Article

Major investment in innovative, world-class research to benefit all Canadians

More than half a billion dollars in infrastructure funding to support Canada’s leading researchers

OTTAWA, ON – Today, the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, announced more than $518 million in research infrastructure funding through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). The funding will support 102 state-of-the-art projects at 35 post-secondary institutions and research hospitals across the country, and will help Canada remain at the forefront of exploration, innovation and discovery.

Read the Prime Minister’s announcement: New investments to support research and science across Canada

Following the announcement, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, highlighted three funded projects from the competition in conversation with researchers from Université de Montréal and the affiliated pediatric hospital CHU Sainte-Justine, the University of Calgary and York University.

Some of the projects the CFI is supporting with research infrastructure funding include:

  • Ocean sensors to track climate change. Climate change is threatening the health of our oceans and the fisheries that rely on them. A team of researchers, led by Dalhousie University, will deploy a group of innovative floating sensors in the North Atlantic Ocean, a first for the region, to collect information that scientists need to answer urgent questions about ocean warming and carbon capture. This information could help ease the effects of climate change on our oceans, prevent the collapse of local fisheries and position Canada as a leader in ocean sensor technology.

Read: Probing the North Atlantic for clues to climate-change impacts

  • Studying medications for expectant mothers and children. More than 75 percent of pregnant women take medications for which we do not know the risks or benefits to mother or baby. To fill this knowledge gap, researchers at the Université de Montréal and the affiliated pediatric hospital CHU Sainte-Justine, will gather and analyze data from more than four million pregnant women as well as children across the country. The work aims to improve how we use and prescribe medications during pregnancy and childhood.

Read: Weighing risks and benefits of medication use during pregnancy

  • Speeding up Canadian vaccine production. There is an urgent need in Canada to produce vaccines more quickly and efficiently. Currently, there is no program within Canadian academia to help researchers gauge whether vaccine production and commercialization are realistic. Moving vaccines developed by academia to the manufacturing and production stages is challenging and costly. A team of researchers from the CHU de Québec and Université Laval in Québec City, Que., aim to create a public vaccine production program to serve Canadians. They will build a research platform to address these challenges by developing and testing vaccines, helping researchers launch start-up companies, and supporting existing start-ups.
  • Smart cities of the near future. To build the homes, campuses and cities of the future, researchers need to be able to create and test a variety of technologies. Ryerson University, in Toronto, Ont., will build a new, smart-campus testing lab made up of a “smart home” and “smart office” that will allow researchers to test new smart building, security, lighting, construction, and energy efficient technologies. Two remote installations in buildings at the University of New Brunswick, and the University of Victoria in B.C., will feed valuable information into the system. This project will help smart building researchers develop sustainable construction methods, new cybersecurity strategies, smart building technologies, and encourage the development of made-in-Canada technology to make the smart cities of the near future healthy, safe and sustainable.
  • Archives to support reconciliation. We are what we choose to remember; but we are also what we choose to forget. A groundbreaking initiative led by the University of Manitoba will establish the digital architecture for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation’s archive of unique records. This digital archive will allow researchers to, among other things; identify the children lost at residential schools, which builds on the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It aims to create a new model of decolonizing archives to promote healing, learning and relationship building.

Read: New digital archive will be a record of Canada’s residential school history

Discover more stories on projects funded in this competition

Quotes

“Canada's researchers and scientists are some of the brightest and most skilled in the world. Today’s investments will ensure that they have what they need to help us build a Canada that is healthier, cleaner, and more competitive.”

- The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

“Great science and research is the first step in driving innovation. Now more than ever, Canadians are looking to their researchers to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems. The Government of Canada is proud to support today’s funding recipients, who are harnessing their expertise and dedication to make the important discoveries that will serve Canadians now and in the future.”

- The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“Investing in research is an investment in the future of Canada. Discoveries will lead to economic growth and will help solve the challenges the world faces today. These projects demonstrate the breadth and depth of Canadian expertise and excellence, and these awards are a tribute to the innovative researchers across the country.”

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

Quick facts

  • The investments were made through the CFI’s Innovation Fund. This fund supports 40 percent of infrastructure costs across the full spectrum of research, from the most fundamental to applied, 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 to support researchers in addressing global challenges and making meaningful contributions to social, health, environmental and economic benefits for Canadians.
  • The total investment of $518,101,899 includes $118,111,261 for associated operating costs through the Infrastructure Operating Fund.
  • Many of the funded projects demonstrate collaboration among research institutions. Of the 102 proposals, 49 (48 percent) include at least one collaborating institution.
  • The 2020 Innovation Fund competition is the first of its kind since Budget 2018 announced permanent funding for the CFI. The move to permanent funding will allow the CFI to hold Innovation Fund competitions approximately every two years. These regular competition intervals will allow institutions to plan strategically and to propose mature projects, while continuing to develop promising ones for future competitions.

Quick links

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

About the Canada Foundation for Innovation

For more than 20 years, the CFI has been giving researchers the tools they need to think big and innovate. Fostering a robust innovation system in Canada translates into jobs and new enterprises, better health, cleaner environments and, ultimately, vibrant communities. By investing in state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in Canada’s universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions, the CFI also helps to attract and retain the world’s top talent, to train the next generation of researchers and to support world-class research that strengthens the economy and improves the quality of life for all Canadians.

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For updates, follow us on Twitter @InnovationCA and subscribe to our YouTube channel to find videos about the CFI and its transformative research projects.

Contacts

Malorie Bertrand
Media Relations and Social Media Specialist
Canada Foundation for Innovation
C: 613-227-0198
malorie.bertrand [at] innovation.ca (malorie[dot]bertrand[at]innovation[dot]ca)


 

 

Media Relations
Innovation, Science, and Economic
Development Canada
ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic [at] canada.ca (ic[dot]mediarelations-mediasrelations[dot]ic[at]canada[dot]ca)

John Power

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

john.power [at] canada.ca (john[dot]power[at]canada[dot]ca)

 

Innovation Fund Backgrounder - By Project

Innovation Fund / Fonds d’innovation

Institution / Établissement

Number of Projects / Nombre de projets

Aurora College

1

Carleton University

2

Concordia University

1

Dalhousie University

5

École Polytechnique de Montréal

1

McGill University

9

McMaster University

5

Memorial University of Newfoundland

1

Queen’s University

2

Ryerson University

1

Simon Fraser University

1

Sinai Health System

2

St. Joseph’s Health Care London

1

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

1

The Hospital for Sick Children

4

The University of British Columbia

9

Thompson Rivers University

1

Université de Montréal

8

Université de Sherbrooke

3

Université du Québec - École de technologie supérieure

1

Université du Québec - Institut national de la recherche scientifique

1

Université du Québec à Montréal

1

Université Laval

4

University Health Network

1

University of Alberta

5

University of Calgary

5

University of Manitoba

2

University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa

5

University of Regina

1

University of Saskatchewan

2

University of Toronto

4

University of Victoria

2

University of Waterloo

6

Women’s College Hospital

1

York University

3

Total Institutions / des établissements     35

102

 

Aurora College

Western Arctic Research Centre (WARC) Warehouse: Supporting Research in the Western Arctic

$1,686,897

1 project / projet

$1,686,897

Carleton University

Development of Next Generation Liquid Argon Dark Matter Detector and of an Underground Argon Storage Facility at SNOLAB
Collaborating / Partenaire:  University of Alberta, Queen’s University

$6,902,590

Abilities Living Laboratory (ALL)
Collaborating / Partenaire:   University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa

$2,370,000

2 projects / projets

$9,272,590

Concordia University

Toward Intelligent and Resilient Smart Cities with Energy-Vehicle-Human Interactions

$723,417

1 project / projet

$723,417

Dalhousie University

Cancer risks of Arsenic and Radon environmental Exposures (CARE)
Collaborating / Partenaire:  University of Calgary

$2,296,995

A BGC Argo Program for the NW North Atlantic Ocean
Collaborating / Partenaire:  Memorial University of Newfoundland

$3,511,591

Advanced Sustainable Energy Technology (ASET) Research Program

$2,725,393

Artificial Intelligence meets Ocean Science

$1,157,188

Next Generation Manufacturing of Advanced Ceramics (NG-MAC)
Collaborating / Partenaire:  University of New Brunswick

$3,578,741

5 projects / projets

$13,269,908

École Polytechnique de Montréal

Atomistics of Engineering and Natural Materials
Collaborating / Partenaire:  Université de Sherbrooke, McGill University, Université de Montréal, Université du Québec - École de technologie supérieure

3 109 552 $

1 projet / project

3 109 552 $

McGill University

SecureData4Health

Collaborating / Partenaire: The Hospital for Sick Children, Sinai Health System , Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, Université Laval

7 924 202 $

Quantum Dynamics Laboratory: Tools to Visualize Advanced Materials at Work

2 570 856 $

Canadian Hydrogen Observatory and Radio transient Detector (CHORD)

Collaborating / Partenaire:  Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Calgary, University of Toronto

9 071 532 $

Next Generation Dopaminergic Cell Modeling and Therapeutics for Movement Disorders

3 420 697 $

Nanotools III

2 884 120 $

Building Architecture Research Node/Nodule de recherche architecturale du bâtiment

7 682 961 $

Centre for Applied Nanomedicine (CAN) – Studies into Extracellular Vesicle Heterogeneity, Biomarkers and Function
Collaborating / Partenaire:  McGill University Health Centre

1 365 228 $

Functional Atomic-scale Materials Engineering ( FAME )
Collaborating / Partenaire:  École Polytechnique de Montréal, Université de Montréal, Université d’Ottawa / University of Ottawa

3 244 132 $

Advanced Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing Facility
Collaborating / Partenaire:  Concordia University, University of Windsor

3 775 027 $

9 projets / projects

41 938 755 $

 

McMaster University

Towards Dynamic Materials Characterization with Electrons and Photons in Extreme Environments

$5,737,458

Building a Future for Canadian Neutron Scattering

$14,250,000

Transformative Nano-manufacturing Enabled by Programmable Assembly, Self-alignment and Direct-write Technologies

$2,137,090

3D Multi-scale Correlative and Time-lapsed Microscopy: A Canadian Platform for Materials Acceleration

$3,413,793

Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA): A Platform for Interdisciplinary Research

$9,578,643

5 projects / projets

$35,116,984

Memorial University of Newfoundland

ACESCentre: Atlantic Canada Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry Centre
Collaborating / Partenaire:  Saint Mary’s University

$6,773,058

1 project / projet

$6,773,058

Queen’s University

ExCELLirate Canada: Expanding CELL-based Immunotherapy Research Acceleration for Translation and Evaluation

Collaborating / Partenaire:  McMaster University, University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa, Université de Montréal, University of Calgary

$5,187,685

Climate Adaptive infraStructure Testing and Longevity Evaluation (CASTLE) Innovation Cluster
Collaborating / Partenaire: Royal Military College of Canada / Collège militaire royal du Canada

$4,470,000

2 projects / projets

$9,657,685

Ryerson University

Smart Campus Integration and Testing Lab

$1,962,000

1 project / projet

$1,962,000

Simon Fraser University

ATLAS Tier-1 Data Centre

$2,169,811

1 project / projet

$2,169,811

Sinai Health System

Probing the Molecular State of Rare Cell Phenotypes

$5,830,254

A Center for Quantitative Ultrastructural Analyses
Collaborating / Partenaire:  The Hospital for Sick Children

$2,091,119

2 projects / projets

$7,921,373

St. Joseph’s Health Care London

Revealing the Functional and Molecular Mechanisms of Brain Disease with Better Imaging Tools

$2,008,333

1 project / projet

$2,008,333

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Artificial Intelligence Platform for Precision Medicine

$485,676

1 project / projet

$485,676

The Hospital for Sick Children

Advanced Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy Program
Collaborating / Partenaire:  Sinai Health System

$2,845,545

Single Particle Cryo EM Analysis Project (SPaCEMAP)
Collaborating / Partenaire:  University Health Network, University of Toronto, Sinai Health System

$7,604,234

CGEn – A National Platform for Genome Sequencing and Analysis
Collaborating / Partenaire:  University of British Columbia (The), McGill University

$11,151,793

The Continuum of Protein Interactions in Health and Disease

$1,678,236

4 projects / projets

$23,279,808

The University of British Columbia

Cancer Single Cell Dynamics Observatory

$2,396,810

Used-Water to Resources (U-WatR)

$1,591,394

Momentum-resolved Electron-pair Spectroscopy (2e-ARPES)

$2,628,802

Enabling the Search for Neutrinoless Double-beta Decays in Xe-136 with nEXO

$6,523,155

MiDAS - Microbial Diversity Expansion for Applied Sciences

$3,276,459

HAICU: Hydrogen Antihydrogen Infrastructure at Canadian Universities for Quantum Innovations in Antimatter Science

$4,559,274

iMAP in vivo Mesoscale Assessment of neuroProjectomes

$2,315,582

AM+: Mobilizing Additive Manufacturing for Automotive, Aerospace and Clean Energy

$3,001,460

Rapid Air Improvement Network (RAIN)

$2,028,080

9 projects / projets

$28,321,016

Thompson Rivers University

The TRUbI/O Network, a hub for genomics and bioinformatics innovation in the British Columbia interior

$848,698

1 project / projet

$848,698

Université de Montréal

Canadian Mother-Child Cohort Active Surveillance Initiative (CAMCCO)
Collaborating / Partenaire:  University of Alberta, University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa, University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba

$1,195,586

CHUSJ IMAGE Centre: Imaging for neurodevelopment and Mental health across Age, Genes and Environments

2 865 100 $

Auditory-Motor Skill Learning and Brain Plasticity
Collaborating / Partenaire:  McGill University, Concordia University

3 665 701 $

Innovative Program in Gene, Cell and Tissue Engineering for the Treatment of Pediatric Monogenic Diseases and Cancers

2 748 480 $

MIIRCIC: Multimodal Intelligent Infrastructure for Research in Critically Ill Children

Collaborating / Partenaire:  Université du Québec - École de technologie supérieure

923 461 $

Neurodevelopmental Basis of Nervous System Disorders: NeuroBasis
Collaborating / Partenaire:  McGill University

3 134 615 

T-cells and Cancer Immunotherapy

3 976 787 $

PURE: Particles in URban Environments
Collaborating / Partenaire:  McGill University

4 877 303 $

8 projets / projects

23 387 033 $

Université de Sherbrooke

PYRIDINE: PolYmeR bIg Data INtErface

2 646 985 $

Distributed Digital Intelligence Network (D2IN): Development of disruptive and low-cost microsystems for edge computing
Partenaires / Collaborators:  Université du Québec - École de technologie supérieure

6 699 774 $

Multidisciplinary Observatory for Arctic Climate Change and Extreme Events Monitoring (MOACC)

1 601 614 $

3 projets / projects

10 948 373 $

Université du Québec - École de technologie supérieure

Intelligent Cyber Value Chain Network (CĒOS Net)
Partenaires / Collaborators:  École Polytechnique de Montréal, Concordia University, Université Laval, Université du Québec à Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, Cégep de Sherbrooke, Cégep John Abbott College

4 552 405 $

1 projet / project

4 552 405 $

Université du Québec – Institut national de la recherche scientifique

Upgraded-Laboratory of Micro- and Nanofabrication (U-LMN)

3 249 940 $

1 projet / project

3 249 940 $

Université du Québec à Montréal

SPAR Lab: a Research Laboratory To Develop and Assess Smart Process Applications

722 423 $

1 projet / project

722 423 $

Université Laval

Baffin Island Environmental Research Stations

Partenaires / Collaborators: Université du Québec à Rimouski, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

7 003 049 $

A cGMP Facility for Personalized Tissue Engineering

4 709 800 $

Manufacturing of Antigens and Adjuvants for development of Vaccines (MAAV)

1 889 630 $

Une foresterie agile face au climat: De l'écosystème jusqu'aux marchés

Partenaires / Collaborators: Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

3 268 715 $

4 projets / projects

16 871 194 $

University Health Network

The Toronto Liver Research Centre: A Multi-disciplinary Concentration of Liver Research

$1,350,035

1 project / projet

$1,350,035

University of Alberta

ELEMENTS: Earth, Life, Energy and Materials with multi-Elements for Nano to Terrestrial Structures

$5,079,691

Ultrafast Nanoscale Quantum Dynamics (UltraNanoQD)

$3,881,218

Canadian Analytics Network for Outcome Prediction In Exposures (CANOPIE)

$3,145,322

RADiation Impacts on Climate and Atmospheric Loss Satellite (RADICALS) Mission

$8,131,497

“Protein Misfolding Scientific Exploration” (ProMiSE) Team: Infrastructure support for remediation of protein misfolding

$3,851,724

5 projects / projets

$24,089,452

University of Calgary

QDiamond: Accelerating the Second Quantum Revolution
Collaborating / Partenaire:   University of Alberta

$5,215,539

Centre for Cell Therapy Translation (CTT)

$1,831,803

Imaging the Development of Brain Circuits for Early Detection and Intervention in Mental Illness

$3,320,000

Wild Microbiome and Immunity Centre

$4,860,000

Durable Materials for Electrolyzers, Fuel Cells, and Batteries

$2,992,600

5 projects / projets

$18,219,942

University of Manitoba

NCTR Digital Architecture

$2,411,773

The MOLLER Detector: Expanding our understanding of matter in the universe with a new, precision electron detector

$2,336,900

2 projects / projets

$4,748,673

University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa

Transformative nanophotonics

$7,688,879

Center for Hybrid Interfaces and Intelligent Thin-Films (HIIT)
Collaborating / Partenaire:  École Polytechnique de Montréal, Cégep André-Laurendeau

$8,016,085

Operation Heat Shield Canada – Protecting Human Health on a Warming Planet

$1,986,842

Hub of Excellence for Cardio-Neuro-Mind Research – HCNMR

$5,856,907

A Multi-Hazards Simulator (MHS) for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure

$2,623,339

5 projects / projets

$26,172,052

University of Regina

Mitochondrial Systems (mitoSYSTEMS) Research Centre for Chronic Disease

$1,403,288

1 project / projet

$1,403,288

University of Saskatchewan

Integrated Genomics for Sustainable Animal Agriculture and Environmental Stewardship

Collaborating / Partenaire:  Saskatchewan Polytechnic, University of Alberta

$6,765,155

The Canadian Agricultural Centre for Engineering Biology (CACEB)

$3,199,272

2 projects / projets

$9,964,427

University of Toronto

A Massive Transformation of the Dragonfly Telephoto Array

$1,819,000

AcDC: Accelerator for Donnelly Collaboration

$1,957,650

Mega-Scale Multi-Dimensional Experimental Facility for Enhancing Canada's Infrastructure Resilience

$6,861,818

An Integrated Platform for the Analysis of Brain Inflammation

$13,961,537

4 project / projet

$24,600,005

University of Victoria

Intermediate Detector for the Hyper-Kamiokande Neutrino Oscillation Experiment

Collaborating / Partenaire:  University of Regina, The University of Winnipeg, British Columbia Institute of Technology

$5,400,000

Belle II Canadian Research Data Centre

Collaborating / Partenaire:  The University of British Columbia, McGill University

$2,000,000

2 projects / projets

$7,400,000

University of Waterloo

Developing Innovative Technologies for Predicting and Remediating Environmental Contamination

$3,313,077

Waterloo Aquatic Threats Environmental Research (WATER) Facility

$780,000

forWater AID: Advanced Infrastructure Development for forested drinking water source protection technologies in Canada

$3,522,752

CCAT-prime: A Submillimetre Wavelength Survey Telescope in Chile

$4,900,000

Advanced Materials Ontario: Harnessing the Power of Multifunctional Materials for New Technologies

$2,667,473

Ontario Centre for Battery and Electrochemical Research

$2,088,832

6 projects / projets

$17,272,134

Women’s College Hospital

Women's Virtual Care Research Laboratory

$1,184,061

1 project / projet

$1,184,061

York University

Tabletop probe of PeV-scale new physics
Collaborating / Partenaire:  University of Toronto

$3,360,000

Technology-Enhanced Drug Development and Manufacturing: MirrorLab

$2,090,000

Intelligent Additive Manufacturing Technology for Space Exploration

Collaborating / Partenaire:  The University of Western Ontario

$3,573,206

3 projects / projets

$9,023,206

102 projects / projets

$393,704,204

 

NOTE / Â NOTER 
As part of this announcement, an additional $118,111,267 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. / Cette annonce comprend l’attribution d’une somme additionnelle de 118 111 267 dollars du Fonds d’exploitation des infrastructures. Les établissements utilisent ces montants pour assumer une partie des coûts d’exploitation et de maintenance de la nouvelle infrastructure.

An additional contribution of $6,286,434 was awarded to 22 multi-institutional proposals involving three or more collaborating CFI eligible institutions, to cover incremental administrative costs associated with the management and governance of those proposals. / Une contribution supplémentaire de 6 286 434 dollars a été octroyée à 22 propositions multiétablissements impliquant au moins trois établissements admissibles selon les critères de la FCI, pour couvrir les coûts administratifs croissants liés à la gestion et à la gouvernance de ces propositions.