Canada Impact+ Research Infrastructure Fund

Who can apply to this funding program?

Canadian institutions recognized as eligible to receive funding from the CFI and which have accepted at least one Canada Impact+ Research Chair award may apply to this funding program.

What does an institution need to do before applying?

To participate in any of our funding competitions, 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).

What is the process to apply?

Consult the call for proposals for detailed instructions on how to submit a proposal. 

Institutions will submit proposals to CIRIF in the CFI Awards Management System (CAMS). 

By the end of June 2026, we will publish a supplementary document to this call for proposals called “How to apply to the Canada Impact+ Research Infrastructure Fund” with more detailed instructions.

How much will institutions be allocated and how can the allocation be used?

At each intake, institutions will receive an allocation of $4 million for each Canada Impact+ Research Chair who accepts to join the institution. 

The allocation may be used at the institution’s discretion to support the infrastructure and O&M needs of its chairholders. Institutions are responsible for managing this allocation across all CIRIF proposals submitted in each intake. Following the chairholders’ acceptance deadline set by TIPS, the CFI will receive a list of accepted chairholders and will confirm each institution’s allocation for the intake. Allocations will not carry over between intakes.

What can institutions apply for?

Infrastructure projects must support the needs of the chairholders (and Emerging Leaders, if applicable) and should build on existing institutional capacity. 

Eligible institutions can submit proposals requesting up to $6 million from the CFI, including both infrastructure and O&M costs, as long as the total requested amount is within their institutional allocation for the intake, as indicated above. An eligible project involves acquiring or developing research infrastructure and the O&M costs to support a chairholder’s research program. 

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 CIRIF proposals to meet those requirements.

Where can I find out more?

We will host webinars in May 2026 to provide more information for institutions about how to apply to CIRIF. Details will be shared soon.

How are proposals assessed?

First, we make sure it is complete and adheres to our guidelines. Then, it is assessed through our review process.

The merit of each proposal will be evaluated by a multidisciplinary committee with appropriate expertise.

The committee(s) will make funding recommendations for each proposal to the CFI’s Board of Directors.

What will be assessed in the review process?

For the purposes of this funding program, the core of the review process will be based on the justification of the need for the infrastructure and O&M budget. The intent of CIRIF is to support the infrastructure needs of all chairholders. As such, proposals will not compete against one another.  Since the chairholder’s research program and qualifications will have been assessed through their application submitted to TIPS, the CFI will not reassess these elements, but we ask institutions to include them in the proposal for context.

The proposal must demonstrate that the requested infrastructure and/or O&M support complements existing institutional capacity and creates an environment that fully supports the chairholder’s research program (and that of the Emerging Leader, if applicable) in Canada.

See the call for proposals for details on how to address the budget justification.

If your institution receives funding through this funding program, 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 

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.