Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards 2026
About this scholarship
Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards support doctoral and postdoctoral research in Canada in national priority areas. Awards are commonly used by Canadian universities to recruit international or returning Canadian researchers.
Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards (often abbreviated as CIRTA) are a Canadian federal research training initiative designed to attract outstanding doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to Canada. The programme is administered through Canada’s federal research agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
The awards support research training at PhD and postdoctoral levels, and reference postings also show some institutions using the programme in connection with broader graduate recruitment that may include related master’s opportunities, although the core award is most consistently described for doctoral and postdoctoral candidates. Research must align with Canadian priority areas such as advanced digital technologies, health and biotechnology, clean technology, environment and climate resilience, food and water security, democratic and community resilience, manufacturing and advanced materials, and defence and dual-use technologies.
Based on the postings provided, doctoral awards are commonly valued at CAD 40,000 per year for up to 3 years, while postdoctoral awards are commonly valued at CAD 70,000 per year for up to 2 years. Some universities or labs may supplement these amounts from their own research funds, so total funding can vary by host institution and supervisor. Coverage is primarily described as stipend support; tuition or other institutional costs may or may not be covered separately.
The programme is typically hosted at Canadian universities and research institutions. A recurring eligibility theme in the postings is that applicants are usually expected to be currently outside Canada and not affiliated with a Canadian institution. Many opportunities are aimed at international researchers and returning Canadians abroad, though exact citizenship rules can vary by call or institutional nomination process.
In practice, candidates usually do not apply directly to a single central scholarship portal. Instead, they are nominated by an eligible Canadian host institution or supervisor. Students and researchers should identify a participating Canadian lab or university opportunity, confirm fit with the relevant research priority area, and then follow the host institution’s nomination and admissions process.
Eligibility
Who can apply for this scholarship
Typically open to outstanding doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers whose proposed work aligns with Canada’s priority research areas. Reference postings repeatedly indicate that applicants are usually international researchers or returning Canadians who are currently residing, studying, or working outside Canada and who do not have a current affiliation with a Canadian institution. Final eligibility can vary by host institution, nomination round, and research agency rules.
Requirements
Documents typically needed to apply
Where you can use this
Open positions accepting Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards.
