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.





Selection Criteria

The reviewers and the multidisciplinary review panel will assess all applications against the following criteria:

  1. Research/academic merit of the nominee
    • The quality of the nominee’s research track record, as measured through bibliometric evidence or other measures of research productivity and impact.
    • The candidate is a top-tier, internationally based researcher whose accomplishments have made a major impact in their fields (as appropriate based on career stage).


  2. Quality of the institutional support
    • The quality of the institutional environment (existing or planned) that will support the chairholder throughout the tenure of the award to ensure the success of the research chair. The assessment of this criteria will include the activities planned to support the chair throughout the award, as well as the plans in place to ensure the sustainability, including retention, of the chair beyond the period of the award.
    • The quality of the institutional environment in which the proposed chair will be established.
    • Level of support that will be provided to ensure the success of the research program, protected time for research (e.g., release from certain teaching or administrative duties), mentoring (if applicable), additional funds, office space, administrative support, and hiring of other faculty members.
    • Opportunities for collaboration with other researchers working in the same or related areas at the nominating institution, in the same region, within Canada and abroad.
    • Plans to ensure the sustainability, including retention, of the chairholder beyond the period of the award.


  3. Institutional equity and diversity considerations
    • The institutional commitment to ensuring that the opportunities of the award will be made available to individuals from the four designated groups (women, members of visible minorities, Aboriginal Peoples, and persons with disabilities), including:
      • quality of the recruitment and outreach strategy in terms of demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion; and
      • quality and extent of the institution’s commitment to ensuring that the opportunities of the chairholder’s research program will be made available to individuals from the four designated groups.


  4. Potential contribution of the proposed chair to the excellence of the Canadian research ecosystem
    • The potential contribution of the research chair in enhancing the research landscape in Canada, such as:
      • filling a gap within existing expertise;
      • building research capacity in new fields or increasing critical mass in existing areas;
      • likelihood that the work of the proposed chair will advance Canada’s reputation as a global centre for science, research and innovation excellence; and
      • potential for the proposed chair’s expertise to create social and economic advantages for Canada.





Deadlines

Form
Submission Deadline
Registration Form
August 18, 2017
Full Application Form
September 15, 2017
Results announced
Prior to December 31, 2017