Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) 2025

NSERC

Click to add favourite Remove from favourite

0

Vacancy

1

Description

Program Overview

The Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) aims to identify and support exceptional emerging scholars and innovators at a crucial stage in their academic journey. By offering competitive funding, the program enables early-career researchers to gain advanced training and further develop the expertise necessary to make significant contributions to Canada’s research, innovation, and economic development. Administered through the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS)—a collaborative initiative of CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC—the CPRA is designed to foster cross-disciplinary excellence and enable impactful postdoctoral research in Canada or abroad. The program welcomes proposals from a wide range of disciplines, including health sciences, natural sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities, as well as interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral projects. 

Responsibilities

Objectives

• Support highly qualified postdoctoral researchers
• Enhance Canada’s innovation capacity and global research leadership
• Foster creative thinking and research excellence
• Encourage knowledge transfer across sectors and disciplines
• Promote diversity and inclusive participation in the Canadian research landscape 

Program Commitments

As part of Canada's alignment with the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), participating agencies are dedicated to holistic and fair evaluations. This includes considering diverse forms of research outputs and recognizing a broad spectrum of scholarly achievements during the review process. 

Qualification

Eligibility Criteria 

• Hold, or expect to receive, a doctoral or health professional degree by the award start date
• Not currently holding a tenure-track or tenured academic appointment
• Have completed all requirements for your most recent doctoral degree within three years of September 1 of the application year 

Note: The date of degree completion refers to when all academic obligations were met, including thesis defense and final submission, not the official graduation or convocation date. 

Eligibility Extensions (When Applicable)

You may be eligible for an extended application period under specific circumstances, including:

• Parental leave, personal health issues, or caregiving responsibilities
• Military service, war, or natural disasters affecting your research environment
• Socioeconomic constraints or lack of research opportunities
• Industry/government employment (non-academic) of at least six months after PhD completion
• Clinical training unrelated to research (e.g., medical residency) 

Each case will be assessed individually, and supporting documentation may be required. 

International Applicants

You may apply as a non-Canadian citizen or resident if you meet one of the following:

• You earned or are currently completing your doctoral or health professional degree at a Canadian institution, or
• You are conducting postdoctoral research in Canada at the time of application 

Note: Up to 20% of the available fellowships are reserved for international applicants. 

What the Award Offers

The CPRA provides:

• Financial support to pursue research at a host institution in Canada or abroad
• A platform to strengthen research networks, build professional skills, and advance career trajectories
• Opportunities to engage with leading researchers, institutions, and national innovation agendas 

Application & More Information

For full application details, evaluation guidelines, and submission instructions, please visit the official website of NSERC, CIHR, or SSHRC (as appropriate).