Canada Impact+ Research Chairs and Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders competition
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Registration deadline
    Intake one: March 10, 2026, 8:00 p.m. (eastern)
    Intake two: June 15, 2026, 8:00 p.m. (eastern)
Application deadline
    Intake one: March 24, 2026, 8:00 p.m. (eastern)
    Intake two: June 29, 2026, 8:00 p.m. (eastern)
Program introduction
The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs (Impact+) program is a one-time initiative designed to support institutions in attracting world-leading researchers whose work addresses critical national and global challenges. The program emphasizes both research excellence and tangible impact. Impact+ Chairs will receive long-term funding and institutional support to advance ambitious and transformative projects in Canada’s strategic priority areas, build and maintain exceptional research teams, and collaborate with partners across sectors and borders. Impact+ chairholders are expected to drive the translation of discoveries into applications, commercialization and social and economic benefits for Canada and the world, while also developing the next generation of highly qualified personnel.
The Impact+ program is a tri-agency initiative of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). It is administered by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS), which is housed within SSHRC.
Program objectives
The key objectives of the Impact+ program are to support institutions to:
attract a world-leading researchers to strengthen Canada’s global competitiveness and innovation leadership;
transform bold discoveries into innovative products, ideas, policies and solutions that benefit Canadians and the world;
help Canada grow and sustain a critical mass of expertise in priority areas identified by the Government of Canada through the development of high-impact research teams; and
incentivize strategic partnerships across sectors, such as industry, health systems, government and not-for-profit organizations, to accelerate translation of research into practice and enhance long-term adoption and impact.
These objectives, reflected in the selection criteria, will guide the initial multidisciplinary review when awarding Chairs, as well as the subsequent external review of a potential funding extension of four additional years.