CFI

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) supports research by investing in research infrastructure. 

CFI offers several different types of funding opportunities:

• John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF)
• Innovation Fund
• Major Science Initiatives (MSI) Fund
• Exceptional Opportunities Fund (EOF)
• Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF)

For all CFI applications, please notify OVPR as early as possible of your intent to apply. Email grants.ovprutm@utoronto.ca.

John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF)

The JELF helps institutions recruit and retain outstanding researchers, acquire the tools that enable the innovative work of leading researchers, and offer highly competitive research support. The JELF is designed to serve the infrastructure needs of individual faculty or small groups of up to three faculty members where there is a need to share infrastructure. 

This is not an open competition. Larger divisions at the University have been pre-assigned a portion of the University's CFI allocation. JELF projects thus need to be approved by the researcher's division as these grants spend down the finite divisional allocations.

If your unit has permitted you to apply for a JELF, please contact OVPR as soon as possible. Keep in mind that other U of T divisions may have different JELF application processes. 

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates:

DEADLINES: February 2023 Round**

• CFI-JELF Internal Draft Application Deadline (campus): January 11, 2023
• CFI-JELF Internal Final Application Deadline (hospital): February 6, 2023
• CFI-JELF Internal Final Application Deadline (campus): February 8, 2023
• My Research Application (MRA) Deadline: February 8, 2023*
• Sponsor Deadline for CFI-JELF: February 15, 2023
• ORF-RI SIF Internal Draft Application Deadline (campus): February 27, 2023
• ORF-RI SIF Internal Final Application Deadline (hospital): March 22, 2023
• ORF-RI SIF Internal Final Application Deadline (campus): March 27, 2023

DEADLINES: June 2023 Round**

• CFI-JELF Internal Draft Application Deadline (campus): May 10, 2023
• CFI-JELF Internal Final Application Deadline (hospital): June 5, 2023
• CFI-JELF Internal Final Application Deadline (campus): June 7, 2023
• My Research Application (MRA) Deadline: June 7, 2023*
• Sponsor Deadline for CFI-JELF: June 15, 2023
• ORF-RI SIF Internal Draft Application Deadline (campus): June 26, 2023
• ORF-RI SIF Internal Final Application Deadline (hospital): July 19, 2023
• ORF-RI SIF Internal Final Application Deadline (campus): July 24, 2023

* Only one MRA is required for application to both sponsors. Applicants are responsible for submitting the MRA and obtaining the necessary unit and divisional approvals prior to the MRA deadline, which is the date by which the MRA should reach Research Services.

** Upcoming deadlines for future rounds are tentative and subject to change. Please check back closer to the opening of the round.

Links

• John R. Evans Leaders Fund (unaffiliated) information webpage
• John R. Evans Leaders Fund – Guidelines for completing a proposal
• Policy and program guide
• VPRI JELF funding opportunity page

Innovation Fund

The Innovation Fund provides continued investments in infrastructure, across the full spectrum of research, from the most fundamental to applied through to technology development. Only projects with total costs over $1 million will be considered. The CFI-IF is an “institutional initiative”, meaning that the University determines which projects will go forward to the national level competition with an allocation from our CFI-determined “ask envelope.”

Funding formula for a project:
40% CFI funding + 40% ORF-RI funding + 20% raised by researchers from other sources

• Find more information on the CFI website.
• Find more information about the Ontario Research Fund - Research Infrastructure (ORF-RI).
• Find more information on U of T's internal processes and deadlines.

Deadlines and Important Dates

Notice of Intent (NOI)

Draft Full Proposal & Internal Review

Full Proposal