NSERC CREATE Program - Internal Call for Expressions of Interest

 

NSERC's Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program supports the training and mentoring of teams of highly qualified students and postdoctoral fellows from Canada and abroad through the development of innovative training programs that:

  • encourage collaborative and integrative approaches between large and medium or small sized institutions to address significant scientific challenges
  • facilitate the transition of new researchers from trainees to productive employees in the Canadian workforce

For this year's competition, it is anticipated the NSERC CREATE program will include both the regular and international streams (please note that it is anticipated that as in the past, the international stream is linked to collaborating with researchers in Germany as well as the German research foundation, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)).* 

Institutions are all given an allotment of regular CREATE LOIs (the international stream will not count towards this allotment) that they can submit and that go directly to the full application stage.  Lakehead has one regular stream LOI in its allotment. However, when an institution submits a number of LOIs greater than its NSERC program allotment,  their LOIs will be evaluated by NSERC to determine which LOI will advance to the application stage. 

NEW - For the 2027 competition, NSERC will fund one additional CREATE initiative through quantum funding announced in Budget 2025 as part of the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS). This initiative aims to advance the strategy’s workforce development priorities by supporting training opportunities that result in skilled and technologically proficient research trainees in areas including, but not limited to, quantum communications, quantum sensing, quantum materials, quantum computing, and quantum software. Applications will be evaluated through the normal CREATE peer review process, but applications should include "Quantum" in the title. LOIs submitted to the Quantum call are not included in each university’s allotment of LOIs advancing to the application stage. Each university can submit up to one LOI for the Quantum call. If more than one quantum expression of interest is received, an internal competition/review will need to be held to determine which Lakehead quantum LOI is submitted under Lakehead’s quota. All other quantum LOIs will be submitted under Lakehead’s regular stream (see above information).

If you intend to submit an LOI to this program, you  must notify the Office of Research Services (ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca) by February 13, 2026 of your intention to apply to this opportunity

Given the highly competitive nature of the NSERC CREATE program and the requirement for institutional support, Principal Investigators will be required to work closely with assigned research facilitators from the conceptualization of the project proposal to final submission (this includes seeking support from co-applicant institutions).

The NSERC LOI submission deadline is May 1, 2026, and the full application deadline is September 22, 2026.

More details about the 2027 CREATE competition will be communicated at the information session for potential applicants on February 13, 2026. Updates to the CREATE program website for the 2027 CREATE competition will be posted in February 2026.

 

*International Research Training Groups (IRTG) – with DFG (Germany)

Submitting an application for the IRTG for a German-Canadian bilateral training program takes time but can be very rewarding, and the CREATE grant can be extended up to 9 years.  However, given the NSERC and DFG timelines, to apply to the NSERC Create competition in 2026, you will need to have an approved pre-proposal to DFG before the LOI deadline.  If you are starting now to develop the DFG proposal, you should expect to apply to the CREATE program next year at the earliest. The steps are:

  1. Establish a collaboration with a research university in Germany
  2. RECOMMENDED:  Team applies for a DFG grant (matching funds required) to conduct an IRTG preparatory workshop (either in Germany or Canada)
  3. Team submits a pre-proposal (DFG calls it a “draft application”) to DFG at any time (no deadline) – review takes several months
  4. If the DFG pre-proposal is successful: Submit the LOI to NSERC by the deadline of the next cycle.
  5. If the LOI is successful: Submit full proposal to both DFG and NSERC. Both agencies must approve the proposal to be successful.

 

 

Call for Expressions of Interest for CFI Innovation Fund Anticipated Call - February 17, 2026 Internal Deadline

The Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from faculty members interested in applying to the anticipated Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Innovation Fund program call for applications.

CFI Innovation Fund - Overview
The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Innovation Fund (IF) "supports a broad range of research programs including those in natural sciences and engineering, health, social sciences, humanities and the arts, as well as interdisciplinary research. Projects funded through the Innovation Fund will help Canada remain at the forefront of exploration and knowledge generation while making meaningful contributions to generating social, health, environmental and economic benefits and addressing global challenges, such as the ones defined by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals."

Anticipated 2027 IF Competition/Institutional Allocations
It is anticipated that the CFI will release their full Call for Proposals for the 2027 Innovation Fund in the Spring of 2026.  Therefore, in order for Lakehead to maximize proposal development time and support for potential Innovation Fund applicants, in advance of the CFI Call for Proposals, the Office of Research Services is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from faculty members for potential CFI IF projects.  EOIs are being requested for both projects where Lakehead University is the lead applicant, as well as projects where Lakehead University researchers have been invited to participate in another university's application as co-applicants. Please note that this internal call for ideas is based on current information from the CFI and is therefore subject to change as new information is provided by the CFI in the future.  

The CFI limits the amount of funding an institution may request for the IF competition by providing each institution with a specific  envelope/allocation (for example, Lakehead University was allocated an institutional envelope of $4 million in the most recent IF competition). Although Lakehead’s allocation is not known at this time, it is anticipated that the allocation will be insufficient to allow the submission of all Lakehead's proposals. As a result, Lakehead University will therefore undertake an internal selection process which will begin with the submission of Expressions of Interest (EOIs).

 

Background on the Previous CFI Competition

In the previous IF 2025 competition, the main objectives of the IF were to:
• Enable internationally competitive research or technology development through the equitable participation of expert team members.
• Enhance the capacity of institutions to conduct the research or technology development program over the useful life of the infrastructure.
• Generate benefits for Canadians.

Under the previous IF call, an eligible infrastructure project involved the acquisition or development of research infrastructure for the purpose of increasing research capacity as well as supporting world-class research.  As well, under the previous IF call the CFI introduced three streams:

  • Stream 1: Leading edge of exploration and knowledge generation (open) - This stream was open to proposals from all disciplines.
  • Stream 2: Leading edge of exploration and knowledge generation in the social sciences, humanities and arts (SSHA) - To access this stream, the primary field of research had to be in the SSHA.
  • Stream 3: Creation, renewal and upgrade of core facilities

It is not known if these previous streams will be used by the CFI in the next IF competition, but they are being included here for planning purposes.

 As well, in the previous competition, the CFI specified that total project costs were required to be greater than $1 million for proposals to be considered by the CFI.  For that competition, the CFI stated that it would fund up to 40 percent of a project’s eligible infrastructure costs with the Province of Ontario through the Ontario Research Fund contributing an additional 40% of eligible costs.  The remaining 20% was to be found from other sources by the researcher. Funds from CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC, as well as Tri-Council programs (e.g. the Networks of Centres of Excellence and the Canada Research Chairs) were not considered to be acceptable funding partners.

Submission of CFI IF EOIs

Interested teams are invited to submit their EOIs for potential IF projects  to the Office of Research Services (ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca) by February 17, 2026. 

EOIs for potential IF project ideas should be no longer than three pages and contain the following information:

  • Information on the lead institution, the proposed Principal Applicant and their proposed research team (including any potential team members at other institutions).
  • The research to be undertaken as part of the proposed initiative, why it is innovative and how it would meet the criteria of the CFI IF program.
  • Link of the proposed research to the priority areas of the Lakehead University Research Plan.
  • In general, the proposed infrastructure, collaborating institutions and potential facility/space requirements of the proposed infrastructure. 
  • Approximate cost of the proposed infrastructure.
  • The space requirements of the requested infrastructure need to be described as well, whether the space has been secured or will need to be secured through the Faculty Dean or Lakehead University Space Committee.  In addition, teams are required to indicate if any renovations/new construction to the proposed space will be necessary (which will also therefore require matching funds).

Project Meetings

Upon receipt of the completed EOI package, a meeting will be arranged with each proposed research team and Lakehead University research administration to discuss:

  • how the team's CFI IF proposal is innovative and timely;
  • how the team intends to apply principles of equity, diversity and inclusion to all components of the proposal, including research design, team composition, and benefits to Canadians;
  • why Lakehead should lead, or participate in (if led by another institution), this proposal; and
  • next steps in Lakehead’s internal selection process.

 

For further information, please review the previous CFI IF call for proposals or contact  Andrew Hacquoil (ahacquo@lakeheadu.ca) in the Office of Research Services.

Call for Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards Program EOIs

 
 The government of Canada recently launched their Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards program which "is a targeted, one-time initiative designed to recruit international or returning Canadian doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to Canada."  
 
This program will invest in research by supporting doctoral student or postdoctoral fellow nominations that align with the following research priority areas:
 
• Advanced digital technologies (including AI, quantum and cybersecurity)
• Health, including biotechnology
• Clean technology and resource value chains 
• Environment, climate resilience and the Arctic 
• Food and water security 
• Democratic and community resilience 
• Manufacturing and advanced materials 
• Defence and dual-use technologies  
 
All eligible Canadian institutions will receive an allocation of nominations of doctoral and/or postdoctoral awards.  The program will be made up of two waves (March 4, 2026 deadline and expected summer deadline). Lakehead University's allocation for the March 4 round is 2 PhD students and 2 postdoctoral fellows. Note that postdoctoral fellows successful under this program will be appointed at Lakehead under our postdoctoral fellows policy.
 
Under this program,  a nominator must be a faculty member at an eligible institution and be the primary grant holder on an active grant from an eligible funding opportunity from one of the three federal funding agencies at the time of nomination. Please refer to the list of agency-specific eligible funding opportunities (see question 17).  As well, Nominees (doctoral students and postdocs) can hold any citizenship, including Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada). However, nominees cannot have a current affiliation with a Canadian institution and must be currently studying or working abroad.
 
This initiative will be jointly managed by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the Office of Research Services.  Faculty members interested in applying to this opportunity to invite a PhD student or postdoctoral fellow to Lakehead are required to complete an internal expression of interest by January 27, 2026. For additional details regarding our internal call, deadlines and processes for the Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards, please click here.

Call for Proposals - SSHRC SIG Supplement Community-Engaged Research Grant (CERG) Program and Indigenous Research Capacity Development Grant (IRCDG) Program

Lakehead University is pleased to again announce two programs in support of community-engaged research with community organizations, not-for-profit partners, as well as Indigenous communities and partners. We invite all tenure-track, tenured and three-year limited-term appointment Lakehead faculty members who are eligible to apply to the disciplines supported by SSHRC to submit applications to the 1) Community-Engaged Research Grant (CERG) Program, or 2) Indigenous Research Capacity Development Grant (IRCDG) Program. Applicants are not eligible to submit applications to both programs.  The deadline for applying is March 2, 2026.

 
For more information, please click here.

Call for LUARS Agricultural Research Capacity Development Program - Applications Due January 9, 2026

The Vice-President, Research and Innovation (VPRI) is pleased to announce another call for proposals through the LUARS Agricultural Research Capacity Development Program.

Specific priority areas have been identified for this competition. While applications from outside these areas will be accepted, priority will be given to proposals that address one or more of the following topics:

  • Best management practices (BMPs) in Northern Ontario Agriculture

  • Greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and the circular economy

  • Increase of farm lands and farm viability

  • Agricultural research and knowledge transfer co-developed with Indigenous communities

  • Northern environmental sustainability

  • Soil health

  • Agri-business

Research projects that are based at LUARS and address the emerging regional research needs of the economy of Northwestern Ontario will receive priority.

Eligibility: The LUARS Agricultural Research Capacity Development Program is open to all full-time, tenure-track and tenured faculty members.

Grants Available: Up to $40,000 total per project will be available for projects ranging from 1-2 years. Projects that leverage matching funds from industry and community organizations are highly encouraged. Both cash and in-kind contributions will be considered eligible for matching.

Funds may be used to support the following:

1.    Research expenses, including supplies, materials, equipment, and travel;

2.    Stipends or salary support for the training of students; and

3.    Organization of workshops and conferences involving community partners with the goal of expanding LUARS-relevant research.


Deadline: Friday, January 9, 2026

All applications must be submitted through the Romeo Research Portal. Additional details and requirements can be found here. 

This program is funded in part by the governments of Canada and Ontario under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a five-year, federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

 

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in Research Award

The annual Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Award recognizes outstanding research projects that promote equity, diversity and inclusion principles and activities.  Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in research is defined as the practice of ensuring that all individuals are respected and have equal opportunity to fully participate throughout the research process. EDI best practices are defined as the strategies and actions that researchers implement to create a fair, welcoming, and respectful environment for all research team members and partners, regardless of their background, identity, or personal characteristics. EDI best practices aim to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities to thrive, that diverse perspectives are valued, and that inclusive cultures are fostered.  This award recognizes initiatives advancing EDI strategies within a research project.  Deadline for applications: January 8, 2026.  For more information, please click here.

Call for Applications: Inclusive Research Excellence Grant Program

Lakehead University is committed to creating an Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive research environment. Lakehead’s EDI Action Plan outlines the goal “to innovate and lead on EDI knowledge creation and education” (Goal 3). To increase the level of EDI awareness and innovation within the research environment, the Office of Research Services is inviting academic departments and research centres/institutes to submit applications to the Inclusive Research Excellence grant program. This competition aims to foster EDI within the research environment at Lakehead University. All academic departments are invited to apply for a seed grant to launch impactful EDI initiatives inside their academic unit.
 
Deadline for submissions: January 8, 2026.  
 
For more information, please click here.

Early Researcher Award Round 19: Internal Call for Proposals

Background
In the past, Lakehead University has been successful in securing awards through the previous rounds of the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security’s Early Researcher Award (ERA) program.  The funds are to be used over a period of five years to fund eligible expenses for a research team of undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants, associates, and technicians.

Eligible Applicants
Lakehead University invites early career researchers who meet the ERA program criteria, to apply to the 2025 internal ERA competition.  You are eligible to apply for this award if you:
  • are a full-time, faculty or principal investigator (PI) based at an eligible institution in Ontario (adjunct positions do not qualify)
  • have started your independent academic research career on or after January 1, 2020; and
  • have completed your first Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, Medical Doctor or terminal degree on or after January 1, 2015 (anywhere world-wide)
  • have not already held an Early Researcher Award, and 
  • are not a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair.  
To be competitive, researchers are encouraged to be actively involved in conducting research that has been supported by peer-reviewed funding and to demonstrate academic independence from previous supervisors.  There is also a list of upcoming information sessions on the ERA site.  Applicants are strongly advised to attend one of these sessions.

Available Amount/Number of Lakehead University Applications
Under this program, an ERA award to a leading researcher is worth a maximum of $100,000 and must be matched by an additional $50,000. For this competition, Lakehead University will provide the required matching contribution of $50,000 ($10,000 per year over 5 years) for up to two applications.  If more than two qualified applications are received an internal review committee will be tasked with ranking the applicants to recommend to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation which application(s) be submitted to the ERA program. Please note that awards administered by the federal granting councils (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) are not eligible partner contributions.
 
Internal ERA Deadlines
1.  October 10, 2025:  Applicants are required to e-mail the Office of Research Services (ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca) by October 10 to a) indicate their intention to apply to the ERA program, and b) to provide our office with a list of three confirmed external individuals (who are not in a conflict of interest with the ERA applicant) who our office can approach to write a letter of reference for the applicant's ERA application.  Please contact your three ERA referees to confirm their willingness to write a letter of support for your ERA application - please ensure that you follow the ERA guidelines when selecting referees.  Once they have agreed, please inform the Office of Research Services.
 
Please note the ERA program's guidelines for reference letters:
  •  One letter must come from a non-arm's length relationship. Non-arm’s length letters are letters written by a referee who knows the candidate personally (e.g., through mentoring relationships, co-employment relationships in the same school or institute, joint publications, or joint grants).
    Examples of non-arm’s length relationships:
    • Present or past colleague, student, post-doctoral fellow, faculty member, co-practitioner, etc.
    • Past mentor
    • Collaborator (joint publications, grants, etc.)
    Two letters must come from arm's length recommendations. Arm's length letters are defined as those from external referees who are not the candidate's dissertation or thesis chair or mentor, the candidate's co-author or collaborator, a family member of the candidate, or a friend of the candidate. External referees may not have a significant relationship with the candidate and must have the ability to write a non-biased letter that speaks to the candidate's background, work and standing in the field. However, it is acceptable for an external referee to be a professional acquaintance. A "professional acquaintance" is defined by circumstances where the candidate and external referee know each other from a professional society or association or from participating together on a panel, chairing meetings or sharing a similar research interest. The external referee cannot have a personal friendship or family relationship with the candidate or have had a mentoring relationship, co-employment, a former professor, co-author or collaborator, joint publications or joint grants (see exceptions below).
    Examples of acceptable levels of acquaintance:
    • Served on an association committee together
    • Met at a conference or chaired a conference or sections of a conference
    • Served on a panel together; or
    • Has been 5 years or more since the applicant:
         • has had a mentoring relationship with the individual
         • has had co-employment with the individual
         • was taught by the professor
         • co-authored or collaborated with the individual
         • jointly published with the individual; or
         • received a joint grant with the individual
 
2.  October 20, 2025:  Lakehead University requires that ERA applicants submit their six-page ERA research proposals and ERA CVs to the Office of Research Services (ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca) by October 20 so that our office can forward the information to the external reference letter writers.
 
Reminders
• Lakehead University requires that referees have access to the applicant's research proposal and a full ERA CV.
• Reference letters must be dated less than six months from the submission date.
• Referees cannot be affiliated with the nominating institution, faculty or department.
• It is recommended that the arm’s length letters be from researchers of international stature familiar with the Researcher’s (PI) work, where possible.

3.  October 31, 2025:  Full, complete applications,using the ERA form, are due in the Office of Research Services no later than October 31, 2025. 
 
 
For More Information
The official call for this program can be found on the  Ministry of Colleges and Universities  website.  The website includes the ERA application form, complete program guidelines and instructions including a list of ineligible partner contributions, eligible expenses, evaluation criteria, application forms, letter of reference requirements, etc.  
 
For questions regardging this call, please contact Andrew Hacquoil, Research Facilitator (Institutional Programs) at ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca.

Call for CFI John R. Evans Leaders Fund (Unaffiliated) Applications - Internal Deadline: September 2, 2025

Introduction
All faculty members with tenured or tenure-track positions at Lakehead University are invited to submit applications to Lakehead University’s Fall internal 2025 Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) competition.  The deadline for the internal competition will be September 2, 2025.  
 
Please note that up to $300,000 (CFI portion only) from Lakehead's JELF allocation has been allocated to this competition to support a total investment of up to $750,000 in research infrastructure.  Researchers are required to secure the required 20% matching funds in order to be eligible to apply.
 
Internal Review of Applications
In order to support research excellence and ensure fairness and transparency in the distribution of these funds, applications will be reviewed by an internal CFI JELF Peer Review Committee; the Committee  will rank the applications and then make recommendations to the Vice-President Research, and Innovation.
 
Eligibility and Application Process
The JELF "enables a select number of an institution’s excellent researchers to undertake leading-edge research by providing them with the foundational research infrastructure required to be or become leaders in their field. In turn, this enables institutions to remain internationally competitive in areas of research and technology development, aligned with their strategic priorities."
 
The candidate(s) listed in the proposal must be:
  • A recognized innovative leader or have demonstrated the potential for excellence in the proposed research field(s);
  • Engaged in or embarking upon research or technology development that is innovative, high quality and meets international standards; 
  • A current faculty member with a full-time academic appointment or a candidate that the institution is in the process of recruiting to a full-time academic position in an area of strategic importance, and
  • Must currently hold or have applied for sufficient research operating funds to effectively utilize the new research infrastructure (i.e., Tri-agency funding, or other external research grants or substantial start-up funds).
The JELF is intended to serve the infrastructure needs of individual faculty, or groups of up to three faculty members where there is a need to share infrastructure.  
 
Preference to applicants will given in the following order:
  • Early Career Researchers (ECR) -  (applicants who have obtained their first independent academic position within the last five years).
  • Applications for shared research infrastructure to be located in the Lakehead University Instrumentation Laboratory or LUCAS laboratory (a letter of support from the Laboratory Director must be included in the application).
  • All other tenured or tenure-track or tenured faculty members (candidates who have received funding in the past previously been supported  through the JELF, Leaders Opportunities Fund, New Opportunities Fund or Canada Research Chairs Infrastructure Fund are eligible for funding under the JELF; however a justification for the need for the infrastructure and complementarity of the value-added of a subsequent award is required).  Please note that priority will be given to applicants who have not received a CFI JELF in the last three years.
Application forms and the complete JELF guidelines for completing unaffiliated proposals are available by referring to the CFI's website.
 
Candidates must be recognized leaders in their field of research, or show promise of becoming research leaders. They must be engaged in, or embarking on, an innovative research program for which the infrastructure is essential and which will provide an enriched research training environment. CFI JELF applications must also fit with the research priorities outlined in Lakehead University's Research Plan. 
 
In addition to meeting general CFI eligibility requirements, infrastructure items for JELF candidates must be essential for the research program of the candidate(s). If the requested items have been purchased or received, they must be obtained as an in-kind contribution no more than six months before the date of submission of the application to the CFI.
 
Checklist for a Complete Application
Complete CFI JELF applications for the internal competition must be submitted to the Office of Research Services by the internal deadline and must consist of:
 
  1. CFI JELF Application Forms (CFI Award Management System)- Please use the John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) – Unaffiliated version of the form.
  2. CFI Request for Quotations Form - plus one quote for each major equipment item.
  3. CFI Internal Budget Worksheet and where applicable, one quotation in CFI format for all equipment/renovation items.
  4. Letter from the relevant Dean confirming support for application and specifically confirming space. Space must be confirmed by the internal application deadline.* 
  5. Projects requiring renovations** must include:
    1. a cost estimate (from Physical Plant) prior to the internal application deadline.
    2. Evidence of the required cash contributions to offset the 20% matching fund requirements for renovations.  If internal operating funds are being used to offset the 20% matching funds requirement, a related budget code for the internal funds must be provided by the account holder at the time of the internal application.
  6. Completed Internal Research Proposal Approval Form
  7. Regarding re-submissions: Applicants who have been unsuccessful in previous internal or external competitions must provide a letter summarizing how the peer review committee’s feedback (or the CFI reviewer feedback) has been considered and incorporated into the new application.
  8. If applicable:  Applications for shared research infrastructure to be located in the Lakehead University Instrumentation Laboratory or LUCAS laboratory must include a letter of support from the Laboratory Director).
  9. CFI JELF internal checklist.
*Note: If any CFI infrastructure is to be located outside of Lakehead University, please note that  Lakehead must still  ". . . exercise de facto control over the research infrastructure, including assuming responsibility for its access and for the associated scientific programming" (CFI Policy and Program Guide).   In such cases, a letter of support from the organization that would be hosting the infrastructure must be attached to the internal CFI application.  The letter must specify:
  • The organization's agreement to host the CFI-funded infrastructure (with Lakehead maintaining de facto control).
  • Agreement to allow the Project Leader full access to the space and if there are renovations involved in making the space ready to house the equipment, the receiving organization is required to agree to the renovations to their space.
If the CFI funding is subsequently awarded, an inter-institutional agreement would need to be signed between Lakehead and the receiving organization outlining the above terms and conditions.**Note:  Please note that if renovations are not required as part of acquiring and installing the requested infrastructure, the applicant(s) must indicate in the CFI application why renovations are not required (including confirmation from Physical Plant).
CFI Funding Formula and Matching Funds
 
Please note that the CFI JELF program will contribute up to 40% towards infrastructure costs, the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security's Ontario Research Fund will contribute 40% and the remaining 20% must be found from other sources by the researcher. Funds from CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC, as well as Tri-Council programs (e.g. Canada Research Chairs) are not considered to be acceptable funding partners. However, the CFI will allow the cost of eligible item(s) to be covered in part by the aforementioned funding sources, provided that this portion is not used to leverage CFI funds. Equipment discounts beyond the best educational price are eligible as in-kind contributions towards the 20% matching funds required.
 
CFI JELF applications must include confirmation of the required matching funds. If the matching funds are to be provided by the private sector or other external agency, a letter of support outlining their commitment must accompany the application. If the 20% matching fund is provided in the form of a "discount beyond best educational price" by a supplier, a copy of the quotation must be included showing:
  • List Price
  • Best Educational Price (if a company does not offer academic or educational discounts, this should be specified in the quote or CFI Request for Quotations Form)
  • Discount Beyond Best Educational Price (the in-kind or CFI contribution)
  • Net CFI Price
Researchers must use Lakehead University's CFI Request for Quotations Form to ensure quotations meet CFI eligibility requirements. A CFI Internal budget worksheet must be completed and submitted along with copies of the equipment quotations used to complete the CFI form. Note that only "discounts beyond best educational price" are eligible.  Please note that project leaders should be aware that once the relevant taxes (3.41% HST) are applied to the total cost of the requested infrastructure in the application budget, the contribution by a vendor may actually work out to slightly less than the required 20%. Additional matching funds may be required to make up the resulting short-fall.
 
Researchers should note as well that a 10% cost increase has been added to the cash and in-kind formulas for each item in the CFI Internal Budget Worksheet. This is as a guard against inflation and exchange rate fluctuations.
 
If you have any doubts regarding the eligibility of your matching funds, please contact Andrew Hacquoil in the Office of Research Services for advice. 
 
Please note that LU start-up grants may be used towards the matching fund requirement whether it has been spent during the six months prior to the CFI JELF external deadline (October 15, 2025) or will be spent on the research infrastructure. Funds from start-up grants are to be shown as a cash contribution from the institution, not in-kind (as per CFI guidelines). It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all in-kind contributions are eligible in accordance with CFI's guidelines.
 
Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) 
 
Applicants are also required to ensure that any research equipment that is to be installed at Lakehead is ESA approved. This means that the equipment in question has an approved ESA marking that proves that the equipment meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code.  Such ESA approval should be indicated on any quotes obtained (or that the cost of obtaining such ESA approval is included in the costs outlined in the quote). For more information please refer to the ESA website which includes recognized certifications.
 
Renovations to Space
 
Requests for renovations to new space (not currently allocated to the applicant) must be approved by the Lakehead University’s Space Committee prior to the internal deadline. Researchers should be aware that renovation costs can also include such expenses as changes to a space in order to accommodate a piece of equipment that has special power requirements, or environmental cooling (for example). If an application is to include renovations in the budget, researchers must contact Kevin Schlyter in Physical Plant far in advance of the September 2, 2025 internal deadline to arrange for a cost estimate. Applications that do not accurately reflect costs may be deemed ineligible for consideration. Additional information is available on-line at the Lakehead University Physical Plant website.  Should you have any questions regarding the CFI JELF program, please contact Andrew Hacquoil at ahacquo1@lakeheadu.ca. Additional information regarding the CFI program can be obtained by referring to the following website: CFI John R. Evans Leaders Fund.  Applicants should note, however, the following application components that are required by the CFI related to renovation costs in applications that must be included in submissions:
 
Construction or Renovation Plans 
 
Applicant institutions must provide the following information:
  • A timeline identifying key dates for the various stages of the proposed construction or renovation;
  • Floor plans of the proposed new area(s), showing the location of the infrastructure and the scale of the plans (when construction or renovation involves multiple rooms). The floor plans must be legible when printed in black and white on standard letter-size paper (8.5”x11”);
  • The overall cost of the construction or renovation project, categorized by cost component (i.e. direct costs, soft costs and contingency costs), when these costs are expected to be in excess of $500,000. Note: The timeline, floor plans and cost breakdown should be uploaded as a separate PDF document. These pages do not count toward the page limit for the “Assessment criteria” section of the proposal.

Call for CIHR and NSERC Theme Areas for Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs

The Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation is inviting Faculties, Departments, Schools and Research Centres/Institutes to submit proposals for new Canada Research Chair theme areas.  The University is planning to fill two NSERC Tier 2 and one CIHR Tier 2 CRCs in 2026;  successful candidates may submit a nomination application in the April 2026 or October 2026 competition.  It is anticipated that successful CRCs will commence their appointment no earlier than November 2026.  The proposals should outline strategies to assist the University to meet the equity targets as set by the CRC Secretariat in accordance with Lakehead’s CRC Equity Target Plan.  Proposals should present appropriate recruitment strategies that aim to reach a broad applicant pool, including   qualified candidates from equity-deserving groups.

For more information, please click here.

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