Canada’s biomanufacturing ecosystem gets major boost with new funding
May 06 2024 - 12:02PM
The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is helping the country’s
institutions prepare for pandemics and other health emergencies
though its Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF). The
fund’s goal is to provide researchers with the competitive
advantages they need to maintain the prosperity, health and
security of Canadians now and in the future.
Today, the Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada,
Minister of Tourism, and the Minister responsible for the Economic
Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announced
more than $360 million in funding through the CFI to support the
research infrastructure needs of Canada’s biomanufacturing and life
sciences sector. She made the announcement at Polytechnique
Montréal on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne,
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and the Honourable
Mark Holland, Minister of Health. Today’s funding will support 14
infrastructure projects that will contribute to:
- Building Canada’s capacity to
identify and monitor pathogens through new technologies and
improved processes
- Identifying and addressing
bottlenecks and gaps to ensure the country’s biomanufacturing
processes are reliable, scalable and adaptable
- Strengthening our collaborative
biomanufacturing ecosystem while providing hands-on training across
a range of career trajectories and stages
- Researching and developing new
vaccines, antibiotics and immune-based therapeutics
- Improving diagnostic testing,
including working with marginalized communities to address
diagnostic gaps
- Preparing policy and practice to
increase public trust in, and access to, safe and effective
vaccines and other bioscience innovations.
“We must ensure the health and safety of all
Canadians today and in the future,” says Roseann O’Reilly Runte,
President and CEO of the CFI. “The projects funded through the
Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund will play a critical role
in our country’s rapid response to future pandemics. This
state-of-the-art equipment will be used by academic and
private-sector researchers to develop innovative medical
interventions and treatments and will help cement Canada’s place as
a leader in this growing field.”
This national competition is a partnership with
the Canada Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF). New funding through the
CBRF was also announced today. The integrated CBRF–BRIF Stage 2
competitions are advancing the goals of Canada's Biomanufacturing
and Life Sciences Strategy. The first stage of CBRF established
five biomedical research hubs across the country in 2022, while
Stage 2 focuses on research and talent development projects at
those hubs. The research infrastructure projects funded through
BRIF are each associated with one of those five hubs. The hubs will
provide strategic guidance and training to bioscience
professionals. They will also encourage collaboration between
institutions and across sectors and will translate research into
product development and manufacturing that will benefit
Canadians.
Quick facts
- Projects supported through the BRIF will also receive
additional funding through the CFI’s Infrastructure Operating
Fund (IOF) to cover the costs of operating the research
infrastructure. The total investment of $361.5
million includes $83.4 million from the IOF.
- The BRIF is partnered with the CBRF,
which is funding research and talent development projects as part
of today’s announcement. The CBRF program is administered by the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) on behalf
of the three federal research funding agencies: SSHRC, the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research, and the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council.
- Today’s investment of $574 million
includes: $361.5 million through the BRIF and more than $213
million through the CBRF. A total of 19 projects at 14 institutions
were awarded funding to support research, talent development or
research infrastructure. Learn more about the projects.
- The five research hubs are located
at the University of British Columbia, the University of Alberta,
the University of Toronto, the University of Ottawa (co-led by
McMaster University) and the Université de Montréal.
Associated links
- More about the Canada Foundation for
Innovation
- Details on the CFI’s Biosciences
Research Infrastructure Fund
- Canada Biomedical Research Fund
results
- Funding announcement for first BRIF
competition — Funding to upgrade Canada’s biocontainment
facilities
- Canada's Biomanufacturing and Life
Sciences Strategy
About the Canada Foundation for
Innovation
With a bold, future-looking mandate, the Canada
Foundation for Innovation equips researchers to be global leaders
in their field and to respond to emerging challenges. Our
investments in state-of-the-art tools, instruments and facilities
at universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit
research institutions underpin both curiosity- and mission-driven
research that cuts across disciplines and bridges all sectors. The
research infrastructure we fund mobilizes knowledge, spurs
innovation and commercialization, and empowers the talented minds
of a new generation.
Related products
A full list of the funded projects as well as
stories about the facilities we fund are available online at
Innovation.ca. For updates, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and
X @InnovationCA and subscribe to our YouTube
channel to find videos about the CFI and its transformative
research projects.
Contacts
Sara FrizzellMedia Relations and Social Media
SpecialistCanada Foundation for
Innovation613-943-2580 sara.frizzell@innovation.ca |
Media RelationsInnovation, Science and Economic
Development Canadamedia@ised-isde.gc.ca |