Government of Canada announces co-chairs of the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee for the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs competition

Program is part of Canada's International Talent Attraction Strategy--a generational investment to attract world-leading research talent to Canada

OTTAWA, ON, May 19, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, and the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, announced Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, Martha Piper and Janet Rossant will co-chair the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee responsible for reviewing the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs competition applications.

Launched by Minister Joly and Minister Michel in December 2025, the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program, part of the Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative, supports institutions in attracting world-leading researchers whose work will translate breakthrough research into real-world solutions that will help build a stronger, more resilient Canada, complementing the country's excellent research ecosystem.

Given the central role the program will play in shaping Canada's future research and innovation capacity, the integrity and leadership of the selection process are critical. The Multidisciplinary Selection Committee must be guided by individuals with the stature, judgment and breadth of experience to assess both scientific excellence and real-world impact. This includes ensuring the committee reflects diverse perspectives, a deep understanding of the global research ecosystem and how to translate research into real results, as well as the ability to apply selection criteria impartially in line with the program's commitment to excellence and equity, as outlined in the Recruitment Principles and Membership Requirements.

The selection committee's work will support timely funding decisions and enable institutions to begin onboarding successful candidates starting later in 2026.

Jean-Pierre Bourguignon

A mathematician working at the interface with theoretical physics, Bourguignon has spent his career as a fellow of France's Centre national de la recherche scientifique. He held a professor position at École polytechnique from 1986 to 2012. From 1994 to 2013, he was the director of the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques à Bures-sur-Yvette (France). He was the president of the European Research Council from January 2014 until December 2019 and, subsequently, president ad interim from the end of July 2020 until August 2021. He is a member of the Academia Europaea, the Royal Spanish Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences; the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon; and the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona.

Martha Piper

A physical therapist and child development specialist by training, Piper served as president and vice chancellor of The University of British Columbia from 1997 to 2006. She was also interim president and vice chancellor of The University of British Columbia from 2015 to 2016. She successfully advocated for the Canada Research Chairs Program, which recruits researchers and encourages them to remain in Canada. She also helped bring about the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Piper is an officer of the Order of Canada, a member of the Order of British Columbia, and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2008.

Janet Rossant

A developmental and stem cell biologist, Rossant is the chief of research emeritus and senior scientist emeritus at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, university professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, and president and scientific director of the Gairdner Foundation. She led the Research Institute at the Hospital for Sick Children from 2005 to 2015. She has received several prestigious awards, including the CIHR Michael Smith Prize in Health Research, Canada's most prestigious health research award. She was elected to both the Royal Societies of London and Canada, as well as the United States' National Academy of Sciences. She is also a companion of the Order of Canada.

Bourguignon, Piper, Rossant and the members of the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee are meeting in May 2026 to review the full applications that were submitted in Intake 1 (the first round of the competition) of the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs competition, and again at the end of August 2026 to review applications submitted in Intake 2.

Quotes

"Canada is positioning itself as a global destination of choice for top talent in science and research. By investing in cutting‑edge, innovative research, our government is building a strong, resilient economy that is competitive today and into the future. I thank Dr. Bourguignon, Dr. Piper and Dr. Rossant for their outstanding leadership. Through Canada's International Talent Attraction Strategy, we are accelerating research with real‑world impact--strengthening our innovation ecosystem and delivering economic and societal benefits for Canadians. I am confident this committee will help attract global researchers whose work will drive lasting prosperity across Canada."

--The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

"By attracting top researchers and emerging talent in fields like life sciences and biotechnology, as well as encouraging international collaboration with Canada's world-class expertise, the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs initiative will help ensure that future health innovations are made right here in Canada. This work will drive new and better treatments, strengthen health-care systems, and support research that benefits people in Canada and around the world."

--The Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health

"By bringing together world‑leading expertise and strategic insight across disciplines, this Multidisciplinary Selection Committee will play a vital role in identifying and supporting world‑class researchers whose work addresses the most pressing challenges of today and tomorrow. Through the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs, we are strengthening Canada's research ecosystem, fostering innovation, and building a more resilient and inclusive future for all Canadians."

--Normand Labrie, Interim President, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Quick facts

• The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program offers $1 billion over 12 years to support institutions in attracting world-leading researchers. New research chairs and their teams will advance transformational research projects that can be applied and/or commercialized by connecting with receptors in industry, government and society, while also developing the next generation of highly qualified personnel.
• The Multidisciplinary Selection Committee is composed of a diverse group of world-leading national and international academics, scientists and leaders from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Based on a full consideration of the selection criteria and the available budget, the committee will make funding recommendations to the government for consideration and approval.
• This program is part of the broader $1.7 billion Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative, which comprises a suite of programs designed to attract and support more than 1,000 leading international and expatriate researchers, including francophone researchers. This initiative represents one of the largest recruitment programs of its kind, uniquely designed for exceptional speed and flexibility in attracting and supporting top research talent who will advance world-leading research in critical fields that will deliver direct economic, societal and health benefits for Canadians.
• The Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders program will invest $120 million over 12 years to attract international early career researchers (ECRs) bringing in fresh ideas, diverse perspectives and significant potential to Canada's research ecosystem.
• Another $400 million over six years will be available through the Canada Impact+ Research Infrastructure Fund, administered by the Canada Foundation for Innovation. This provides complementary research infrastructure support to ensure the recruited research chairs and ECRs have the world-class facilities they need to achieve their research goals.
• The Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program is being administered through the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) on behalf of Canada's three federal research funding agencies--CIHR, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). TIPS is housed at SSHRC.

Associated links

• Canada Impact+ Research Chairs and Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders: Intake 1 application statistics
• Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative

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Contacts: Gabrielle Landry, Deputy Director, Media Relations, Office of the Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, [email protected]; Alexandre Bergeron, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Health, [email protected]; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, [email protected]; Media Relations, Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat, [email protected]