Research chairs are essential to Memorial's research success. Their work strengthens our institutional research capacity, enhances our teaching and builds on our strong record of engagement and collaboration.

Research chairs at Memorial include: Canada Excellence Research Chairs, Canada Research Chairs and sponsored research chairs.

Each awarded chair at Memorial represents a significant achievement and acknowledges the chairholder as an expert in their field of study.

Canada Excellence Research Chairs

The Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) 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). It is administered by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS), which is housed within SSHRC.

At Memorial University, the CERC program is overseen by the Office of the Vice-President (Research) and the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic). It is pre- and post-award managed by Research Initiatives and Services (RIS), with the award administered in the academic unit in which the Chair resides.

The program, which is supported by the Government of Canada, seeks to recruit the best global talent to Canada to lead breakthroughs in science, technology and innovation priority areas. The program awards non-renewable Chairs of two award values:

• $8 million over eight years, or;
• $4 million over eight years.

The University nominates researchers whose work complements our institutional Research Strategy 2023-2028.

Canada Research Chairs

The Canada Research Chairs (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). It is administered by the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS), which is housed within SSHRC.

At Memorial University, the CRC Program is overseen by the Office of the Vice-President (Research) and the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic). It is pre- and post-award managed by Research Initiatives and Services (RIS), with awards administered in the academic units in which the Chairs reside.

The University nominates researchers whose work complements our institutional Research Strategy 2023-2028, and CRCs are either:

• Tier 1 Chairs, tenable for seven years and renewable once, and acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their fields, or;
• Tier 2 Chairs, tenable for five years and renewable once, and acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field.

Please click here for additional information on the CRC Program at Memorial.

Sponsored Research Chairs

Sponsored research chairs are awarded to outstanding researchers who are conducting research in areas of strategic importance. These chairs may receive financial support from national and provincial funding agencies, as well as industry partners.

The establishment of the position is overseen by the academic unit in which the chair resides. The application process is overseen by RIS.