Deadline: 16 September 2019
The Canada Foundation for Innovation is currently seeking applications for 2020 Innovation Fund to provide investments in infrastructure, across the full spectrum of research, from the most fundamental to applied through to technology development.
Projects funded through the Innovation Fund will help Canada remain at the forefront of exploration and knowledge generation while making meaningful contributions to generating social, health, environmental and economic benefits and addressing global challenges.
With this call for proposals, they are launching the first Innovation Fund competition under their new funding model.
They expect institutions to propose research infrastructure projects that are:
- Aligned with the institution’s strategic research plan.
- Guided by the institution’s policies or plans on equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as by the CFI’s statement on equity, diversity and inclusion, in selecting projects and assembling research teams. They recognize that a breadth of diverse perspectives, skills and experiences drives innovation and contributes to research excellence.
Research infrastructure projects should:
- Be of appropriate maturity and offer the best potential for transformative impact.
- Allow teams and institutions to build on established capacity to accelerate current research and technology development or to enhance emerging strategic priority areas.
- Enable teams to fully exploit research infrastructure and drive world–class research.
Objectives
The objectives of the Innovation Fund are to:
- Enable global leadership by supporting world–class research or technology development.
- Enhance and optimize the capacity of institutions and research communities to conduct the proposed research or technology development program(s).
- Lead to social, health, environmental and/or economic benefits for Canadians.
Competition Budget
The CFI will invest up to $400 million in research infrastructure funding and will fund up to 40 percent of a project’s eligible infrastructure costs. It will also provide up to $120 million for associated operating costs through the Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF).
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible Institutions
- Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals and non–profit research institutions recognized as eligible by the CFI can apply to this competition.
- Eligible Infrastructure Projects
- An eligible project involves acquiring or developing research infrastructure to both increase research capacity and support world–class research.
- Construction costs to build new space or to renovate existing space (including fitting out existing space) are eligible.
- To be eligible for funding, research infrastructure expenditures and in–kind contributions must have taken place on, or after, June 1, 2017. They consider expenditures incurred when goods are received, services have been rendered or work has been performed.
How to Apply
Researchers and institutional administrators will use the CFI Awards Management System (CAMS) to prepare, share and submit notices of intent and proposals.
For more information, please visit https://www.innovation.ca/awards/innovation-fund