Summary of changes

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Summary of changes

Revisions in this 2026 edition of the Policy and program guide were made to sections 4 (Eligible projects, costs and contributions) and 6 (Administration of CFI awards). Key changes are outlined below. Other changes not listed below aim to improve clarity and do not alter the meaning. 

Eligibility of expenses

  • Eligible and non-eligible costs for infrastructure projects and the Infrastructure Operating Fund expanded and clarified (sections 4.6 and 4.7)
  • Travel costs requirements revised (section 4.6):
    • Where travel costs are allowed, they must comply with the Modern Travel Practices of the National Joint Council Travel Directive and the Treasury Board Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures.
  • Additional guidance for reporting construction and renovation costs provided (section 4.6.2)
  • Eligibility of expenditures related to databases revised to include:
    • Database-related personnel costs, if incurred before the project end date
    • Maintenance, user support and integration of updated data sets (section 4.6.3).
  • Travel and hospitality costs explicitly excluded under the Infrastructure Operating Fund (section 4.7.1).

Advanced research computing infrastructure (section 4.6.4)

  • Proposals focused mainly on shared advanced research computing infrastructure are not eligible.
  • Institutions are advised to consult the Digital Research Alliance of Canada to start the consultation process before submitting proposals.

Administration of CFI awards

  • Steps for finalizing multi-institutional projects revised to increase efficiency and streamline the process so projects can begin without delay (section 6.2.6)
  • Process for changing the recipient institution clarified (section 6.2.7)
  • Guidance provided on acceptable changes to infrastructure and information required for submitting change requests, including end date extensions (section 6.6.1)
  • Projects that include travel costs must submit annual reports by June 15 for those costs to be deemed eligible (section 6.7.1)
  • Monitoring visits removed; oversight will now focus on an annual financial trend analysis (section 6.9)