Canada is recruiting 64 researchers from universities around the world under a new federally funded program, with 48 of them moving from U.S. institutions including Harvard, MIT, and the University of Michigan. The government is providing C$504 million over eight years for the first group of research chairs, covering fields including climate resilience, medicine, and other strategic research areas.
The funding is part of Canada’s broader C$1.7 billion Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative. In its official announcement, the government said the program is designed to help Canadian universities compete globally for established researchers and build new research teams.
Most of the New Researchers Are Coming From the U.S.
Three-quarters of the 64 researchers currently work at U.S. institutions. Some are Americans moving to Canada, while others are Canadians returning after working abroad.
Seth Guikema, a climate resilience researcher moving from the University of Michigan to Western University, said the U.S. funding environment for climate and resilience research had become more difficult. He will receive C$8 million over eight years to study tools for preparing for hazards including storms and wildfires.
Peter Caravan, who spent about two decades at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, is moving to the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on improving the detection of diseases including cancer and other chronic conditions.
U.S. Research Funding Changes Are Influencing Some Moves
The Trump administration has frozen or reduced federal research funding across a number of institutions while challenging university policies involving diversity programs, campus governance, and antisemitism.
Several researchers said those changes made opportunities outside the U.S. more attractive. Harvard English professor Stephanie Burt described the research funding cuts as damaging for scientists, while University of Southern California professor Steven Lamy said major grant agencies had become increasingly politicized.
Canada Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said the government was pleased that the researchers had chosen Canadian institutions. Asked whether the program represented an effort to recruit U.S. talent amid wider tensions between the two countries, she said the U.S. government was making its own decisions while Canada was making its own.
Canada Is Also Funding Emerging Research Leaders
Beyond the C$504 million allocated to the 64 Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs, Canada is providing more than C$37 million to recruit 63 additional emerging research leaders over the next year.
The government says the research chairs will work in areas considered important to Canada’s health, economic competitiveness, resilience, and sovereignty.
U.S. universities continue to dominate global academic rankings, with institutions including MIT, Stanford, and Harvard remaining among the highest-ranked universities internationally.
Featured image credits: Magnific.com
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