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. 

Meet these 14 passionate researchers this summer!

From the Arctic to sometimes chilling spiders, three seasons of our 10,000 ways podcast are a great way to cool off this summer. Tune in and quench your curiosity for leading-edge science and the joys of discovery.
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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
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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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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
Close up photo of the heads of wheat stalks in a field.
article
Manitoba

Tracking nutrients from the soil to your supper plate

By understanding how crops take up nutrients from the soil, University of Manitoba’s agronomy soil fertility expert Xiaopeng Gao aims to help farmers produce bigger yields of better grains — and do it more sustainably
A graphic of a DNA strand lit up with data points.
article
British Columbia

How Canada is at the forefront of unpacking the potential of DNA data storage

Could “DNA origami” offer a way to store some of the world’s 149 trillion gigabytes of information and help solve big data’s big storage problem? At UBC Okanagan, Will Hughes is exploring the possibilities.
View from the back of a person sitting at the controls of a simulator, holding the steering wheel while another person on the right, wearing a white cap, looks on.
article
Quebec

Mining and metallurgy 4.0

A McGill University laboratory is developing simulation tools that will help the mineral industry fully enter the fourth industrial revolution
Abstract landscape with torn deckled paper edges.
article
British Columbia

Remaking connections through art(ifacts)

Kristen Barnett is leading an Indigenous archaeology lab that will help communities reconnect with rematriated items
A woman perches on the pointing finger of a robot hand, looking into the distance with binoculars.
article
Quebec

Turbo-boosting pharmaceutical breakthroughs

Discovering a new drug can feel like hunting for a needle in a haystack. Ré Mansbach is developing AI-powered tools to streamline those searches.
A graphic showing a 3D pixelated human head surrounded by a cloud of letters.
article
Ontario

Creating ethical AI

By probing the sociocultural risks of artificial intelligence, Lai-Tze Fan is helping create technologies with fairness built in
A graphic of two highways intersecting with bumper-to-bumper colourful cars.
article
Ontario

Using artificial intelligence to help highways hum

Could AI improve traffic flow, cut emissions and get you home sooner? Hao Yang thinks so.
A graphic depicting the shape of a butterfly made up of many small insects.
article
Quebec

Taking AI to the front lines of climate action

From monitoring moths to tracking crop yields from space, David Rolnick is building a suite of machine-learning tools to address the climate crisis
Blue-toned illustration of a telescope in a mountainous landscape. In the background, coded data seems to be falling from the sky.
article
Quebec

Unravelling the secrets of the universe: Deep learning in astronomy

Laurence Perreault-Levasseur and her team at Université de Montréal are using deep learning in astronomy to develop and apply analysis methods that will do nothing short of helping us better understand the universe itself while improving medical imaging and climate modelling.
Portrait of Lianna Genovese
article
Ontario

Building prosperity by engineering life-changing assistive technologies

Lianna Genovese — Founder and CEO, ImaginAble Solutions
Hilary Earl kneels on the floor with her laptop as she prepares for an interview. In the foreground is a video camera.
article

Investigating the causes — and consequences — of war and genocide

How immersive simulation, film, video and podcasting tools are giving Hilary Earl and her colleagues fresh insights into the history of state-sponsored violence