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. 

Strategic investments, national impact

Learn how innovations in areas that matter most to Canadians, including affordable housing, food sovereignty and national security, comes from the research made possible by CFI investments in cutting-edge labs and equipment.
Discover the innovations
David Jones wears protective laser glasses as he stands behind a prototype on his lab bench.
article
British Columbia

Zeroing in on critical minerals

New sensors can pinpoint profitable ore — and reduce the financial and environmental costs of mining
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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
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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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Three small piles of coffee beans, coffee grounds and coffee pods on a white background
article
Ontario

Trailblazing company turns chaff to caff

With help from a University of Guelph lab, a small business in southern Ontario is finding opportunity in agricultural waste
Teaghan Wellman poses in front of a blurred background
article
Manitoba

Repairing the roads

There’s booming demand for a Manitoba company’s product that transforms unpaved roads into smooth, durable surfaces
A researcher posing for a photo.
article

Repurposing the MRI

A New Brunswick company is making its mark around the world by commercializing a new technology that uses Magnetic Resonance Imaging, typically a healthcare technology, to extract oil and gas more efficiently
A crystal globe sits on the ground among ferns and grass
article
Nova Scotia

Making sensors to monitor soil emissions

Sensing an opportunity, soil scientists from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, created a company to make devices that monitor greenhouse gases from the ground
A child kicking a soccer ball toward a net
article
Ontario

Beyond the physical

Researchers at Nipissing University are recording the conversations of young athletes on and off the field to find out the impact of sport on their development
A large quantity of Monarch butterflies
article

Thinking quantitatively

Researchers at the University of British Columbia want to understand how our brains process quantity and language to inform how we teach young people about numbers, from the time they learn to count
Silhouettes of many people interacting on a reflective surface that looks like water.
article
Quebec

Lonesome no more: When virtual reality goes social

Researchers at the Université de Montréal have patented technology that allows multiple people in different locations to participate in a virtual reality environment
A person wearing a yellow construction hat leaning over a map on a wooden table.
article
Ontario

Indigenous engineering students are making a difference in their communities

Training in state-of-the-art research labs encourages Indigenous students to pursue engineering, an area of expertise critical for communities involved in natural resource management
A woman sits cross-legged in the grass, holding an electronic tablet.
article
Saskatchewan

Mental health in the Internet age

Researchers at the University of Regina are providing a much-needed boost for mental health services in Saskatchewan by developing and testing ways to deliver therapy via the Internet
A pastel-coloured illustration of a woman cradling an infant to her breast, with long hair and leafy branches radiating outward.
article

The mother of all nutrition labs

Kyly Whitfield of Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax is tackling the polarizing topic of breastfeeding at the Milk and Micronutrient Assessment Lab, or MAMA Lab
Fractured reflection of two people talking
article
Ontario

Teaching children with autism how to perceive the world

Western University’s Ryan Stevenson will launch the first longitudinal study to determine if training will help kids with autism better process the outside world
A plate of cooked sea bass fillet on a bed of arugula and couscous
article
Alberta

Sea bass with a side of arugula, anyone?

Alberta entrepreneurs are growing fresh fish and vegetables together, turning a finely balanced ecosystem into a profitable bottom line