Coming soon: Continuing the conversation on the future of the Project Grant program
Message from the Vice-President, Research Programs
September 11, 2026
Over the past several months, CIHR has been listening closely to the health research community about the pressures facing the Project Grant program and how we can ensure it remains strong, fair and sustainable for the future. These pressures continue to grow, as reflected in the record 4,000 registrations received for the most recent Project Grant competition.
More than 2,000 members of the community have contributed to this conversation so far—through national engagement sessions, university visits, discussions with peer review leaders and advisory bodies, and correspondence with CIHR. What we have heard has reinforced both the importance of the Project Grant program to Canada’s health research ecosystem and the need to address the pressures facing it thoughtfully, transparently and together.
Later in September, CIHR will publish a discussion paper to support the next phase of this conversation, along with a survey inviting the research community to weigh in on the way forward.
The paper will bring together the evidence and data informing our work, reflect what we have heard from the community, and outline a range of potential interventions for addressing the challenges facing the Project Grant program and strengthening it for the future. It will also set out the considerations and trade-offs associated with different approaches, providing a foundation for a deeper discussion about how the program—and the peer review system that supports it—can remain effective and sustainable over the long term.
Importantly, the discussion paper is not a set of decisions or a predetermined roadmap. The interventions it presents are intended to stimulate discussion and gather feedback. No decisions have been made on the approaches under consideration.
Alongside the paper, we will launch a survey where members of the research community can share their views on the options being considered, their potential benefits and risks, and the trade-offs CIHR should take into account. The survey will be one of several opportunities to participate in the next phase of engagement, including engagement sessions, and the feedback we receive will help inform future decisions.
The next phase of this process will see the development of an implementation plan, based on the feedback we receive and guided by an advisory committee made up of representatives from the research community. Any changes coming out of this process will be shared well in advance to ensure the community has plenty of time to prepare.
We know there is no simple solution to the pressures facing the system, and that any potential change will involve important considerations and trade-offs. Our objective is not change for its own sake.
It is to ensure that CIHR can continue to support excellent, impactful, investigator-initiated health research through a peer review system that is rigorous, fair, trusted and sustainable.
We look forward to sharing the discussion paper with you soon and, most importantly, to hearing your views on the choices before us.
Sincerely,
Adrian Mota
Vice-President, Research Programs
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
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