Determining your research career stage

Are you considering applying for CIHR funding and need to determine your research career stage? Use the tool and example scenarios below to calculate whether you are an early career, mid-career, or senior researcher.

Tool to determine your research career stage

At the time of application, do you hold an independent research appointment?

First, refer to the specific funding opportunity and application instructions, as confirmation of a pending appointment by the funding start date may be acceptable in some cases.

  • No

    You do not qualify as an independent researcher.

  • Yes

    If you assumed your first independent research appointment:

    In the last 5 years 5-15 years ago More than 15 years ago
    You are an early career researcher. You are a mid-career researcher.

    You may be an early career researcher or a mid-career researcher depending on eligible leaves.

    		 You are a senior researcher.

Don’t forget to account for eligible leaves!

Early career researcher status is extended by twice the amount of leave taken. For example, for one year of parental leave, early career researcher status is extended by two years.

To account for COVID-19 disruptions, early career researcher status is extended by two years for those who held the status or began their first appointment between March 1, 2020, and September 15, 2022.

For details see the glossary of funding-related terms.

Example scenarios

  • Scenario one: Independent research appointment secured in the last five years, no leaves taken.

    First academic appointment: October 1, 2022.

    Add five years: Early career researcher status until October 1, 2027.

    Did you take any eligible leave during this period?

    No

    Does the identified period include any time between March 1st, 2020 to September 15, 2022?

    No

    October 1, 2027 is the current end date of your early career researcher status.

  • Scenario two: Some eligible leave taken and early career researcher period overlapped with the COVID-19 pause.

    First academic appointment: September 1, 2019.

    Add five years: Early career researcher status until September 1, 2024.

    Did you take any eligible leave during this period?

    Yes

    Add twice the amount of eligible leave taken.

    For example, for one year of parental leave, add two years.

    This extends your early career researcher status to September 1, 2026.

    Does the period include any time between March 1, 2020 to September 15, 2022?

    Yes

    Add two years to this period (COVID-19 extension).

    This extends your early career researcher status to September 1, 2028.

    September 1, 2028 is the current end date of your early career researcher status.

  • Scenario three: Some eligible leave taken and early career researcher period was not during the COVID-19 pause.

    First academic appointment: September 1, 2012.

    Add five years: Early career researcher status until September 1, 2017.

    Did you take any eligible leave during this period?

    Yes

    Add twice the amount of eligible leave taken.

    For example, for one year of parental leave, add two years.

    This extends your early career researcher status until September 1, 2019.

    Does the period include any time between March 1, 2020 to September 15, 2022?

    No

    September 1, 2019 is the end date of your early career researcher status.

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