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. 

Guillaume St-Onge is wearing a striped red sweater and sunglasses, posing in front of the Pingualuit crater in Quebec, full of clear blue water.

Science (sea) star

Ocean science research is at a pivotal moment according to Guillaume St-Onge, Director of the Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski at Université du Québec à Rimouski
Listen to the podcast
Two people sit in front of a curved video wall displaying illuminated renderings of satellites orbiting earth.
article
British Columbia
Transforming dry data into Instagrammable art
Researchers are blending science, art and augmented reality to bring data to life, make complex information more evocative — and create plenty of buzz
All articles
Guillaume St-Onge is wearing a striped red sweater and sunglasses, posing in front of the Pingualuit crater in Quebec, full of clear blue water.
podcast
Quebec
Science (sea) star
Ocean science research is at a pivotal moment according to Guillaume St-Onge, Director of the Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski at Université du Québec à Rimouski
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

Two people sit in front of a curved video wall displaying illuminated renderings of satellites orbiting earth.
article
British Columbia
Transforming dry data into Instagrammable art
Researchers are blending science, art and augmented reality to bring data to life, make complex information more evocative — and create plenty of buzz
A man in a red jacket holds the remote control as a drone takes off from a rubble-strewn site.
article
Newfoundland and Labrador
Archaeology’s high-tech race to save North Atlantic heritage
Climate change is threatening millennia of history in Newfoundland and Labrador. New LiDAR-equipped drones and other technology is helping archaeologists triage the sites at greatest risk and document crucial heritage before it disappears.
Guillaume St-Onge is wearing a striped red sweater and sunglasses, posing in front of the Pingualuit crater in Quebec, full of clear blue water.
podcast
Quebec
Science (sea) star
Ocean science research is at a pivotal moment according to Guillaume St-Onge, Director of the Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski at Université du Québec à Rimouski
Several hands hold up an illustrated ball of houses against a cloudy sky.
article
New Brunswick
Tackling the many dimensions of New Brunswick’s housing crisis
How one social science lab — with a few well-placed couches — is bringing stakeholders together to address the intersecting issues of housing affordability, mental health and food security
Drama students moving quickly around a stage.
article
Ontario
Finding hope and deep learning in the drama classroom
Can the unique “messiness” of theatre empower young people to create radical change in the face of crises like the climate emergency? Absolutely, according to insights from multi-country research that merges ethnography, pedagogy and playwriting.
A close-up photo of taillights of a car and a transport truck at the back of a long line of traffic.
article
British Columbia
Choosing the right route to lower traffic emissions
By profiling tailpipe emissions and creating community-specific transportation models, researchers will help cities reach their net-zero mobility goals faster — even in sub-zero temperatures
York University researcher Pirathayini Srikantha poses for a photo.
podcast
Ontario
Reinforcing the reliability of our vulnerable electricity grid
York University’s Pirathayini Srikantha studies power grid systems with the aim of keeping Canada’s infrastructure safe from fluctuations and hackers. Find out why she’s passionate about power.
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
Quebec
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
Quebec
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