Article

Canada Research Chairs receive more than $6.4 million in research infrastructure support

Funding partnership helps strengthen university research efforts across the country

OTTAWA, ON —Canada’s universities must be able to equip their researchers with the tools they need to tackle global challenges. At a time of increased global competition for bright minds and a more mobile workforce, they need to be attractive career destinations for the very best of today’s and tomorrow’s researchers.

To support them in this pursuit, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has provided more than $6.4 million to 29 Canada Research Chairs at 19 universities across the country for the cutting-edge labs and equipment they need to pursue their important work. The total includes close to $1.5 million under the CFI’s Infrastructure Operating Fund to help institutions with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with the new infrastructure.

Read: Government of Canada makes major investment in Canadian science, research and engineering

The CFI-funded infrastructure is supporting research that aims to develop lung cancer therapies, improve mobility in older adults, and understand wildfire and drought resilience in forests, among other areas.

The CFI is awarding funding through its John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF), in partnership with the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program. The JELF allows universities to attract top talent in diverse fields of research by providing them with the state-of-the art infrastructure required to think big and innovate. The CRC Program is investing more than $125 million towards 156 new and renewed Chairs at 36 institutions across Canada.

Quotes

“The state-of-the-art research environments the Canada Foundation for Innovation funds help attract the best researchers in the world to Canada. In doing so, we are supporting Canadian innovation and Canadian solutions for the many challenges the world faces today.”  

– Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President and CEO, Canada Foundation for Innovation

Quick facts

  • The total investment of $6,409,889 includes $1,479,205 awarded under the CFI’s Infrastructure Operating Fund, which assists institutions with operating and maintenance costs associated with the new infrastructure.
  • The JELF supports the leading-edge work of a select group of university researchers by providing them with the foundational research infrastructure they require to be, or become, leaders in their fields. 
  • This funding helps institutions remain internationally competitive in areas of research and technology development that are aligned with their strategic priorities.

Quick links

More about the Canada Foundation for Innovation
Details on the CFI’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund
Discover the CFI Research Facilities Navigator: An online database of labs and facilities that are open to working with business

 

Funding for infrastructure associated with a Canada Research Chair /
Financement de l’infrastructure liée à une Chaire de recherche du Canada

Institution / Établissement

Projects approved / Projets appuyés

Bishop’s University

1

Dalhousie University

1

McGill University

1

McMaster University

3

Ryerson University

1

Simon Fraser University

1

St. Francis Xavier University

1

Thompson Rivers University

1

Trent University

1

Université de Sherbrooke

2

University of British Columbia (The)

6

University of Calgary

1

University of Guelph

1

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

2

University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa

1

University of Toronto

2

University of Waterloo

1

University of Western Ontario (The)

1

Vancouver Island University

1

Total  19  institutions / établissements

29

 

CUMULATIVE TOTALS

 

John R. Evans Leaders Fund / Fonds des leaders John-R.-Evans
Funding for infrastructure associated with a Canada Research Chair /
Financement de l’infrastructure liée à une Chaire de recherche du Canada

List of approved projects by institution / Liste des projets appuyés par établissement


Chairholder/
Chaire de recherche

Project title / Titre du projet

Maximum CFI contribution /
Contribution maximale
de la FCI

Bishop’s University

Ruan, John

New Multi-Wavelength and Multi-Messenger Horizons in Astrophysics

$83,645

Total

1

$83,645

Dalhousie University

Sharma, Anjali

Development of Biocompatible, Disease-directed Dendrimers for Target-specific Drug Delivery and Imaging Applications

$125,000

Total

1

$125,000

McGill University 

Thanabalasuriar, Ajitha

Imaging Host-pathogen Interactions in the Pulmonary Environment

194 849 $

Total

1

194 849 $

McMaster University 

Beauchamp, Marla

Evidence-based Strategies to Improve Mobility in Older Adults

$150,000

Brown, Eric

Infrastructure for Microbial Chemical Biology

$200,000

Svenningsen, Sarah

Translational Pulmonary Imaging Research Laboratory

$341,914

Total

3

$691,914

Ryerson University

Mashatan, Atefeh

Quality of Security (QoSec) Simulation for Smart Home and Enterprise Systems

$75,093

Total

1

$75,093

Simon Fraser University

Julian, Lisa

High-throughput Stem Cell Phenotyping and Functional Metabolic Analysis Facility

$300,000

Total

1

$300,000

St. Francis Xavier University

Langdon, Jonathan

Translocal Sustainability & Social Change Learning & Collaboration Network

$30,005

Total

1

$30,005

Thompson Rivers University

Harvey, Jill

Wildfire and Drought Resilience in Montane Forests

$74,978

Total

1

$74,978

Trent University

Xenopoulos, Marguerite

Global Change of Freshwater Ecosystems

$127,541

Total

1

$127,541

Université de Sherbrooke

Achouri, Inès Esma

Process Intensification for Advanced Materials and Sustainable Energy

101 195 $

Oweida, Ayman

Radiotherapy for Stimulation of Anti-tumor Immunity

490 087 $

Total

2

591 282 $

University of British Columbia (The)

Gadermann, Anne

A Programmatic Data Platform for Bio-eco-social Population-level Research on Child and Youth Mental Health in BC

$80,000

Hackett, Tillie-Louise

Spatial Single Cell Imaging in the Lung

$125,000

Jessri, Mahsa

UBC Nutritional Epidemiology and Big Data Analytics Laboratory

$125,000

Levings, Megan

CRC in Engineered Immune Tolerance

$125,000

Oviedo-Joekes, Eugenia

Canada Research Chair in Person Centred Innovation in Addictions and Public Health

$125,000

Zwicker, Jill

Pediatric Brain Development & Rehabilitation

$120,384

Total

6

$700,384

 

University of Calgary

Chu, Li-Fang

Modeling the Human Developmental Clock and Related Disorders

$100,000

Total

1

$100,000

 

University of Guelph

Cho, Clara

Optimizing Metabolic Health with Methyl Nutrients and their Role in One-carbon and Trimethylamine-N-oxide Metabolism

$124,675

Total

1

$124,675

 

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Hangan, Horia

Mobile Weather Microphysics System

$75,000

Lewis, Peter

Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence Lab

$50,000

Total

2

$125,000

University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa

Yauk, Carole

The Development and Application of Genomic Tools to Modernize Risk Assessment and Protect Human Health

$320,000

Total

1

$320,000

University of Toronto

Schramek, Daniel

Infrastructure for the Study of Functional Cancer Genomics

$320,000

Thu, Kelsie

Lung Cancer Therapy Response

$551,302

Total

2

$871,302

University of Waterloo

Leonard, Kelsey

Chair Indigenous Waters, Climate and Sustainability

$125,000

Total

1

$125,000

University of Western Ontario (The)

Zheng, Ying

Catalytic Intensification Laboratory for Energy Innovations

$253,056

Total

1

$253,056

Vancouver Island University

Sloan, Sean

The Human Dimensions of Sustainability and Resilience (CRC Tier 2) - Supporting Infrastructure

$16,960

Total

1

$16,960

TOTAL

29 projects / projets

$4,930,684

NOTE:
As part of this announcement, an additional $1,479,205 was awarded under the Infrastructure Operating Fund, a mechanism that assists institutions with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with the new infrastructure.