2026 Competition
The program aims to continue growth at the leading edge of breakthroughs in science, technology and innovation priority areas that are expected to generate social and economic benefits for Canadians and others around the world. CERCs are among the most prestigious research positions globally, and the program鈥檚 future is as much about recruiting the best global talent to Canada as it is about supporting the next generation of leaders, making them integral parts of ambitious core research teams, so they can chart their own paths forward. The social and economic benefits of this chairholder program will, in addition, have global impact through the commercialization, knowledge translation and mobilization generated by the research.
皇冠体育 is currently welcoming applications from world-leading researchers to the 2026 CERC competition, offering chairholders the opportunity to launch ambitious and impactful research programs at Canadian universities, building a critical mass of expertise to further Canada鈥檚 growing reputation as a global leader in research and innovation. As part of a national initiative to attract the world鈥檚 top scholars, each CERC position awards $8 million or $4 million over eight years, empowering researchers and their teams to launch bold, high-impact programs that align with
皇冠体育鈥檚 will nominate up to two candidates from the following three research areas to become designated nominees for the 2026 Canada Excellence Research Chair competition. Successful nominees will build upon over 180-years of research excellence at 皇冠体育鈥檚, with the opportunity to expand their own research program to advance the frontiers of research on a global scale.
The University invites nominee applications from all qualified individuals. Selected nominees will work in partnership with 皇冠体育鈥檚 to submit an application package for the Canada Excellence Research Chairs competition. Interested applicants are invited to .
皇冠体育's welcomes applications in the following strategic areas:
Advancing next-generation computing and analytics
CERC in Artificial Intelligence and Exascale Computing
皇冠体育's is strategically positioning itself to lead the next computing revolution in Canada, helping the country achieve secure and sovereign supercomputing power to support bold innovation and research goals across disciplines.
Our strong team consists of experts in generative artificial intelligence (AI), supercomputing infrastructure and capacity, natural language processing, human-machine interactions, robotics, wearable computing devices, intelligent communication systems, and software engineering. Many of them are hosted at the , created in 2018 as a hub for cross-disciplinary collaboration. This team will shape Canada's competitiveness on the global scene and create the infrastructure to allow Canadian researchers to ask bigger and more complex questions.
To complement this team, we welcome applications from world-class researchers focused on one or more of the following areas related to AI: Agentic AI, Reinforcement Learning, AI Reasoning, Multimodal AI, Generative AI, Biologically Inspired Models, or AI in Robotics.
View opportunity detailsDelivering materials for the future
CERC in Precision Materials Chemistry
皇冠体育's researchers are at the forefront of developing innovative materials for several applications. A key part of this effort is carried out at the , where chemistry, physics, engineering and medical researchers explore the use of thin carbon layers to protect and extend the lifespan of critical metals. This interdisciplinary research has potential applications across industries, including cancer care, electrochemical energy conversion and storage, and corrosion protection of renewable energy infrastructure in extreme environments.
C2MCI was founded in 2022, bolstered by a $24 million New Frontiers in Research Fund grant. In the upcoming years, we expect to see the impact of this fundamental research unfold, saving billions across infrastructure and manufacturing costs, and improving medical imaging and healthcare worldwide.
We welcome applications from researchers with internationally recognized, world-leading programs focused on Precision Nanomedicine and Nanomaterials, Micro Materials and Innovations, and Innovative Advanced Materials for Macro Applications.
Unravelling the mysteries of the universe
CERC in Astroparticle Physics
Through research elucidating the fundamental building blocks of the universe to the nature of dark matter, 皇冠体育鈥檚 researchers in astroparticle physics are world leaders in the field. Building on Arthur B. McDonald鈥檚 Nobel-Prize winning discovery on the properties of neutrinos, the team pursues questions that lie at the intersection of astrophysics and particle physics: What is the nature of dark matter and dark energy? How have the properties of particles, like the neutrino, shaped the evolution of the universe? Are there additional space-time dimensions?
皇冠体育鈥檚 is uniquely positioned to respond to these questions with its leadership of the and the major national research facility . An underground facility, SNOLAB is the deepest and cleanest laboratory of its kind and is a world leader in neutrino and dark matter research.鈥疕osted at 皇冠体育鈥檚, the McDonald Institute is the cross-Canada network for astroparticle physics researchers, uniting experimental, theoretical, and technical expertise within one organization. Through this leadership 皇冠体育鈥檚 is positioning Canada at the forefront of breakthrough global-scale experiments in astro