Annex II: Early career researcher data for flagship investigator-initiated research grant competitions

Each agency has provided an update to last year’s report, providing data from the 2022 and 2023 competition years from their flagship investigator-initiated research programs, based on grant amounts committed at the time of offer. Please see the Data Annex from previous years for data from 2014 to 2021.

CIHR has included data from the Project Grant program, which began in 2016.

NSERC has included data from the Discovery Grants program. The Discovery Launch Supplements, which began in 2018, are included for 2020-2022.

SSHRC has included data from two funding opportunities separately. The first table includes data for the Insight Development Grants funding opportunity, which began in 2011; the second table includes data for the Insight Grants funding opportunity, which began in 2012.

The CFI has included data from the John R. Evans Leaders Fund.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Project Grants are designed to support people at any career stage to build and conduct health-related research and knowledge translation projects while capturing ideas with the greatest potential for important advances in fundamental or applied health-related knowledge, health care, health systems and/or health outcomes. There are two Project Grants competitions per year (spring and fall). Grant values and durations are proportionate to the requirements of the research proposed and vary depending on the research field, research approach and scope of project activities: they are not explicitly capped.

At CIHR, an early career researcher (ECR) has historically been one who, at the time of application, has held a full-time, independent research appointment for a period of up to five years (60 months), excluding leaves of absence. ECR status was validated only for project competitions. ECRs in Open Operating Grant program competitions (2014 to 2015) were considered those within five years of the date of their last degree. Within the overall competition budget, there is a specific funding envelope to ensure the proportion of grants going to ECRs is at least equal to the proportion of applications submitted by ECRs. Competition processes and peer review for this cohort are fully integrated in the entire competition, with no additional steps required on the part of applicants.

Description of Figure 1

Using a line graph and a vertical bar graph, this figure shows CIHR’s success rates and average grant sizes for early career researchers (ECRs) and established researchers for the Open Operating Grant Program and the Project Grants program, from 2018 to 2022. The first y-axis, to the left side, shows the success rates, in percentages, from 0 to 25%. The second y-axis, to the right side, shows the average grant sizes, in dollars, from $0 to $1 000,000. The x-axis lists each year from 2018 to 2022.

CIHR’s success rates and average grant sizes for ECRs and for established researchers for the Open Operating Grant Program and Project Grants program, from 2018 to 2022, were as follows:

• In 2018, the success rate was 14.5% for ECRs and 14.4% for established researchers. The average grant size was $641,404 for ECRs and $765,262 for established researchers.
• In 2019, the success rate was 16.6% for both early career and established researchers. The average grant size was $581,139 for ECRs and $750,253 for established researchers.
• In 2020, the success rate was 15.6% for ECRs and 15.3% for established researchers. The average grant size was $673,052 for ECRs and $792,275 for established researchers.
• In 2021, the success rate was 19.1% for both early career and established researchers. The average grant size was $663,380 for ECRs and $813,471 for established researchers.
• In 2022, the success rate was 19.8% for ECRs and 19.7% for established researchers. The average grant size was $676,640 for ECRs and $866,234 for established researchers.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

NSERC Discovery Grants support ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single, short-term project or collection of projects. Discovery Grants are five-year grants. There is one Discovery Grants competition per year. Individuals can apply for and hold only one Discovery Grant at a time. Discovery Grant holders cannot reapply for another until the last year of their current award.

Individuals submitting an application are categorized as either ECRs or established researchers. From 2014 to 2016, ECRs were defined as people within two years of the start date of their first eligible position at a university with no prior academic or non-academic independent research experience. From 2017 to 2018, the ECR eligibility window was increased to three years; in 2019, it was increased to five years. In all years reported, the window for being considered an ECR could be adjusted to include instances when they had an eligible delay in research (owing to illness, parental leave, etc.).

While applications from ECRs are evaluated against the same three selection criteria as established researchers, it is recognized that individuals applying early in their career may not have had the opportunity to make the same levels of contribution to training as established researchers. For this reason, NSERC implements a different quality cut-off for funding ECRs, ensures the overall ECR success rate is at least 50%, and offers additional sources of support to those awarded a Discovery Grant. These include:

• an annual $5,000 top-up on their Discovery Grant;
• the Discovery Launch Supplement, introduced in 2018, a one-time award valued at $12,500; and
• since 2017, offering ECRs scheduled to apply for their second Discovery Grant the option of accepting an additional year of funding on their existing Discovery Grant at the same level.

In comparison to previous years, increases in funds awarded to ECRs in 2018 and later reflect the Discovery Launch Supplements and the additional year of funding. In addition to the flagship Discovery Grants program, NSERC also devotes funds to a number of Discovery funding programs, many of which provide support to ECRs.

Description of Figure 2

Using a line graph and a vertical bar graph, this figure shows NSERC’s Discovery Grants success rates and average grant sizes for early career researchers (ECRs) and established researchers from 2014 to 2021. The first y-axis, to the left side, shows the success rates, in percentages, from 0 to 80%. The second y-axis, to the right side, shows the average grant sizes, in dollars, from $165 000 to $215,000. The x-axis lists each year from 2018 to 2022.

NSERC’s Discovery Grants success rates and average grant sizes, from 2018 to 2022, for ECRs and for established researchers, were as follows:

• In 2018, the success rate was 64.0% for ECRs and 66.7% for established researchers. The average grant size was $190,094 for ECRs and $195,366 for established researchers.
• In 2019, the success rate was 56.6% for ECRs and 70.6% for established researchers. The average grant size was $192,549 for ECRs and $194,672 for established researchers.
• In 2020, the success rate was 61.1% for ECRs and 67.1% for established researchers. The average grant size was $186,540 for ECRs and $205,158 for established researchers.
• In 2021, the success rate was 56.6% for ECRs and 57.7% for established researchers. The average grant size was $188,798 for ECRs and $201,134 for established researchers.
• In 2022, the success rate was 63.2% for ECRs and 70.6% for established researchers. The average grant size was $182,804 for ECRs and $208,830 for established researchers.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

Insight Development Grants support the development of new research in its initial stages. Applications are project-based and may be submitted by individual researchers or research teams. Insight Development Grants are valued at up to $75,000 over one to two years.

Within the Insight Development Grants funding opportunity, funding is available for two distinct categories of scholars: emerging scholars and established scholars. Emerging scholars may submit projects that build on and further the applicant’s (or team’s) graduate work and/or represent a continuation of their overall research trajectory. Applications by established scholars must explore new research questions and/or approaches that are distinct from the applicant’s previous/ongoing research. Emerging scholar status is validated for Insight Development Grants and at least 50% of funds are reserved for applications from emerging scholars. The emerging scholar category is used as a proxy for ECRs within the Insight Development Grants funding opportunity.

When applying, emerging scholars must demonstrate that they have not successfully applied, as principal investigator or project director, for a grant offered through SSHRC, NSERC or CIHR. In addition, they must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• have completed their highest degree no more than six years before the competition deadline (SSHRC considers only the date of completion of the first doctorate);
• have held a tenured or tenure-track postsecondary appointment for less than six years;
• have held a postsecondary appointment, but never a tenure-track position (in the case of institutions that offer tenure-track positions); or
• have had their careers significantly interrupted or delayed for health or family reasons within the past six years.

Insight Grants support long-term, investigator-driven research excellence in the social sciences and humanities. Applications are project-based and may be submitted by individual researchers or research teams. Insight Grants are valued at $7,000 to $100,000 per year over two to five years, up to a total of $400,000. Two funding streams are available, depending on the scale of the proposed project:

• Stream A for requests between $7,000 to $100,000; and
• Stream B for requests between $100,000 to $400,000.

Insight Grants are available to both emerging and established scholars. There is no reserved budget envelope for emerging scholars within Insight Grants, as the Insight Development Grants emerging scholars stream serves this purpose. Neither emerging scholar nor ECR status is validated within the scope of the Insight Grants funding opportunity. Instead, a proxy is used to identify ECRs. Applicants who have completed their first highest degree no more than six years before the competition deadline are identified as ECRs.

Insight Development Grants and Insight Grants success rates in the 2018 competition year and following have risen relative to the programs’ historic averages due to increased government funding starting in 2018.

Description of Figure 3

Using a line graph and a vertical bar graph, this figure shows SSHRC’s Insight Development Grants success rates and average grant sizes for early career researchers (ECRs) and established researchers from 2018 to 2022. The first y-axis, to the left side, shows the success rate, in percentages, from 0 to 70%. The second y-axis, to the right side, shows the average grant sizes, in dollars, from $0 to $100,000. The x-axis lists each year from 2018 to 2022.

SSHRC’s Insight Development Grant success rates and average grant sizes, from 2018 to 2022, for ECRs and for established researchers, were as follows:

• In 2018, the success rate was 60.3% for ECRs and 57.5% for established researchers. The average grant size was $55,434 for ECRs and $58,087 for established researchers.
• In 2019, the success rate was 50.9% for ECRs and 48.6% for established researchers. The average grant size was $55,694 for ECRs and $56,849 for established researchers.
• In 2020, the success rate was 45.3% for ECRs and 44.1% for established researchers. The average grant size was $57,567 for ECRs and $57,050 for established researchers.
• In 2021, the success rate was 56.9% for ECRs and 55.2% for established researchers. The average grant size was $59,089 for ECRs and $60,776 for established researchers.
• In 2022, the success rate was 56.1% for ECRs and 54.9% for established researchers. The average grant size was $59,193 for ECRs and $61,053 for established researchers.

Canada Foundation for Innovation

The John R. Evans Leaders Fund is designed to help institutions attract and retain the best people by providing them with the foundational research infrastructure needed to be or become leaders in their field. The John R. Evans Leaders Fund also offers institutions the opportunity to create competitive research support packages in the form of infrastructure and a portion of the operating and maintenance costs, coupled with direct research support from partner organizations (Canada Research Chairs Program, Canada Excellence Research Chairs Program, NSERC and SSHRC).

Canadian universities, affiliated research hospitals and research institutes recognized as eligible by the CFI can apply for the John R. Evans Leaders Fund if they have received a minimum annual average of $200,000 in research funding over the last three years from the three federal research funding agencies (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC). Research community members listed on the proposal must be:

• recognized innovative leaders or have demonstrated the potential for excellence in the proposed research field;
• engaged in or embarking on research or technology development that is innovative, high quality and meets international standards; and
• current faculty members with full-time academic appointments or candidates that the university is in the process of recruiting to full-time academic positions in a strategic sector.

Description of Figure 4

Using a line graph and a vertical bar graph, this figure shows the CFI’s success rates and average grant sizes, from 2018 to 2022, for early career researchers (ECRs) and established researchers, for the John R. Evans Leaders Fund. The first y-axis, to the left side, shows the success rates, in percentages, from 0 to 90%. The second y-axis, to the right side, shows the average grant sizes, in dollars, from $0 to $300,000. The x-axis lists each year from 2018 to 2022.

The John R. Evans Leaders Fund success rates and average grant sizes from 2018 to 2022 for ECRs and for established researchers are as follows:

• In 2018, the success rate was 82.0% for ECRs and 73.4% for established researchers. The average grant size was $152,209 for ECRs and $199,564 for established researchers.
• In 2019, the success rate was 79.3% for ECRs and 76.7% for established researchers. The average grant size was $151,889 for ECRs and $223,418 for established researchers.
• In 2020, the success rate was 84.6% for ECRs and 81.2% for established researchers. The average grant size was $174,267 for ECRs and $216,270 for established researchers.
• In 2021, the success rate was 81.7% for ECRs and 82.4% for established researchers. The average grant size was $162,407 for ECRs and $187,337 for established researchers.
• In 2022, the success rate was 78.3% for ECRs and 81.3% for established researchers. The average grant size was $180,646 for ECRs and $257,877 for established researchers.