2009 Leading Edge and New Initiatives Funds

CALL FOR PROPOSALS - Key Features

Overview

Reflecting the key role outlined for the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) in the Government of Canada’s Science and Technology Strategy, the 2009 Leading Edge (LEF) and New Initiatives Funds (NIF) competition seeks innovative and transformative infrastructure projects covering the full spectrum of research and development activities and all disciplines, that will lead to breakthroughs and to advantages for Canadians.

Objectives

To enhance Canada’s capacity for, and strengthen highly competitive research and technology development in areas of institutional priority, in either:

• Leading Edge Fund (LEF): Leading edge activities that build on past investments that the CFI has made at the applicant institution through the Innovation Fund (IF), the International Joint Venture Fund (IJVF), the Research Development Funds (CRDF or URDF) and are dependent upon the results and outcomes of these infrastructure projects
• New Initiatives Fund (NIF): Promising innovative directions in research and technology development that do not build on past CFI investments (through the IF, the IJVF, the CRDF, the URDF, the LEF, or the NIF) at the institution and are not dependent on the results and outcomes of past infrastructure projects.

Budget

There is a single budget of up to $400 million (plus an associated $120 million offered through the Infrastructure Operating Fund). There is no predetermined distribution between the two streams (NIF and LEF) to allow for maximum flexibility in ensuring the best use of available resources on the basis of the quality of the proposals received.

Timelines