The 2026 Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) competition has now launched. The CERC program aims to support world-renowned researchers and their teams to establish ambitious research programs at Canadian universities.
The program is funded by the three federal research funding agencies and offers eligible Canadian, degree-granting institutions an opportunity to recruit world-class researchers.
The objectives of the program are to:
- strengthen Canada’s ability to attract the world’s top researchers, in order to be at the leading edge of breakthroughs in ST&I priority areas expected to generate social and economic benefits for Canadians;
- help Canada build a critical mass of expertise in ST&I priority areas identified by the Government of Canada;
- create a competitive environment to help Canadian institutions, in their pursuit of excellence in their research, attract a cadre of world-leading researchers; and
- contribute to branding Canada as a location of choice for world-leading research, science and technology development, alongside other federal programs with similar objectives.
This competition is capped institutionally, with each institution limited to a total dollar value of applications. An internal selection process has now completed.
Current Competitions
| Job Title | Posting Date | Closing Date |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Excellence Research Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk | June 18, 2025 | July 22, 2025 |
| Canada Excellence Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence for Improving Patient Outcomes and Enhancing Health Service Delivery | June 27, 2025 | August 1, 2025 |
| Canada Excellence Research Chair in Ocean Ecological Modelling | July 2, 2025 | September 12, 2025 |
| Canada Excellence Research Chair in Regenerative Medicine and Diabetes | July 7, 2025 | August 7, 2025 |
| Canada Excellence Research Chair in Natural Resources Governance | July 7, 2025 | September 1, 2025 |