Canada Research Chairs (CRC)

Program Objectives

In 2000, the Government of Canada created a permanent program to establish 2,285 research professorships—Canada Research Chairs—in eligible degree-granting institutions across the country.

The Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program stands at the centre of a national strategy to make Canada one of the world's top countries in research and development. It invests approximately $311 million per year to attract and retain a diverse cadre of world-class researchers, to reinforce academic research and training excellence in Canadian postsecondary institutions.

Chairholders aim to achieve research excellence in engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences. They improve our depth of knowledge and quality of life, strengthen Canada's international competitiveness, and help train the next generation of highly skilled people through student supervision, teaching, and the coordination of other researchers' work.

The CRC Program is a tri-agency initiative of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). It is administered by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS), which is housed within SSHRC.

Value and Duration

Tier 1 Chairs

Tier 1 Chairs are tenable for seven (7) years and renewable once. For each Tier 1 Chair, the institution receives $200,000 annually for seven years.

Tier 2 Chairs

Tier 2 Chairs are tenable for five (5) years and renewable once. 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. This additional research stipend is meant to assist new Tier 2 Chairs in establishing their research programs.