Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Innovation Fund 2027 is sponsored by Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). The CFI Innovation Fund provides large-scale investments in research infrastructure, including equipment, facilities, computer hardware, software, and databases, for Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions.

Innovation Fund | Canada Foundation for Innovation Easily find information on our funding policies and procedures in our online Policy and program guide The Innovation Fund provides investments in research infrastructure across the full research spectrum, from the most fundamental investigations to applied research and technology development, and across all research disciplines from natural sciences and engineering, life sciences and health, to social sciences, humanities and the arts.

These investments help keep Canada competitive, resilient and ready to tackle complex national and global challenges. Through this competition, we will invest in research environments that are equitable, inclusive and equipped to build Canada into the world’s leading hub for science and innovation. Status: The draft call for proposals for the 2027 Innovation Fund competition i s available for comment.

Please send questions and feedback to innovation. fund [at] innovation. ca (innovation[dot]fund[at]innovation[dot]ca) before May 14, 2026.

Key document: 2027 Innovation Fund competition draft call for proposals What are the details of the 2027 competition?

Activity Deadline CFI issues draft call for proposals April 14, 2026 Deadline to submit feedback on the draft call for proposals May 14, 2026 CFI issues call for proposals June 3, 2026 Deadline to submit notices of intent September 29, 2026 Deadline to submit proposals January 26, 2027 Review by Expert Committees March to July 2027 Review by Multidisciplinary Assessment Committees September 2027 Review by Special Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee October 2027 Decision by CFI Board of Directors November 2027 Competition budget The CFI will invest up to $325 million in research infrastructure funding and will fund up to 40 percent of a project’s eligible infrastructure costs.

We will also provide up to $97. 5 million for associated operating and maintenance costs through the Infrastructure Operating Fund . Objectives of this competition The objectives of the 2027 Innovation Fund competition are to: Strengthen researchers’ ability to excel and compete internationally Build sustainable research capacity Generate relevant and impactful benefits for Canadians.

For this competition, there are three streams with tailored assessment criteria. There is no predetermined distribution of funding among the streams. Stream 1: Leading edge of exploration and knowledge generation (open) This stream is open to proposals from all disciplines.

Stream 2: Leading edge of exploration and knowledge generation in the social sciences, humanities and arts (SSHA) To access this stream, the primary field of research must be in SSHA. Stream 3: Creation, renewal and upgrade of core facilities To access this stream, all requested infrastructure must be housed in and managed by a core facility.

Consult the draft call for proposals for more on these three streams, including tailored assessment criteria, eligibility and envelope exemptions. Eligible infrastructure projects An eligible infrastructure project involves acquiring or developing research infrastructure to increase research capacity and support world-class research. Total project costs must be greater than $1 million for proposals to be considered for this competition.

It is expected that projects will be finalized promptly and completed within a reasonable time frame. Consult the Policy and program guide and the draft call for proposals for more information on eligibility. What does an institution need to do before applying?

To participate in any of our funding competitions, you must first make sure your institution is eligible to apply for funding, has signed an institutional agreement and that you have an account on our CFI Awards Management System (CAMS). Find out how to prepare to apply What is the process to apply? Follow the steps below and consult the call for proposals for complete instructions on how to apply.

Step 1: Submit a notice of intent Submit a notice of intent if your institution plans to seek funding through this competition. We will use notices of intent to: Identify what expertise is needed to assess each proposal Recruit committee members Ensure that the requested infrastructure is eligible. Submit your notice of intent in the CFI Awards Management System (CAMS) We will publish a list here of the notices of intent we receive.

The list will include short project summaries. We encourage institutions with complementary projects to consider potential collaborations or multi-institutional initiatives, where appropriate. Step 2: Submit a proposal Consult the draft call for proposals for detailed instructions on how to submit a proposal.

Submit your proposal in the CFI Awards Management System (CAMS) What do research institutions need to do regarding research security when they apply for CFI funding?

Institutions applying for CFI funding have research security obligations at the time of application under both the Government of Canada’s National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships and the Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC). Find out what your institution needs to provide with proposals to the 2027 Innovation Fund competition to meet those requirements. Where can I find out more?

We will present the details of the call for proposals for the 2027 competition and provide an opportunity for potential applicants to ask questions at two virtual information sessions. Recordings will be available for those unable to attend. Register here for the English session from 1 to 2 p.

m. (EDT) on June 17, 2026 Register here for the French session from 1 to 2 p. m.

(EDT) on June 18, 2026 How is my proposal assessed? First, we make sure it is complete and adheres to our guidelines. Then, it is assessed through our review process.

In the first stage of review, Expert Committees review small groups of proposals from the same area of research. Only proposals that meet a minimum threshold across the five assessment criteria will move to the Multidisciplinary Assessment Committees. 2.

Multidisciplinary Assessment Committees Multidisciplinary Assessment Committees review groups of proposals of similar size and/or complexity and assess them against the three competition objectives in order to: Identify proposals that demonstrate excellence and best meet the three competition objectives relative to other competing requests Provide a funding recommendation and funding amount for each proposal for the next stage of review.

3. Special Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee In the third and final stage of review, a Special Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee (S-MAC) reviews reports from the MAC meetings for the proposals that the MACs recommend for funding. The S-MAC makes sure the MACs were consistent in their assessment.

If recommendations from the MACs exceed the available budget, the S-MAC recommends to the CFI Board of Directors the proposals that best support the CFI’s mandate, meet the objectives of the competition and represent the most beneficial portfolio of investments for Canada. What is the role of the Expert Committee? Expert Committees play a key role in the CFI's review process.

Find out what the committees do, and how their members are chosen. Transcript of the video "What is the role of an Expert Committee?" At the Canada Foundation for Innovation, we invest in internationally competitive research and technology development.

This enhanced and optimized institutional research means ever increasing benefits for all Canadians in the social, environmental, economic and health sectors. We provide funding to eligible Canadian institutions for equipment acquisition, technology development programs and the spaces needed to conduct world-class research, as well as support for their ongoing operations and maintenance.

For each of our various funding competitions, we invite institutions to submit project proposals that outline their research goals and the infrastructure they’ll need to reach them. We then recruit experts from around the world to participate in our merit-review process. Here’s how it works and what you – members of the expert committee – need to know… First, we group proposals together, by research fields.

Then we assign a committee of experts in those fields to provide assessments. An expert committee is typically composed of a Chair and two to six members, depending on the number and breadth of proposals it will review. The Chair ensures that the expert committee functions effectively and objectively in accordance with CFI policies.

As a member of the expert committee, your job is to review each proposal independently and submit individual assessments to the CFI before meeting with other committee members. Using a five-point rating scale, you will need to judge how well each proposal meets the competition’s assessment criteria. You will need to substantiate your ratings by listing the strengths and weaknesses you’ve identified for each criterion.

To help you properly assess the propositions according to the competition criteria, we encourage you to consult the guidelines for reviewers that can be found alongside the review material in CAMS and on our Innovation Fund website page. We also ask that you comment on the appropriateness of the proposed budget.

This exercise allows you to identify key talking points that will help focus your committee’s discussion so you can reach a consensus. If there are many proposals assigned to your committee, they may be divided up between members to ensure that every proposal gets thoroughly reviewed. All materials necessary to make your assessments are available within two to three weeks of the submission deadline.

They can be found in CAMS, our awards management portal. You will need to activate the account we have created for you to gain access to these resources Expert committees will meet virtually once or twice, depending on the number of proposals and a CFI representative will participate in every meeting.

With the members of your committee, you will be asked to reach a consensus on the strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately on ratings for each assessment criteria. The CFI will then draft a report for each proposal outlining the expert committee’s conclusions and send them to the committee Chair for approval.

If a proposal meets the expert committee’s threshold of excellence, the proposal and the report will proceed to the Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee or MAC, for stage two of our merit review process. At this stage, we regroup proposals based on the size of the applicant institution and the amount of infrastructure funding requested from the CFI.

Guided by the expert committee reports, MAC members are asked to evaluate proposals based on the competition’s objectives and recommend which projects to fund. Note that all funded projects will need to have received one of the top three marks from the MAC for the Team composition criteria.

If the number of proposals recommended by the MAC exceeds the competition’s available budget, a third committee, known as the Special Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee, or S-MAC, is responsible for narrowing down the choices. The recommended proposals are then sent to the CFI Board of Directors As you can see, the expert committees are the foundation of our valued merit review process.

Your expertise allows us to fund trailblazing projects with the greatest potential for impact — projects at the forefront of exploration and knowledge that address global challenges and make meaningful contributions to Canada’s social, health, environmental and economic development. What are the assessment criteria?

The assessment criteria for the 2027 competition are: See the draft call for proposals for details of each of these assessment criteria. Want to grow your network, build your reputation and contribute to research? Find out how to participate in our review process as an expert reviewer If your institution receives funding through this fund, there are a few things you will need to do to finalize, manage and report on your award.

How are awards finalized? Funded recipients need to submit an award finalization form in the CFI Awards Management System (CAMS) . Funded recipients must finalize their award before we can release funds to their institution.

It is expected that projects will be finalized promptly and completed within a reasonable time frame. What do institutions need to do for research security after they receive CFI funding? Institutions applying for or receiving CFI funding have research security obligations both when they apply for funding as well as after they receive funding and throughout the life of the project.

Learn what institutions need to do for research security after they receive CFI funding What is required of institutions for reporting on a funded project? Once a project at your institution is up and running, you will need to submit progress and financial reports in CAMS. (The specific reporting requirements for each project, including deadlines and frequency, are included in the terms and conditions of each award agreement.)

Explore sample templates and find other resources for reporting on your funded project How can institutions access operating support for funded projects? Institutions can access financial support for the operating and maintenance costs of CFI-funded research infrastructure through our Infrastructure Operating Fund.

Find out more about our Infrastructure Operating Fund Read and share good practices for managing your funding Staff at our funded institutions have developed good practices, policies and processes for managing the funding they receive from the CFI. Browse our good practices for institutions and write to us at good. practices [at] innovation.

ca ( good[dot]practices[at]innovation[dot]ca ) to share your own.

Number of world-class research projects supported through the Innovation Fund since 1997 Amount invested by the CFI through the Innovation Fund (amount does not include funding through the Infrastructure Operating Fund) Average number of students and postdocs who have advanced their research using research infrastructure funded through this funding program each year for the last five years. Data last updated: April 2026.

*Number has been rounded up. 2025 Innovation Fund: By the numbers The report provides an overview of the merit-review process, support distribution, team composition, and success and funding rates of the 2025 Innovation Fund competition. Stories of research supported through the Innovation Fund Compounded by a changing climate, severe erosion is scouring Prince Edward Island’s coastline.

Researchers are designing an elaborate coastal hazard monitoring and modelling system to help protect the island’s shores from being further flushed out to sea.

A state-of-the-art laboratory is leveraging modern and ancient DNA analysis in tandem with genealogical data to fully understand an evolving population Probing the brain to break the cycle of opioid addiction New treatments for opioid use disorder are desperately needed — and fast. The answer may lie in existing medications.

Moving beyond surviving to thriving A new network of eight Canadian universities aims to help make a difference for children and youth exposed to trauma British Columbia,Manitoba Researchers combine expertise in engineering and occupational therapy to build wheelchairs that further break down barriers to mobility A fresh take on protecting our waters A wide-ranging survey of aquatic environments in Eastern Ontario will bring together Indigenous and Western Knowledge to find better ways to preserve Canada’s freshwater habitats and species Looking for something else?

Learn more about our review process Explore the CFI Awards Management System Browse our funded projects