What is research infrastructure?
The infrastructure funded by the CFI includes the state-of-the-art facilities, laboratories, equipment, computer hardware, software and databases necessary to conduct leading-edge research.
For most of us, the word “infrastructure” means roads, bridges, water mains, and all of the other structures that get us through our daily lives. So what exactly is research infrastructure? This is what we fund.
We are the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and we invest in the state-of-the-art facilities and equipment that researchers across all disciplines need to think big and innovate. This can mean outfitting ultra-modern research spaces—think advanced imaging facilities, genome centres, and storage hubs for massive data sets. Or investing in specific pieces of equipment—think DNA sequencers, mass spectrometers, and high precision lasers. This all fits under the research infrastructure umbrella, and it all helps researchers push the boundaries of their work.
Over the years, the CFI has invested in some of Canada’s most acclaimed research infrastructure. From the SNOLAB in Sudbury, where a Canadian researcher won a Nobel Prize for his work in particle physics and cosmology, to the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, whose multiversity galleries and lab spaces facilitate the study of First Nations artefacts.
Researchers are boarding the Amundsen, a one-of-a-kind research icebreaker dedicated to studying climate change.
At the Canadian Light Source synchrotron in Saskatoon, light is being used to observe matter down to the atomic level.
And the Ocean Tracking Network is connecting researchers from around the world to help conserve and sustain the world’s oceans.
Investing in research infrastructure in Canada’s universities, colleges, and research hospitals, allows our brightest minds to contribute to better health outcomes, a cleaner, greener environment, evidence-based decision-making, and the competitiveness of Canadian business. It allows us to improve the health, quality of life, and prosperity of the people in our communities. After all, at the CFI, we believe research builds communities.
We are the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and we invest in the state-of-the-art facilities and equipment that researchers across all disciplines need to think big and innovate. This can mean outfitting ultra-modern research spaces—think advanced imaging facilities, genome centres, and storage hubs for massive data sets. Or investing in specific pieces of equipment—think DNA sequencers, mass spectrometers, and high precision lasers. This all fits under the research infrastructure umbrella, and it all helps researchers push the boundaries of their work.
Over the years, the CFI has invested in some of Canada’s most acclaimed research infrastructure. From the SNOLAB in Sudbury, where a Canadian researcher won a Nobel Prize for his work in particle physics and cosmology, to the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, whose multiversity galleries and lab spaces facilitate the study of First Nations artefacts.
Researchers are boarding the Amundsen, a one-of-a-kind research icebreaker dedicated to studying climate change.
At the Canadian Light Source synchrotron in Saskatoon, light is being used to observe matter down to the atomic level.
And the Ocean Tracking Network is connecting researchers from around the world to help conserve and sustain the world’s oceans.
Investing in research infrastructure in Canada’s universities, colleges, and research hospitals, allows our brightest minds to contribute to better health outcomes, a cleaner, greener environment, evidence-based decision-making, and the competitiveness of Canadian business. It allows us to improve the health, quality of life, and prosperity of the people in our communities. After all, at the CFI, we believe research builds communities.