Today, $630 million in funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Research Program was announced by the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions along with Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, and Dominique O’Rourke, Member of Parliament for Guelph.
NSERC Discovery Research Program
In total, 199 new programs and projects led by UBC researchers were awarded more than $47.6 million through the 2026 NSERC Discovery Research Program competition.
2026 Discovery Grants
The NSERC Discovery Grants program supports ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances.
Discovery Launch Supplements provide timely resources to support early career researchers (ECRs) as they establish a Discovery Grant-funded research program. Projects marked with * below were awarded additional Discovery Launch Supplements of $12,500
Congratulations to the DMCBH members who received grants:
- Sweta Agrawal (Zoology)
The function and evolution of proprioceptive circuits for adaptive motor control* - Douglas Altshuler (Zoology)
Physiological and biomechanical mechanisms of animal maneuverability - Philip Barker (Biology – UBCO)
Deciphering TNF Receptor Signaling Strategies Conserved From Flies to Man - Ashley Dalrymple (Physical Therapy)
Characterization of the posterior root-muscle reflex under different conditions* - Kurt Haas (Cellular and Physiological Sciences)
Identifying mechanisms of information-driven functional brain circuit formation - Ryan Hoiland (Cellular and Physiological Sciences)
Cerebrovascular regulation and resiliency in response to brain tissue hypoxia* - Shannon Kolind (Division of Neurology)
Exploiting the properties of ultra-low field MRI to explore brain microstructure - Joanne Matsubara (Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences)
Structure and Function of Microglial in the Aging Retina - Martin McKeown (Division of Neurology)
EEG Latent Spaces for Non-invasive Brain Modulation - Kota Mizumoto (Zoology)
Genetic mechanisms of developmental neurite pruning - Daniela Palombo (Psychology)
Emotional spillover: Exploring the retroactive effects of emotion on memory for predictive information - Alexander Rauscher (Pediatrics)
Field characterization for precision quantitative MRI - Tamara Vanderwal (Psychiatry)
Functional brain development under naturalistic conditions - Callista Yee (Zoology)
Molecular Mechanisms of Synapse Formation and Maintenance in C. elegans*
Discovery Horizons Grants
Discovery Horizons grants support investigator-initiated individual and team projects that broadly integrate or transcend disciplines to advance knowledge in the natural sciences and engineering.
Congratulations to the DMCBH member who received a grant:
- Trisha Chakrabarty (Psychiatry)
AI-Driven Innovation in Mental Health Stepped Care: Integrating Engineering and Clinical Perspectives
