5.3 Review criteria

The CFI has established a rigorous merit-review process that rewards excellence. The CFI relies on experts from across Canada and around the world to ensure that only the very best projects receive funding. CFI funding is awarded to institutions, not individual researchers, and all proposals must support an institution’s strategic research plan.

Eligible Canadian institutions apply to the CFI through a suite of funds, and all applications are assessed using three broad criteria:

• Quality of the research and the need for infrastructure
• Contribution to strengthening the capacity for innovation
• Potential benefits of the research to Canada.

Each CFI fund or competition has specific objectives and assessment criteria detailed in the call for proposals. Applicants must demonstrate how the project satisfies each criterion standard or objective for the fund or competition.