CFI investments will equip researchers to advance national priorities and build prosperity

$134 million in research infrastructure support will strengthen Canada’s innovation capacity

OTTAWA Ontario, Oct. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Government of Canada announced nearly $134 million through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to support research infrastructure projects at 63 postsecondary institutions across the country.

These strategic investments come at a time of intense international competition and will help propel innovation and build a resilient Canada. They are made through the CFI’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF), a critical tool designed to help institutions attract and retain the very best researchers, and its College Fund, which supports applied research and technology development that address the social, business, health or environmental needs of a Canadian industry or community.

Projects being funded through the JELF include:

• Making explosives safer and more efficient (Ontario): Energetic materials are used to trigger explosions for demolition, mining, and military applications, but historically, higher performing materials are harder to handle safely and often contain heavy metals, raising environmental concerns. Using CFI-funded equipment, researchers at Carleton University are developing a new class of energetic materials that respond to light. With light as a trigger, users can have precise control over when and where the explosive reaction occurs. The research will pave the way for new defence and military technologies while placing Canada at the forefront of material development.
• Refining mineral exploration (British Columbia): Researchers at the University of British Columbia Okanagan are studying the chemical and physical processes of rock formation at the nanoscale in order to optimize the extraction of critical minerals and other natural resources through more precise exploration methods. The same insights can also improve predictions of natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. CFI funding is supporting the establishment of the Centre for Nanogeology, where interdisciplinary research combines materials science and geology.
• Turning waste into energy (Nova Scotia): Practical, sustainable technologies for manure management could help livestock farmers cut costs, waste and greenhouse gas emissions, and generate renewable energy. Canada’s agricultural industry accounts for 10 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, with manure management a notable contributor. Using CFI-funded instrumentation, researchers at Dalhousie University are studying a process called pyrolysis — heating organic material in the absence of oxygen — to transform the waste into valuable products, like bio-oil, and usable energy, while reducing emissions. They will use computer simulations to scale the results and determine how to optimize the financial and environmental outcomes for the agricultural sector.
  
  

Projects being funded through the College Fund include:

• 3D-printing homes (Quebec): In Canada, housing construction often slows during the winter, but factory-based 3D printing makes it possible to produce components year-round — accelerating building timelines and improving working conditions. At Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, researchers are using CFI-funded robots, printing platforms and mixing systems to design, test and validate housing modules. The multidisciplinary team is also exploring natural materials with lower environmental impact than concrete. 3D printing also reduces waste and lowers costs compared to traditional manufacturing. Working with social enterprises and private-sector partners, the team will ensure the modules meet building codes and are optimized for use across Canada.
• Developing renewable materials (Alberta): Global demand for reusable materials is growing for both environmental and economic reasons. CFI funding is helping establish the Sustainable Materials Laboratory at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), equipped to produce and process plastics and biomaterials. Since plastics degrade each time they are recycled — losing strength, flexibility and clarity — they often become unsuitable for high-performance products or regulated industries. NAIT researchers are working with industry partners to increase plastic reuse, explore biomaterial alternatives, and assess the environmental impacts of these novel materials in collaboration with local Indigenous communities.
  
  

Quotes

"Today’s investment demonstrates the remarkable contributions of Canada’s researchers and institutions, whose commitment to advancing knowledge and innovation benefits Canadians in every part of the country. By investing in science and research infrastructure, we are laying the groundwork for discoveries that will enrich our communities and inspire future generations. Canada has what the world’s innovators are looking for, and our government is making Canada the destination of choice for the world’s top minds.”

– The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

“This investment by the Government of Canada through the Canada Foundation for Innovation is driving discoveries in areas that matter most to Canada. By equipping universities and colleges with cutting edge research tools and labs that underpin innovation, we help ensure Canada remains secure, productive and globally competitive.”

– Sylvain Charbonneau, President and CEO, Canada Foundation for Innovation

Quick facts

• These research infrastructure investments total $133,624,785. There were 408 projects funded through the CFI’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) for a total of $115,079,389, and 17 projects funded through the College Fund for a total of $18,545,396.
• Projects supported through these funds will receive additional funding through the CFI’s Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF) to cover the costs of operating the research infrastructure. The total investment of $133,624,785 includes $30,836,489 from the IOF.
• The CFI typically contributes up to 40 percent of a project’s research infrastructure costs. Research institutions secure the remaining 60 percent through partnerships with provincial and territorial governments, industry and other public, private and not-for-profit organizations.
• By attracting cofunding from strategic partners, this unique funding model optimizes the Government of Canada’s investments in research infrastructure.
  
  

Associated links

• Learn more about the Canada Foundation for Innovation
• Details on the CFI’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund
• Details on the CFI’s College Fund
• The CFI’s Research Facilities Navigator, an online directory of publicly funded labs working with partners in industry, academia and government. 
  
  

About the Canada Foundation for Innovation

With a bold, future-looking mandate, the Canada Foundation for Innovation equips researchers to be global leaders in their field and to respond to emerging challenges. Our investments in state-of-the-art tools, instruments and facilities at universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions underpin both curiosity- and mission-driven research that cuts across disciplines and bridges all sectors. The research infrastructure we fund mobilizes knowledge, spurs innovation and commercialization, and empowers the talented minds of a new generation.

Related products

A full list of our funded projects, as well as stories about the facilities we fund, are available at Innovation.ca. For updates, follow us on Bluesky, LinkedIn and X @InnovationCA and subscribe to our YouTube channel to find videos about the CFI and its transformative research projects.

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