Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards (CIRTA)

Background

The Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards is an extraordinary opportunity for recruiting top international (and Canadians currently studying abroad) PhD students and Post-doctoral Fellows. This new initiative is being administered by the three federal research funding agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). You can find a Q&A for the awards here.

The goal of this program is to strengthen Canada’s research impact in several areas of strategic priority, as determined by the federal government. It aims to achieve this goal by providing funding to support Canadian universities in recruiting exceptional junior scholars to support faculty research currently funded by the Tri-Council.

Applications for this funding are submitted by faculty members who agree to serve as mentors and thesis/dissertation supervisors. A supervising faculty member who is interested in this call will be eligible if they currently have an Active Grant from the Tri-Council. See Q&A here.

Each supervising faculty member may nominate ONE candidate only.

Please note: This page will be updated as further information is received from the Tri‑Council. We encourage you to check back regularly for the most up‑to‑date details.

Eligibility Checklist

***Click here to review the eligibility requirements for CIRTA***

Nomination Form

***Click here to download the CIRTA Nomination Form (PDF)***

Adjudication Criteria

***Click here to view the Assessment Criteria for internal CIRTA review (PDF)***

Submissions

Please submit your completed application to graduate.awards@carleton.ca by February 2, 2026 (Monday by 2 pm EST). Each application will consist of:

• completed nomination form
• nominee’s CV (including publications, conference presentations, and awards)
• nominee’s transcripts (unofficial accepted)

Timeline

Note that this exceptional opportunity was launched at the federal level only recently with an extremely tight deadline. Unfortunately, the timelines cannot be adjusted.

• Internal Carleton Nomination Package Submissions Due by February 2, 2026 (Monday by 2:00pm EST)
• Decisions Announced (Internally) by February 13, 2026 (Friday)
• Final Nomination Packages completed by February 26, 2026 (Wednesday)
• Submissions to Agency by March 4, 2026 (Tuesday)

Q & A

Attracting Candidates

• Q: Are we encouraged to post opportunities on LinkedIn?
  A: It is optional. It may help if you don’t already have a strong candidate, but it is not necessary.

Eligibility: Nominees

• Q: Is an international PhD student currently in Canada eligible?
  A: No. Candidates must be living abroad.
• Q: Is an international PhD student studying abroad eligible to transfer to Carleton?
  A: Yes, they are eligible.
• Q: Must a student have completed their MA before nomination?
  A: No, but it must be completed before beginning the PhD.
• Q: If an applicant was previously enrolled at a Canadian institution, but has since left and is currently residing abroad, can you please confirm that they remain eligible to apply, provided they meet all other eligibility requirements?
  A: Yes, an applicant previously enrolled at a Canadian institution can be recruited back to Canada if they are currently residing and studying/working abroad and no longer affiliated here. Citizenship status in Canada does not affect this.
• Q: I’m hiring an international postdoc, who has accepted our offer and is currently waiting for their work permit. In this case, are they still eligible to be nominated for the CIRTA?
  A: Yes, the international post-doc would be eligible as long as they don’t start work before May 1, 2026 (i.e. the first possible start date for the CIRTA award).

Eligibility: Faculty Nominators & Grants

• Q: Are those who hold Canada Research Chair (CRC) funding eligible?
  A: Yes, those who have CRC funding from all councils (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR) are eligible. 
• Q: If my Tri-Council grant is not in the strategic area but my research is, am I eligible?
  A: Yes. The grant must be eligible, but it does not need to match the strategic research area.
• Q: With respect to the priority research areas, are applications where the research is focused on Canada prioritized over research focused on other regions of the world? Additionally, is preference given to work that demonstrates more direct or practical applications within Canada?
  A: The priority research areas are intended to be interpreted broadly. There is no preference given to one topic over another, as long as they do in fact relate to priority research areas. A justification of fit within a priority research area is required on the nomination form. Clear, reasonable justifications written or endorsed by the nominator (supervisor) will generally be accepted. There is no specific criteria for within/outside Canada.

Award Funding & Structure

• Q: For PhD students, is tuition covered?
  A: No. Tuition is not covered.
• Q: Is the award a pure scholarship?
  A: Yes. Funds go directly to the student or postdoc.

Application & Nomination Process

• Q: Should potential PhD nominees also apply to Carleton?
  A: Yes. They must be registered at Carleton to receive the award.
• Q: Is there a second stage after the short nomination?
  A: Yes. The Tri-Council package will follow, though shorter than standard proposals.
• Q: Will Carleton submit more than 10 nominations?
  A: No. Carleton’s allocation is 10 total; 6 for Doctoral and 4 for Postdoc.
• Q: Will faculties run internal competitions?
  A: No. Faculty members may nominate directly to Graduate Studies via Graduate Awards

Adjudication & Selection

• Q: What criteria will be used for adjudication?
  A: Tri-Council-style criteria: research potential, experience, achievements, and fit with priority areas. (See also Adjudication Criteria above.)
• Q: Will EDI considerations be applied?
  A: Yes. EDI and DORA principles will be integrated.

Timing & Deadlines

• Q: What are the earliest and latest start dates?
  A: Earliest possible for a nominee to activate the award in May 2026. They can also start in May 2026 and activate the award in September 2026 for a doctoral or almost any month for a postdoctoral award. Latest activation is March 31, 2027 (postdocs). For PhDs, latest is January 2027.
• Q: If a nominee is offered and accepts a CIRTA award but is unable to secure a visa within the available start dates, would a deferral or extension beyond the available start dates be considered?
  A: Awards should be activated by March 31, 2027. We encourage institutions to make full use of their nomination allocation in wave 1, so that awards can be offered as early as possible and allow time for relocation. An update to procedures at IRCC is in the works for participants to the Impact+ initiative. They will release details when they are available. Closer to March 2027, if your institution has an awardee that is likely not to be able to relocate in time, for reasons of immigration administration, reach out to us about that case specifically. Any exception or arrangement will have to be discussed on a case-by-case basis. (Response from CIRTA officials.)
• Q: For Iranian students, there will be significant challenges in obtaining required application documentation. Would nominations involving candidates based in Iran be eligible for a submission extension beyond the March 4 deadline?
  A: No extension will be granted to the March 4 deadline.
• Q: If a recipient declines, does Carleton lose the award?
  A: Yes. A second national call will reassign unclaimed awards.

Forms & Communication

• Q: When will the online nomination form be available?
  A: It is already available, see link above under “Nomination Form”.
• Q: Can the form be shared with candidates?
  A: Yes, absolutely.
• Q: Who can I contact with further questions?
  A: Please reach out to Graduate Awards with any questions.

More Q & A available on the CIRTA website!

Please note: This page will be updated as further information is received from the Tri‑Council. We encourage you to check back regularly for the most up‑to‑date details.