End DEI targets in federal research funding: Jack Mintz in the Financial Post – MLI
April 24, 2026
The provinces, which regulate and fund universities, should step up to make sure grants and new positions are allocated solely on merit.
Current federal “diversity, equity and inclusion” (or DEI) criteria for post-secondary research funding are anathema to high-quality university education. If the provinces that regulate and largely finance universities are to fulfill their educational responsibilities, they must put a stop to it.
Under the federal DEI criteria for prestigious Canada Research Chair (CRC) applications, “all institutions that accept agency funding must make concerted efforts to meet their equity and diversity targets and provide a supportive and inclusive workplace.” Equity targets for 2029 are 50.9 per cent for gender, 22 per cent for “racialized minorities,” 7.5 per for cent disabled candidates and 4.9 per cent for Indigenous — though some candidates may fall into more than one category. The message is clear: white males need not apply.
