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. 

A close-up photo of taillights of a car and a transport truck at the back of a long line of traffic.

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
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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
All articles
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.
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.
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All stories

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
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