Project Grant: Spring 2026 Peer review participants
The peer review process relies on the time and dedication of experts across the health research spectrum. For the Spring 2026 Project Grant competition, a total of 1863 individuals (including Chairs [66], Scientific Officers [133], reviewers [1667]) participated in 66 peer review committees. There were also 128 early career researcher (ECR) Reviewers in Training present during the peer review process.
Note: Some individuals played multiple roles, such as chairing one review panel and then acting as a peer reviewer in another, which is why the role counts may not add up to 1863.
Approximately 71% (1354) of the committee members are members of the College of Reviewers, which has specific membership selection criteria. As a first step, CIHR staff provided lists of suggested reviewers based on specific selection criteria, and then reviewers were vetted by committee Chairs and Scientific Officers.
Peer review participants by sex
| Female | Male | Undeclared | |
|---|---|---|---|
| participated | 827 participated | 973 participated | 106 participated |
| invited | 2455 invited to participate | 2883 invited to participate | 277 invited to participate |
| accepted | 966 accepted (39.3% acceptance rate) | 1182 accepted (41.0% acceptance rate) | 125 accepted (45.1% acceptance rate) |
The figures above exclude early career researchers who participated in the Reviewers in Training program.
Participants by region
The following table is based on the region information of the individual's institution. The table includes all peer review participants, excluding early career researchers who participated in the Reviewers in Training program.
| Region | Invited | Accepted | Acceptance Rate | Participated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 621 | 240 | 38.6% | 210 |
| Alberta | 598 | 266 | 44.5% | 220 |
| Saskatchewan | 129 | 56 | 43.4% | 46 |
| Manitoba | 182 | 90 | 49.5% | 74 |
| Ontario | 2218 | 913 | 41.2% | 773 |
| Québec | 1501 | 576 | 38.4% | 471 |
| New Brunswick | 33 | 12 | 36.4% | 9 |
| Nova Scotia | 166 | 68 | 41.0% | 59 |
| Prince Edward Island | 2 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 45 | 19 | 42.2% | 14 |
| Yukon | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| International | 107 | 30 | 28.0% | 28 |
| No region specified | 12 | 3 | 25.0% | 2 |
Participants by pillar
The following table is based on the self-reported primary research pillar of peer review participants, excluding early career researchers who participated in the Reviewers in Training program.
| Pillar | Participants | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Biomedical (Pillar 1) | 964 | 50.6% |
| Clinical (Pillar 2) | 367 | 19.3% |
| Health Systems/Services (Pillar 3) | 196 | 10.3% |
| Social/Cultural/Environmental/Population Health (Pillar 4) | 190 | 10.0% |
| Uncategorized | 189 | 9.9% |
Note: The proportions of peer review participants by pillar reflect the types of applications submitted to the competition. For more information, please visit the competition results page.
Career stage of participants
The table below approximates career stages based on the start year of the peer review participants' self-reported first independent appointment. Only ECR status extensions offered by CIHR due to the COVID-19 pandemic were considered in this approximation; other eligible leaves were not considered. For more information on the ECR status extensions, see the definition of researcher (early career) in the CIHR Glossary of Funding-Related Terms.
| Career Stage | Invited | Accepted | Acceptance Rate | Participated | Participant proportion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Career Researcher | 982 | 533 | 54.3% | 454 | 23.8% |
| Mid Career Researcher | 1459 | 704 | 48.3% | 595 | 31.2% |
| Senior Career Researcher | 2251 | 839 | 37.3% | 712 | 37.4% |
| Unknown | 923 | 197 | 21.3% | 145 | 7.6% |
The figures above exclude early career researchers who participated in the Reviewers in Training program.
- Date modified: