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 outdoor scene at dusk with a stone pavilion and several tipis arranged in a circle with bleachers.

Wildlife ecology done “in a good way”

Researcher Jesse Popp works alongside Indigenous communities to understand their most pressing questions about biodiversity and the plants and animals on the Land
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An outdoor scene at dusk with a stone pavilion and several tipis arranged in a circle with bleachers.
article
Ontario

Wildlife ecology done “in a good way”

Researcher Jesse Popp works alongside Indigenous communities to understand their most pressing questions about biodiversity and the plants and animals on the Land
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podcast
Nova Scotia

Jan Rainey is untangling the mysteries of spider silks

The Dalhousie University researcher is looking to create synthetic versions of spider's silk that have the potential to help heal damaged nerves and damaged hearts
All podcasts
video

Transforming research instincts into a successful business (March webinar)

Part of our Future You webinar series. This webinar features a new generation of researchers who share their challenges and successes as they made the move from researcher to entrepreneur. Watch the video to gain insights and receive valuable tips on how to start your own business.
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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.
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
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
A grey and white photo of a multi-storeyed building with turrets at each corner and a large circular driveway in front.
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
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.