CFI awards $22.5M for research infrastructure

Ottawa, ON – The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has awarded $22.5 million in funding for 134 projects across the country.

The funding in state-of-the-art labs and equipment at 31 universities nationally will jump-start 134 projects in key areas of research ranging from the environment to health, information and communication technologies.

“Access to modern, cutting-edge equipment and facilities is imperative to research in the 21st century,” said Dr Eliot Phillipson, the CFI’s president and CEO. “Over the past decade, the CFI has provided thousands of world-class researchers with the tools they need to do their work. Without the infrastructure, they quite simply wouldn’t be in Canada.”

Of the $22,492,679 in funding, $18,743,899 was awarded under the Leaders Opportunity Fund and the remaining $3,748,780 million was awarded under the Infrastructure Operating Fund, an accompanying program designed to contribute to the incremental operating and maintenance costs of infrastructure projects funded by the CFI.

A list of projects that received funding follows. Details include university, project title, maximum CFI contribution.

Brock University
Facility for Small Molecule Analysis and Quantification
$85,972

Carleton University:
– Laboratory for Flow Visualization Studies of Insect Flight Aerodynamics and Flapping Winged Locomotion Using Biorobotic Models, $116,785
– New Approaches to the Use of Sulfur Functionality in Asymmetric Organic Synthesis, $120,000
– Research and Development of Time Projection Chamber Detector Technology for Neutrino Physics, $120,000

Dalhousie University:
– Establishment of a Laboratory for Innovative Multi-Level Studies of Obesity and Metabolism, $124,652
– Probing Structure and Function of Neural Circuits in the Retina, $150,000
– State-of-the-Art Laboratory Installation to Support Innovative and Industrially Important Research in Electrochemical Capacitors, Alternative Energy Storage and Electrochemistry, $124,996
– The Role of Activated Protein C and its Ligand Endothelial Protein C Receptor in Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury and Allograft Vasculopathy, $125,636

Laurentian University / Universite Laurentienne:
– A Laboratory for Experimental Petrology and Ore Deposits Research at Laurentian University, $49,295

McGill University:
– Coupled High Temperature Thermal Analysis and Thermodynamic Computing System, 62 889 $
– Elucidation of the Molecular Mechanisms of Tissue Mineralization in Vertebrates, 79 036 $
– Engineering the Extraction and Conversion of Biochemicals for the Food Industry, 82 454 $
– Facility for Architectural Research in Media and Mediation (FARMM), 199 793 $
– Identification of Mammalian Gene Networks Using Living Microarrays, 94 638 $
– Laboratory for Networked Information Processing Systems, 120 000 $
– Laboratory for the Treatment and Valorization of Waste Streams, 120 550 $
– Labour Law and Development Research Laboratory, 78 105 $
– Molecular Beam Epitaxial Growth of Nanophotonic Materials and Devices Infrastructure, 250 000 $
– Quantitative Electron Diffraction and X-Ray Nanoanalysis of Materials with Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and Monte Carlo Simulations, 361 760 $

McMaster University:
– A Theory Lab for Multi-Scale Modeling of Infectious Diseases, $67,284
– Advancing the Study of Human Social Perception, $56,932
– Human Modeling and Simulation In Occupational Biomechanics and Ergonomics, $225,001

Mount Saint Vincent University:
Atlantic Root Symbiosis Laboratory, $206,042

Nova Scotia Agricultural College:
– Development of Wild Blueberry Insect Pest IPM Programs, $50,016
– Infrastructure for an Innovative Waste Management Analytical Laboratory, $50,000
– Innovative Imaging Technologies for Bio-environmental Management, $49,993

Queen’s University:
– Centre for Chiral Catalysis (CCUBED), $294,493
– Perceptual and Cognitive Processing of Complex, Real-World Scenes, $98,040

Simon Fraser University:
– Fluorescence Imaging System for Studies of Mitochondria in Neuronal Injury, $100,000
Forensic Spectrometry Laboratory (FSL), $80,000

St Francis Xavier University:
– Infrastructure for Monitoring Environmental Gas Exchange Processes, $95,647
– Neuroscience Research Laboratory: Preclinical Neurobiology of Addiction, $94,475

Universite Laval:
– Developpement d’une plateforme analytique ultrasensible pour la quantification de petites molecules endo- et exogenes, 142 000 $
– Identification des mecanismes cellulaires et moleculaires impliques dans le developpement des maladies cardiovasculaires, 77 099 $
– Laboratoire de recherche sur le developpement des procedes hybrides membranaires pour des applications en genie environnemental, 145 540 $
– Normal and Leukemic Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells Research Laboratory, 125 000 $
– Probing Pain Pathways with Light: from Ionic Mechanisms to Therapeutics, 989 675 $

Universite de Moncton
– Dispositifs hybrides d’identification par radiofrequence et technologies vocales robustes appliques a l’industrie horticole, 48 651 $

Universite de Montreal;
– Cellular Mechanisms of Memory Loss In Alzheimer’s Disease, 136 804 $
– Demarrage d’un laboratoire d’immunologie pour etudier le rle de polysaccharides capsulaires dans l’interface des interactions entre les bacteries et les cellules dendritiques, 85 670 $
– Developpement d’un laboratoire de chirurgie experimentale en orthopedie pediatrique (LCEOP) / Development of the Experimental Surgery Laboratoryin Paediatric Orthopaedics (ESLPO), 120 582 $
– Identification of the Mechanims of Motor Neuron Degeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, 112 585 $
– Immunobiology from Bench to Bedside, 400 000 $
– Infrastructure to Equip the Laboratory of Dr A. S. Maddox at IRIC, 63 203 $
– Laboratoire d’interactions plasmas-couches minces et plasmas-nanomateriaux, 399 203 $
– Laboratory for Advanced Materials in Energy Storage and Conversion, 133 207 $
– Multi-Modal Neuroimaging Studies of the Impact of Cardiovascular Health on Cognitive Function During Aging, 189 808 $
– Set Up for Genetic and Molecular Studies of Congenital Malformations of the Central Nervous System and the Associated Axial Skeletal Structures, 123 915 $
– The Genetics of Neuronal Survival in Simple Models of Mutant Polyglutamine Cytotoxicity, 108 425 $

Universite de Sherbrooke:
– Actuator Research Laboratory, 115 363 $
– Combined Rapid Imaging and Electrophysiology System for Kinetic Studies of Cardiac Ion Channels, Pain Receptors and Prions Trafficking in Real Time, 302 314 $
– Infrastructure de recherche sur les ovins, 308 366 $
– Laboratoire de caracterisation thermique de procedes industriels multiphasiques a haute temperature, 196 447 $
– Etude des mecanismes moleculaires et cellulaires impliques dans les physiopathologies de l’epithelium intestinal, 264 790 $

University of Alberta:
– In Vivo Imaging Laboratory, $125,000
– Optical Instrumentation for the Investigation of Industrial Flows Related to Oil Sand and Energy Production, $113,319
– Single Molecule Fluorescence Laboratory for Probing Plasma Membrane Enzymology in Single Cells Using Chemical and Spectroscopic Tools, $222,884
– Studying Gene Networks that Control Lipid and Cholesterol Metabolism in Drosophila, $137,930
– The Contribution of Reactive Glia to Central Neuropathic Pain, $124,842
Thermal-sprayed Nanostructured Coatings for Equipment in the Natural Resource Sector, $133,096
– University of Alberta Fish Evolution Research Facility, $117,030

University of British Columbia (The):
– A Computer Cluster for Comparative Genomics, $86,895
– A High Throughput Platform for Functional Genomic Screening and Analysis, $130,000
– Applications of Geochemistry in Mineralogy and Petrology, $101,822
– Childhood Obesity Prevention Unit – Population Health and Policy Research, $80,000
Deployable Digital Correlator
and High Performance Computing Cluster for Cosmology, $150,000
– Distributed Database Laboratory, $99,000
– Facility for the Molecular Biology and Physiology of Insect Disease Vectors and Agricultural Pests, $150,756
– High Performance Proteomic Analysis of the Ubiquitin Proteasome System and Protein Quality Control, $175,000
– Identifying Mechanisms of Intracellular Cholesterol Transport and Apolipoprotein A-I-Cell Interactions Necessary to Increase Formation of Cardioprotective High Density Lipoproteins, $152,580
– Infrastructure for Developing Innovative and Sustainable Biological Systems to Treat Industrial and Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater and Waste, $127,700
– Innovative Water Management Strategies to Advance PEM Fuel Cell Technology, $127,744
– Laboratory for Neuroinformatics (LNI), $134,896
– Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology: Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Neurodegenerative Disease, $136,842
– New Therapeutic Roles for Nitric Oxide and Myoferlin in High Blood Pressure and Tumor Growth, $110,180
– Smart Wheelchair Testbed for Provably Safe Human-Automation Interaction, $95,968
Structure and Function of Calcium Channels, $126,375
– The Facility for Developmental and Cellular Imaging: In Vivo Analysis of Cell-Matrix Adhesion During Animal Development, $124,999

University of Calgary (The):
– Alberta Bone and Joint Health Technology Assessment Decision Support Laboratory, $117,504

University of Guelph:
– Advanced Digital Audio Production and Performance Studio, $126,298
– An Integrated Animal Science Laboratory Complex for the University of Guelph, Kemptville Campus, $248,367
– Guelph Wind Engineering Laboratory, $121,197
System-Based Approaches to Optimize Nutrient Use Efficiency in the Agro-Ecosystem, $125,219

University of Manitoba (The):
– Gas-Source Stable-Isotope-Ratio Mass-Spectrometry Infrastructure for Multiple S and O Isotope Analysis of Geological Samples and S Compounds from Modern Atmosphere, $267,308
Healthcare and Medical Textile Research Laboratory, $100,000
– Population-Based Studies Laboratory Focused on Aboriginal Suicide Prevention, Military Mental Health and Anxiety Disorders, $98,808
– Versatile NMR Console for Biomedical Research and Materials Science, $364,894

University of New Brunswick:
– Establishment of a Matrix Dynamics Laboratory at UNB, $114,687

University of Ottawa / Universite d’Ottawa:
– Establishment of Facilities for the Study of Mechanisms for Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration Following Cavernous Nerve Injury, $66,666
– Laboratoire de la Chaire Gordon F. Henderson en mondialisation et droits de la personne, $94,376
– Laboratory for Molecular Systematics, $89,683
– Neuromuscular and Rehabilitation Research Unit (NRRU), $297,872
– Sound Patterns Laboratory (SPL), $107,933
– Translational Strategies for Vascular Repair and Regeneration, $294,000

University of Prince Edward Island:
– Green Organometallic Catalysis and Polymerization, $83,731

University of Regina (The):
– Development Proposal for the Saliva and Psychology Investigative Team (SPIT) Laboratory, $77,326

University of Saskatchewan:
– Advanced Light Scattering Technology for Protein Analysis, $47,066
– Assessing the Contribution of Airborne Particulates and Smoke to Cardiovascular Disease Using Ultrasound and Blood Pressure Telemetry, $60,000
– Development of New Asymmetric Processes, $38,200
– Forearm Fragility in Childhood, Adolescence and Midlife: Novel Approach to Etiology and Prevention, $49,560
– History of Diabetes Data Processing Unit, $46,588
– Intravital Microscope System for the Study of Intracellular Signaling Mechanisms of Leukocyte Recruitment, $60,000
– Translating Innovative Mental Health Service Evaluation Research into Improved Quality of Care for Canadians, $21,078

University of Toronto:
– Advanced Packet Switch and Network Laboratory, $120,000
– An Integrated Facility for Studying Protein Structure, Dynamics, Interactions, and Function by NMR and Fluorescence Spectroscopy, $80,000
– Analysis of Regulatory Sequences and Systems, $88,000
– Developing Small Molecule Modulators of Protein-Protein Interactions, $131,890
– Infant and Toddler Laboratory for the Study of Language Development, $78,146
– Infrastructure to Study the Etiology of Pregnancy Complications, $390,545
– Laboratory for the Discovery of New Catalysts and Functional Materials, $330,000
– Micro/Nano-Optoelectronic Devices Laboratory, $199,916
– Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Equipment for High Throughput Environmental Metabolic Profiling, $200,000
– Proteomic Facility for Biomarker Discovery and Validation, $135,268
– Research Laboratory for the Molecular Ecology of Aquatic Microorganisms, $142,184
– Social Information Systems Laboratory, $194,366
– Spatial Ecology and Landscape Genetics Laboratory, $37,187
– Studies on the Role of T Cells in the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, $43,815
– The Study of Nuclear Hormone Receptors in Metabolic Disease, $176,169

University of Victoria:
– A Linux Development Cluster for Computational Methods in the Study of Functional Materials, $40,000
– Colour Science for Computational Photography, $82,437
– Earth Systems Ecology Laboratory (EASEL), $121,277
– Microsystems and Sensors Laboratory, $92,841
– The Future of Exercise, $104,413
– VISION: A Research Facility for Computer Vision, $90,179

University of Waterloo:
– A Low Jitter Testbench for High-Speed Data Converters, $50,000
– Infrastructure to Investigate Cortical Interactions Among Sensorimotor Loci Mediating Hand Movements in Focal Hand Dystonia and Control Subjects, $40,000
– Large Area Radiation Imaging Detectors, $100,000
– Solid-State Spin-Based Quantum Information Processing, $119,998

University of Western Ontario (The):
– A Novel Centre to Study the Microenvironment as a Dynamic Regulator of Cell Phenotype, $173,586
– High Throughput Nanoparticle Imaging Platform for the Non-Invasive Study of Metastasis in Cancer, $205,418
– Operando Laboratory for the Analysis and Discovery of New Types of Nanomaterials, $167,146
– Quantitative Live-Cell Fluorescence Microscopy and Digital Imaging Laboratory, $153,259

University of Windsor:
– Advanced Infrastructure for Research on Visual Communication in Temperate and Tropical Animals, $49,998

University of Winnipeg (The):
– Bioenergetics of Small, Wild Mammals: Variability, Flexibility and Responses to Change, $79,511

For more details on the individual projects, go to the CFI’s website at http://www.innovation.ca/projects/index.cfm.