The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), an independent organization established by the government in 1997 to fund research infrastructure, announced a new C$45.5 million ($38.2USD million) program last month aimed at providing equipment and attracting researchers to Canadian institutions.

The scheme will jump start 251 projects across 44 universities under two funds: C$38.2 million ($32.1USD million) was awarded under the Leaders Opportunity Fund -- a scheme for universities to buy equipment, buildings, and databases -- and the remaining C$7.2 million ($6.0USD million) under the Infrastructure Operating Fund, an accompanying program to cover maintenance and operational costs.

"Investing in cutting-edge labs, equipment, and technology has transformed Canada's research landscape over the past decade," said Eliot Phillipson, the CFI's president and CEO, in a press release. "The CFI keeps pace with this transformation to ensure Canadian research institutions and their researchers remain world class."

To put this funding in perspective, the new CFI investment is on par with the annual budget increases of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the country's largest research funding bodies. The total 2008-09 budgets of the CIHR and NSERC were C$831 million ($695USD million) and C$999 million ($835USD million), respectively.

The University of Toronto was the biggest winner, receiving C$4.7 million ($4.0USD million) for more than 20 projects, including studies of metabolomics, plant evolutionary genomics, and mapping genetic interactions. The University of Montreal pulled in C$3.9 million ($3.3USD million) to investigate HIV-host cell interactions, whole genome population genetics, multi-protein complexes, and RNA engineering. Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, was awarded C$2.1 million ($1.8USD million) for several projects including studies of gastrointestinal disease, tissue engineering, and biodiversity.

A full list of the institutes and projects that received funding under the scheme is available on the CFI website.


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