Canada Announces $880 Million Investment in Health Research and Training
On October 22, 2026, the Government of Canada announced an $880 million investment to fund 439 health research projects and support 6,485 master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral researchers across the country.
On October 22, 2026, the Government of Canada announced an $880 million investment aimed at supporting health research and training the next generation of researchers. The funding is designed to strengthen Canada’s research capacity, advance discoveries that can improve lives and health outcomes, and attract and retain top talent.
More than $400 million of the total investment is allocated through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant program. This portion will support 439 health research projects across the country. Since 2016, the Government of Canada has invested nearly $4.5 billion in health research through CIHR’s Project Grant program.
An additional more than $480 million is being directed through the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS). These funds will support 6,485 master’s students, doctoral students, and postdoctoral researchers, providing them with tools and resources to develop highly skilled talent capable of tackling future challenges. The CRTAS is administered jointly by three federal research granting agencies: CIHR, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
The announcement highlighted several specific projects receiving funding. A team at the Université de Montréal received support to expand access to breast cancer screening in Quebec, with the goal of reducing late-stage diagnoses. In Vancouver, a research team was awarded funding to improve services for young people affected by the overdose crisis. Meanwhile, researchers at SickKids in Toronto are studying how mutations in the PTEN gene affect brain development, work intended to identify new treatment strategies for autism and epilepsy.