In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the CFI and the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada surveyed institutions about their capacity to respond to COVID-19 and possible future pandemics.
The institutions pointed to critical issues with their ability to respond to the coronavirus and its variants, as well as their readiness to respond to future infectious disease outbreaks.
Notably, 94 percent of institutions with CL3 facilities reported needing investments to maintain their readiness to respond to a future pandemic, and 70 percent indicated they were at risk of losing their Human Pathogens and Toxins Act licence without additional specialized equipment and critical upgrades.
The World Health Organization recognizes that animal models are key to advancing COVID-19 treatments. Canada’s federal COVID-19 Therapeutics Task Force further noted that access to animal models and laboratories with the appropriate expertise is a challenge faced by researchers and smaller Canadian firms in developing therapeutics. This challenge is equally valid for numerous infectious diseases beyond COVID-19.
To advance the Government of Canada’s biomanufacturing and life sciences priorities, Budget 2021 announced $500 million for the CFI to support the infrastructure needs of postsecondary institutions and research hospitals in these areas.
Canada’s leading post-secondary institutions and their affiliated research hospitals anchor much of the bioinnovation ecosystem. Important foundational components are centred in these institutions, including laboratories, research and talent.
Canada’s scientists need high-performance tools and innovative research spaces and laboratories to bring their ideas from discovery through development and commercialization. In many cases, their work requires specialized equipment in appropriate biocontainment facilities to ensure that infectious-disease research is conducted safely. Supporting surveillance, diagnostics, and pre-clinical and clinical trials with flexible research infrastructure capacity is critical to Canada’s biomanufacturing and life sciences ecosystem.
The Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund was created in 2021 to respond to these critical needs.
Research infrastructure supported through this fund will strengthen the capacity of academia to work with industry and government to advance promising discoveries and promote training and talent development.
Funded projects will:
- Meet a high standard of scientific excellence
- Best respond to government priorities to address pandemic readiness and emerging health threats
- Hold the greatest potential to develop commercially viable vaccines and therapies.
CFI investments will ensure that funded facilities are collaborative, durable, flexible, multi-institutional and capable of serving researchers in all relevant disciplines in support of Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy.