Two federal research funding opportunities set to mobilize biosciences research community
OTTAWA, ONTARIO — Today, the Government of Canada provided more details about its investments in biosciences research through two funding programs that will contribute to growing a strong, competitive biomanufacturing and life sciences sector while ensuring Canada’s preparedness for future pandemics and other health emergencies.
As part of Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy — an investment of more than $2.2 billion over seven years – the Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF) and the Canada Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF) will help build Canada’s talent pipeline and research systems, as well as foster the growth of Canadian life sciences firms.
Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund: This investment of $500 million over four years, starting in 2021-22, is for the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to support the bioscience infrastructure needs of postsecondary institutions and research hospitals. A call for proposals for the first phase of the BRIF competition, a $150 million investment that will respond to urgent and essential needs of postsecondary institutions and research hospitals by supporting containment levels 3 and 4 (CL3 and CL4) facilities capable of working with human pathogens, was launched on September 21, 2021. The remaining $350 million from Budget 2021 will be disbursed through a second, wider-ranging BRIF competition that is being developed in collaboration with the three federal granting agencies, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
Read the Call for proposals for the first phase of the Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund.
Canada Biomedical Research Fund: An investment of $250 million over four years, starting in 2022-23, will create a tri-agency program that supports high-risk, applied research, training and talent development that will help establish a resilient and robust domestic biomanufacturing sector in Canada. It will be administered through SSHRC on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies.