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 2023-24, the Business-led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE) program continued to help connect businesses to Canada’s world-class research enterprise. The total tri-agency investment in the BL-NCE program was close to $2 million.

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

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 2023-24, the Canada 150 Research Chairs program invested a total of $12.3 million to support 21 Canada 150 research chairs at 13 Canadian institutions, with four (19%) that align with CIHR’s mandate, twelve (57%) that align with NSERC, and five (24%) that align with SSHRC.

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.

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 2023-24, the program supported 45 Canada Excellence Research Chairs with a total budget of $36.7 million, including fourteen (31%) that align with CIHR’s mandate, twenty-four (53%) that align with NSERC’s mandate and seven (16%) that align with SSHRC’s mandate.

The fourth CERC competition was delivered in 2023-24, awarding a total of $248 million over 8 years in support of 34 new CERCs at 18 Canadian postsecondary institutions. As announced in Budget 2022, this investment includes $63.7 million of funding for new research chairs in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It represents the largest number of CERCs awarded in a single competition in the history of the program.

Of 34 grants awarded in the fourth competition, 53% of the funded CERC chairs were women, and 29% were racialized individuals. The number of chairholders who identify as Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) or persons with disabilities is too low to report on (i.e., less than 5).

Twenty chairholders from the fourth cohort began their tenure at fourteen Canadian institutions in 2023-24 with the rest expected to begin their positions in the first five months of 2024-25. These chairs are expected to develop a governance plan, data management plan, research proposal and EDI action plan, all of which will be submitted in 2024-25.

The midterm reviews of the eight active CERCs awarded in the third competition were undertaken during 2023-24. The steering committee approved all review panel recommendations for the CERCs to continue to receiving funding.

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 to 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 2023-24, representing a tri-agency investment of $196.7 million, with 24% of these funds falling under CIHR, 49% under NSERC, and 27% under SSHRC. The recipients have begun implementing their governance and research strategies, and developing EDI action plans, which will be submitted for formal evaluation in August 2024.

Preparation for the CFREF symposium, to be hosted at the University of Calgary in May 2024, entered its final stages at the end of 2023-24. The previous CFREF symposium was held in 2019, so this symposium would bring together all three CFREF cohorts for the first time, enabling them to share strategies and best practices, develop solutions to mutual challenges, forge new connections and collaborative networks, and foster other synergies that will maximize the CFREF’s successes and the program’s overall benefit to Canadians.

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 and to 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.

The Canada Graduate Scholarships are being evaluated as part of a tri-agency evaluation of Research Training and Talent Development. The evaluation was completed in March 2024.

The Talent evaluation confirmed that the agencies’ reach aligns with objectives to contribute to the supply of trained researchers to the academic sector and increase Canada’s research capacity, but recommended that the agencies reassess direct funding (i.e., support to students through scholarships) and to deliberate carefully on what they want to achieve with the awards going forward, what is realistic for this type of intervention to achieve in the future, and whether the necessary investment of time, focus and money to renew the awards is feasible. With respect to the indirect funding (i.e., support for training through grants to researchers) the evaluation recommended that training objectives for agency research grants be clarified, ensuring that expectations for training are clearly articulated for prospective grant applicants. As well, future development of a strategy for research training should encompass the whole portfolio (i.e., both direct and indirect streams of funding).

The Talent evaluation recommended considering expanding the number of awards at earlier degree levels. In doing so, the agencies could diversify their reach. It was also recommended to extend doctoral degree stage eligibility windows or eliminate degree stage eligibility restrictions. For example, short eligibility time periods for direct funding make it more challenging for students who lack research experience in earlier degrees and who need time to catch up with peers. Finally, a third recommendation suggested increasing the overall reach of the agencies to part-time students. The intent is to allow for part-time students to apply for agency awards without the need to justify their part-time status. This includes eliminating the need for exceptional approvals and reviewing program documentation for implicit bias.

The evaluation made 3 recommendations relating to funding. With respect to the indirect stream, the evaluation recommended continued investment in the three types of indirect funding, as they demonstrate different strengths for areas of skills training and provide a broader range of options important to accessibility and reach to students. It was suggested that the agencies consider increasing investments in multi-organization collaborative grants as well as training grants (Type 3 and Type 4 funding opportunities), but not at the expense of individual and research team funding (Type 2).

Similarly, it was recommended to consider raising grant levels, alongside measures to encourage an increase in the proportions of grants allocated to training and a corresponding increase in per-student stipend levels. The evaluation report also noted that the agencies will need to work collaboratively with institutions to identify the most appropriate methods to ensure that increased grant funding, where it is intended to contribute to student financial support, translates to higher average per student stipends, while recognizing the importance of flexibility for grant holders.

For the direct stream, the evaluation noted that the direct awards need to provide enough funding to enable recipients to focus on their studies and award values need to adequately contribute to financial independence. The evaluation thus recommended the insufficiency of awards funding be addressed. However, raising award value without increasing the number of awards is likely to intensify their competitiveness. Ensuring sufficiency of funding includes considering both the funding amount and the duration of funding.

Measures to improve transparency and communication and to better equip students were identified in the talent evaluation:

• The Talent evaluation recommended working with institutions to address transparency and perceived fairness of institutional level review processes and to protect privacy of individual students with respect to self-identification / special circumstances.
• Improve agency communications and public reporting about agency investments in training for graduate students. Provide a centralized source for accurate and timely, whole-portfolio information.
• Work with academic institutions to improve transparency and clarity of policies and practices related to funding reallocation.
• Work with academic institutions to reduce the impact of reallocations on students and address underlying factors driving funding reallocation.

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 2023-24, the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program continued to help connect businesses to Canada’s world-class research enterprise.

The funding for NCE suite of programs will be gradually transferred to ISED’s Strategic Innovation Fund as grants reach the end of their term.

The objective of the CCI Program is to increase innovation at the community and regional levels by enabling Canadian colleges to increase their capacity to partner with local or regional organizations. They consist primarily of small- and medium-sized enterprises but include 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 that meets local or regional needs and has the potential to increase innovation in the community. Supported activities include applied research and training, knowledge and technology transfer, assistance in adaptation and adoption of research outputs by partners, and technology demonstration and development projects for these partners.

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 2023–24, NSERC supported over 13,200 researchers at post-secondary institutions through its funding opportunities under the Discovery Research, Research Training and Talent Development, and Research Partnerships Programs.

NSERC supported over 1,800 researchers with Discovery Research grants through a significant one-time Covid extension, totaling $71.4 million. This effort aimed to mitigate pandemic impacts on research continuity and supported the professional development of highly qualified personnel in the field.

NSERC also prioritized modernization efforts, enhancing the Discovery Research Program’s efficiency by providing feedback to a higher percentage of applicants and reducing the workload for reviewers.

NSERC’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion was evident through initiatives such as integrating DORA principles into funding mechanisms, supporting Indigenous research perspectives, and increasing awards for underrepresented groups like Black scholars. These efforts underscore NSERC's dedication to fostering a diverse and skilled research workforce critical to advancing Canada's scientific leadership globally.

In 2023–24, NSERC supported over 6,800 research trainees through scholarships and fellowships and invested over $528 million in domestic and international student training through grants.

In 2023–24, NSERC played a pivotal role in implementing Canada’s National Quantum Strategy, fostering quantum technology innovations through substantial investments in collaborative grants. This included funding for alliances and consortia involving multiple partners across sectors, as well as training opportunities to develop technical and professional skills related to quantum, thereby enhancing Canada’s global standing in quantum research and technology development.

These efforts underscore NSERC’s commitment to leveraging research excellence for societal, environmental, and economic advancements, demonstrating Canada’s capability to address complex challenges through innovative research and strategic partnerships.

The evaluation of the Canada Research Chairs was completed in April 2023.

After more than 20 years since its implementation, the CRCP continues to play an important role in supporting research in Canada and the program’s objectives remain relevant. The program remained cost-efficient and performed well in terms of achieving its objectives. The findings from this evaluation show that the CRCP (including the accompanying CFI funding) continues to foster research excellence and capacity, as well as attract and retain a diverse cadre of excellent researchers to/in Canadian postsecondary institutions.

Since the last evaluation, TIPS has implemented several changes to the design and delivery of the CRCP to further facilitate the program’s success in achieving its objectives. For instance, the Tier 2 stipend played an important role in attracting and retaining and in supporting CRCs in building research capacity. Limiting the number of renewals for the Tier 1 CRC award has provided opportunities for institutions to attract and retain new excellent researchers. Additionally, the implementation of new EDI requirements-particularly equity targets-has supported the attraction and retention of a diverse cadre of excellent researchers by helping the program and institutions identify, mitigate and reduce systemic barriers that prevent participation of members of designated groups.

However, certain CRCP design features are perceived to challenge the program’s success and present opportunities for improvement, some of which build on findings and recommendations from previous evaluations. Findings related to these features, led to the identification of three recommendations to help ensure that the CRCP continues to achieve its objectives through its support to CRCs and Canadian postsecondary institutions:

• The CRC evaluation highlighted that increasing the value of the CRC awards and dedicating funds for research would provide an opportunity for the program to ensure the continued success of funded CRCs and the achievement of CRCP’s objectives. This led to the following recommendation: Investigate opportunities to increase the value of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 CRC awards with a specific emphasis on dedicating a minimum amount of funding for research. The value of the CRC awards is a longstanding issue for the CRCP. The two previous evaluations recommended increasing the funding amount of the awards, possibly indexing to inflation. If the value of the CRC award is not increased, the CRCP may need to re-examine its objectives and the extent to which they can be achieved (e.g., attraction).
• The evaluation recommended examining opportunities to strengthen the support packages offered by institutions, including considering setting a minimum expectation for the financial and non-financial resources offered to CRCs across Canada. Setting a minimum standard for the financial and non-financial resources institutions must offer as part of their support packages would provide an opportunity to level the playing field for CRCs across Canada, as well as increase the competitiveness and transparency of these packages.
• The evaluation recommended further clarifying the definition and application of the concept of research excellence throughout the nomination and review processes, in alignment with the CRCP’s EDI requirements.

The evaluation of Research Training and Talent Development was completed in March 2024.

The Talent evaluation confirmed that the agencies’ reach aligns with objectives to contribute to the supply of trained researchers to the academic sector and increase Canada’s research capacity, but recommended that the agencies reassess direct funding (i.e., support to students through scholarships) and to deliberate carefully on what they want to achieve with the awards going forward, what is realistic for this type of intervention to achieve in the future, and whether the necessary investment of time, focus and money to renew the awards is feasible. With respect to the indirect funding (i.e., support for training through grants to researchers) the evaluation recommended that training objectives for agency research grants be clarified, ensuring that expectations for training are clearly articulated for prospective grant applicants. As well, future development of a strategy for research training should encompass the whole portfolio (i.e., both direct and indirect streams of funding).

The Talent evaluation recommended considering expanding the number of awards at earlier degree levels. In doing so, the agencies could diversify their reach. It was also recommended to extend doctoral degree stage eligibility windows or eliminate degree stage eligibility restrictions. For example, short eligibility time periods for direct funding make it more challenging for students who lack research experience in earlier degrees and who need time to catch up with peers. Finally, a third recommendation suggested increasing the overall reach of the agencies to part-time students. The intent is to allow for part-time students to apply for agency awards without the need to justify their part-time status. This includes eliminating the need for exceptional approvals and reviewing program documentation for implicit bias.

The evaluation made 3 recommendations relating to funding. With respect to the indirect stream, the evaluation recommended continued investment in the three types of indirect funding, as they demonstrate different strengths for areas of skills training and provide a broader range of options important to accessibility and reach to students. It was suggested that the agencies consider increasing investments in multi-organization collaborative grants as well as training grants (Type 3 and Type 4 funding opportunities), but not at the expense of individual and research team funding (Type 2).

Similarly, it was recommended to consider raising grant levels, alongside measures to encourage an increase in the proportions of grants allocated to training and a corresponding increase in per-student stipend levels. The evaluation report also noted that the agencies will need to work collaboratively with institutions to identify the most appropriate methods to ensure that increased grant funding, where it is intended to contribute to student financial support, translates to higher average per student stipends, while recognizing the importance of flexibility for grant holders.

For the direct stream, the evaluation noted that the direct awards need to provide enough funding to enable recipients to focus on their studies and award values need to adequately contribute to financial independence. The evaluation thus recommended the insufficiency of awards funding be addressed. However, raising award value without increasing the number of awards is likely to intensify their competitiveness. Ensuring sufficiency of funding includes considering both the funding amount and the duration of funding.

Measures to improve transparency and communication and to better equip students were identified in the talent evaluation:

• The Talent evaluation recommended working with institutions to address transparency and perceived fairness of institutional level review processes and to protect privacy of individual students with respect to self-identification / special circumstances.
• Improve agency communications and public reporting about agency investments in training for graduate students. Provide a centralized source for accurate and timely, whole-portfolio information.
• Work with academic institutions to improve transparency and clarity of policies and practices related to funding reallocation.
• Work with academic institutions to reduce the impact of reallocations on students and address underlying factors driving funding reallocation.

The evaluation of I2I was underway; expected completion is September 2024.

The evaluation of EDI Capacity-building grants was underway; expected completion is June 2024.

The evaluation of Dimensions was underway; expected completion is June 2024.

The Lab-to-Market program supports 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.

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program is a 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.