Over $22M in funding awarded to 130 UCalgary faculty members as part of federal investment

On June 14, 2024, the University of Calgary received over $22 million as part of a federal funding announcement. The announcement included $693.8 million in funding for discovery and applied research, and was made by Yasir Naqvi, parliamentary secretary to the minister of health and Ryan Turnbull, parliamentary secretary to the deputy prime minister and minister of finance, and parliamentary secretary to the minister of innovation, science and industry on behalf of François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science, and industry. 

More than more than $554 million of the total funding is dedicated to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) Discovery Research Program. 

“Canada’s science and research sector is solving some of the world’s greatest challenges, all while driving innovation, growth and productivity. Research programs like Discovery give researchers the flexibility to explore the most promising avenues of research as they emerge to ensure Canada remains a world leader in science and new technologies. Congratulations to all exceptional researchers receiving support, we look forward to learning of your successes,” said Champagne in the announcement.

The institutional funding from the federal announcement will support five Canada Research Chairs, 85 NSERC Discovery Grants, 29 NSERC Discovery Launch Supplement grants, nine NSERC Research Tools and Instruments grants, one NSERC Discovery Northern Research Supplement grant and one NSERC Ship Time grant.

"We are delighted to celebrate the exceptional research endeavours of our scholars recognized in today’s announcement, who represent the impressive breadth of our research disciplines and innovative approaches at UCalgary,” says Dr. William Ghali, vice-president (research). 

“From making strides in Indigenous health equity, to broadening our understanding of hydrogen, their work exemplifies our institution’s position as a research leader in Canada and beyond.”

Canada Research Chairs

The Canada Research Chairs Program supports emerging and established researchers across health, engineering, natural sciences, social sciences and humanities disciplines, and enhances research excellence in Canada.

The 2023-1 cycle of UCalgary Research Chairs:

• Dr. Caroline Tait, PhD, Tier I CRC in Indigenous Health Equity and Inclusion
• Dr. Jennifer Adams, PhD, Tier II CRC in Creativity, Equity and STEMM*
• Dr. Cheryl Barnabe, MD, Tier II CRC in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Autoimmune Diseases*
• Dr. Catherine Lebel, PhD, Tier II CRC in Pediatric Neuroimaging*
• Dr. Anup Srivastava, PhD, MBA, Tier II CRC in Accounting, Decision-Making and Capital Markets*

* Indicates a CRC renewal

Read more about the 2023-1 Canada Research Chairs

NSERC Discovery Grants Program (DGs)

DGs support ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects. DGs provide long-term operating funds, and support creative and innovative projects with up to five years of funding.

UCalgary received 85 grants from the DG program in the faculties of Arts, Kinesiology, Science, Veterinary Medicine, the Cumming School of Medicine, Haskayne School of Business, and Schulich School of Engineering, valued at over $17.5 million. Twenty-nine successful NSERC Launch supplements were received, which support early career researchers (ECRs) as they establish a Discovery Grant-funded research program.

Additional NSERC grants

UCalgary also received nine grants from the Research Tools and Instruments program, one Ship Time grant and a Northern Research Supplement.

Learn more about the NSERC grants and the UCalgary recipients on the NSERC website.