How are Chairs awarded?
Canadian postsecondary institutions both nominate Canada Research Chairs and administer their funds.
Each eligible degree-granting institution receives an allocation of Chairs. For each Chair, an institution nominates a researcher whose work complements its strategic research plan and who meets the program's high standards.
Three members of a College of Reviewers, composed of experts from around the world, assess each nomination and recommend whether to support it.
If you are interested in becoming a Canada Research Chair, please contact a Canadian institution, or refer to this publication from Universities Canada for job postings.
Types of Chairs
There are two types of Canada Research Chairs:
Tier 1 Chairs, tenable for seven years and renewable once, are for outstanding researchers acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in
their fields. For each Tier 1 Chair, the institution receives $200,000 annually for seven years.
Tier 2 Chairs, tenable for five years and renewable once, are for exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having
the potential to lead in their field. For each Tier 2 Chair, the institution receives $100,000 annually for five years, with an additional $20,000 annual research stipend for first-term Tier 2 Chairs.
Tier 2 Chairs are not meant to be a feeder group to Tier 1 Chairs. The intent of Tier 2 Chairs is to provide emerging researchers with support that will kick-start their careers. As part of their strategic considerations in managing their allocations, institutions should develop a succession plan for their Tier 2 Chairs.
Infrastructure support from CFI
Chairholders are also eligible for infrastructure support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation to help acquire state-of-the-art equipment essential to their work.