Federal investment boosts McGill’s research leadership with over $13 million for Canada Research Chairs 

Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, announced over $198 million in federal funding through the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program, including more than $13 million to support 19 Chairs—nine new and ten renewed—at McGill.  

The CRC program invests approximately $311 million annually to recruit and retain world-class researchers in the fields of engineering, health sciences, and humanities and social sciences. At McGill, CRCs strengthen our research excellence, train the next generation of scholars, and contribute to discoveries that enhance quality of life or address pressing global challenges. McGill’s newly appointed Canada Research Chairs will drive forward cutting-edge research and public engagement in fields such as quantum science, sustainable energy transitions, and biomedical citizen science.  

“We thank the Government of Canada for its continued investment in cutting-edge research across a wide range of disciplines—from infectious diseases to quantum science,” said Professor Chris Manfredi, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at McGill University. “The Canada Research Chairs program plays a vital role in helping institutions like McGill recruit and retain top-tier talent from around the world, reinforcing Canada’s position as a global leader in research and innovation.” 

The CRC Program is a tri-agency initiative of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). There are two types of Canada Research Chairs: 

• Tier 1 Chairs, awarded to outstanding researchers acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their fields, are valued at $200,000 annually for seven years, with one opportunity for renewal.  

• Tier 2 Chairs, valued at $120,000 annually for five years and renewable only once at a value of $100,000 annually, are for exceptional emerging researchers, acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field. 

McGill’s new and renewed CRC recipients: 

• Patrick Augustin, Canada Research Chair in Macrofinance and Derivatives, Desautels Faculty of Management, SSHRC, Tier 2 (Renewal) 
• Rosemary Bagot, Canada Research Chair in Behavioral Neurogenomics, Department of Psychology, CIHR, Tier 2 (Renewal) 
• Sylvain Baillet, Canada Research Chair in Neural Dynamics of Brain Systems, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, CIHR, Tier 1 (Renewal) 
• Nicole Basta, Canada Research Chair in Infectious Disease Prevention, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, CIHR, Tier 2 (Renewal) 
• Jon Britt, Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, CIHR, Tier 2 (Renewal) 
• Changhong Cao, Canada Research Chair in Advanced Small-Scale Materials and Manufacturing, Department of Mechanical Engineering, NSERC, Tier 2 (New) 
• Julio Flavio Fiore Junior, Canada Research Chair in Surgical Outcomes, Department of Surgery, CIHR, Tier 2 (New) 
• Simon Gravel, Canada Research Chair in Population and Statistical Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, CIHR, Tier 1 (New) 
• Anna Hargreaves, Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Ecology and Biogeography, Department of Biology, NSERC, Tier 2 (New) 
• Yasser Iturria-Medina, Canada Research Chair in Multimodal Data Integration in Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, CIHR, Tier 2 (Renewal) 
• Mary Kang, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Monitoring and Energy Transition, Department of Civil Engineering, NSERC, Tier 2 (New) 
• Marina B. Klein, Canada Research Chair in Clinical and Epidemiologic Studies of Chronic Viral Infections in Vulnerable Populations, Department of Medicine, CIHR, Tier 1 (Renewal) 
• Emerson Krock, Canada Research Chair in Pain Neuroimmunology, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, CIHR, Tier 2 (New) 
• Jianyu Li, Canada Research Chair in Biomaterials and Musculoskeletal Health, Department of Mechanical Engineering, NSERC, Tier 2 (Renewal) 
• Ayodeji Ogunnaike, Canada Research Chair in Globalization of African Religions & Yoruba Mythology, School of Religious Studies, SSHRC, Tier 2 (New) 
• Sarah Racine, Canada Research Chair in Eating Disorders, Department of Psychology, CIHR, Tier 2 (Renewal) 
• Debra Thompson, Canada Research Chair in Racial Inequality in Democratic Societies, Department of Political Science, SSHRC, Tier 2 (Renewal) 
• Kai Wang, Canada Research Chair in Quantum Photonics, Department of Physics, NSERC, Tier 2 (New) 
• Jérôme Waldispuhl, Canada Research Chair in Biomedical Citizen Science, School of Computer Science, CIHR, Tier 1 (New) 

Click here to read the official government announcement