Fourth CFI Call for Proposals

The Office of Research Administration (ORA) and the Office of the Vice President Research & Innovation, announce the Call for Proposals for the fourth Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Innovation Fund competition.

CFI is an independent corporation whose goal is to strengthen the capability of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and other not-for-profit institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development. By investing in research infrastructure projects, the CFI supports research excellence, and helps strengthen research training at institutions across Canada.

The Innovation Fund enables institutions, either alone or with other institutions, to strengthen their research infrastructure in priority areas as identified in their strategic research plan (York University’s Strategic Research Plan can be located at http://www.yorku.ca/vpri/SRP_June_2001.htm. The fund promotes multidisciplinary and inter-institutional approaches, and enables Canadian researchers to tackle groundbreaking projects.

With this fourth Innovation Fund competition, the CFI is challenging Canadian institutions and their researchers to go one step further by reaching for new heights of excellence, improving their competitiveness and attaining international leadership. The CFI expects that institutions will submit only projects of exceptional quality that anticipate future research infrastructure needs and that build Canada’s capacity for innovation..

Detailed information on the application process and assessment criteria for the program can be located at: http://www.innovation.ca/whatsnew/dsp_news.cfm?newsid=70.

For further information on the CFI funding formula and eligible expenses, please see the CFI Policy and Program Guide at: http://www.innovation.ca/programs/index.cfm?websiteid=84.

Submission deadlines are as follows:

Deadline: Dec. 18

Submit electronically a Notice of Intent (NOI) for each project, and a covering letter signed by the President/CEO, listing all the NOIs the institution is submitting, along with onecomplete paper copy of each NOI. A Notice of Intent to apply must be submitted in order to submit an application.

Deadline: May 30, 2003

Submit the complete application(s) electronically and provide a covering letter signed by the President/CEO, listing all the proposals the institution is submitting, along with one complete paper copy of each application.

Potential applicants should contact Steven Mataija, manager, Government Research Initiatives Programs, as soon as possible, who is available to provide advice and assistance in the conception of CFI applications. He can be contacted by telephone at ext. 22507 and by e-mail smataija@yorku.ca.

The early identification of the scope of the application (vision, capital requirements – including space – and finances), the identification of proponents and designation of a project leader, and

ensuring a fit/priority within the Faculty and University strategic research plans will be essential to ensure the success of these potential projects. Initiatives going forward will receive strong research services support in the application process from the ORA and the Office of the Vice President Research & Innovation.