Research stories

Our investments support research that benefits Canadians

In CFI-funded labs and facilities across the country, researchers in all stages of their careers are making discoveries, supporting a robust innovation ecosystem and helping solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

A graphic of several green coloured buildings against a backdrop of rolling green hills with windmills.

Keeping research infrastructure green

A nod to the efforts that CFI-funded labs are making to reduce their environmental impact

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Three young women pose in an outdoor setting wearing clear plastic safety-style glasses

article

Oct 7, 2024 Ontario

Is bad air quality making you sick?

The air you breathe contains thousands of natural and synthetic chemicals. Joseph Okeme is identifying which ones cause chronic diseases.

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Université de Moncton Faculty of Science dean and researcher Céline Surette

podcast

May 8, 2024 New Brunswick

Meet Acadian researcher Céline Surette, for whom interdisciplinarity is second nature

Céline Surette embodies both the chemistry of living things and interdisciplinarity to serve the real needs and questions of communities. And to achieve this, and ensure that critical thinking triumphs, she'll pull out all the stops.

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Image of various cellphones on a wooden table displaying photos of researchers.

video

Oct 7, 2022

A promising future, now: 25 years of investing in ideas that change our world

The Canada Foundation for Innovation has supported cutting-edge research in Canada for 25 years. In these videos, researchers reflect on how CFI funding has advanced their work and how future generations will benefit. They tell passionate stories of curiosity, commitment and innovation.

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A woman sits cross-legged in the grass, holding an electronic tablet.

article

Apr 29, 2019 Saskatchewan

Mental health in the Internet age

Researchers at the University of Regina are providing a much-needed boost for mental health services in Saskatchewan by developing and testing ways to deliver therapy via the Internet

A pastel-coloured illustration of a woman cradling an infant to her breast, with long hair and leafy branches radiating outward.

article

Apr 29, 2019

The mother of all nutrition labs

Kyly Whitfield of Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax is tackling the polarizing topic of breastfeeding at the Milk and Micronutrient Assessment Lab, or MAMA Lab

Fractured reflection of two people talking

article

Apr 1, 2019 Ontario

Teaching children with autism how to perceive the world

Western University’s Ryan Stevenson will launch the first longitudinal study to determine if training will help kids with autism better process the outside world

A plate of cooked sea bass fillet on a bed of arugula and couscous

article

Mar 26, 2019 Alberta

Sea bass with a side of arugula, anyone?

Alberta entrepreneurs are growing fresh fish and vegetables together, turning a finely balanced ecosystem into a profitable bottom line

A transport truck on a snow-covered road in a blizzard.

article

Feb 28, 2019 Manitoba

Avoiding the storm

A Winnipeg company generates sophisticated weather reports to save trucking companies and farmers tens of thousands of dollars

Robert J. Sawyer makes the Vulcan salute to an off-camera audience

podcast

Feb 25, 2019

Sci-fi writer Robert Sawyer imagines the future of Canadian science

This country’s extraordinary real-life research facilities provide a wondrous backdrop for Sawyer’s imagined futures, proving you don’t have to stray far from home to be inspired by leading-edge science

Young woman resting her face in her hand stares out a window through open shutters looking bored

article

Jan 14, 2019 Ontario

Boredom is complicated

Feeling bored is more than a modern day irritant. It can be a source of significant distress, particularly for people with ADHD

A group of mannequins in a window display.

article

Nov 30, 2018 British Columbia

Figuring out what makes shoppers buy or walk away

The choices you make at the mall aren’t always rational. They’re steeped in emotion, from envy to self-esteem. A University of British Columbia lab is taking a closer look at how consumers behave.