The Government of Canada has announced a new investment of approximately $12.7 million to support Indigenous-led research initiatives across the country. The funding is being delivered through Canada’s three federal research agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), reflecting a coordinated national effort to strengthen Indigenous research leadership.
The initiative will support 42 Indigenous-led research projects that are designed to address priorities identified by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. These projects focus on advancing community-driven solutions in areas such as health, social development, environmental knowledge, and cultural preservation, while ensuring that Indigenous knowledge systems and governance structures are respected and integrated into research practices.
A key objective of the funding is to strengthen Indigenous self-determination in research by enabling communities to actively lead, design, and manage research initiatives. The program also aims to build long-term research capacity, support knowledge-sharing networks, and promote the protection and revitalization of Indigenous languages, traditions, and cultural practices.
The investment forms part of Canada’s broader national strategy on Indigenous research, which emphasizes reconciliation, equitable participation in knowledge creation, and improved access to federal research funding systems. It also aligns with ongoing efforts to ensure that research outcomes are more inclusive, community-relevant, and capable of addressing real-world challenges faced by Indigenous populations across Canada.
