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 drawing of an eagle representing First Nations, a narwhal representing Inuit, and a violin representing Métis. These illustrations are placed around the sun and surrounded by multicoloured smoke that represents Indigenous traditions, spirituality, inclusion and diversity.

Raising up Indigenous voices in research

For this National Indigenous History Month, discover research projects that are led by Indigenous researchers and which address the priorities of their communities
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A graphic of several green coloured buildings against a backdrop of rolling green hills with windmills.
article
Ontario,British Columbia,Quebec
Keeping research infrastructure green
A nod to the efforts that CFI-funded labs are making to reduce their environmental impact
All articles
Université de Moncton Faculty of Science dean and researcher Céline Surette
podcast
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.
All podcasts
Image of various cellphones on a wooden table displaying photos of researchers.
video
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.
All videos

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Daniella Niyonkuru poses with line drawing illustrations around her.
video
Ontario
Helping more young women choose engineering and computer science
Carleton University graduate, Daniella Niyonkuru, leads by example. As a successful computer engineer and devoted mentor, she is showing girls that a career in tech is within reach
Emmanuel Alabi poses with line drawing illustrations around him.
video
Ontario
A better way to measure pain in children
PhD student, Emmanuel Alabi, is looking for a way to objectively rate pain to help those who can’t communicate
Postdoctoral fellow Shabnam Jabari posing for a photo over a red background.
article
New Brunswick
Helping rescuers save more lives
Postdoctoral fellow, Shabnam Jabari, has developed an algorithm that creates a more accurate before-and-after picture to aid in recovery after a disaster
PhD student Austin Lee posing for a photo over a purple background.
article
British Columbia
A better quality of life for people with diabetes
PhD student, Austin Lee, is commercializing a smartphone device he invented to help diabetics monitor their blood sugar
Research associate Luis Alejandro Coy posing for a photo over a green background.
article
Alberta
Greener fuels for a better future
Research associate, Luis Alejandro Coy, is making a name for himself globally by developing nanocatalysts for more environmentally friendly oil upgrading
A house demolished by a hurricane.
article
Ontario
Houses that hold up in a hurricane
A state-of-the-art research facility at Western University has found that a few dollars can make our homes much safer in extreme storms
A two-lane highway viewed from a windshield with a car ahead and several digital markers overlain on the image
article
Ontario
Intelligent cars change everything
Once the domain of traditional robotics, the future of self-driving cars now lies in artificial intelligence, where Canadian researchers like Raquel Urtasun have serious clout
Many symbols and letters forming an algorithm written on a blue screen
article
Saskatchewan
It’s all in the algorithm
Making machine learning more affordable by tweaking how the machine interacts with the data sources that teach it
A white-haired woman holds a tomato wedge with a cooking pot on a surface in front of her
article
Quebec
What if your stove could learn your bad habits?
How artificially intelligent devices could make living at home for longer a safer option for seniors
Illustration of four men in business suits rowing a vessel shaped like an arrow. A fifth man, standing in front of them, shouts from a megaphone.
podcast
Episode six: The way forward
The final episode of our podcast series takes stock of where the CFI is today and where innovation in Canada needs to be 20 years from now
Floor to ceiling solar panels simulate a sunny day in a concrete research facility.
video
Quebec
Off-the-wall energy for self-sufficient buildings
Concordia University researcher Andreas Athienitis’ thermal solar wall technology can provide enough heat and electricity to take whole buildings off the grid
Three rows of round icons display a variety of bacteria and virus illustrations.
podcast
Ontario
Keeping antibiotics ahead of infectious diseases
Gerry Wright talks about the problems with promiscuous bacteria and how antibiotics resistance could affect the future of medicine