Government of Canada announces continuing support for research in French

Minister Miller announces financial support to protect and promote French by supporting the creation and distribution of scientific information in French in all disciplines

OTTAWA, ON, April 13, 2026 /CNW/ - To protect and promote Canada's official languages, we need to support a more consistent approach to research in French. This will help train a new generation of Francophone researchers and scientists, and ensure that the issues facing Francophone communities have a central place in Canadian academia.

The Government of Canada supports the vitality of Francophone communities as well as a more dynamic and inclusive scientific ecosystem.

Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, announced $1 million in funding for fiscal year 2025–26 to support French-language research in Canada. The investment was made through the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028 initiative to support the creation and distribution of scientific information in French. It was divided among three federal agencies responsible for administering the funding: the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), which receives $400,000; the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), which receives $350,000; and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), which receives $250,000.

These agencies are responsible for administering the funding, which aims to support research in French, training for the next generation of francophone scientists, and the production and distribution of research on the Francophonie and on issues of interest to Francophone communities across the country. As the federal funding agency for health research, CIHR will administer funding to support health research in French.

SSHRC and NSERC will do the same in their respective areas of expertise: social sciences and humanities and natural sciences and engineering. For more information, please see the attached backgrounder document.

This funding is part of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028, which provides $8.5 million over five years to support the creation and distribution of scientific information in French, including a targeted measure to support research in French.

With this commitment, the Government of Canada is reaffirming its support for official languages and research excellence in Canada.

Quotes

"Investing in research in French means investing in ideas and points of view that enrich all of Canada. By directly supporting the next generation of Francophone scientists, we're helping build more diverse academic and community environments, where language is not a barrier to innovation, but an engine for the creation, collaboration and sharing of essential knowledge."

– The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages

Quick Facts

The Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration represents a total investment of $4.1 billion to protect and promote the country's official languages. It is the largest official languages investment ever made by a Canadian government.

SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR will be responsible for launching and managing their respective processes to select the research projects receiving funding.

Related Products

Backgrounder: Government of Canada announces support for research in French

The Government of Canada has announced $1 million in total funding for 2025–26 to support French-language research in Canada. The investment is made through the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028's initiative to support the creation and distribution of scientific information in French. It is divided among three federal agencies responsible for administering the funding: the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), which receives $400,000; the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), which receives $350,000; and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), which receives $250,000. These organizations are responsible for administering the funds.

List of projects that have received support from Canadian Heritage

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

Candidates	Project names	Institutions
Roberta Soares	L'expérience des jeunes immigrants concernant leur inclusion au Canada après un programme d'intégration linguistique en français au Québec et dans l'Ontario francophone	University of Ottawa
Sylvain St-Onge	Voix minoritaires : Une sociographie statistique des communautés de langue officielle au Canada	Université de Moncton
Crispin Enagogo	Identification des freins à l'expansion des petites et moyennes entreprises dans les espaces francophones et acadiens de la Nouvelle-Écosse	Université Sainte-Anne
Léonel Philibert	Analyse de l'expérience de travail, de santé et de bien-être des Préposés aux Services de Soutien personnel Immigrants francophonES en Ontario (EPISSES)	Université de l'Ontario français
Lena Hübner	Résister au quotidien : quand la violence basée sur le genre et la race redéfinit l'appropriation numérique de l'actualité en milieu minoritaire francophone en Ontario	University of Ottawa
Mariette Théberge	L'enseignement de l'épistémologie en éducation aux cycles supérieurs en français au Canada	University of Ottawa
Christopher Gunter	Les tiers-lieux culturels des communautés francophones minoritaires : la division du travail, la créativité et les industries culturelles	Saint Paul University
Virginie Abat-Roy	Diversité et insertion professionnelle en enseignement : regards croisés sur les expériences et trajectoires des personnes étudiantes et enseignantes en milieux francophones minoritaires au Canada	Université de Moncton
André Villeneuve	Optimisation du tutorat par les pairs en français au collégial : caractéristiques des tuteur·ices efficaces et conditions de pairage favorables	Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Hélène Boucher	Étude des jeux musicaux de cours d'école en milieu francophone minoritaire au Canada	Université du Québec à Montréal
Lucie Hotte	La littérature franco-canadienne en revues (1968-2024)	University of Ottawa
François-Olivier Dorais	Au cœur de la pratique et de l'identité disciplinaire en histoire. L'Institut d'histoire de l'Amérique française et sa revue (1947-2024)	Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Mireille Tremblay	La fragmentation du français laurentien : trois types de trajectoires	Université de Montréal
Shirin Shahrokni	Not a Single Story: Impacts of Race, Gender and Geographical Provenance on the Employment Trajectories of Highly Skilled Francophone Immigrants in Ontario	York University
Linda Beddouche	(Re)penser les politiques linguistiques éducatives en contexte plurilingue: une comparaison Colombie-Britannique et Polynésie française	Simon Fraser University
Marc Valade	La capacité des Communautés francophones en situation minoritaire (CFSM) d'attirer et intégrer les personnes immigrantes d'expression française : Facteurs d'efficacité et cadre d'optimisation	Western University
Marine Bahl	Projet de recherche sur le décloisonnement de l'identité dans la littérature franco-ontarienne	York University
Catherine Dubois	Les usages professionnels des bibliothèques scolaires par les personnes enseignant le français au primaire	Université de Sherbrooke
Janick Robidoux	Les pratiques langagières de familles immigrantes après l'adoption de la Loi 96 : Une étude sociolinguistique à Gatineau.	University of Ottawa
Hanna Harper	"Perfectly Bilingual": Ideologies in Bilingual Identity Construction in Canada	Carleton University
Claudia Dumont	Sortir de l'ombre : Une sociologie historique des femmes francophones en Alberta et des inégalités de genre au début du 20^e siècle	University of Alberta
Charlotte Doucet	Atlas linguistique de l'Est du Canada (1969-1980). La linguistique au Québec dans un contexte d'affirmation disciplinaire et politique	Université du Québec à Montréal

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Candidates	Project names	Institutions
Frédéric-Georges Fontaine	Centre for Innovation and Research on Carbon Utilization in Industrial Technologies (CIRCUIT)	Université Laval
Christian Messier	Training the future leaders in urban forestry (Ufor)	Université du Québec en Outaouais
Christian Landry	Canadian training program on the evolution of fungal pathogens: EvoFunPath	Université Laval
Emilio Alarcon	INterdisciplinary Training in BIOmedical TECHnologies (INTBIOTECH)	University of Ottawa
Maia Fraser	Interdisciplinary Math and Artificial Intelligence Program (INTER-MATH-AI)	University of Ottawa
Jonathan Gaudreault	Training program for leadership in manufacturing systems science and engineering 4.0	Université Laval
Ghassan Jabbour	Training in Quantum Materials Multiscale Assembly via Low-Cost, Low-Carbon Footprint Processes (CREATE-QuantM-MALL)	University of Ottawa
Philippe Sarret	Cross-disciplinary Acuity Training Program in Intelligent and Responsible Drug Discovery	Université de Sherbrooke
Delphine Bouilly	Advanced Materials Academy (AMA)	Université de Montréal
Damase Khasa	NSERC-CREATE Canadian Training Program on Nature-based Solutions for Ecosystem Restoration (NASER)	Université Laval
Carl-Éric Aubin	Boost-MedTech: Strengthening interdisciplinary, experiential and inclusive skills to better prepare tomorrow's responsible medical technology innovators	Polytechnique Montréal
Jean-François Couture	BRIGHT CANADA: Bringing Radiobiology Innovations to Grow the Highly Trained Workforce in Canada	University of Ottawa
Nathalie Tufenkji	NSERC CREATE for training on complex MIXtures of CHEMical contaminants - MIXCHEM	McGill University

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Candidates	Project names	Institutions
Mathieu Bélanger	The PARTAGE-D study: Improved practices through therapeutic appointments with supervised groups for dyslipidemia	Université de Sherbrooke
Geneviève Belleville	Treating post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from sexual assault of 2SLGBTQI+ people: Pilot study of a randomized controlled trial evaluating an adapted version of the RESILIENT online platform	Université Laval
Segnon Emmanuel Sogbossi	Effect of intensive bimanual therapy on proprioception and visuomotor control in children living with cerebral palsy	Université Laval

Associated Links

Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Hermine Landry, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, [email protected]; Media Relations: Canadian Heritage, [email protected]