Ensuring Canadian researchers are well equipped to tackle the pandemic
OTTAWA, ONTARIO — As the global threat of COVID-19 remains ever present, Canadian researchers are working tirelessly to better understand and combat the virus. Whether developing a vaccine, learning about how COVID-19 affects the body or studying how the pandemic has influenced every aspect of our lives, Canada’s researchers rely on cutting-edge research infrastructure to do their work.
Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced close to $28 million in research infrastructure support through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Exceptional Opportunities Fund. The funding, which covers the urgent need for equipment for ongoing research related to COVID-19, will support 79 projects at 52 universities and research hospitals, colleges, polytechnics and Cégeps across Canada.
This includes support for Dr. Mari DeMarco and her team at The University of British Columbia, who are researching how COVID-19 damages human lung and heart tissue. They are examining how the virus’ genetic code will affect the severity of the disease and developing new, innovative diagnostic tools that will easily detect the virus.
Other exceptional projects the CFI is supporting with research infrastructure funding include:
- Researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax will advance the development of new COVID-19 vaccines with upgrades to the affiliated IWK Health Centre’s containment level 3 facility. This will allow them to create models of COVID-19 to test the efficacy of vaccines, learn why people develop different degrees of severity of the disease, and produce new tests to tell at the earliest stages of infection who maybe hit the hardest.
- At Cégep André-Laurendeau in LaSalle, researchers will use 3-D capture technology powered by artificial intelligence to monitor, in real time, the distance between people in public spaces, such as schools and shopping centres. This could help people maintain a safe distance from one another by displaying their locations on screens. It could also improve the layout of public spaces by finding areas where physical distancing is difficult.
- With an enhanced ability to test raw sewage, researchers at the University of Windsor will do wide-scale COVID-19 screening of municipal wastewater to track community spread and detect the number of infections early.
- Evidence shows that COVID-19 could be a vascular disease that affects blood vessels. A research team at the University of Calgary will use a new, state-of-the-art microscope — the only one in Canada that can look into lung blood vessels at a cellular level — to investigate the hypothesis.
Quotes
“Canadian researchers and scientists are helping to protect our health and safety and are key to finding our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic. With this funding through the Exceptional Opportunities Fund, the Government of Canada is ensuring these talented Canadians have the equipment and tools to support them in their very important work.”
- The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“Canadian researchers’ immediate response to the pandemic has demonstrated the research community’s crucial role in helping to resolve this crisis. Working to find a vaccine, to learn about how COVID-19 affects the human body, or to study how this pandemic has influenced every aspect of our lives, Canada’s researchers have taken centre stage as our guides and our source of hope. The CFI is proud to support their efforts by equipping them with the research infrastructure they need to further their significant work.”
- Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President and CEO, Canada Foundation for Innovation
Quick facts
- Total funding is $27,617,017 for 79 projects at 52 institutions across the country.
- The Exceptional Opportunities Fund is designed for those few instances when an exceptional research opportunity would be missed if a project had to wait to undergo the normal course of a national competition before a decision could be made.
- In response to the current pandemic, the CFI launched EOF–COVID-19 competitions for universities, research hospitals, and colleges, polytechnics and Cégeps with the objective of supporting urgent needs for equipment for ongoing research related to COVID-19.
- As an exception to our usual competitions, the CFI is covering up to 100 percent of the eligible costs of a project.
Quick links
Canada Foundation for Innovation
Exceptional Opportunities Fund
Stories: Canadian COVID-19 research gives us new tools to tackle a pandemic
The CFI Research Facilities Navigator: An online database of labs and facilities that are open to working with business
Discover other ways the CFI is contributing to COVID-19 research
Canada joins global effort to fight pandemic
Prime Minister announces additional funding to support COVID-19 research
Research in a time of pandemic: hear how researchers are answering the call to help during the COVID-19 pandemic
About the Canada Foundation for Innovation
For more than 20 years, the CFI has been giving researchers the tools they need to think big and innovate. Fostering a robust innovation system in Canada translates into jobs and new enterprises, better health, cleaner environments and, ultimately, vibrant communities. By investing in state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in Canada’s universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions, the CFI also helps to attract and retain the world’s top talent, to train the next generation of researchers and to support world-class research that strengthens the economy and improves the quality of life for all Canadians.
Related products
A full list of the funded projects and stories about the facilities we fund are available online at Innovation.ca. For updates, follow us on Twitter @InnovationCA and subscribe to our YouTube channel for videos about the CFI and its many transformative research projects.
Contacts
|
Malorie Bertrand
Media Relations |
John Power Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry O: 343-550-1456 john.power [at] canada.ca (john[dot]power[at]canada[dot]ca) |
Exceptional Opportunities Fund – COVID-19
Fonds des occasions exceptionnelles ‒ COVID-19
|
Projects Approved / Projets appuyés |
|
|
Brock University |
1 |
|
Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy |
1 |
|
Carleton University |
1 |
|
Cégep André-Laurendeau |
1 |
|
Cégep de La Pocatière |
1 |
|
Cégep de Lévis-Lauzon |
1 |
|
Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe |
1 |
|
Cégep de Saint-Laurent |
1 |
|
Cégep de Sept-Îles |
1 |
|
Cégep de Shawinigan |
1 |
|
Cégep de Thetford |
1 |
|
Cégep de Trois-Rivières |
1 |
|
Cégep Édouard-Montpetit |
1 |
|
Cégep Marie-Victorin |
1 |
|
Collège Ahuntsic |
1 |
|
College of New Caledonia |
1 |
|
Concordia University |
1 |
|
Conestoga College Institute of Technology |
1 |
|
Dalhousie University |
1 |
|
École Polytechnique de Montréal |
1 |
|
Fanshawe College |
1 |
|
Georgian College of Applied Arts & Technology |
1 |
|
Justice Institute of British Columbia |
1 |
|
La Cité Collégiale |
1 |
|
Lambton College |
1 |
|
Laurentian University / Université Laurentienne |
1 |
|
McGill University |
5 |
|
McMaster University |
1 |
|
Niagara College |
1 |
|
Ryerson University |
2 |
|
Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning |
1 |
|
Simon Fraser University |
4 |
|
Sir Sandford Fleming College |
1 |
|
Université de Montréal |
5 |
|
Université de Sherbrooke |
1 |
|
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi |
1 |
|
Université du Québec à Montréal |
1 |
|
Université Laval |
1 |
|
University of Alberta |
6 |
|
University of British Columbia (The) |
5 |
|
University of Calgary |
3 |
|
University of Lethbridge |
1 |
|
University of Manitoba |
1 |
|
University of New Brunswick |
1 |
|
University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa |
1 |
|
University of Regina |
1 |
|
University of Saskatchewan |
1 |
|
University of Toronto |
2 |
|
University of Waterloo |
3 |
|
University of Windsor |
1 |
|
Wilfrid Laurier University |
1 |
|
York University |
2 |
|
Total Institutions / des établissements 52 |
79 |
|
Project Title / Titre du projet |
Maximum CFI Contribution / |
Brock University
| High Molecular & Cellular Resolution Infrastructure for Brock's CL3 Lab |
$200,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$200,000 |
Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy
| Observation du travail des premiers répondants en gestion de crise pandémique |
20 421 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
20 421 $ |
Carleton University
| Infrastructure for Research on the Molecular Biology of SARS-CoV-2 |
$250,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$250,000 |
Cégep André-Laurendeau
| Déploiement d'un système intelligent de détection en temps réel de la distanciation sociale |
50 000 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
50 000 $ |
Cégep de La Pocatière
| Extraction et quantification de molécules d’intérêt liées à la COVID-19 exprimées transitoire chez Nicotiana benthamiana |
50 000 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
50 000 $ |
Cégep de Lévis-Lauzon
| Sécuriser la continuité des services de santé en contexte de COVID-19 par la robotique mobile et intelligente |
50 000 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
50 000 $ |
Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe
| Mise en place des essais d’évaluation pour les équipements de protection sanitaire textile contre le COVID-19 |
50 000 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
50 000 $ |
Cégep de Saint-Laurent
| Systèmes d'échantillonnages automatiques des eaux usées pour la mesure de la COVID-19 |
49 998 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
49 998 $ |
Cégep de Sept-Îles
| Développement et conception d'une station sanitaire autonome «verte 4.0» à l'ère de COVID-19 |
49 752 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
49 752 $ |
Cégep de Shawinigan
| Acquisition d’équipements afin d’accroître la production de protéines personnalisées en lien avec la COVID-19 |
44 236 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
44 236 $ |
Cégep de Thetford
| Acquisition de capacité de chromatographie flash |
50 000 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
50 000 $ |
Cégep de Trois-Rivières
| Consolidation de la capacité de recherche pour la lutte à la Covid-19 |
50 000 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
50 000 $ |
Cégep Édouard-Montpetit
| Développement de méthodes d'application de revêtements antimicrobiens et de désinfection de pièces imprimées 3D |
49 959 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
49 959 $ |
Cégep Marie-Victorin
| Acquisition d'infrastructure de test pour l'innovation, le développement et la validation d'EPI liés à la COVID19 |
49 750 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
49 750 $ |
Collège Ahuntsic
| Acquisition d'une hotte pour la formulation d'encres anti pathogènes à base de nanoparticules et solvants |
47 332 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
47 332 $ |
College of New Caledonia
| Virtual Reality Platform to Support Innovative Wellness Services for Students in the Context of Covid-19 |
$42,197 |
|
1 projet / project |
$42,197 |
Concordia University
| Development of Machine Learning and Imaging Techniques for Diagnosis of COVID-19 with Ultrasound |
$275,541 |
|
1 projet / project |
$275,541 |
Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
| Empowering the Frontline Workforce to Combat COVID-19: Infrastructure to Cultivate a Community of Practice |
$50,000 |
|
1 projet / project |
$50,000 |
Dalhousie University
| Development of Preclinical and Clinical Models of COVID-19 Disease for Vaccine, Antiviral and Immunotherapeutic Testing |
$1,200,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$1,200,000 |
École Polytechnique de Montréal
| Biofluid Characterization Platform using Raman Spectroscopy for the Development of a Rapid On-site COVID-19 Saliva Test |
346 901 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
346 901 $ |
Fanshawe College
| Immune Response to COVID-19 |
$47,310 |
|
1 project / projet |
$47,310 |
Georgian College of Applied Arts & Technology
| 360 PREVENTIX-M: A Mobile Station for On-site Monitoring in Response to Covid-19 |
$33,476 |
|
1 project / projet |
$33,476 |
Justice Institute of British Columbia
| Praxis and COVID-19: New Features and Scenarios in Scenario Based Simulation Program for COVID-19 Applied Research |
$50,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$50,000 |
La Cité collégiale
| Établissement d'une plateforme de filtration pour mesurer l’efficacité des matériaux de masques biomédicaux |
35 933 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
35 933 $ |
Lambton College
| COVID-19 Research Support Equipment |
$50,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$50,000 |
Laurentian University / Université Laurentienne
| Fluorometer and Microplate Reader System for the Development of Assays Targeting the SARS-CoV2 Main Protease |
$200,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$200,000 |
McGill University
| Infrastructure for the Biobanque Québec COVID19: An Open Science Platform for Canadian COVID19 Research |
282 251 $ |
|
Single Molecule Fluorescence Infrastructure for Biophysical Studies on SARS-CoV-2 Viral Genome-replication Machinery |
209 015 $ |
|
Intensification of Production Process for COVID-19 Recombinant Vaccine Candidates |
434 932 $ |
|
Containment Level 3 Lab Capacity to Support Research on Preventives and Therapeutics for COVID-19 |
1 060 682 $ |
|
High Throughput SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing at the McGill Genome Center |
551 077 $ |
|
5 projets / projects |
2 537 957 $ |
McMaster University
| Detecting and Managing SARS-CoV-2 |
$1,475,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$1,475,000 |
Niagara College
| Inclusive Biomedically Compatible COVID-19 Device Design, Manufacturing, and Distribution |
$49,890 |
|
1 project / projet |
$49,890 |
Ryerson University
| Automated Microscopy for the Identification of Drug Targets and Validation of Drug Repurposing Candidates for COVID-19 |
$200,000 |
|
Quantum Dots for Point-of-care Rapid Diagnosis of COVID-19 |
$200,000 |
|
2 projects / projets |
$400,000 |
Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
| Towards Efficient and Effective Remote Health Monitoring during COVID-19 |
$39,307 |
|
1 project / projet |
$39,307 |
Simon Fraser University
| Supercharging BC's SARS-CoV-2 Translational COVID-19 Research Programme to Improve Diagnostics, Prevention and Treatment |
$370,000 |
|
Instrumentation for High-throughput Synthesis and Purification of Anti-COVID19 Nucleoside Analogue Therapeutics |
$315,000 |
|
Optimization of Inhibitors of Key Enzymes in COVID-19 and other Targets in Cancer |
$200,000 |
|
Biolayer Interferometry and Luminometry Systems to Strengthen SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Research |
$215,000 |
|
4 projects / projets |
$1,100,000 |
Sir Sandford Fleming College
| COVID-19 Surveillance: Early Warning and Detection Technology Development |
$50,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$50,000 |
Université de Montréal
| Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure to Counteract Pandemic Related Social Isolation in Long Term Care |
200 000 $ |
|
In-depth Characterization of the SARSCoV-2-specific B and T Cell Responses During and after COVID-19 Disease |
698 763 $ |
|
CL-3 Laboratory for the Study and Exploitation of the Innate Immune Response in the Fight Against SARS-CoV-2 |
224 967 $ |
|
Development of Therapeutics Against and Rapid Homogeneous Assays for SARS CoV-2 Based on Recombinant Antibodies |
261 559 $ |
|
COHESION - A Pan-Canadian Longitudinal Data Collection and Data Visualisation Infrastructure |
200 000 $ |
|
5 projets / projects |
1 585 289 $ |
Université de Sherbrooke
| National Platform for Robotized Multiviral RNA Detection and Strain Identification |
330 932 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
330 932 $ |
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
| Infrastructure pour l'identification d'un profil génétique et microbien de risqué pour la COVID-19 |
200 000 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
200 000 $ |
Université du Québec à Montréal
| SARS-CoV-2: Immunization Strategies to Enhance Protective Immunity and Identification of Viral Entry Inhibitors |
500 000 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
500 000 $ |
Université Laval
| Seeking for Innovative Approaches in Prevention and Cure to COVID-19 Disease |
905 498 $ |
|
1 projet / project |
905 498 $ |
University of Alberta
| Targeting−1 Programmed Ribosomal Frameshifting to Develop Therapeutics for COVID-19 and Future Novel Coronavirus Disease |
$329,362 |
|
Development of Antiviral Therapeutic Agents for Treatment of Acute COVID-19 in Humans |
$554,770 |
|
Examination of Airborne Pathogens during COVID-19: Development of Face Mask, Respirator & Ventilation Control Strategies |
$508,755 |
|
Infrastructure for the Development of Rapid Nucleic Acid and Antibody Detection Device for COVID-19 |
$227,473 |
|
SARS-CoV-2 Polymerase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Covid-19 |
$511,500 |
|
ABO and COVID-19: Exploring the Connection Between Blood Group and SARS-CoV-2 Infection |
$668,140 |
|
6 projects / projets |
$2,800,000 |
University of British Columbia (The)
| The ABCD Consortium (“Accelerating Blood and Cardiopulmonary COVID-19 Diagnostics”) |
$502,600 |
|
Expanding COVID19 Structure-based Therapeutic Development at UBC Through Enhanced CryoEM and CryoET Data Acquisition |
$1,225,000 |
|
Preparing for the Next Wave: Technology to Detect and Analyze SARS-CoV-2 |
$377,738 |
|
Linking Transmission Metadata to Viral Genotype and Serological Response of COVID-19 |
$630,000 |
|
Assessing the Effect of Aerosol and Droplet Control Measures in Indoor Spaces |
$250,000 |
|
5 projects / projets |
$2,985,338 |
University of Calgary
| Imaging Animal Lungs and Human Lung Organoids in Level 3 Facility |
$1,007,277 |
|
Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load in Clinical and Environmental Samples |
$244,524 |
|
Wastewater Surveillance of SARSCOV2 to Enable Real-time Clinical Case Finding in Calgary |
$298,199 |
|
3 projects / projets |
$1,550,000 |
University of Lethbridge
| Towards Building Structure-based Drug Design Suite |
$200,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$200,000 |
University of Manitoba
| Acquisition of a Direct Electron Detector to Enhance the New TALOS F200C Cryo-EM |
$950,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$950,000 |
University of New Brunswick
| University of New Brunswick Long-term Care Simulation Lab |
$200,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$200,000 |
University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa
| Increasing Manufacturing Capacity for Novel SARS-CoV2 Therapies and Vaccines |
$1,050,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$1,050,000 |
University of Regina
| Peptide Therapeutics and Point-of-care Salivary Diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2 |
$200,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$200,000 |
University of Saskatchewan
| Computerized Tomography for Assessment of COVID-19 Associated Pathologies |
$300,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$300,000 |
University of Toronto
| Characterizing the Inflammatory and Cardiac Effects of COVID-19 |
$950,000 |
|
University of Toronto COVID-19 Biobank |
$1,500,000 |
|
2 projects / projets |
$2,450,000 |
University of Waterloo
| Synthesis of Chromogenic Substrates and Inhibitors of SARS CoV-2 Main Protease to Overcome COVID19 Infections |
$251,000 |
|
Advanced Engineering Processes and Materials to Produce Compostable Masks and Antimicrobial Coatings for PPE |
$800,000 |
|
Wastewater Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 to Support Public Health Assessment of Trends in Community Infection |
$314,000 |
|
3 projects / projets |
$1,365,000 |
University of Windsor
| Building Capacity in Support of Wastewater-based Epidemiology to Aid Public Health Decision-making |
$300,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$300,000 |
Wilfrid Laurier University
| Seizing the COVID-19 Lockdown: Equipment for Air Quality and Analysis of Atmospheric Particles near Kitchener Schools |
$200,000 |
|
1 project / projet |
$200,000 |
York University
| Development of Rapid and Accessible Diagnostics of COVID-19 using Small-molecule Probes Binding SARS-COV-2 Coat Proteins |
$225,000 |
|
Agile AI-powered Autonomous Robotics for COVID-19 Disinfection |
$275,000 |
|
2 projects / projets |
$500,000 |