Tri-agency financial administration

The Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration (TAGFA) was recently revised to reflect the participation of the three 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).

The revised TAGFA supersedes the previous version (April 1, 2025) and takes effect on April 1, 2026.

On this page

Overview
Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration
Summary of the most recent changes
Resources
Contact

Overview

CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC have launched a new initiative called Renewal of the Tri-agency Financial Administration. The revised TAGFA is a reflection of this initiative and focuses on the following three key areas:

Moving to a more flexible approach for the administration and use of grant funds, which will bring significant changes to the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration
Renewing the Agencies’ approach to financial monitoring reviews
Increasing the effectiveness of the administration of grants

Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration

The Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration is a comprehensive resource to help grant recipients and administering institutions understand the principles and directives that govern post-award administration of grants funded by CIHR, NSERC and/or SSHRC.

Read the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration

Summary of the most recent changes

CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC have revised the Tri-agency Guide on Financial Administration. A summary of the most significant changes appears below.

All changes are effective April 1, 2026.

Order of precedence and interpretation

Subsection	Nature of changes
	Only an organization that has signed the Agreement on the administration of agency grants and awards by research institutions (“the Institutional Agreement”) with the Agencies can determine how the Agencies’ funds are used, in accordance with the TAGFA and other relevant agency policies and agreements, and relevant organizational policies and processes. No third-party individuals or entities have the authority to make these decisions.

Subsection

Nature of changes

Only an organization that has signed the Agreement on the administration of agency grants and awards by research institutions (“the Institutional Agreement”) with the Agencies can determine how the Agencies’ funds are used, in accordance with the TAGFA and other relevant agency policies and agreements, and relevant organizational policies and processes. No third-party individuals or entities have the authority to make these decisions.

Part 2: Use of grant funds

Subsection	Nature of changes
Goods and services expenditures	When purchasing goods and services for the funded research/activities, administering institutions and grant recipients are strongly encouraged to take reasonable steps to prioritize Canadian suppliers, services, material and content wherever possible. If buying in Canada is not possible, recipients and administering institutions are encouraged to make purchases from trusted trade partners. Additional information about the Policy and its Definitions is available here: Policy on Prioritizing Canadian Suppliers and Canadian Content in Strategic Federal Procurements; Buy Canadian Policy \| CanadaBuys Agency grant funds must not be used to pay consulting fees to any company that is owned by or is a sole proprietorship of the grant recipient or member of the grant team
Gifts, honoraria and incentives	Additional information to support the implementation of TCPS2 may be available in the TCPS Interpretations.

Part 3: Financial matters

Subsection	Nature of changes
Extension period for the authority to use grant funds	Table 1: Programs with automatic extensions by agency A request for an extension can only be submitted in the last year of the award…
NSERC Programs with automatic extensions Dimensions Canada Grants	Duration 1 calendar year (i.e., 12 months from the end date)

Subsection

Nature of changes

Extension period for the authority to use grant funds

Table 1: Programs with automatic extensions by agency

A request for an extension can only be submitted in the last year of the award…

NSERC

Programs with automatic extensions

Dimensions Canada Grants

Duration

1 calendar year
(i.e., 12 months from the end date)

Part 5: Provisions for leaves from grant activities

Subsection	Nature of changes
Leaves for research, career, personal or professional development (grant recipient) / Continuing eligibility	NSERC Eligibility requirements for individuals to apply for and hold grant funds

Appendix 3

Subsection	Nature of changes
Grant amendment form, Section C	Paid maternity/parental leave for students and postdoctoral researchers CIHR only: please provide students or postdoctoral researchers PIN
Grant amendment form, Section D and Section E	Continuing Eligibility Conduct the NSERC individual eligibility self-assessment
Outstanding Commitments form, Section 2	Outstanding commitments details Term “participants” replaced by the term “individuals”

Subsection

Nature of changes

Grant amendment form, Section C

Paid maternity/parental leave for students and postdoctoral researchers

CIHR only: please provide students or postdoctoral researchers PIN

Grant amendment form, Section D and Section E

Continuing Eligibility

Conduct the NSERC individual eligibility self-assessment

Outstanding Commitments form, Section 2

Outstanding commitments details

Term “participants” replaced by the term “individuals”

Resources

Roles and responsibilities

Contact

Use of grant funds

CIHR
support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

NSERC
usegrantfunds@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

SSHRC
usegrantfunds@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

Administration of grant funds

CIHR
support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

NSERC
grantsadministration@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

SSHRC
grantsadministration@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

Jointly administered by:

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)