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. 

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Taking research to the next level with artificial intelligence

How researchers in Canada are turbo-charging their research with artificial intelligence to solve problems, from traffic jams to climate change to discovering new pharmaceuticals
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A graphic of a DNA strand lit up with data points.
article
British Columbia

How Canada is at the forefront of unpacking the potential of DNA data storage

Could “DNA origami” offer a way to store some of the world’s 149 trillion gigabytes of information and help solve big data’s big storage problem? At UBC Okanagan, Will Hughes is exploring the possibilities.
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Portrait of a person wearing large earrings and a dark blue jacket with pale blue, rose and burgundy stripes.
podcast
Quebec

Pooneh Maghoul: Working at the forefront of geotechnical engineering

Can our critical infrastructure withstand the effects of climate change?
All podcasts
video

Transforming research instincts into a successful business (March webinar)

Part of our Future You webinar series. This webinar features a new generation of researchers who share their challenges and successes as they made the move from researcher to entrepreneur. Watch the video to gain insights and receive valuable tips on how to start your own business.
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A plate of cooked sea bass fillet on a bed of arugula and couscous
article
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
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

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
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
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.
Three men with crossed arms sit in shadow
article
Alberta,British Columbia

Common cancer, uncommon approach

Not all prostate cancer research is the same, even if it is the most common cancer affecting men
A hen
article
Ontario

Refurbishing the hen house

Research is helping egg farmers transition toward new requirements for housing their hens, and minimize their losses along the way
A fractured view of people in a public space
article
Ontario

How improving accessibility can boost the bottom line

Businesses can open their doors to thousands more customers by offering tools to assist people with language impairments
A stack of logs
article
Ontario

Transforming Northern Ontario’s forest product sector

New applications for forest by-products are helping to reinvent an industry and boost employment in remote regions of Ontario
Green tomatoes on a vine
article
Ontario

Growing Ontario’s billion-dollar greenhouse industry

Genomics research stands to curb losses of high-value crops to disease
Image of Regan Thompson holding a fish with his two arms.
article
Ontario

Scouring the scum to save a lake worth millions

Tackling harmful algae blooms in Lake Nipissing is critical to preserving the local industries that rely on it
Portrait of Chukwunonso Nzelu
podcast
Alberta

Tiny fly, deadly bite

Leishmaniasis is a devastating disease that kills tens-of-thousands of people every year. By studying the sandflies that transmit it, the University of Calgary’s Chukwunonso Nzelu is helping to zero in on a vaccine