Research stories

Our investments support research that benefits Canadians

In CFI-funded labs and facilities across the country, researchers in all stages of their careers are making discoveries, supporting a robust innovation ecosystem and helping solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. 

An illustration of a man looking up as gears and a lightbulb come out of his brain.

Smarter, safer and more cost-effective

College research teams partner with industry and community to tackle real-life challenges in the skies, in disaster zones and on the factory floor
Read the collection of stories
A row of zebra finches with bright orange beaks perch in a tight huddle along a long branch.
article
Québec
Why (and how) the songbird sings
Listening to what finches can teach us about our own neurobiology and how we acquire language
All articles
A person wearing a coat in an empty field, posing for a photo.
podcast
Québec
Getting fired up about the Arctic
Alexandre Langlois is passionate about all aspects of his job. As a researcher in Northern Canada, he studies the fastest-warming place on the planet and the problems that arise as the climate changes.
All podcasts
Image of various cellphones on a wooden table displaying photos of researchers.
video
A promising future, now: 25 years of investing in ideas that change our world
The Canada Foundation for Innovation has supported cutting-edge research in Canada for 25 years. In these videos, researchers reflect on how CFI funding has advanced their work and how future generations will benefit. They tell passionate stories of curiosity, commitment and innovation.
All videos

All stories

Brown paper cups, trays and bags arranged neatly on a green background.
article
Ontario
Packaging with potential
Developing efficient and sustainable packaging is a pressing concern for food processors, but a new research centre will help them find solutions
A drone resembling a small blue helicopter sits on a grassy area in the foreground with a white van parked on a driveway in the background.
article
Alberta
Improving safety from the skies
Large drones are poised to offer a cheaper, more secure alternative to manned flights in remote areas
Photo of a fire simulation exercise. Two people wearing fire coats aim a fire hose at a burning building.
article
Québec
An ounce of disaster prevention for a pound of long-term benefit
At a new experimental simulation site, the first of its kind in Canada, emergency management practitioners will learn how to handle the risks of natural and human-made disasters
A row of zebra finches with bright orange beaks perch in a tight huddle along a long branch.
article
Québec
Why (and how) the songbird sings
Listening to what finches can teach us about our own neurobiology and how we acquire language
Low buildings and homes along a flat shoreline with water in the foreground.
article
Ontario
Biskaabiiyang: Rebuilding power and authority for sovereign Indigenous Nations
Research into traditional forms of Indigenous governance will explore the resurgence of roles held by Indigenous youth, women, Two Spirit and trans folx
A person wearing a coat in an empty field, posing for a photo.
podcast
Québec
Getting fired up about the Arctic
Alexandre Langlois is passionate about all aspects of his job. As a researcher in Northern Canada, he studies the fastest-warming place on the planet and the problems that arise as the climate changes.
A grey and white photo of a multi-storeyed building with turrets at each corner and a large circular driveway in front.
article
Québec
Bringing back bygone ventilation schemes
Uncovering a decommissioned ventilation system embedded in the walls of a Victorian-era hospital in Montréal offers insight into architectural designs for modern-day energy efficient buildings
Several surgeons and nurses around an operating table.
article
Ontario
Improving patient care in complex times
A new lab is developing instructional methods for training healthcare providers to be nimbler in ever-changing circumstances
Dark orange flames along the crest of a treed hill with billows of thick grey smoke.
article
Alberta
Blazing a new trail in fire forensics
Many devastating wildfires are human-caused; some are set intentionally. One research lab aims to get to the bottom of how the blazes start to inform arson investigations and prevention measures.
University of Alberta researcher Carla Prado poses for a photo.
podcast
Alberta
Using the power of nutrition to treat those living with cancer
Carla Prado left her native Brazil and flew to Alberta in pursuit of a dream. Now, she is a globally recognized researcher who advocates for incorporating nutrition into the treatment of cancer.
An illustration of a robot hand holding an apple, which is in a spotlight, by its stem and two people working on screens on a backdrop of electric circuits.
article
Ontario
Now is the time: Elevating Black people in STEMM
An interview with Maydianne Andrade, inaugural president of the Canadian Black Scientists Network, about the persistent obstacles Black people encounter in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine
A monochromatic beige illustration of a person sitting arms-crossed on a rock surrounded with water and a blazing sun on the horizon.
article
British Columbia
Changing human behaviour to avert the climate crisis
Researchers at the University of British Columbia are exploring how people of various political stripes respond to the climate crisis — and how to spur collective climate action despite their differences