied research and training to knowledge and technology transfer, providing assistance in adaptation and adoption of research outputs by partners, and technology demonstration and development projects for these partners.

In 2024-25, the CCI program awarded 652 grants and provided $104 million in funding, enabling increased support for Canadian businesses’ access to expertise and R&D facilities.

Throughout the FY 2024-2025, colleges organized a diverse range of engagement activities: Grant-specific webinars and Q&A sessions, workshops covering topics such as Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), Research Data Management (RDM), and Community College Innovation (CCI) Grant funds, along with Q&A sessions and community of practice gatherings. Additionally, there were meetings specifically tailored for newly eligible colleges. Furthermore, there was active participation and presentations at college conferences.

Canada’s natural sciences and engineering research is internationally competitive, Canada has a pool of highly skilled people in the natural sciences and engineering, Canada’s natural sciences and engineering research knowledge is used.

Discovery Research, Research Training and Talent Development, Research Partnerships

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, through grants, fellowships and scholarships, promotes and supports research and research training in natural sciences and engineering to develop talent, generate discoveries, and support innovation in pursuit of economic and social outcomes for Canadians.

The purpose of the Grants and Scholarships transfer payment program is to support:

Research Training and Talent Development: support the development of highly qualified personnel (HQP) through a variety of scholarships and fellowships; through research chairs and faculty support; and through the promotion of science, mathematics, and engineering to young Canadians.

Discovery Research: support the process of discovery and the creation of new knowledge through funding allocated to researchers at postsecondary institutions who conduct basic and applied research in all areas of the NSE.

Research Partnerships: help Canada innovate through support for partnerships between universities, colleges, and organizations in the private, public, and/or not-for-profit sectors in order to ensure that knowledge and skills in the NSE are transferred to and used productively by the user sector in Canada.

In 2024–25, the program supported over 12,000 researchers, helping to maintain Canada’s global leadership in natural sciences and engineering. International collaboration was strengthened through funding for 354 global research projects, with targeted investments in areas such as quantum research and critical minerals, while ongoing efforts advanced research security and equity, diversity, and inclusion.

More than 7,000 scholarships, fellowships, and grants were awarded to students, postdoctoral fellows, and researchers at all career stages, building a diverse and highly skilled research community. The program also supported specialized training in emerging fields and expanded initiatives to remove barriers for underrepresented and Indigenous researchers.

Research knowledge was mobilized through over 5,400 partnerships with academic, public, private, and non-profit sectors. Investments in commercialization networks, open science, and applied research ensured Canadian research translated into social, environmental, and economic benefits across the country.

The evaluation of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships evaluation was completed in July 2024. The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships (Banting PDF) program was announced in the 2010 federal budget as part of a broader strategy to increase Canadian capacity for research excellence. The evaluation concluded that there is a continued need for postdoctoral support that aims to attract, retain, and support the training of top-tier Canadian and international early-career researchers to position them for success as research leaders. The Banting PDF program exists within a competitive global PDF environment where its objectives make it a unique tool for the federal government to attract top international research talent to Canada.

The Banting PDF program is producing its outputs and achieving its expected immediate outcomes specific to Banting PDF recipients. However, evidence suggests that unfunded applicants who received other sources of postdoctoral support are achieving similar outcomes during their fellowship training. Therefore, it is not clear that the achievement of key outputs and immediate outcomes can be solely attributed to the Banting PDF.

The Banting PDF program is selecting excellent candidates in Canada, although it is unclear whether these candidates are better than their unfunded applicant peers, or whether this is largely a reflection of the assessment criteria for “top-tier”. The Banting PDF program has seen increased uptake by international applicants; however, the program has not met its target of 50% international nominations. Available data indicates that the Banting PDF program is not effective in attracting international candidates from outside Canada, although it may play a role in retaining talent during their Banting PDF.

The Banting PDF program is achieving its intermediate outcomes; however, the incremental contributions of the Banting PDF in relation to other PDF supports appears limited. Banting PDF recipients are recognized as representatives of Canadian research excellence, demonstrating production of impactful research, achievement of awards and grants, and development of patents and company start-ups. Banting PDF recipients are demonstrating better outcomes on some, but not all, measures of research excellence compared to their unfunded applicant peers. In terms of leadership, Banting PDF recipients are more likely to be working in research intensive careers, in tenure track academic positions, and in Canada. Banting PDF recipients are recognized as leaders in their fields and are demonstrating leadership outside research (e.g., active community outreach in promoting research, production of non-academic books). However, Banting PDF recipients are recognized by their supervisors as having inherent leadership potential and would likely have achieved those outcomes without the Banting PDF.

A total of six recommendations were made.

1. The Banting PDF program should consider adjusting key features of the award (e.g., award value, allowances, and duration) to remain prestigious and competitive in comparison to other international programs.
2. The Banting PDF program needs to clarify its objective of attracting international candidates to meet the program’s target of 50% international nominations.
3. The Banting PDF program should take steps to increase awareness of the award among the international research community.
4. The Banting PDF program should develop specific leadership development and mentorship program elements during the tenure of the fellowship.
5. The Banting PDF program should improve application and selection processes to better ensure transparency.
6. The Banting PDF program needs to improve end of award reporting to improve assessment of program performance and barriers to access.

The evaluation of Idea-to-Innovation(I2I) was completed in December 2024. Introduced in 2003, NSERC’s I2I grants provide funding to post-secondary researchers to support projects in the natural sciences and engineering (NSE) with recognized commercialization potential to accelerate their development and transfer to market.

NSERC’s I2I grants continue to be responsive to the need for research commercialization funding amongst post-secondary researchers and Canadian businesses operating within the dynamic landscape of the Canadian research innovation ecosystem.

The evaluation found that the I2I grants support the development of innovations and transfer of technologies to the market. This was demonstrated by most I2I funded projects filing for patents and obtaining patent protection, as well as creating successful partnerships during the grant, and remaining connected with partners or attaining new partners following the grant. Additionally, many funded projects were able to attract contributions during and following their I2I grant including financial support, in-kind resources, and business-related supports (BRS). These contributions derived from a variety of different sources including private companies, different levels of government and universities. Almost a third of the funded projects have already transferred their technology to the market with another third expecting to do so in the future. This is not unexpected given the time required to develop and commercialize a technology. Moreover, funded projects resulted in various examples of positive economic impacts, such as the creation of businesses and companies which contribute to sales revenue and employment opportunities. When transferring technologies to the market, more and more funded projects are using a spin-off pathway, which may be a result of the limited availability of Canadian companies to act as receptors for the commercialization of technologies.

Some of the design features the I2I grants have remained static since their inception twenty years ago, which may impact the extent to which they are able to achieve expected outcomes and remain competitive within Canada’s research innovation ecosystem. Findings led to the identification of three areas of recommendation to help ensure that the I2I grants continue to support post-secondary researchers with the development and transfer of their technologies to market:

• modernize the suite of I2I grants to further align with needs of the Canadian research community and changing Canadian innovation ecosystem;
• update the program logic model to improve the alignment between the expected outcomes and NSERC’s strategic vision (e.g., student training, Equity, diversity and Inclusion (EDI)), and revise the program reporting instruments to reflect these new outcomes and improve performance monitoring; and
• communicate with a focus on clarifying and repackaging information about the I2I grants, as well as identify new and strengthen existing pathways for dissemination amongst key stakeholders

The evaluation of EDI Capacity-building grants was completed in June 2024. Announced in 2018 as a five-year pilot, the EDICap is a federal initiative that aims to help small universities and colleges break down systemic barriers and enable them to contribute to creating a culture where EDI is embedded across all aspects of research.

The evaluation found that there is a continued need to address systemic barriers and support EDI in Canadian post-secondary institutions and that equity-deserving groups face ongoing challenges in academic career advancement and representation.

EDICap provided valuable funding for small universities and colleges across Canada that do not have access to the resources or mechanisms that are often available within larger institutions to support their EDI efforts. The grants allowed for the prioritization of EDI and gave legitimacy to EDI-related activities.

While institutional culture shifts take time, there were notable early EDI-related changes within the 27 institutions that received an EDICap grant. These changes include: raising the profile of EDI within institutions and increased buy-in from leadership; hiring dedicated EDI staff; reviewing and revising recruitment, hiring and promotion policies; developing and delivering EDI training; and the use of EDI data for decision-making.

Overall, the design and delivery of the EDICap grants worked well including the application process, the value of the grants and the reporting requirements. However, the length of the grant could be extended as two years was perceived as not long enough to complete all activities and truly integrate EDI into the culture of post-secondary institutions. Additionally, while the EDICap funds allowed small universities and colleges to create positions for EDI-related activities and hire EDI experts, most of these positions were temporary which made them less desirable and prone to high turnover as EDI experts tended to seek out longer-term or more permanent positions.

As EDICap was a five-year pilot initiative, the recommendations were framed in a manner that considers how EDICap could provide ongoing support if it were to continue, or how the lessons learned and materials developed could be used if it did not continue. These recommendations consisted of creating a repository of resources developed by post-secondary institutions to support the advancement of EDI within the Canadian research ecosystem and also to examine opportunities to improve certain design and delivery features of the EDICap.

The evaluation of Dimensions was completed in June 2024. Announced in 2018 as a five-year pilot, the Dimensions program is a federal Tri-agency initiative that aims to help post-secondary institutions break down systemic barriers and enable them to contribute to creating a culture where EDI is embedded across all aspects of research.

The evaluation concluded that there is a continued need to address systemic barriers and support EDI in Canadian post-secondary institutions and equity-deserving groups face ongoing challenges in academic career advancement and representation. The Dimensions program raised the profile of EDI within post-secondary institutions and helped to consolidate and strengthen existing EDI-related activities.

Overall, the co-development process worked well and resulted in a program tailored for the Canadian post-secondary research ecosystem. Key resources developed include the Dimensions Charter that outlines EDI principles and actions that institutions commit to apply, and the Dimensions Handbook, which provides comprehensive information and tips for institutions that aim to achieve research cultures and practices that are equitable, diverse, and inclusive.

Institutional culture shifts take time, as well as leadership, effort, financial and human resources. While Dimensions is a relatively new program, there were notable early EDI-related changes within the seventeen institutions participating in the initial cohort. These changes include: increased EDI awareness; the creation of dedicated EDI positions, offices, and committees; changes in hiring practices; and the use of EDI data for informed decision-making. The program also resulted in the creation of an informal community of practice through which participating institutions learned about each other's EDI work, successes, and challenges. A key component of the Dimensions program is the recognition that post-secondary institutions can receive for their efforts to increase EDI in their environments and across the research ecosystem. All of the institutions that applied for recognition from the Dimensions program were successful.

As Dimensions was a five-year pilot program, the recommendations were framed in a manner that considers how the program could provide ongoing support if it were to continue, or how the lessons learned and materials developed could be used if the program did not continue. These recommendations consisted of sharing the learnings of Dimensions and positioning the program to be the driver and connector of EDI initiatives across the three granting agencies; creating a repository of resources developed by post-secondary institutions to support the advancement of EDI within the Canadian research ecosystem; and examining opportunities to revise, streamline and expand certain features of the Dimensions program to facilitate participation including moving up through the stages of recognition.

The evaluation of PromoScience was underway and is expected to be completed by March 2026.

The Lab-to-Market grants support post-secondary institutions and their affiliates, including research hospitals and other eligible research centres, colleges, and college centres for the transfer of technologies (CCTT) in providing experiential training opportunities for students and researchers, allowing them to explore the commercial potential of their work and encourage their development into scientific entrepreneurs.

There is no repayable contribution under this TPP.

The program supports large-scale academically led research networks that harness the creativity and inventiveness of Canadian health, natural, and social scientists and engineers. Partners from industry, government, and not-for-profit organizations contribute additional expertise and bring cash and in-kind support. This is a tri-agency program administered by NSERC on behalf of CIHR, SSHRC, and NSERC.

There is no repayable contribution under this TPP.

In 2024-25, NSERC did not provide funding to the Networks Centres of Excellence (NCE) program.

The funding for NCE program was transferred to the New Frontiers in Research Fund.

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program is tri-agency program designed to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by offering them a significant financial award. This financial award assists students during their studies at Canadian universities. Vanier Scholars demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health-related fields. This program is administered by CIHR on behalf of CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.

There is no repayable contribution under this TPP.

Through the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program, the Government of Canada invests up to $24.9M annually, divided among the budgets of CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC, to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and establish Canada as a global centre of excellence in research and higher learning. Up to 166 scholarships are awarded annually to Canadian and international doctoral students studying at Canadian universities who demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering, or health.

In the 2024-25 competition NSERC invested $8.3 million to support 157 research training in areas related to natural sciences and/or engineering.