CIHR – University of Toronto Town Hall on Project Grant: Building a sustainable future for curiosity-driven research - Nov. 23, 2026

The CIHR Project Grant program—and the peer review system that supports it—is under increasing strain. Application volumes are rising, pressures on reviewers are growing, and the program is being asked to serve an increasingly diverse range of research needs.

As a result of this increasing strain, CIHR has released a new discussion paper, Project Grant: Building a sustainable future for curiosity-driven research, and they are inviting members of Canada’s health research community to share their perspectives.

To provide CIHR with feedback from the University of Toronto academic community, the Division of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation will host a town hall featuring a presentation by Adrian Mota, Vice-President, Research Programs, CIHR, followed by a question-and-answer period moderated by Professor Tania Watts, the University of Toronto delegate to CIHR. This event will be held in person to support open dialogue.

Intended audience:

This session is aimed at University of Toronto-affiliated CIHR eligible principal investigators and will be particularly focused on the Project grants competition. Campus and hospital-based investigators who have applied, hold or are planning to apply for CIHR project grants are encouraged to attend. Hospital-based investigators without a UTORID should contact cris@utoronto.ca for registration support.

Presenter:

Adrian Mota, Vice-President, Research Programs, CIHR

Moderator:

Tania Watts, Professor, Department of Immunology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine

This townhall will:

• Provide an overview of the pressures currently facing the CIHR peer review system and the rationale for exploring structural reform,
• Present the specific options under consideration by CIHR, including potential changes to competition frequency, resubmission policies, and grant-holding limits,
• Support the University of Toronto academic community in developing an informed institutional response to CIHR's consultation, and
• Offer an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback directly to a CIHR representative.