The federal government has announced more than 659 award recipients across Canada, totalling $83M in funding to support research in critical areas including advanced digital technologies and biotechnology.
UBC will welcome 28 doctoral students and 17 postdoctoral fellows thanks to this funding.
The Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards (CIRTA) are a one-time initiative that provides scholarships to Canadian universities to recruit prospective doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows who are currently outside Canada. Launched in December, these awards strengthen Canada’s research ecosystem and build capacity through the recruitment of international research talent.
Researchers recruited must be working in one of eight priority research areas, including: advanced digital technologies (AI, quantum, cybersecurity); health, including biotechnology; clean technology and resource value chains; environment, climate resilience, and the Arctic; food and water security; manufacturing and advanced materials; defence and dual-use technologies; and democratic and community resilience.
Doctoral scholarships are valued at $40,000 per year for three years, and postdoctoral fellows receive $70,000 per year for two years. With research projects focusing on AI, impacts of climate change in the tundra, immunotherapy and developments of biotechnology, UBC researchers are primed to make an impact in multiple areas of strategic importance to B.C. and Canada.
These recipients are only the first wave of CIRTA awardees. There will be more than 20 additional doctoral awards and more than 13 postdoctoral fellowships offered in the second wave, to be announced later this year.
Congratulations to all the recipients and welcome to UBC.