To protect and promote Canada's official languages, we need to support a more consistent approach to research in French. This will help train a new generation of Francophone researchers and scientists, and ensure that the issues facing Francophone communities have a central place in Canadian academia.
The Government of Canada supports the vitality of Francophone communities as well as a more dynamic and inclusive scientific ecosystem.
On April 13, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, announced $1 million in funding for fiscal year 2025-26 to support French-language research in Canada. The investment was made through the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028 initiative to support the creation and distribution of scientific information in French. It was divided among three federal agencies responsible for administering the funding: the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), which receives $400,000; the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), which receives $350,000; and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), which receives $250,000.
These agencies are responsible for administering the funding, which aims to support research in French, training for the next generation of francophone scientists, and the production and distribution of research on the Francophonie and on issues of interest to Francophone communities across the country. As the federal funding agency for health research, CIHR will administer funding to support health research in French.
SSHRC and NSERC will do the same in their respective areas of expertise: social sciences and humanities and natural sciences and engineering. For more information, please see the attached backgrounder document.
This funding is part of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028, which provides $8.5 million over five years to support the creation and distribution of scientific information in French, including a targeted measure to support research in French.
With this commitment, the Government of Canada is reaffirming its support for official languages and research excellence in Canada.
Quotes
"Investing in research in French means investing in ideas and points of view that enrich all of Canada. By directly supporting the next generation of Francophone scientists, we're helping build more diverse academic and community environments, where language is not a barrier to innovation, but an engine for the creation, collaboration and sharing of essential knowledge."
- The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages
Quick facts
- The Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration represents a total investment of $4.1 billion to protect and promote the country's official languages. It is the largest official languages investment ever made by a Canadian government.
- SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR will be responsible for launching and managing their respective processes to select the research projects receiving funding.
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