Our review process

Whether it’s to discover something new about the universe, or to develop new technologies that improve the way we live, researchers across Canada are thinking big. But to transform big ideas into big breakthroughs, they need state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to help them along.
At the Canada Foundation for Innovation, we invest in research infrastructure for projects that have the greatest potential to enhance our capacity to innovate, and bring tangible benefits to Canadians. We do this through a unique merit-review process that recognizes excellence and ensures only the very best proposals get funded. Here is how the process works.
Stage one: Expert review committees
We receive project proposals from institutions and group them together by research field.
Then, we have committees of experts from around the world assess proposals in their area of expertise. The committees submit a report to the CFI, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal. These proposals then move on to stage two.
Stage two: Multidisciplinary Assessment Committees (MAC)
Here, we convene several Multidisciplinary Assessment Committees composed of experienced individuals from across the globe, with a deep understanding of the research and innovation landscape, and the potential for significant outcomes.
A MAC can review up to 40 proposals across different research disciplines, and determine which proposals best fit the criteria set out for a specific funding competition. Criteria may vary from one competition to another, but they generally assess the excellence of the proposed research activities, the expertise of the research team and the partnerships they develop, the projects’ ability to enhance the capacity for innovation, without forgetting the potential benefits to Canadians.
Since we often end up with more deserving proposals than we can fund, we move on to stage three.
Stage Three: Special Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee (S-MAC)
The Special Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee identifies, amongst all excellent proposals, the ones that best meet the competition objectives without surpassing the available competition budget.
Finally, S-MAC recommendations are sent to the CFI Board of Directors, who offer the final approval. So that’s how our merit-review process works.
We’re very grateful to the many experts who come to us from around the world and volunteer to help us invest in Canada’s future. This kind of collaboration is one of the ways in which research builds communities.

At the Canada Foundation for Innovation, we invest in the infrastructure that researchers need to think big, innovate and push the boundaries of knowledge.

We provide funding to eligible Canadian institutions for equipment, technology, and the spaces necessary 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, the Expert Committee, need to know:

First, we group proposals together by research field and assign a committee of experts in that field to assess them.

An Expert Committee is typically composed of a Chair and two to six members, depending on the number and breadth of proposals that we'll 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. 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 efficiently. 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 can be found in CAMS, our awards management portal. You will need to activate your CAMS account to access the materials. 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.

Expert Committees evaluating up to three proposals generally meet by teleconference, unless the proposals are particularly large or complex.

Committees evaluating more than three proposals will meet in person for one to two days, depending on the number of proposals. For large and complex projects, Expert Committees may even meet with representatives of the research team and the applicant institution to ask specific questions about the project.

A CFI representative will be present and taking notes at every meeting. They will then draft a report for each proposal, outlining the Expert Committee's conclusions and send them to the committee Chair for approval.

These reports, along with the proposals, are then handed off to the Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee, or MAC, for stage 2 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.

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 SMAC, is responsible for narrowing down the choices. The recommended proposals are then sent to the CFI Board of Directors for approval.

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.

At the Canada Foundation for Innovation, we invest in the infrastructure that researchers need to think big, innovate and push the boundaries of knowledge. We provide funding to eligible Canadian institutions for equipment, technology and the spaces necessary 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 three-stage merit review process.

Here's how it works and what you, the Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee, need to know:

First, we group proposals together by research field and assign a committee of experts in that field to assess them. This group of experts are asked to evaluate how well each proposal meets the competition's assessment criteria and comment on the appropriateness of the proposed budget.

The CFI will draft a report for each proposal, outlining the Expert Committee's conclusions. These reports, along with the proposals, are then handed off 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, and we assign each group of proposals to a committee.

A Multidisciplinary Assessment Committee is typically composed of a Chair and approximately 10 members from around the world. MAC members are chosen for their broad understanding of the research environment, the niches of excellence in the institutions and the breadth of potential outcomes across research disciplines or for their expertise in managing large or complex research projects. They are appointed as an individual, not as an advocate or representative of their research field, discipline or of any organization.

Each committee is assigned up to 35 proposals across a variety of research fields, and each committee member is asked to perform a thorough review on approximately 10 of these proposals.

However, we do expect committee members to read all the proposals and expert reports assigned to their committee, so that they can be fully engaged in the discussions.

As a MAC member, your job is to evaluate how well each proposal meets the competition’s objectives. Guided by the Expert Committee reports, you will use a five-point rating scale to demonstrate the degree to which proposals meet each objective.
You will need to substantiate your ratings by listing the strengths and weaknesses you've identified for each objective, and then submit your individual assessment to the CFI before the committee meeting. We ask that you not duplicate the efforts of the Expert Committee, who have already evaluated the proposals based on the competition's assessment criteria.

All materials necessary to make your assessment, including the Expert Committee reports, can be found in CAMS, our awards management portal. You will need to activate your CAMS account to access the materials. You will then be asked to participate in an in-person meeting to discuss the merits of each proposal assigned to your committee.

Your committee must reach a consensus on the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal and the degree to which these satisfy the competition objectives. Together, you will need to formulate an overall opinion of each project and recommend which ones to fund.

The CFI will draft a consensus report for each proposal, which the MAC Chairs will need to approve.

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 SMAC, is responsible for narrowing down the choices.

The recommended proposals are then sent to the CFI Board of Directors for approval.
As you can see, the Multidisciplinary Assessment Committees play a critical role in our 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.