As announced in Budget 2025 - Canada Strong, a resilient Canadian economy depends on a highly skilled workforce. To support the recruitment of top international research talent, the Government is launching the Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards, a new initiative administered by the three federal research funding 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 (SSHRC). With a $133.6 million investment over three years, the Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards will support the recruitment of doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers, securing the current and future talent needed to drive innovation and growth in our strategic industries.

The Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards will provide 600 doctoral scholarships and 400 postdoctoral research awards through the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS). Doctoral scholarships are valued at $40,000 per year for three years, and postdoctoral research awards at $70,000 per year for two years.

These awards will invest in eight priority research areas:

• Advanced digital technologies (AI, quantum, cybersecurity)
• Health, including biotechnology
• Clean technology and resource value chains
• Environment, climate resilience, and the Arctic
• Food and water security
• Democratic and community resilience
• Manufacturing and advanced materials
• Defence and dual-use technologies

Institutions will be allocated a set number of nominations, and it is within their purview to distribute them in alignment with the priority areas to eligible researchers holding an active grant from one of the three agencies. These researchers (nominators) will recruit international candidates, including Canadian citizens currently abroad. Institutions will then submit the application on behalf of the nominator to the appropriate funding agency who will then do an eligibility review.

This initiative is designed for rapid delivery: the awards will be delivered in two phases, with the first wave of nominations to be submitted in early 2026 and initial results announced by April 1, 2026. A second phase will begin on April 1, 2026, to allow for redistribution of unused nominations and to adjust among agencies and priorities, if needed.

In addition to the Canada Impact+ Training Awards, Budget 2025 also includes support for:

• $1 billion over 13 years, starting in 2025-26, to the research funding agencies to launch an accelerated research Chairs initiative to recruit exceptional international researchers to Canadian universities
• $400 million over seven years, starting in 2025-26, to the Canada Foundation for Innovation to establish a complementary stream of research infrastructure support to ensure these recruited Chairs have the equipment they need to conduct research in Canada
• Up to $120 million over 12 years, starting in 2026-27, to the research funding agencies to support universities’ recruitment of international assistant professors, as appropriate

Further details are available in the following Q&A. More information, including nomination instructions and application forms, will be shared directly with institutions in the coming weeks.

CIRTA-BFRIC@nserc-crsng.gc.ca