Innovative, high-quality research to benefit all Canadians gets major investment
MONTREAL, QUEBEC – Today at the Université de Montréal, Que., the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Transport of Canada and Quebec Lieutenant, announced more than $515 million in funding for research infrastructure through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). He made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. The funding will support 100 infrastructure projects at 32 postsecondary institutions and research hospitals across the country and will help Canada remain at the forefront of exploration, discovery and innovation.
For Canadian researchers to be ready to respond to critical issues facing our planet and pursue ambitious ideas that drive innovation, they need access to the right tools and facilities. The Government of Canada understands this need, and through the CFI, it is supporting researchers across the country in making meaningful contributions in health, the environment, and the economy to build a resilient, thriving society.
The Université de Montréal received funding for three projects, including one that will use medical imaging to learn more about type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects nearly one in 10 adults around the world. CFI funding will supply research teams at the Université de Montréal and the Université de Sherbrooke with PET scans, MRI and quantitative ultrasound technology to monitor organ function in people with the disease with the goal of preventing and treating it.
Other exceptional research infrastructure projects this funding supports include:
- Repurposing drugs to treat opioid use disorder. In 2022, an average of 20 lives were lost every day to opioid overdose, twice as many as in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. CFI funding will support researchers at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine who are looking at how opioid use disorder changes the brain. There are currently only four approved medications to manage opioid use disorder and the rate of relapse among individuals undergoing treatment is about 70 percent. Researchers will collaborate with people with lived experience of opioid use to repurpose existing drugs to treat the disorder’s debilitating symptoms. While the research team will also work on developing new drug therapies, focusing on existing medicines will save many years of testing and approvals — and could ultimately save lives.
Read: Probing the brain to break the cycle of opioid addiction
- Preventing coastal erosion. Prince Edward Island is shrinking faster than ever predicted, losing an average of 30 centimetres of coastline a year. How to protect against climate change-induced heavy precipitation, storm surges and rising sea levels has become one of the most pressing questions for the province. CFI funding will support the University of Prince Edward Island’s Climate Lab to develop a province-wide coastal hazard monitoring and testing system. Cameras with a 360-degree view will record storms in real time and an indoor facility will test protective measures in a simulated coastal environment. It will systematically evaluate measures like planting vegetation and erecting sea walls to see what works in different locations across P.E.I. The system will be the only one of its kind in Canada.
Read: Coastal scourge
- Building better wheelchairs. Few wheelchairs on the market have been built for Canada’s rigorous climate and landscape. A team at the British Columbia Institute of Technology is looking to change that, to make wheelchairs go places they can’t right now — off-road, through snow and up and down stairs. Their goal is to create a modifiable chair that can be adapted to add e-bike-like power-assist units or to tackle different terrain. A partnership with the University of Manitoba will test the devices in the snow. Thorough testing will evaluate what the technologies can do safely to ensure that new wheelchairs will further break down barriers for people living with disabilities.
Read: Unlimited access
Discover more stories on projects funded in this competition
Quotes
“Congratulations to top-tier researchers who will get a boost through this vital funding to take their projects to the next level. Our Government is proud to support future generations by enabling students and postdoctoral researchers to acquire and hone the skills and knowledge they need to excel in their challenging fields. Their pioneering research will further establish Canada’s position as a global leader in innovation while helping to drive our economy and achieve our shared vision of a brighter, healthier future for all Canadians.”
-The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“Research labs and facilities, like those being funded today, provide the foundation upon which Canada’s research leaders can make discoveries and drive innovation that will contribute to a better future for all of us.”
- Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President and CEO of the CFI
Quick facts
- These investments are part of a $1.7 billion suite of Government of Canada support for science, researchers, students and research infrastructure announced today at Université de Montréal.
- The investments announced today were made through the CFI’s Innovation Fund. This fund supports 40 percent of infrastructure costs across the full spectrum of research, from fundamental research to technology development, with the remaining portion coming from partners such as provincial and territorial governments and the institutions themselves. These investments will help Canada remain at the forefront of exploration and knowledge generation and will support researchers in addressing global challenges and making meaningful contributions to social, health, environmental and economic benefits for Canadians.
- Projects supported through the Innovation Fund are eligible for additional funding through the Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF) to cover the costs of operating the research infrastructure. The total investment of $515.3 million includes $117.7 million from the IOF. It also includes $5.5 million to cover incremental administrative costs associated with the management and governance of 20 projects that involve three or more collaborating CFI-eligible institutions.
- Many of the funded projects involve collaboration among research institutions. Of the 100 proposals, 41 include at least one collaborating institution.
Quick links
- More about the Canada Foundation for Innovation
- Details on the CFI’s Innovation Fund and an overview of the 2023 Innovation Fund competition results
- Discover the CFI Research Facilities Navigator: An online database of labs and facilities that are open to working with businesses
About the Canada Foundation for Innovation
With a bold, future-looking mandate, the Canada Foundation for Innovation equips researchers to be global leaders in their field and to respond to emerging challenges. Our investments in state-of-the-art tools, instruments and facilities at universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions underpin both curiosity- and mission-driven research that cuts across disciplines and bridges all sectors. The research infrastructure we fund mobilizes knowledge, spurs innovation and commercialization, and empowers the talented minds of a new generation.
Related products
A full list of the funded projects and stories about the facilities we fund are available online at Innovation.ca. For updates, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and X @InnovationCA and subscribe to our YouTube channel to find videos about the CFI and its transformative research projects.
Contacts
Sara Frizzell
Media Relations and Social Media Specialist
Canada Foundation for Innovation
613-943-2580
sara.frizzell [at] innovation.ca (sara[dot]frizzell[at]innovation[dot]ca)
Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic
Development Canada
media [at] ised-isde.gc.ca (media[at]ised-isde[dot]gc[dot]ca)
Audrey Champoux
Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor
Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
laurie.bouchard [at] ised-isde.gc.ca (audrey[dot]champoux[at]ised-isde[dot]gc[dot]ca)
Innovation Fund
List of approved projects by institution
| Project Title | Maximum CFI Contribution |
|---|
British Columbia Institute of Technology
Advanced Mobility Devices to Expand Wheelchair Capabilities for Increased Community Participation Collaborating | Partenaire: University of Manitoba | $1,011,000 |
| 1 project | $1,011,000 |
Clean Agriculture for Sustainable Production (CASP) Field Infrastructure | $3,564,834 |
| 1 project | $3,564,834 |
Sustainable BioManufacturing | $2,000,150 |
| Advanced Tribological Solutions for Next Generation Mechanical Systems in Extreme Environment Collaborating: Cégep Édouard-Montpetit, Polytechnique Montréal | $3,530,549 |
| 2 projects | $5,530,699 |
Ocean Tracking Network | $2,000,000 |
| Canadian Battery Innovation Center (CBIC) – Critical Infrastructure for Advanced Battery Research in Canada | $4,984,931 |
| Research Program for Heart Failure Prevention and Treatment (RESOLVE) | $2,877,218 |
| 3 projects | $9,862,149 |
Next Generation Sustainable Chemicals and Processes | $3,166,411 |
| High Throughput Manufacturing of Powdered Materials (HTMPM) Collaborating: Cégep de Trois-Rivières, Polytechnique Montréal, Université Laval | $2,399,344 |
| Searching for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with nEXO at SNOLAB Collaborating: Carleton University, University of British Columbia (The), Université de Sherbrooke | $9,775,000 |
| The Child & Youth Trauma Research Incubator (ThRIve) Collaborating: McMaster University, Université de Montréal, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, University of Calgary, University of Ottawa, University of Regina, University of Toronto | $524,106 |
| Multiscale 3D Cryo-imaging: From Organs to Molecules Collaborating: Université de Montréal | $8,280,851 |
| McGill Translational Platform in Autism Research (MTPAR) | $10,570,533 |
| At the Crossroads between Metabolic Dysfunction and Cancer - the Next Therapeutic Frontier | $3,763,360 |
| Nucleic Acids for Precision Medicine | $3,929,752 |
| 8 projects | $42,409,357 |
Platform for Polymers’ Upcycling and REcycling Sustainably (2PURES) Collaborating: Cégep de Thetford, Collège de Maisonneuve, HEC Montréal | $2,874,260 |
| Conception et réhabilitation novatrices et durables des infrastructures stratégiques de génie civil du Canada Collaborating: HEC Montréal, University of Ottawa | $3,392,868 |
| Fostering Acceptability of Science and Technology (FAST) to Reduce Unmet Needs in Musculoskeletal Conditions Collaborating: Cégep John Abbott College. HEC Montréal, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke | $4,672,858 |
| Mid-Infrared Quantum Sensing and Spectroscopy (MIR-QUEST) Collaborating: McGill University, University of British Columbia (The), Université de Montréal | $3,425,768 |
| 4 projects | $14,365,754 |
Microscopes and Ions for Small Modular Reactors (MISMR) “Mesmer” | $8,688,724 |
| Environmental & Climate Change Observatory of Ontario (ECCO-Ontario) Collaborating: St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences | $4,639,716 |
| Translational Institute of Medicine - Core Facility (TIME Core) | $5,377,706 |
| 3 projects | $18,706,146 |
Enabling High-throughput Quantitative Ultrastructural Imaging Collaborating: The Hospital for Sick Children, University Health Network, University of Toronto | $3,000,028 |
| The Canadian Genomics Data Commons Collaborating: University of Alberta, University of Manitoba, University of Ottawa | $2,931,813 |
| Spatiotemporal Mapping of Regulatory Networks Governing Cell State Dynamics in Health and Disease | $3,960,000 |
| 3 projects | $9,891,841 |
The Hospital for Sick Children
Advancing Child Health using Zebrafish Precision Models of Pediatric Cancer, Congenital Defects, and Disease | $10,006,014 |
| Resolving Cell Dynamics at the Mesoscale Level | $2,468,004 |
| SoNaR-FUS: SickKids Neuroscience Research in Focused Ultrasound Surgery | $2,902,344 |
| CGEn – Canada’s national platform for genome sequencing and analysis Collaborating: McGill University, University of British Columbia (The) | $7,398,605 |
| 4 projects | $22,774,967 |
Toronto Metropolitan University
Canadian Advanced Research Infrastructure for Aerial Robotic Manipulation: CANARI-ARM Collaborating: Dalhousie University, The Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (Humber College), University of Ontario Institute of Technology, University of Ottawa, University of Regina, York University | $2,010,532 |
| The Critical Metaverse Design Network for Embodied and Virtual Experiences (EVE) | $1,783,936 |
| 2 projects | $3,794,468 |
Lifespan Investigation using on-Field Equipment, Systematic Post-injury Assessment and Neuroimaging of Concussion Collaborating: Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Nord de l’Île de Montréal, CHU Sainte-Justine | $2,635,077 |
| Precision chemical biology of carbohydrates (sugars) in human health and agriculture | $1,605,285 |
| ImagingT2D Collaborating: Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Université de Sherbrooke | $6,575,104 |
| 3 projects | $10,815,466 |
Frontiers of Quantum Materials and Circuits Collaborating: McMaster University, University of Toronto | $4,686,792 |
| 1 project | $4,686,792 |
Université du Québec – Institut national de la recherche scientifique
MIXTUROMICS - Demystifying the Fate and Ecosystem-level Impacts of Complex Contaminant Mixtures Collaborating: McGill University, Université de Montréal | $3,907,481 |
| QUantum and Artificial Intelligence Light Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s sYstems (QUALITY) Collaborating: McGill University, Université du Québec - École de technologie supérieure, University of Toronto | $5,104,325 |
| 2 projects | $9,011,806 |
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Écosystème numérique DESIIR [Données Environnementales et de Santé Intégrées pour une Infrastructure de Recherche] Collaborating: McGill University | $1,215,500 |
| 1 project | $1,215,500 |
Université du Québec à Montréal
Cloud to Aquifer Natural Observatories (CANO) - Exploring the Changing Water Cycle in Eastern Canada Collaborating: Dalhousie University, Université de Montréal, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Université Laval | $3,600,300 |
| 1 project | $3,600,300 |
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Laboratoire d'étude sur les changements globaux en milieu estuarien | $2,941,443 |
| 1 project | $2,941,443 |
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
TRACES: un laboratoire d'ADN moderne et ancien Collaborating: Université de Montréal | $767,456 |
| 1 project | $767,456 |
Beyond the Frontiers of Infrared Photonics Collaborating: Polytechnique Montréal, Université du Québec - École de technologie supérieure | $1,999,233 |
| Establishment of the Innovative Cancer Engineering (ICE) Facility | $2,400,000 |
| Systèmes cyberphysiques et robotique intelligente Collaborating: Université du Québec - École de technologie supérieure | $1,820,000 |
| Plateforme de développement de matériaux biosourcés durables dans un contexte d’économie circulaire | $1,385,725 |
| Pushing the Frontiers of Observing Nanoscale Biology in its Native Environment | $3,000,000 |
| Hybrid integrated systems of Light (HiLight) Collaborating: Université de Sherbrooke, Université du Québec - École de technologie supérieure, Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières | $3,198,563 |
| 6 projects | $13,803,521 |
A New Era in Transplantation: Advanced Strategies for Ex Vivo Organ Modification | $2,800,000 |
| Hub for Integrated Structural and Functional Assessment of Retinal Disease and Therapeutic Development | $2,525,271 |
| 2 projects | $5,325,271 |
Integrated Geobiology Research Facility | $1,889,854 |
| The Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment Demonstrator Collaborating: Queen’s University, Simon Fraser University | $5,881,825 |
| 2 projects | $7,771,679 |
University of British Columbia (The)
Infrastructure for Accelerated In Vivo Molecular Imaging and Theranostic Research | $6,227,953 |
| Materials for Net-Zero: Enabling the Clean Energy Transition | $7,466,233 |
| SMART Labs | $2,146,587 |
| Transformative and Disruptive Systems Immunology | $2,491,654 |
| Unlocking the Next Generation of Quantum Materials | $2,909,739 |
| A New Correlator for CHIME | $2,041,380 |
| Improved Pre-clinical Modeling of Metabolic Resilience for Novel Diabetes and Obesity Therapeutics | $6,838,943 |
| Multi-scale Seeing-Is-Believing Platform: Imaging and Advancing RNA Vaccines and Genetic Medicines | $1,661,144 |
| Field Camera and Shim System for Precision MRI | $448,250 |
| BioSEED-Biopolymer Synthesis, Engineering, Extraction, and Design | $3,799,436 |
| 10 projects | $36,031,319 |
A New Approach to Meet the Challenge of Addiction | $2,371,759 |
| Micro and Mesoscale Imaging of Neurodegeneration and Repair in Multiple Sclerosis | $4,497,691 |
| University of Calgary Concussion Research Centre | $3,630,746 |
| Ecocosms and Mesocosms jointly Predict Ocean Weather and Ecological Response (EMPOWER) Collaborating: Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia (The), University of Alberta, University of Victoria | $3,150,000 |
| TRaC: Therapies for Rare Cancers Collaborating: University of British Columbia (The), University of Victoria | $7,515,430 |
| Innovation in Space Weather Science: Leveraging NASA's Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC) Mission Collaborating: University of Alberta | $5,150,000 |
| LINX: Laboratory for IN-operando X-ray spectroscopy | $5,451,890 |
| 7 projects | $31,767,516 |
Infrastructure for MiPAC - Microbiome Preservation and Analysis Centre | $4,573,203 |
| 1 project | $4,573,203 |
AirSAFE Air Pollution Exposure Facility | $2,399,999 |
| Discovery Platform for Metabolic Paradigms in Health and Disease | $1,900,544 |
| 2 projects | $4,300,543 |
MetaPharm: Precision Microbiome Therapeutics and Nutrition | $5,791,574 |
| MULTI Complex – Optimizing Human Movement | $4,462,988 |
| Sustainable Soft Materials enabled through Advanced Regulatory Toxicology (SSMART) Collaborating: Queen’s University | $6,549,289 |
| Flow Chemistry: Securing Canada's Supply of Essential Molecules for Medicine Collaborating: University of Toronto | $4,986,999 |
| 4 projects | $21,790,850 |
University of Prince Edward Island
Building Coastal Resilience to Climate Change for Prince Edward Island | $619,500 |
| 1 project | $619,500 |
Solenoidal Large Intensity Device (SoLID) Heavy Gas Cherenkov Detector | $509,500 |
| 1 project | $509,500 |
The HAWC satellite mission: High-altitude Aerosols, Water vapour, and Clouds Collaborating: McGill University, Saint Mary’s University, St. Francis Xavier University, Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Québec à Montréal, University of New Brunswick, University of Toronto, University of Victoria, University of Waterloo | $17,581,141 |
| 1 project | $17,581,141 |
Centre for Protein Target Enabling Packages (ProTEP) | $1,564,999 |
| Center for Robotic Observations of the Biosphere and the Environment (CROBE) | $1,785,000 |
| The Centre for Medicinal Chemistry | $4,000,000 |
| The Canadian Data Intensive Astrophysics PLatform (CanDIAPL) Collaborating: McGill University, Queen’s University, University of Western Ontario (The), University of Alberta | $5,947,000 |
| GigaBIT: A High Resolution, Wide Field Telescope Operating on the Edge of Space | $3,400,000 |
| Systems and Precision Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Toward Next -generation Diagnostics and Therapies | $3,451,000 |
| Development of Sustainable Aqueous Processes and Technologies Enabled by the Water Analysis and TReatment (WATR) Lab | $734,000 |
| The CRAFT Diagnostic Horizons Lab Collaborating: Unity Health Toronto, University Health Network | $6,550,000 |
| Toronto Integrated Platform for Materials under Extreme Conditions (TIME) | $2,899,000 |
| 9 projects | $30,330,999 |
Environmental Simulation Facility - Climate Change Impact on Plant Health (ESF-PH) | $1,250,000 |
| Water Cherenkov Calibration for Hyper-Kamiokande Collaborating: British Columbia Institute of Technology, Carleton University, University of Winnipeg (The), University of Regina | $6,360,000 |
| 2 projects | $7,610,000 |
Geothermal Energy and Energy Geo-storage Research Laboratory Collaborating: Dalhousie University, York University | $2,723,302 |
| Canadian Technology Accelerator for Digital Transformation of Manufacturing (CAN-DX) Collaborating: Cégep Édouard-Montpetit, McMaster University, Polytechnique Montréal, University of British Columbia (The) | $6,458,020 |
| UPSCOPE: Understanding Privacy, Security, and Cryptography in Online and Physical Environments | $800,000 |
| A Canadian Free Electron Laser Collaborating: University of British Columbia (The), University of Western Ontario (The) | $10,006,500 |
| Canadian Vision Imaging Center (CVIC) | $2,362,150 |
| Canadian Alliance in Cold Spray Technology (CACST) Collaborating: University of Western Ontario (The), Université de Sherbrooke, University of New Brunswick, University of Ottawa | $8,123,420 |
| 6 projects | $30,473,392 |
University of Western Ontario (The)
Research Institute with Children (RIC) | $421,704 |
| Motus on the Move: Transforming a Terrestrial Tracking Network for Movement Ecology Research and Wildlife Conservation Collaborating: University of Guelph, University of Waterloo | $3,157,522 |
| Next-generation Human Cognitive Neuroscience for Real-world Applications | $3,553,770 |
| Western Biotherapeutics Centre (WBC) | $4,522,372 |
| Mouse Translational Research Accelerator Platform (MouseTRAP) | $3,076,148 |
| 5 projects | $14,731,516 |
| 100 projects | $392,169,928 |
NOTE
As part of this announcement, an additional $117,650,978 was awarded under the Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF), a mechanism that assists institutions with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with the new infrastructure.