The Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) program is a federal research talent investment program in the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS) administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

The CRTAS aims to support the next generation of innovators by providing funding and high-quality research training, cultivating research skills, fostering creativity, and empowering awardees to make significant contributions to Canada's research ecosystem, economy and prosperity. 

  • Duration: 24 months
  • Value: $70,000 per year ($140,000 total)
  • Objective: The Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) program recognizes and supports the next generation of outstanding innovators, knowledge workers, creative thinkers, and researchers at a pivotal time in their careers. The program provides funding and flexibility, empowering Canadian and international leaders in innovation and scholarship of tomorrow to develop the skills to build world-class research and drive Canadian prosperity and competitiveness. Further details on the CPRA can be accessed here.

Application Process

Applicants will confirm their eligibility by reviewing the criteria outlined in the CPRA website before beginning their application.

Applicants will select the federal funding agency that best aligns with their research focus: 

  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): CIHR is a federal agency responsible for funding health research in Canada, supporting biomedical, clinical, and population health studies to improve health outcomes. 
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC): NSERC funds research in the natural sciences and engineering, supporting discovery, innovation, and training in these fields across Canada. 
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC): SSHRC supports research and training in the social sciences and humanities, fostering insights into people, culture, and society.

Applicants must follow the instructions set out by each Tri-Agency. Applications will be submitted through the agencies' respective online systems: 

Supervisors will follow institutional compliance review deadlines through the Research Acceleration and Strategic Initiatives Office (RASI). Please note there is not institutional quota or internal selection process; however, supervisors must follow the institutional compliance review. 

As with any funding application to an external agency, CPRA applications will flow through the postdoc supervisor to UnivRS. Supervisors must submit applications through UnivRS a minimum of 5 business days prior to the agency's deadline (listed below) for compliance reviews. Applications submitted less than 5 business days prior to the agency deadline may not receive a full compliance review. 

CIHR

CIHR applications are submitted by the postdoctoral applicant through ResearchNet. Concurrently, a copy of the final application must be downloaded by the applicant and uploaded to UnivRS by the supervisor for RASI to initiate the internal review process.

The internal deadline for both ResearchNet (to be completed by the applicant) submission and the UnivRS upload (to be completed by the supervisor) is September 10. 

If changes to the application are required, RASI may return the application to the applicant in ResearchNet for revision and resubmission—if time permits—before they forward it to CIHR.

  • UnivRS Internal Deadline: September 10
  • CIHR Deadline: September 17

For current USask PhD students: Institutional signature for the Fulfillment of Degree requirements forms will be completed by CGPS. Departments must email postdoctoral.studies@usask.ca and provide the student number and written confirmation from the supervisor indicating the expected completion date. 

NSERC

NSERC does not require institutional approval, however USask policy necessitates that these applications are also submitted in UnivRS by the proposed supervisor 5 business days prior to the agency's deadline. 

  • UnivRS Internal Deadline: October 9
  • NSERC Deadline: October 17

SSHRC

As part of the CPRA application process, an Institutional Nomination and Commitment form must be completed. The institutional signatory is Olga Baron (olga.baron@usask.ca) from RASI. Applicants will forward the Institutional Nomination and Commitment form to Olga. Concurrently, applicants will share the application with their supervisor who will submit it through the UnivRS portal. 

The application will be reviewed for compliance by RASI, after which electronic institutional acceptance will be provided by the signatory in the Institutional Nomination and Commitment form. Once this is completed, the applicant will submit the application package through SSHRC's online system. 

  • UnivRS Internal Deadline: September 4 
  • SSHRC Deadline: September 11

Questions?

Please contact pdf.coordinator@usask.ca.