By Michal Jaworski and Stephanie Zhang

The federal government recently announced $1.7 billion investment over the next 12 years to attract world-class researchers to Canada. This initiative forms part of a broader national strategy to address pressing global and domestic challenges and to strengthen Canada’s long-term prosperity. For Canadian post-secondary institutions, this is a significant opportunity to recruit top-tier talent, advance global research leadership, and remain at the forefront of scientific innovation.

Last month, the government unveiled further details of the funding, which include:

• $1 billion to attract approximately 100 new research Chairs and their teams with expertise in eight strategic priority areas, including Advanced digital technologies, Health and biotechnology, Health, Clean technology and resource value chains, Environment, climate resilience, and the Arctic, Food and water security, Democratic and community resilience, Manufacturing and advanced materials, and Defence and dual-use technologies,
• $120 million to bring more international early career researchers (ECRs) into the Canadian research ecosystem contributing fresh ideas, diverse perspectives, and significant potential,
• $400 million over six years to provide world-class complementary supporting research infrastructure, and
• $133.6 million to help 600 international doctoral students and 400 post-doctoral researchers relocate to Canada.

This initiative is being administered through the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat. At present, there are two intakes scheduled for 2026 with application deadlines in March and June 2026, respectively.

This is a very short turnaround time. Therefore, in the rush to get applications in, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.

Briefing the Board of Governors

Most institutions have several Board approved plans, including an Academic Plan (for what they’ll teach and research), a corresponding Campus Master Plan (for the campus buildings and facilities), and an overarching Strategic Plan. The initiative expects the host institutions to contribute cash and/or in-kind resources through their own partners to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Chairs, including knowledge translation in the short term and retention of the chairholders and commercialization of research beyond the initial duration of the award. Hence, it is important to root the applications in these plans, even if the application will extend beyond what was contemplated when these plans were created.

Infrastructure Support

Institutions awarded a Chair may be eligible for additional infrastructure funding based on the needs of the chairholders and complementary ECRs. Each project may receive funding of up to 100% of its total cost, capped at $6 million. Eligible costs include both capital as well as operating and maintenance costs, with the allocation flexibility between these two categories. Salary of technicians and professionals directly involved in operating and maintenance of the funded infrastructure may also be claimed.

Funded institutions are generally not required to spend the allocated funds in the fiscal year it is paid. However, it is increasingly important to use the funds as one of the earlier sources.

The application for infrastructure support must be submitted within three months of the chairholder accepting the award.

The information regarding funded projects and the use of the funds will be collected through ongoing monitoring, progress reporting, and studies. As a matter of good practice, institutions should establish realistic implementation timelines and risk-assessment protocols. Institutional procurement processes are particularly important. To maximize the purchasing power of its investment and to ensure a fair and transparent process, all purchases must comply with the usual institutional tendering and purchasing policies. Many institutions have implemented additional oversight mechanisms to mitigate the risk of improper procurement requests. Any single-source procurement must be justified, properly documented, and supported.

Participating institutions are also expected to integrate the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals into the funded projects.

Research Security and Due diligence

While helping Canadian universities attract the leading international researchers and creating an environment in which they will thrive, the federal government and the Tri-Agency are also concerned about research security and sovereignty. They want to ensure that the outcomes of the research and development are realized by those who conduct it and by Canadians in general, but such research ought not contribute to advancements in military, security, and intelligence capability of foreign state actors that could pose a risk to Canada’s national security. See: Research security – Tri-agency guidance on research security.  In the rush to find international faculty, institutions cannot lose sight of these requirements when conducting due diligence on candidates.

Immigration Policy Alignment

It is also noteworthy that some recent changes in immigration policies align with this initiative: While the government has introduced significant caps on student permits to reduce their numbers, doctoral students are now eligible for two-week fast processing for their study permit applications, and, effective January 1, 2026, master’s and doctoral students enrolled at public Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) will be exempt from the national study permit cap.

However, do not overlook the possibility of extended processing time due to immigration security screening. Immigration security screening is a standard and mandatory step before foreign nationals are admitted in Canada. Its complexity depends on the circumstances of each case. During the process, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) may be involved. Consultation with classified intelligence databases or foreign partners may be carried out. It can particularly impact the applicants in certain research areas, for instance, defence and dual-use technologies, AI, quantum, and cybersecurity.

To mitigate these impacts, the applicants must provide accurate and complete background information, including employment history and travel history, in the initial applications. In certain situations, it may also be advisable to proactively address specific issues within the application.

As the admissibility and security screening is largely beyond our control, early and thorough preparation is strongly recommended.

Please note that recent amendments to the Citizenship Act may result in some individuals being recognized as Canadian citizens. It’s worthwhile for institutions to advise candidates to check if they are affected by these changes. We mention this only because it may enable some candidates to avoid the temporary resident application process described above.

Strategic Coordination

Given the short timelines and the different types of funding available, which include not only funding for direct costs of research but also the necessary infrastructure to support this research, it is necessary and advantageous for institutions to engage a cross-functional team to coordinate. Such teams typically include faculty leadership as well as faculty relations, immigration, campus planning & facilities, procurement and other relevant stakeholders.

For the institutions that have adopted a decentralized model, where certain controls and responsibilities related to the administration of CFI awards are delegated to departmental units, they must ensure that each unit is knowledgeable and able to properly interpret relevant policies, guidelines, and requirements so their applications can stay adequate and consistent.

As one of the largest global recruitment programs of its kind, this initiative offers exceptional speed and flexibility in securing top research talent and building Canada into a leading hub for science and innovation. Further developments are expected in the coming months.

For further discussion on this topic, please contact Michal Jaworski, John Soden, and Stephanie Zhang.