Details on transfer payment programs

2021

2026–27

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2021–22

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive.

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used.

Canada Biomedical Research Fund

The Canada Biomedical Research Fund is a federal grant program announced in Budget 2021 to support high-risk and applied research, training and talent development. It is part of a suite of foundational investments to establish a resilient and robust domestic biomanufacturing sector in Canada. This fund contributes to the pipeline of new technologies and supports the translation of academic research into applications and commercial products.
This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

In 2023–24, SSHRC, on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies and in collaboration with the Canada Foundation for Innovation, co-delivered Stage 2 of the Canada Biomedical Research Fund–Canada Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (CBRF–BRIF). Through the joint funding opportunity, 19 CBRF–BRIF Stage 2 grants were awarded to 14 institutions: 14 of these projects included CBRF-funded research and/or talent development projects, for a tri-agency investment of just over $212 million. Each project is endorsed by one of the five research hubs that were established in Stage 1 of the competition.

The successful Stage 2 projects aim to:

• enhance antibody discovery and therapeutics production;
• develop and optimize self-amplifying RNA vaccines;
• establish better rapid diagnostic tools that can identify emerging pathogens;
• leverage artificial intelligence and other technologies to study how bacteria react to chemicals, with the goal of developing new antibiotics; and
• establish a leading, national maternal-child health resource for disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness.

More than 200 partners from the private, public, not-for-profit and academic sectors are contributing to the 19 funded projects. These partnerships will strengthen the research networks and will contribute to building resilience and preparing Canada for future pandemics, therefore supporting Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

The evaluation of the CBRF is planned to be completed by March 2026.

A variety of engagement initiatives (webinars, telephone, email, meetings with research community groups and associations) are used as part of the development and delivery process of the CBRF to give applicants and recipients opportunities to seek and receive information and to provide feedback on service delivery.

2014

Ongoing

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2014–15

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive.

Canada has a pool of diverse and highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities.

Insight Research

The Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) supports Canada’s postsecondary institutions in their efforts to become global research leaders. CFREF helps competitively selected Canadian postsecondary institutions turn their key strengths into world-leading capabilities. This program is administered by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) on behalf of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and SSHRC.

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

Eleven recipients from the third CFREF competition (awarded in 2022–23) continued to receive support in 2023–24, representing a tri-agency investment of $196.7 million, with 24% of these funds falling under CIHR, 49% under NSERC, and 27% under SSHRC. The recipients have begun implementing their governance and research strategies as well as developing EDI action plans that will be submitted for formal evaluation in August 2024.

Preparation for the CFREF symposium, to be hosted at the University of Calgary in May 2024, was undertaken in 2023–24. This symposium will bring together all three CFREF cohorts for the first time, enabling them to share strategies and best practices, develop solutions to mutual challenges, forge new connections and collaborative networks, and foster other synergies that will maximize the CFREF’s successes and the program’s overall benefit to Canadians.

CFREF funding is helping Canada’s postsecondary institutions compete with the world’s best research establishments in attracting top talent and partnership opportunities to excel in research areas of economic and social advantage to Canada, as well as lead the world in developing solutions to critical global challenges, such as climate change, health crises, economic and social inequality, food sustainability and enabling technologies.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

The evaluation of the CFREF is planned to be completed by March 2026.

A variety of engagement initiatives (webinars, site visits, telephone, email, online forums) are used as part of the regular competition cycle to give applicants and recipients opportunities to seek and receive information and to provide feedback on service delivery.

2003–04

Ongoing

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2020–21

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive.

Canada has a pool of highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities.

Research Training and Talent Development

SSHRC’s portion of the Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) program provides financial support to high-calibre scholars who are engaged in master’s or doctoral programs in the social sciences and humanities. This is a tri-agency program and is administered by each respective agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC).

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

The CGS program strives to make Canada one of the world’s top countries for research training and development to build an innovative and competitive economy, increase future job opportunities and, ultimately, generate social, economic and cultural benefits for Canadians. The CGS program offers a total of 3,000 master’s and 3,000 doctoral scholarships every year across all three granting agencies.

In 2023–24, SSHRC invested more than $72 million in CGS to support research training in the social sciences and humanities. A portion of the funding for Black scholars announced in Budget 2022 has been allocated to the program to offer designated scholarships for Black students.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

The Canada Graduate Scholarships were evaluated as part of a tri-agency evaluation of research training and talent development. The evaluation was completed in March 2024.

The Talent Evaluation confirmed that the agencies’ reach aligns with objectives to contribute to the supply of trained researchers to the academic sector and increase Canada’s research capacity, but recommended that the agencies reassess direct funding (i.e., support to students through scholarships) and deliberate carefully on: what they want to achieve with the awards going forward; what is realistic for this type of intervention to achieve in the future; and whether the necessary investment of time, focus and money to renew the awards is feasible. With respect to the indirect funding (i.e., support for training through grants to researchers), the evaluation recommended that training objectives for agency research grants be clarified, ensuring that expectations for training are clearly articulated for prospective grant applicants. As well, future development of a strategy for research training should encompass the whole portfolio (i.e., both direct and indirect streams of funding).

The Talent Evaluation recommended considering expanding the number of awards at earlier degree levels. In doing so, the agencies could diversify their reach. It was also recommended to extend doctoral degree stage eligibility windows or eliminate degree stage eligibility restrictions. Finally, a third recommendation suggested increasing the overall reach of the agencies to part-time students.

The evaluation made three recommendations relating to funding:

• With respect to the indirect stream, the evaluation recommended continued investment in the three types of indirect funding, as they demonstrate different strengths for areas of skills training and provide a broader range of options important to accessibility and reach to students.
• It was suggested that the agencies consider increasing investments in multi-organization collaborative grants as well as training grants, but not at the expense of individual and research team funding.
• Similarly, it was recommended to consider raising grant levels, alongside measures to encourage an increase in the proportion of grants allocated to training and a corresponding increase in per-student stipend levels.

The evaluation report also noted that the agencies will need to work collaboratively with institutions to identify the most appropriate methods to ensure that increased grant funding, where it is intended to contribute to student financial support, translates to higher average per-student stipends, while recognizing the importance of flexibility for grant holders.

For the direct stream, the evaluation noted that the direct awards need to provide enough funding to enable recipients to focus on their studies and award values need to adequately contribute to financial independence. The evaluation thus recommended the insufficiency of awards funding be addressed. However, raising award value without increasing the number of awards is likely to intensify their competitiveness. Ensuring sufficiency of funding includes considering both the funding amount and the duration of funding.

Finally, measures to improve transparency and communication and to better equip students were also identified in the Talent Evaluation.

Applicants and recipients are engaged through communication with academic institutions and tri-agency or agency-specific electronic communication.

1978

Ongoing

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2011–12

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive.

Canada has a pool of diverse and highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities.

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used.

Insight Research

Research Training and Talent Development

Research Partnerships

The Grants and Scholarships program consists of grants and scholarships awarded for research, talent development and research dissemination activities in the social sciences and humanities.

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

In 2023–24, SSHRC’s Grants and Scholarships program funded more than 2,900 new grants and awards and supported more than 13,700 students and researchers for a total investment of $350 million.

An important goal of SSHRC’s Grants and Scholarships program is to support students and postdoctoral researchers (collectively referred to as “research trainees”) to develop society’s next generation of researchers and leaders, both within academia and across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. In 2023–24, SSHRC supported more than 2,100 students and postdoctoral fellows through scholarships and fellowships. In addition, researchers who submitted an end-of-grant report in 2023–24 reported that more than 7,700 research trainees had been supported through their grants.

Through its regular programming and joint initiatives, SSHRC is helping build stronger relationships across sectors. In 2023–24, the amount of funding leveraged from partners on SSHRC-funded research projects was close to $60 million.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

The evaluation of the Canada Research Chairs Program (CRCP) was completed in April 2023.

After more than 20 years since its implementation, the CRCP continues to play an important role in supporting research in Canada and the program’s objectives remain relevant. The program remained cost-efficient and performed well in terms of achieving its objectives. The findings from this evaluation show that the CRCP (including the accompanying Canada Foundation for Innovation funding) continues to foster research excellence and capacity, as well as attract and retain a diverse cadre of excellent researchers to/in Canadian postsecondary institutions.

Since the last evaluation, SSHRC has implemented several changes to the design and delivery of the CRCP to further facilitate the program’s success in achieving its objectives. For instance, the Tier 2 stipend played an important role in attracting and retaining and in supporting CRCs in building research capacity. Limiting the number of renewals for the Tier 1 CRC award has provided opportunities for institutions to attract and retain new excellent researchers. Additionally, the implementation of new EDI requirements—particularly equity targets—has supported the attraction and retention of a diverse cadre of excellent researchers by helping the program and institutions identify, mitigate and reduce systemic barriers that prevent participation of members of designated groups.

However, certain CRCP design features are perceived to challenge the program’s success and present opportunities for improvement, some of which build on findings and recommendations from previous evaluations. Findings related to these features led to the identification of three recommendations to help ensure that the CRCP continues to achieve its objectives through its support to CRCs and Canadian postsecondary institutions:

• The CRC evaluation highlighted that increasing the value of the CRC awards and dedicating funds for research would provide an opportunity for the program to ensure the continued success of funded CRCs and the achievement of CRCP’s objectives. This led to the following recommendation: Investigate opportunities to increase the value of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 CRC awards with a specific emphasis on dedicating a minimum amount of funding for research. The value of the CRC awards is a longstanding issue for the CRCP. The two previous evaluations recommended increasing the funding amount of the awards, possibly indexing to inflation. If the value of the CRC award is not increased, the CRCP may need to re-examine its objectives and the extent to which they can be achieved (e.g., attraction).
• The evaluation recommended examining opportunities to strengthen the support packages offered by institutions, including considering setting a minimum expectation for the financial and non-financial resources offered to CRCs across Canada. Setting a minimum standard for the financial and non-financial resources institutions must offer as part of their support packages would provide an opportunity to level the playing field for CRCs across Canada, as well as increase the competitiveness and transparency of these packages.
• The evaluation recommended further clarifying the definition and application of the concept of research excellence throughout the nomination and review processes, in alignment with the CRCP’s EDI requirements.

The Talent Evaluation confirmed that the agencies’ reach aligns with objectives to contribute to the supply of trained researchers to the academic sector and increase Canada’s research capacity, but recommended that the agencies reassess direct funding (i.e., support to students through scholarships) and deliberate carefully on: what they want to achieve with the awards going forward; what is realistic for this type of intervention to achieve in the future; and whether the necessary investment of time, focus and money to renew the awards is feasible. With respect to the indirect funding (i.e., support for training through grants to researchers), the evaluation recommended that training objectives for agency research grants be clarified, ensuring that expectations for training are clearly articulated for prospective grant applicants. As well, future development of a strategy for research training should encompass the whole portfolio (i.e., both direct and indirect streams of funding).

The Talent Evaluation recommended considering expanding the number of awards at earlier degree levels. In doing so, the agencies could diversify their reach. It was also recommended to extend doctoral degree stage eligibility windows or eliminate degree stage eligibility restrictions. Finally, a third recommendation suggested increasing the overall reach of the agencies to part-time students.

The evaluation made three recommendations relating to funding:

• With respect to the indirect stream, the evaluation recommended continued investment in the three types of indirect funding, as they demonstrate different strengths for areas of skills training and provide a broader range of options important to accessibility and reach to students.
• It was suggested that the agencies consider increasing investments in multi-organization collaborative grants as well as training grants, but not at the expense of individual and research team funding.
• Similarly, it was recommended to consider raising grant levels, alongside measures to encourage an increase in the proportions of grants allocated to training and a corresponding increase in per-student stipend levels.

The evaluation report also noted that the agencies will need to work collaboratively with institutions to identify the most appropriate methods to ensure that increased grant funding, where it is intended to contribute to student financial support, translates to higher average per-student stipends, while recognizing the importance of flexibility for grant holders.

For the direct stream, the evaluation noted that the direct awards need to provide enough funding to enable recipients to focus on their studies and award values need to adequately contribute to financial independence. The evaluation thus recommended the insufficiency of awards funding be addressed. However, raising award value without increasing the number of awards is likely to intensify their competitiveness. Ensuring sufficiency of funding includes considering both the funding amount and the duration of funding.

Finally, measures to improve transparency and communication and to better equip students were also identified in the Talent Evaluation.

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships evaluation was underway. This evaluation is being led by CIHR, with an expected completion date of June 2024.

The evaluation of Connection Grants was underway and is expected to be completed by March 2025.

A variety of engagement initiatives (webinars, site visits, telephone, email, online forums) are used as part of the regular competition cycle to give applicants and recipients opportunities to seek and receive information and to provide feedback on service delivery.

1997

2024–25

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2014–15

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive.

Canada has a pool of diverse and highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities.

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used.

Research Partnerships

The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program supports large-scale academically led research networks that harness the creativity and inventiveness of Canadian health, natural and social scientists, and engineers.

Partners from industry, government and not-for-profit organizations contribute additional expertise and bring cash and in-kind support. This program is a tri-agency program administered by NSERC on behalf of CIHR, SSHRC and NSERC.

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

The NCE program continued to mobilize multidisciplinary research teams from across the country to help find solutions to major social, economic or health issues for Canada and train the next generation of highly qualified personnel.

The gradual transition of NCE funding to the New Frontiers in Research Fund will continue over the next year with a complete wind-down of the NCE suite of programs by 2025–26. During the transition period, networks will continue to be supported until the end of their funding agreement.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

There are no plans to evaluate this program as the NCE is no longer an ongoing program and its funds will be gradually transferred to the New Frontiers in Innovation Fund. This program has been evaluated regularly (i.e., every five years) since its inception (as a sunset program) in 1985. Given the solid evaluation history, there are few lessons to be learned from an evaluation at this time.

No further competitions are planned under this program. Existing recipients are supported by direct contact and engagement through their assigned Networks of Centres of Excellence Secretariat staff liaison, who sits as an observer on the Board of Directors.

2018

Ongoing

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2018–19

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive.

Canada has a pool of diverse and highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities.

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used.

New Frontiers in Research Fund

The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) supports research that is international, interdisciplinary, fast-breaking and high-risk / high-reward. It supports projects not easily supported through existing tri-agency and agency-specific mechanisms, and contributes to enhancing Canada’s competitiveness in the global, knowledge-based economy. This program is administered by SSHRC on behalf of CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

NFRF delivered three competitions in 2023–24 and launched two competitions that are ongoing, including a new international initiative, the 2024 NordForsk-led International Joint Initiative on Sustainable Development of the Arctic.

Competitions delivered

• The results of the 2023 International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation competition were released in February 2024. In addition to $30 million in funding from eight international partners, NFRF will contribute almost $60 million over three years toward 32 grants. The 32 international project teams, involving 424 researchers from 45 countries, will focus on designing and implementing adaptation and mitigation strategies for vulnerable groups—groups that are currently the most impacted by climate change effects, because of their physical and socio-economic vulnerability. Women or gender minorities lead 59% of these projects and 75% are led by people who self-identify as racialized individuals. The number of nominated principal investigators who identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) or persons with disabilities is too low to report on separately, but collectively represent 44% of nominated principal investigators.
• Of 530 applications submitted to the 2023 Exploration competition, 133 grants were awarded for a total value of approximately $33 million to support research teams pursuing high-risk, high-reward, interdisciplinary research. 35% of the grants were awarded to teams led by early career researchers; 45% of nominated principal investigators self-identify as women or gender minorities; 29% self-identify as racialized individuals; and 11% self-identify as either Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) or persons with disabilities.
• The 2022 Horizon Global Platform competition awarded an additional 18 grants valued at over $5 million total in fiscal year 2023–24 to support Canadian researchers partnering on projects funded through Pillar II of Horizon Europe.

Competitions in progress

• The 2024 Transformation competition, designed to support large-scale, Canadian-led interdisciplinary research projects that address a major challenge with the potential to realize real and lasting change, received 196 letters of intent. Teams may request between $2 and 4 million per year for six years. The results of the 2024 Transformation competition will be announced in February 2025.
• The 2024 NordForsk-led International Joint Initiative on Sustainable Development in the Arctic supports interdisciplinary research projects that include Indigenous perspectives. The projects leverage expertise across Arctic countries to explore approaches to sustainable development, considering such aspects as security, natural resources and societal changes. This international initiative represents a collaboration among research funders from Canada, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the United States. NFRF, the Canadian partner, committed up to $20 million, starting in 2024–25. Teams may request up to $1 million per year for a maximum of four years. The results of the competition will be announced in March 2025.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

The evaluation of the New Frontiers in Research Fund was underway and is planned to be completed by December 2024.

A variety of engagement initiatives (webinars, site visits, telephone, email, online forums) are used as part of the regular competition cycle to give applicants and recipients opportunities to seek and receive information and to provide feedback on service delivery.

2003

Ongoing

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2022–23

Canada’s university and college research environments are strong.

Research Support Fund

The Research Support Fund (RSF) supports a portion of the indirect costs associated with the conduct of academic research in institutions that receive research grant funds from any of the three federal research funding agencies. Grants are awarded to eligible institutions using a progressive funding formula based on the average revenues from research grants received from CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC. SSHRC manages this tri-agency program on behalf of CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

The RSF invested $452.3 million in 2023–24, of which $369.4 million supported 148 institutions through the base program allocation. Applications to the 2023–24 base grant cycle can be broken down by the intended use of funds across the five eligible expenditure categories: management and administration of the institution’s research enterprise, 35.8%; research facilities, 28.8%; research resources, 20.9%; regulatory requirements and accreditation, 9.7%; and intellectual property and knowledge mobilization, 4.8%.

The Incremental Project Grants (IPG) stream of the program funds projects that focus on a set of priorities that cut across the RSF’s five categories of eligible expenses. Through this stream, the program invested $58.2 million to support 32 institutions. Applications to the 2023–24 IPG stream reflected the following distribution across the following eligible priority areas: facilities renewal, 41.2%; information resources, 28.1%; innovation and commercialization activities, 20.4%; and equity, diversity and faculty renewal, 10.3%.

Research security, which is categorized as a fifth IPG priority area, funds projects that focus on building capacity to identify, assess and mitigate potential risks to research security. Through this priority area, the program invested $24.7 million to support 51 institutions.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

The evaluation of the Research Support Fund is planned to be completed by March 2026.

A variety of engagement initiatives (webinars, telephone, email, online forums) are used as part of the regular competition cycle to give applicants and recipients opportunities to seek and receive information and to provide feedback on service delivery.

2008–09

Ongoing

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2014–15

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive.

Canada has a pool of diverse and highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities.

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used.

Research Training and Talent Development

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program is a tri-agency program designed to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by offering them a significant financial award. This financial award assists students during their studies at Canadian universities. Vanier scholars demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, or health-related fields. This program is administered by CIHR on behalf of CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

Through the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program, the Government of Canada invests up to $25 million annually, divided among the budgets of CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC, to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and establish Canada as a global centre of excellence in research and higher learning. Up to 166 scholarships are awarded annually to Canadian and international doctoral students studying at Canadian universities who demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering, or health.

In the 2023–24 competition, the three federal research funding agencies invested $24.9 million over three years to support research training in areas related to the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering, or health.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–34 or are underway.

The evaluation of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program is planned to be completed by March 2026.

Applicants and recipients are engaged through communication with academic institutions and directed tri-agency or agency-specific electronic communication, as well as through the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships website.

2007

2023–24

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2012–13

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used.

Research Partnerships

The Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE) program funds large-scale collaborative research networks that bring a wide range of research expertise to bear on specific challenges identified by an industrial sector. This tri-agency program is administered by NSERC on behalf of SSHRC, CIHR and NSERC.

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

In 2023–24, BL-NCE program continued to help connect businesses to Canada’s world-class research enterprise. The total tri-agency investment in the BL-NCE program was close to $2 million.

The funding for NCE-funded programs will be gradually transferred to ISED’s Strategic Innovation Fund as networks reach the end of their funding agreements.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

There are no plans to evaluate this program as the BL-NCE was transferred to the Strategic Innovation Fund managed by ISED and will be evaluated as part of that fund. The program has been evaluated regularly (i.e., every five years) since its inception in 2007. Given the solid evaluation history, there are few lessons to be learned from an evaluation.

No further competitions are planned under this program. Existing recipients are supported by direct contact and engagement through their assigned Networks of Centres of Excellence Secretariat staff liaison, who sits as an observer on the Board of Directors.

2017

2025–26

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2017–18

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive.
Canada has a pool of diverse and highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities.

Insight Research

The Canada 150 Research Chairs Program provides Canadian universities with a one-time investment to attract top-tier, internationally based scholars and researchers (including Canadian expatriates) to Canada. This program is administered by SSHRC on behalf of CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

In 2023–24, the Canada 150 Research Chairs program invested a total of $12.3 million to support 21 Canada 150 Research Chairs at 13 Canadian institutions, with four (19%) that align with CIHR’s mandate, 12 (57%) that align with NSERC, and five (24%) that align with SSHRC.

The program has attracted world-renowned researchers, emerging talent and partners from various sectors, both nationally and internationally, to conduct research in various disciplines such as chemistry, microbiology, evolutionary genomics, gender and African politics, global governance, neurosciences, epigenetics, public health and psychology.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

There is no evaluation planned for this program. The program ends in 2025–26 and has been evaluated within the five-year period since its establishment.

A variety of engagement initiatives (webinars, site visits, telephone, email, online forums) are used as part of the regular competition cycle to give applicants and recipients opportunities to seek and receive information and to provide feedback on service delivery.

2008

Ongoing

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2021–22

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive.

Canada has a pool of diverse and highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities.

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used.

Insight Research

The Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) program is a tri-agency initiative that supports Canadian universities in their efforts to build Canada’s growing reputation as a global leader in research and innovation. The program awards funding to world-renowned researchers and their teams to establish ambitious research programs at Canadian universities. This program is administered by SSHRC on behalf of CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

In 2023–24, the program supported 45 Canada Excellence Research Chairs with a total budget of $36.7 million, including 14 (31%) that align with CIHR’s mandate, 24 (53%) that align with NSERC’s mandate and seven (16%) that align with SSHRC’s mandate.

The fourth CERC competition was completed in 2023–24, awarding a total of $248 million over eight years in support of 34 new CERCs at 18 Canadian postsecondary institutions. As announced in Budget 2022, this investment includes $63.7 million of funding for new research chairs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It represents the largest number of CERCs awarded in a single competition in the history of the program.

Of 34 grants awarded in the fourth competition, 53% of the funded CERC chairs were women and 29% were racialized individuals. The number of chairholders who identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) or persons with disabilities is too low to report on (i.e., less than five).

Twenty chairholders from the fourth cohort began their tenure at 14 Canadian institutions in 2023–24 with the rest expected to begin their positions in the first five months of 2024–25. These chairs are expected to develop a governance plan, data management plan, research proposal and EDI action plan, all of which will be submitted in 2024–25.

The midterm reviews of the eight active CERCs awarded in the third competition were undertaken during 2023–24. The steering committee approved all review panel recommendations for the CERCs to continue to receive funding.

The program contributes to the branding of Canada as a location of choice for world-renowned researchers, emerging talent and partners from various sectors, nationally and internationally, helping build a critical mass of expertise in strategic areas that will improve Canadians’ health and enrich Canada’s society and economy.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

The evaluation of the CERC program is planned to be completed by March 2026.

A variety of engagement initiatives (webinars, site visits, telephone, email, online forums) are used as part of the regular competition cycle to give applicants and recipients opportunities to seek and receive information and to provide feedback on service delivery.

2007

2023–24

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2012–13

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used.

Research Partnerships

The Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program bridges the challenging gap between innovation and commercialization. The program matches clusters of research expertise with the business community to share the knowledge and resources that bring innovations to market faster. Centres advance research and facilitate commercialization within four priority areas: environment; natural resources and energy; health and life sciences; and information and communications technologies. This program is administered by NSERC on behalf of CIHR, SSHRC and NSERC.

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

In 2023–24, the CECR continued to help connect businesses to Canada’s world-class research enterprise.

The funding for NCE-funded programs will be gradually transferred to ISED’s Strategic Innovation Fund as centres reach the end of their funding agreements.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

There are no plans to evaluate this program as the CECR was transferred to the Strategic Innovation Fund managed by ISED and will be evaluated as part of that fund. The program has been evaluated three times since its inception in 2007. Given the solid evaluation history, there are few lessons to be learned from an evaluation.

No further competitions are planned under this program. Existing recipients are supported by direct contact and engagement through their assigned Networks of Centres of Excellence Secretariat staff liaison, who sits as an observer on the Board of Directors.

2007

Ongoing

Grant

Appropriated annually through Estimates

2018–19

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used.

Research Partnerships

The College and Community Innovation Program (CCI) is managed by NSERC in collaboration with CIHR and SSHRC. The program increases innovation at the community and/or regional level by enabling Canadian colleges to increase their capacity to work with local companies―particularly small and medium-sized enterprises―in areas of the natural and social sciences, engineering, the humanities and/or health. It supports applied research and collaborations that facilitate commercialization, as well as technology transfer and the adaptation and adoption of new technologies, in areas of strategic importance to Canada.

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

In 2023, the Federal Budget allocated $108.6 million over three years to expand the CCI program, enabling increased support for Canadian businesses' access to expertise and research and development facilities. This funding facilitated the launch of new competitions, such as the Applied Research Tools and Instruments program. A new governance structure was established with the creation of two committees composed of members from NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, ISED and Health Canada. These committees oversee funding decisions under the agencies’ respective mandates. The ongoing evaluation of the CCI program focuses on the College and Community Social Innovation Fund, as well as the design and delivery of Technology Access Centre (TAC) grants.

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

The evaluation of the College and Community Innovation program was underway and is planned to be completed by December 2024.

A variety of engagement initiatives (webinars, site visits, telephone, email, online forums) are used as part of the regular competition cycle to give applicants and recipients opportunities to seek and receive information and to provide feedback on service delivery.

2018

2024–25

Grant

Appropriated annually through the Estimates

2018–19

Canada has a pool of diverse and highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities.

Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used.

Research Training and Talent Development

Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) is a Department of National Defence (DND) initiative, part of which is administered by SSHRC on behalf of DND. The MINDS initiative aims to strengthen the Canadian knowledge base in contemporary defence and security issues by supporting research training and fostering capacity-building in defence and security-related areas across disciplines.

SSHRC is responsible for providing this financial support on behalf of DND to students at the master’s and doctoral level and to postdoctoral fellows who are pursuing research related to defence and security, thereby helping to foster the next generation of defence and security experts.

This transfer payment program does not have repayable contributions.

Through the MINDS Scholarship Initiative, DND and SSHRC foster the next generation of security and defence scholars in the Canadian academic community. By supporting research in areas related to one or more of the MINDS Policy Challenges and/or Canada’s defence policy―Strong, Secure, Engaged―DND and SSHRC encourage the development of a strong Canadian knowledge base in contemporary defence and security issues.

In 2023–24, the MINDS Scholarship Initiative offered 19 new (and five ongoing) awards to 24 students/researchers at the master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral levels through four streams of funding:

• one MINDS Master’s Scholarship for Indigenous Students
• 10 MINDS Initiative Doctoral Awards (and three ongoing awards)
• one MINDS Initiative Postdoctoral Fellowship (and two ongoing awards)
• seven MINDS Scholarship Initiative Supplements

No audits of this transfer payment program were completed in 2023–24 or are underway.

There is no evaluation planned for this initiative. Expenditures are below the requirement for evaluation.

A variety of engagement initiatives (webinars, site visits, telephone, email, online forums) are used as part of the regular competition cycle to give applicants and recipients opportunities to seek and receive information and to provide feedback on service delivery.