● NSERC CREATE Training Initiative
U of T
McGill
Polytechnique
NSERC
U of T
McGill
Polytechnique
NSERC
U of T
McGill
Polytechnique
NSERC
Training Program
Nine training components are designed to integrate seamlessly into trainees' degree requirements, grouped under curricular training, experiential learning, and professional skills. Most components are delivered online to support sustained, efficient engagement.
A — Curricular Training
A mandatory eight-week course covering transparency, explainability, bias detection and fairness, privacy-preserving techniques, regulatory frameworks, and ethics in AI-assisted discovery.
Eight-week online courses tailored to each research pillar — machine learning for knowledge synthesis; AI-driven experimental design & causal inference; and autonomous hypothesis generation & AI-assisted reasoning.
Webinars led by international experts in AI, clinical research, and health policy, livestreamed so that all program participants can take part.
B — Experiential Learning
Full-day workshops aligned with the three pillars and co-led by health partners, immersing trainees in case-based, interdisciplinary problem-solving with open-source AI tools and health datasets.
Placements that expose trainees to cross-sector research environments — technical trainees in clinical settings, and health-sciences trainees in AI and data-science labs. Cross-provincial exchange is encouraged.
An annual gathering where trainees present research, receive feedback, and connect with potential employers and collaborators from across the partner network.
C — Professional Skills
Each trainee is co-supervised by a committee of at least two faculty from different institutions and disciplines, ensuring complementary technical and clinical guidance.
Mandatory equity, diversity, and inclusion awareness training, complemented by opportunities in communication, leadership, entrepreneurship, and research management.
A centralized hub for course materials, announcements, and peer-to-peer discussion that sustains a connected national community of trainees and participants.
Program Expectations
Funded graduate trainees participate fully in the program. Expectations are calibrated to each trainee's level and stage, and are designed to integrate with their degree.