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:

  • CFI-JELF Internal Draft Application Deadline (campus): September 5, 2023
  • CFI-JELF Internal Final Application Deadline (hospital): October 2, 2023
  • CFI-JELF Internal Final Application Deadline (campus): October 2, 2023
  • My Research Application (MRA) Deadline: October 2, 2023*
  • Sponsor Deadline for CFI-JELF: October 16, 2023
  • ORF-RI Internal Draft Application Deadline (campus): November 22, 2023
  • ORF-RI Internal Final Application Deadline (hospital): January 10, 2024
  • ORF-RI Internal Final Application Deadline (campus): January 10, 2024

* 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

EOI call has been released to all UTM departments and institutes. Please contact your unit chair for the EOI form.

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

Upcoming Deadlines and Important Dates 

UTM EOI deadline: Friday, December 15, 2023, 5 pm

Notice of Intent (NOI) - TBA

Draft Full Proposal & Internal Review - TBA

Full Proposal - TBA