The Canada 150 Research Chairs Program, announced in Budget 2017, invests $117.6 million to enhance Canada’s reputation as a global centre for science, research and innovation excellence, in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary.
The program builds on the successes achieved through other federal investments in the Canada Research Chairs Program, the Canada Excellence Research Chairs Program and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. It provides Canadian universities with a one-time investment to attract top-tier, internationally based scholars and researchers (including Canadian expatriates) to Canada.
The program’s key objectives are to:
- strengthen Canada’s research capacity through the recruitment and retention of top-tier, internationally based scholars and researchers;
- enhance Canada’s reputation as a global centre for science, research and innovation excellence;
- improve universities’ capacity to generate and apply new knowledge; and
- improve the training and development of highly qualified research personnel.
A tri-agency initiative:
The program is a tri-agency initiative of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. It is administered by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat, which is housed within SSHRC.
Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive Canadian research enterprise is essential to creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research necessary to seize opportunities and for responding to global challenges. As such, the program is committed to the federal government’s policies on non-discrimination and employment equity.
All institutions’ practices for recruiting chairs are expected to be open, transparent and equitable. Equity and diversity will be given strong consideration in the competition, consistent with the Government of Canada's expectations for a diverse set of awardees. Institutions are also required to ensure equitable access to opportunities available within the research teams that the program will establish.