Infrastructure at university labs gets $24.3M in federal support

Ottawa, ON November 10, 2003 The federal government has announced C$24.3 million funding to support 124 infrastructure projects in 38 universities across Canada.

"The CFI is proud to enable these universities to attract world-class faculty members in areas that are essential to their research objectives," says Dr Strangway, president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. "By investing in these projects, the CFI is helping to strengthen research and training at institutions across Canada."

The foundation’s board of directors approved projects on the recommendation of experts who thoroughly assessed each project against the three CFI criteria, which include quality of research and the need for infrastructure; contribution to strengthening the capacity for innovation; and potential benefits of the research to Canada.

The funding has been awarded through two funds: $18.7 million under the New Opportunities Fund which enables universities to provide infrastructure for newly recruited faculty members; and $5.6 million under the Infrastructure Operating Fund which assists universities with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with new infrastructure projects.

The CFI board of directors approved a total investment of $24.3 million in infrastructure for 124 projects at 38 universities. Examples of four projects include:

– University of Alberta Infrastructure for establishing a communications research laboratory;

– York University A space instrument test laboratory;

– Universit de Sherbrooke Infrastructure de recherche sur la matire molle: glaces, polymres et cristaux liquides / Research infrastructure for soft matter: ices, polymers and liquid crystals; and

– Dalhousie University An advanced geo-environmental engineering laboratory for petroleum waste management technologies.