A person walks on the University of Toronto campus in Toronto, on Sept. 8, 2020. The Canadian Press
The University of Toronto (U of T) has stepped in to protect its researchers from sudden funding losses caused by major U.S. policy shifts.
The university recently unveiled an emergency fund designed to support faculty members whose research has been affected by cuts to U.S. federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). These agencies, under President Donald Trump’s administration, had drastically reduced grants to international researchers, leaving many at U of T scrambling to keep their projects alive.
Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president of research, innovation, and strategic initiatives, said the new fund will help researchers stay on track as they search for alternative financial support.
“We wanted to ensure that our world-leading research continues to thrive during this period of uncertainty,” Cowen said.
Safeguarding Global Collaboration
U of T remains one of Canada’s most research-intensive universities, known for international collaboration and cutting-edge discoveries. Cowen emphasized that science today is “a global collaborative enterprise,” and partnerships across borders are essential for progress.
The university typically receives about $20 million annually from U.S. agencies or through partnerships with American institutions. While that represents a small fraction of U of T’s total research budget, the sudden withdrawal of those funds has had a devastating impact on individual researchers dependent on them.
A Researcher’s Struggle to Save Alzheimer’s Project
Among those affected is medical biophysics professor Paul Fraser, who collaborates with researchers at Columbia University and the Sloan Kettering Institute in New York. His team is working on developing new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease — a project partly funded by an NIH foreign sub-award.
When the NIH stopped offering grants to scientists outside the U.S., Fraser’s funding abruptly ended.
“It was fairly devastating,” he said. “The university’s emergency support has been a lifeline, allowing us to continue while seeking new funding.”
Fraser said he is now turning to Canadian funding sources, including the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and the Alzheimer Society of Canada. However, limited grant cycles and tough competition make it difficult to secure immediate help.
“If I had to stop the project, I’d have to let highly trained researchers go,” he explained. “Once you lose people who have spent years developing specialized expertise, you can’t easily replace them.”
Funding Gaps Threaten Collaborative Science
Fraser warned that when one partner in a multi-institution research project loses funding, the entire operation can suffer.
“If you lose one spoke in the wheel, it affects everyone,” he said. “That’s why finding replacement funds quickly is in everyone’s interest.”
Strengthening Canada’s Research Ecosystem
Cowen said the new emergency fund is a short-term measure — not a substitute for sustained international research support. She urged continued investment in Canada’s “sovereign research ecosystem” to protect national interests while maintaining global partnerships.
Her comments come as the Coalition for Canadian Research urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to uphold earlier budget promises for science and innovation ahead of the November 4 federal budget, which may include significant spending cuts.
Cowen remains cautiously hopeful. “I’m concerned but encouraged,” she said. “Canada’s research and innovation ecosystem is vital — not only for economic productivity but for solving the global challenges we face together.”
The Prime Minister’s Office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
