Canada Foundation for Innovation

T he Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is an independent corporation created by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure. The CFI's mandate is to strengthen the capacity of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and other non-profit research institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development that benefits Canadians.

Eligibility Criteria

Selection Process

Eligible Canadian institutions can apply for CFI support. Applications are assessed using the following criteria:

• quality of research and need for infrastructure;
• contribution to strengthening the capacity for innovation;
• potential benefits of the research to Canada.

CFI support is awarded following a thorough merit-based assessment process that involves researchers, research administrators, and research users from Canada and abroad who review proposals and make funding recommendations. These volunteers are selected based on their expertise and reputation.

Summary

Budget and Funding Formula

The CFI has been entrusted with $3.65 billion by the the Government of Canada. The CFI normally funds up to 40% of a project's infrastructure costs which are invested in partnership with eligible institutions and their funding partners from the public, private, and voluntary sectors who provide the remainder. Based on this formula, the total capital investment by the CFI, the research institutions, and their partners, will exceed $11 billion by 2010.

Benefits of Supporting Research

Support from the CFI enables institutions to set their own research priorities in response to areas of importance to Canada. This allows researchers to compete with the best from around the world, and helps to position Canada in the global, knowledge-based economy. CFI support is intended to:

• strengthen Canada's capacity for innovation;
• attract and retain highly skilled research personnel in Canada;
• stimulate research training of young Canadians;
• promote networking, collaboration, and multidisciplinarity among researchers;
• ensure the optimal use of research infrastructure within and among Canadian institutions.

The research enabled by CFI support is also creating the necessary conditions for sustainable, long-term economic growth - including the creation of spin-off ventures and the commercialization of discoveries.

What is research infrastructure?

Research infrastructure consists of the state-of-the-art equipment, buildings, laboratories, and databases required to conduct research.

Funding Programs

The CFI invests in research projects through the following funding programs:

• The Leading Edge Fund (LEF) will enable institutions to build on and enhance already successful and productive initiatives supported by past CFI investment(s), and thereby secure and further enhance highly competitive research or technology development efforts. Institutions will strengthen particularly successful and productive activities in their select areas of strategic priority where they have a competitive advantage and a proven track record in helping strengthen the country's capacity for innovation.
• The New Initiatives Fund (NIF) seeks to support infrastructure initiatives in which the CFI has not previously invested and that enable institutions and their partners to develop their capacity in promising areas of research or technology development, as well as to improve their research competitiveness and international leadership. Through the NIF, the CFI challenges Canadian institutions to propose new infrastructure projects covering the full spectrum of research and development activities that will lead to breakthroughs and societal improvements for the benefit of Canadians.
• The Leaders Opportunity Fund (LOF) builds on the New Opportunities Fund, the Canada Research Chairs Infrastructure Fund, and Career Awards Fund, and is designed to assist universities in attracting excellent faculty to Canadian universities as well as retaining the very best of today and tomorrow's leading researchers for Canada.
  The International Joint Venture Project 2005 (IJVF) seeks to support a joint collaborative research venture between one or more leading Canadian institutions, and at least one leading institution located outside Canada. It will be collaboration between the very best in Canada and the very best in the world. The project will ensure Canadian leadership in the research area and will promote a distinctive Canadian contribution. The successful project is likely already in development and will be able to provide clear evidence of substantive existing collaborative links with the proposed international partner(s).
• The National Platforms Fund provides generic research infrastructure, resources, services, and facilities that serve the needs of many research subjects and disciplines, and that require periodic reinvestments because of the nature of the technologies. The Fund is being established to fund High Performance Computing infrastructure, and may prove to be the best vehicle to fund other types of generic infrastructure at a later date.

Nova Scotia Contact(s):
See National Contact.