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.
article
Ontario
Is bad air quality making you sick?
The air you breathe contains thousands of natural and synthetic chemicals. Joseph Okeme is identifying which ones cause chronic diseases.
podcast
Ontario
The future of flight depends on sustainability that goes beyond biofuels
The University of Waterloo’s Suzanne Kearns is a global leader in sustainable aviation, but her flight path wasn’t without turbulence
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 stories
article
Quebec
Why (and how) the songbird sings
Listening to what finches can teach us about our own neurobiology and how we acquire language
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
podcast
Quebec
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.
article
Quebec
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
podcast
Quebec
How using sound to treat disease is music to one researcher’s ears
Simone Dalla Bella of Montréal’s International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research asks “How can music help us in our daily tasks? And how can it slow down the deleterious effects of diseases such as Parkinson’s?”
article
Ontario
Can a bicycle be a tool for creating gender equality?
Researchers at York University use visual and digital media to explore the connection between physical activity and unequal power relations.
article
British Columbia
Life on the edge
An experiential research project at Simon Fraser University explores the psychology behind our perceptions of poverty