Program overview

The Leaders Opportunity Fund (LOF) is designed to help universities attract and retain the very best of today’s and tomorrow’s researchers at a time of intense international competition. To this end, the LOF offers universities the opportunity to:

• acquire infrastructure for their leading research faculty to undertake cutting-edge research;
• create competitive packages of research support in the form of infrastructure and a portion of the operating and maintenance costs from the CFI, coupled with direct research costs from partner organizations.

Eligibility to apply

The LOF is an allocation-based fund whereby the CFI predetermines the maximum amount of funding available for each eligible university. Universities with a minimum annual average of $300,000 in sponsored research income (excluding CFI awards) as reported by the Canadian Association of University Business Offices (CAUBO), are eligible to receive a LOF allocation. These allocations may be reviewed periodically as new funds are made available to the CFI.

In November 2010, the CFI invested an additional $140 million in the LOF. For universities having received more than 0.2 percent of the total sponsored research income as reported by CAUBO, the additional LOF allocation is proportional to the average amount of sponsored research income over the 2006-07 to 2008-09 period. For universities having received less than 0.2 percent of the total sponsored research income, the CFI has created a Small Institution Fund of $7 million to replace institutional allocations.

An eligible university may put forward an infrastructure proposal for either a current faculty member with a full-time academic appointment or a candidate the university is in the process of recruiting to a full-time academic position. A university is expected to submit LOF proposals to attract or retain faculty in the priority areas identified in its strategic research plan. A research hospital or a research institute may only apply through the eligible university to which it is affiliated.

The LOF is intended to serve the infrastructure needs of individual faculty, or small groups of up to three faculty members when there is a demonstrated need to share infrastructure. The LOF is not intended to serve the infrastructure needs of larger groups, centres, departments or institutions.

Candidates must be recognized leaders in their field of research or show promise of becoming research leaders. They must be engaged in, or embarking on, an innovative research program for which the infrastructure is essential and which will provide an enriched research training environment.

Candidates who have previously been supported through the LOF, New Opportunities Fund, Canada Research Chairs Infrastructure Fund or Career Award are eligible for additional funding. However, candidates must justify the value added of another award.

LOF funding mechanism

The LOF has three streams. The nature of the proposal will depend upon which stream is chosen and the amount being requested.

Stream 1: Research infrastructure
           1.1 Total eligible costs under $1 million
           1.2 Total eligible costs between $1 million and $2 million

Stream 2: Research infrastructure associated with a Canada Research Chair (total eligible costs under $1 million)

Stream 3: Research infrastructure from the CFI and research support from NSERC and SSHRC

Application deadlines

Specific information pertaining to the application and review process of each stream can be found by clicking on the appropriate link in the menu on the right.