New temporary program announced to support research staff in Canada

The Government of Canada has a long-standing, foundational role in supporting and sustaining research at universities and health research institutions across the country. These institutions drive many of the discoveries and innovations that are important to Canada’s economic and societal well-being.  

It is critical that we sustain Canada’s research excellence, talent and knowledge as the academic research enterprise deals with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada’s universities and health research institutions play integral roles in supporting both the COVID-19 response and the post-pandemic economic recovery.

This is why the Government of Canada recently announced a new temporary program, with an investment of $450 million for one year. This program will:

Universities will receive funding as block grants, allocated in two phases.

This is a tri-agency program jointly managed by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The Canada Research Coordinating Committee will provide strategic oversight of the fund.

The agencies are working with government departments on the program’s design and implementation, and will communicate with universities and health research institutions as soon as more details become available.

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For more information, agency-specific measures to support researchers and graduate students, as well as new programs and initiatives enabling our research communities to address the COVID-19 crisis, visit:

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