Article

Supporting institutions in breaking the barriers of big data

More than $30 million awarded to five Canadian universities for state-of-the-art research equipment

In today’s data-intensive research environment, it is imperative for scientists to gain access to data in order to conduct top-quality research that benefits Canadians. That’s why the Canada Foundation for Innovation is announcing $33.2 million to support digital infrastructure for seven projects at five Canadian universities through its Cyberinfrastructure Initiative. This initiative supports universities in creating integrated data resources that can facilitate leading-edge research on important scientific, social and economic questions.

With over $1.9 million of funding from the CFI and its partners, the Canadian Consortium for Arctic Data Interoperability at the University of Calgary, for example, will develop an arctic data management system that will allow researchers in Canada and abroad to access information on our northern regions and communities.

Another project at the University of Calgary, AuroraX, is receiving over $950,000 of funding to help scientists collect and mine images of the aurora to help them better understand space weather activity and how it affects technology here on Earth. The project promises to help in building the next generation of space weather systems.

“Through these significant investments in state-of-the-art computational and data storage facilities, the CFI is supporting Canadian researchers with the key resources they need to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation,” says Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President and CEO of the CFI.

 

Cyberinfrastructure Initiative – Challenge 1 / Initiative sur la cyberinfrastructure – Défi 1

Projects approved / Projets appuyés

Applicant institution /
Établissement demandeur

Project title /
Titre du projet

Team /
Équipe

Maximum CFI contribution /

Contribution
maximale de la FCI

Université du Québec à Chicoutimi i-BALSAC : Une infrastructure multisectorielle pour une cartographie haute résolution de la population franco-canadienne

McGill University

Université de Montréal

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Université Laval

University of Ottawa

Université de Saint-Boniface

CHU Ste-Justine

BAnQ
1 259 210 $
University of Calgary Canadian Consortium for Arctic Data Interoperability: Advancing Arctic Research through Connected Data Infrastructure

Carleton University

University of Manitoba

Université Laval

University of Waterloo

Amundsen Science

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami

Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (Indigenous Organization)

University of Ottawa
$1,999,925
University of Calgary AuroraX

University of Alberta

University of Saskatchewan

University of California

JHU-APL

NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Finnish Meteorological Institute

The University Centre in Svalbard
$967,054
University of Guelph LINCS: Linked Infrastructure for Networked Cultural Scholarship

McGill University

University of Alberta

University of Ottawa

University of Toronto

University of Victoria

York University

University of Saskatchewan

Simon Fraser University

Université de Montréal

Texas A&M University
$2,000,000
University of Toronto The Cancer Genome Collaboratory

McGill University

Ontario Institute for Cancer Research

The University of British Columbia

BC Cancer Agency

$1,998,093
University of Toronto Data Analytics for Canadian Climate Services (DACCS)

Centre de recherche informatique de Montréal (CRIM)

Concordia University

McGill University

University of Victoria

University of Toronto

Climate Research Division

Ouranos

Environment Canada

Natural Resources Canada

Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (IPSL)

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Deutsches Klimarechenzentrum (DKRZ)

Aquanty Inc
$2,000,000
TOTAL 6 projects / projets   $10,224,282

NOTE:
As part of this announcement, an additional $3,067,285 was awarded under the Infrastructure Operating Fund, a mechanism that assists institutions with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with the new infrastructure.

 NOTER :
Cette annonce comprend l’attribution d’une somme additionnelle de 3 067 285 dollars du Fonds d’exploitation des infrastructures. Les établissements utilisent ces montants pour assumer une partie des coûts d’exploitation et de maintenance de la nouvelle infrastructure.

 

Cyberinfrastructure Initiative - Challenge 2 – Stage 2 /

Initiative sur la cyberinfrastructure – Défi 2- Phase 2

Project approved / Projet appuyé

Recipient Institution / Établissement bénéficiaire

Project title /
Titre du projet

Host Institutions /
Établissements Hôtes*​

Maximum CFI contribution /

Contribution
maximale de la FCI

Simon Fraser University Compute Canada - Advanced Research Computing Platform

Simon Fraser University

McGill University

University of Waterloo

$6,608,882

$12,759,539

$631,579

TOTAL     $20,000,000

NOTE:
The Advanced Research computing infrastructure will be hosted at three different locations. The maximum amount for each site represents the share of the CFI award.

REMARQUE :
L’infrastructure de calcul informatique de pointe sera hébergée à trois endroits différents. Le montant maximal pour chaque site représente la portion de la contribution de la FCI.