Applications Open: CIFAR Global Scholars Program – deadline 4th November 2026

CIFAR is now accepting applications for the 2027-2029 cohort of the CIFAR Global Scholars Program.

As part of their Next-Generation Strategy, this unique program provides junior faculty the opportunity to develop and lead high-risk, high-reward interdisciplinary research, expand their professional networks and receive focused leadership training in their pivotal first years as independent principal investigators.

These experiences accelerate the rise of research leaders who are positioned to drive new discoveries and open new fields of inquiry.

Global Scholars receive:

• A two-year opportunity to collaborate and receive mentorship within a close-knit, interdisciplinary network of leading global researchers in a CIFAR research program.
• $100,000 CAD in unrestricted research support.
• Opportunities to apply for CIFAR seed funds.
• Targeted training in essential areas of research leadership.
• Membership in the extended community of CIFAR Global Scholars, a network of creative and like-minded peers across cohorts.

Who is eligible:

CIFAR welcomes applicants within the first five years of their first independent faculty appointment, whose research complements the themes and goals of a research program listed below. There are no citizenship or geographic restrictions on who may apply. For full eligibility details, visit cifar.ca/global-scholars.

The CIFAR research programs accepting applications are:

• Boundaries, Membership & Belonging
• Brain, Mind & Consciousness
• Fungal Kingdom: Threats & Opportunities
• Healthy Microbiomes in a Changing World
• Innovation, Equity & the Future of Prosperity

Applications close on November 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM EST (UTC -5).

Further Information

Posted on 09/09/2026