Overview

• The Polaris Platform calls for hundreds of millions in federal and provincial funding to recruit 25 to 100 established research stars, support up to 500 international PhD students, fund 300 postdoctoral fellows and back 150 newly appointed professors.
• Participating universities propose 25 industrial research chairs and up to 100 world-class academic chairs, each funded at about $1 million annually, to strengthen Canadian expertise in fields such as artificial intelligence, RNA medical research, clean energy and quantum technologies.
• The plan includes a $2 billion investment over four years in major research infrastructure designed to reinforce Canada’s scientific sovereignty and economic resilience.
• Quebec institutions frame the proposal as a response to cuts at the U.S. National Institutes of Health that could shrink its budget by 40 percent in 2026 and a Nature survey indicating 75 percent of U.S. researchers are considering emigration.
• The Polaris Platform highlights growing recruitment initiatives in Europe and is now pending a decision by federal and provincial governments on the proposed funding package.