CFI

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

CFI offers several different types of funding opportunities:

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

 


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

 

Deadlines and Important Dates

Internal final NOI due on CAMS

February 18, 2022

NOI due at CFI (submitted by RSO)

February 23, 2022

Notice of Intent (NOI)

Draft Full Proposal & Internal Review

Internal deadline for draft full proposals

April 4, 2022

Draft proposal sent to reviewers

April 5, 2022

Feedback returned to Project Leads

April 30 – May 9, 2022

Full Proposal

Internal deadline for final full proposal

May 24, 2022

Full proposal due to CFI (submitted by RSO)

June 15, 2022

Internal deadline for draft ORF proposal

Jun 3, 2022

Feedback to applicants on draft ORF proposal

Jun 29, 2022 (revised date)

Internal deadline for final full ORF proposal

July 8, 2022 (revised date)

Full proposals due to ORF

July 18, 2022