Program is part of Canada's International Talent Attraction Strategy-a generational investment to attract world-leading research talent to Canada
Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, and the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, announced Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, Martha Piper and Janet Rossant will co-chair the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee responsible for reviewing the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs competition applications.
Launched by Minister Joly and Minister Michel in December 2025, the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program, part of the Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative, supports institutions in attracting world-leading researchers whose work will translate breakthrough research into real-world solutions that will help build a stronger, more resilient Canada, complementing the country's excellent research ecosystem.
Given the central role the program will play in shaping Canada's future research and innovation capacity, the integrity and leadership of the selection process are critical. The Multidisciplinary Selection Committee must be guided by individuals with the stature, judgment and breadth of experience to assess both scientific excellence and real-world impact. This includes ensuring the committee reflects diverse perspectives, a deep understanding of the global research ecosystem and how to translate research into real results, as well as the ability to apply selection criteria impartially in line with the program's commitment to excellence and equity, as outlined in the Recruitment Principles and Membership Requirements.
The selection committee's work will support timely funding decisions and enable institutions to begin onboarding successful candidates starting later in 2026.
Jean-Pierre Bourguignon
A mathematician working at the interface with theoretical physics, Bourguignon has spent his career as a fellow of France's Centre national de la recherche scientifique. He held a professor position at École polytechnique from 1986 to 2012. From 1994 to 2013, he was the director of the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques à Bures-sur-Yvette (France). He was the president of the European Research Council from January 2014 until December 2019 and, subsequently, president ad interim from the end of July 2020 until August 2021. He is a member of the Academia Europaea, the Royal Spanish Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences; the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon; and the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona.
Martha Piper
A physical therapist and child development specialist by training, Piper served as president and vice chancellor of The University of British Columbia from 1997 to 2006. She was also interim president and vice chancellor of The University of British Columbia from 2015 to 2016. She successfully advocated for the Canada Research Chairs Program, which recruits researchers and encourages them to remain in Canada. She also helped bring about the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Piper is an officer of the Order of Canada, a member of the Order of British Columbia, and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2008.
Janet Rossant
A developmental and stem cell biologist, Rossant is the chief of research emeritus and senior scientist emeritus at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, university professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, and president and scientific director of the Gairdner Foundation. She led the Research Institute at the Hospital for Sick Children from 2005 to 2015. She has received several prestigious awards, including the CIHR Michael Smith Prize in Health Research, Canada's most prestigious health research award. She was elected to both the Royal Societies of London and Canada, as well as the United States' National Academy of Sciences. She is also a companion of the Order of Canada.
Bourguignon, Piper, Rossant and the members of the Multidisciplinary Selection Committee are meeting in May 2026 to review the full applications that were submitted in Intake 1 (the first round of the competition) of the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs competition, and again at the end of August 2026 to review applications submitted in Intake 2.
