Innovation Fund
The Innovation Fund provides investments in research infrastructure across the full research spectrum, from the most fundamental investigations to applied research and technology development, and across all research disciplines from natural sciences and engineering, life sciences and health, to social sciences, humanities and the arts. These investments help keep Canada competitive, resilient and ready to tackle complex national and global challenges. Through this competition, we will invest in research environments that are equitable, inclusive and equipped to build Canada into the world’s leading hub for science and innovation.
Status: The 2027 Innovation Fund competition is now open. The deadline to submit notices of intent is September 29, 2026.
Key document: 2027 Innovation Fund competition call for proposals
How is my proposal assessed?
First, we make sure it is complete and adheres to our guidelines. Then, it is assessed through our review process.
1. Expert Committees
In the first stage of review, Expert Committees review small groups of proposals from the same area of research. Only proposals that meet a minimum threshold across the five assessment criteria will move to the Multidisciplinary Assessment Committees.
2. Multidisciplinary Assessment Committees
Multidisciplinary Assessment Committees review groups of proposals of similar size and/or complexity and assess them against the three competition objectives in order to:
- Identify proposals that demonstrate excellence and best meet the three competition objectives relative to other competing requests
- Provide a funding recommendation and funding amount for each proposal for the next stage of review.
3. Special Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee
In the third and final stage of review, a Special Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee (S-MAC) reviews reports from the MAC meetings for the proposals that the MACs recommend for funding. The S-MAC makes sure the MACs were consistent in their assessment. If recommendations from the MACs exceed the available budget, the S-MAC recommends to the CFI Board of Directors the proposals that best support the CFI’s mandate, meet the objectives of the competition and represent the most beneficial portfolio of investments for Canada.
What is the role of the Expert Committee?
Expert Committees play a key role in the CFI's review process. Find out what the committees do, and how their members are chosen.
At the Canada Foundation for Innovation, we invest in internationally competitive research and technology development.
This enhanced and optimized institutional research means ever increasing benefits for all Canadians in the social, environmental, economic and health sectors.
We provide funding to eligible Canadian institutions for equipment acquisition, technology development programs and the spaces needed to conduct world-class research, as well as support for their ongoing operations and maintenance.
For each of our various funding competitions, we invite institutions to submit project proposals that outline their research goals and the infrastructure they’ll need to reach them.
We then recruit experts from around the world to participate in our merit-review process.
Here’s how it works and what you – members of the expert committee – need to know…
First, we group proposals together, by research fields. Then we assign a committee of experts in those fields to provide assessments.
An expert committee is typically composed of a Chair and two to six members, depending on the number and breadth of proposals it will review.
The Chair ensures that the expert committee functions effectively and objectively in accordance with CFI policies.
As a member of the expert committee, your job is to review each proposal independently and submit individual assessments to the CFI before meeting with other committee members.
Using a five-point rating scale, you will need to judge how well each proposal meets the competition’s assessment criteria.
You will need to substantiate your ratings by listing the strengths and weaknesses you’ve identified for each criterion.
To help you properly assess the propositions according to the competition criteria, we encourage you to consult the guidelines for reviewers that can be found alongside the review material in CAMS and on our Innovation Fund website page.
We also ask that you comment on the appropriateness of the proposed budget.
This exercise allows you to identify key talking points that will help focus your committee’s discussion so you can reach a consensus.
If there are many proposals assigned to your committee, they may be divided up between members to ensure that every proposal gets thoroughly reviewed.
All materials necessary to make your assessments are available within two to three weeks of the submission deadline. They can be found in CAMS, our awards management portal.
You will need to activate the account we have created for you to gain access to these resources
Expert committees will meet virtually once or twice, depending on the number of proposals and a CFI representative will participate in every meeting.
With the members of your committee, you will be asked to reach a consensus on the strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately on ratings for each assessment criteria.
The CFI will then draft a report for each proposal outlining the expert committee’s conclusions and send them to the committee Chair for approval.
If a proposal meets the expert committee’s threshold of excellence, the proposal and the report will proceed to the Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee or MAC, for stage two of our merit review process.
At this stage, we regroup proposals based on the size of the applicant institution and the amount of infrastructure funding requested from the CFI.
Guided by the expert committee reports, MAC members are asked to evaluate proposals based on the competition’s objectives and recommend which projects to fund. Note that all funded projects will need to have received one of the top three marks from the MAC for the Team composition criteria.
If the number of proposals recommended by the MAC exceeds the competition’s available budget, a third committee, known as the Special Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee, or S-MAC, is responsible for narrowing down the choices.
The recommended proposals are then sent to the CFI Board of Directors
As you can see, the expert committees are the foundation of our valued merit review process.
Your expertise allows us to fund trailblazing projects with the greatest potential for impact — projects at the forefront of exploration and knowledge that address global challenges and make meaningful contributions to Canada’s social, health, environmental and economic development.
This enhanced and optimized institutional research means ever increasing benefits for all Canadians in the social, environmental, economic and health sectors.
We provide funding to eligible Canadian institutions for equipment acquisition, technology development programs and the spaces needed to conduct world-class research, as well as support for their ongoing operations and maintenance.
For each of our various funding competitions, we invite institutions to submit project proposals that outline their research goals and the infrastructure they’ll need to reach them.
We then recruit experts from around the world to participate in our merit-review process.
Here’s how it works and what you – members of the expert committee – need to know…
First, we group proposals together, by research fields. Then we assign a committee of experts in those fields to provide assessments.
An expert committee is typically composed of a Chair and two to six members, depending on the number and breadth of proposals it will review.
The Chair ensures that the expert committee functions effectively and objectively in accordance with CFI policies.
As a member of the expert committee, your job is to review each proposal independently and submit individual assessments to the CFI before meeting with other committee members.
Using a five-point rating scale, you will need to judge how well each proposal meets the competition’s assessment criteria.
You will need to substantiate your ratings by listing the strengths and weaknesses you’ve identified for each criterion.
To help you properly assess the propositions according to the competition criteria, we encourage you to consult the guidelines for reviewers that can be found alongside the review material in CAMS and on our Innovation Fund website page.
We also ask that you comment on the appropriateness of the proposed budget.
This exercise allows you to identify key talking points that will help focus your committee’s discussion so you can reach a consensus.
If there are many proposals assigned to your committee, they may be divided up between members to ensure that every proposal gets thoroughly reviewed.
All materials necessary to make your assessments are available within two to three weeks of the submission deadline. They can be found in CAMS, our awards management portal.
You will need to activate the account we have created for you to gain access to these resources
Expert committees will meet virtually once or twice, depending on the number of proposals and a CFI representative will participate in every meeting.
With the members of your committee, you will be asked to reach a consensus on the strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately on ratings for each assessment criteria.
The CFI will then draft a report for each proposal outlining the expert committee’s conclusions and send them to the committee Chair for approval.
If a proposal meets the expert committee’s threshold of excellence, the proposal and the report will proceed to the Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee or MAC, for stage two of our merit review process.
At this stage, we regroup proposals based on the size of the applicant institution and the amount of infrastructure funding requested from the CFI.
Guided by the expert committee reports, MAC members are asked to evaluate proposals based on the competition’s objectives and recommend which projects to fund. Note that all funded projects will need to have received one of the top three marks from the MAC for the Team composition criteria.
If the number of proposals recommended by the MAC exceeds the competition’s available budget, a third committee, known as the Special Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee, or S-MAC, is responsible for narrowing down the choices.
The recommended proposals are then sent to the CFI Board of Directors
As you can see, the expert committees are the foundation of our valued merit review process.
Your expertise allows us to fund trailblazing projects with the greatest potential for impact — projects at the forefront of exploration and knowledge that address global challenges and make meaningful contributions to Canada’s social, health, environmental and economic development.
What are the assessment criteria?
The assessment criteria for the 2027 competition are:
- Research
- Team
- Infrastructure
- Sustainability
- Benefits
See the call for proposals for details of each of these assessment criteria.
Want to grow your network, build your reputation and contribute to research?
Stories of research supported through the Innovation Fund
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Prince Edward Island
Coastal scourge
Compounded by a changing climate, severe erosion is scouring Prince Edward Island’s coastline. Researchers are designing an elaborate coastal hazard monitoring and modelling system to help protect the island’s shores from being further flushed out to sea.
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Quebec
Genetic sleuthing
A state-of-the-art laboratory is leveraging modern and ancient DNA analysis in tandem with genealogical data to fully understand an evolving population
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Alberta
Probing the brain to break the cycle of opioid addiction
New treatments for opioid use disorder are desperately needed — and fast. The answer may lie in existing medications.
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Quebec
Moving beyond surviving to thriving
A new network of eight Canadian universities aims to help make a difference for children and youth exposed to trauma
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British Columbia,Manitoba
Unlimited access
Researchers combine expertise in engineering and occupational therapy to build wheelchairs that further break down barriers to mobility
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Ontario
A fresh take on protecting our waters
A wide-ranging survey of aquatic environments in Eastern Ontario will bring together Indigenous and Western Knowledge to find better ways to preserve Canada’s freshwater habitats and species