CIFAR Global Scholars Program — Fellowship

The CIFAR Global Scholars Program is run by CIFAR, a Canadian research organization that works by building international, interdisciplinary research networks. It gives researchers in their first independent position a two-year appointment inside one of CIFAR’s research programs.

Scholars keep their existing job at their own institution anywhere in the world. The appointment adds $100,000 CAD in unrestricted research support, a seat in a global research network, and leadership training aimed at the first years of running a group.

Only some CIFAR research programs recruit in any given year. Five are open for the 2026-27 call: Boundaries, Membership & Belonging; Brain, Mind & Consciousness; Fungal Kingdom: Threats & Opportunities; Healthy Microbiomes in a Changing World; and Innovation, Equity & the Future of Prosperity.

Benefits & funding

$100,000 CAD in unrestricted research support across the two-year appointment.
Eligibility to apply for CIFAR seed funds, which back high-risk collaborative work.
A two-year appointment in a CIFAR research program, with mentorship from its members.
Targeted training in research leadership: team leadership, trainee mentorship, science communication and science advocacy.
Two meetings a year with the members of your CIFAR research program, held in different countries.
The Global Scholars Annual Meeting; the 2027 edition runs 8–10 June in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.
Membership in the wider CIFAR Global Scholars community across all cohorts.

Eligibility

Hold a PhD or equivalent.
Hold a full-time position at an institution of higher education or research, with responsibility for leading independent research as a principal investigator and for teaching or supervising graduate-level trainees.
That position must be secure through 31 March 2029, the end of the appointment.
Your first such position after the PhD must have started no earlier than 1 July 2022 and no later than 31 December 2026.
Your research must complement the themes and goals of a CIFAR research program that is recruiting in this cycle.
Be available for a virtual interview on 23–25 March 2027.
Hold a valid passport and, where applicable, be able to obtain travel visas for CIFAR meetings.
Be fluent in spoken and written English.
Postdoctoral fellows are not eligible.
No nationality or country-of-residence requirement. The 2026-2028 round drew applications from 41 countries.

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.

Education required
PhD

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Application process

1
Confirm your research fits one of the CIFAR research programs recruiting in this cycle.
2
Register or log in at CIFAR’s application portal at cifarportal.smapply.io, and do not use the social media logins.
3
If the Global Scholars program does not appear in your list, update the eligibility profile in your account settings so it shows.
4
Open the program, click Apply, and work through the task instructions for every section.
5
Click Submit before 4 November 2026, 12:00 EST. The button only becomes active once all required tasks are complete.
6
Shortlisted applicants attend a virtual interview between 23 and 25 March 2027.
7
Results go to applicants in early April 2027; the cohort is announced publicly in May 2027.

Program timeline

Call for applications opens
Sep 2, 2026
Application deadline, 12:00 EST
Nov 4, 2026
Interview invitations sent
Mid-February 2027
Virtual interviews
Mar 23, 2027 to Mar 25, 2027
Results sent to applicants
Early April 2027
Appointment begins
Apr 1, 2027
Cohort announced publicly
May 2027
Global Scholars Annual Meeting, St. John’s, Canada
Jun 8, 2027 to Jun 10, 2027
Appointment ends
Mar 31, 2029