Grants to Canada postsecondary institutions to support large, complex institutional research initiatives demonstrating the potential for global leadership in focus areas of strategic relevance for the country at-large. Applicants are required to submit an LOI prior to a full grant application. Institutions are also welcome to submit proposals for smaller-scale initiatives, more narrowly focused in scope, but representing a unique opportunity and world-leading in priority areas and strategic relevance for Canada, and capable of resulting in partnerships with other global research leaders.

The Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) is a unique institutional program to support large-scale research programs focusing on an existing institutional thematic area aligned with the Government of Canada’s science, technology and innovation (ST&I) priorities for the CFREF and Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) programs.

Each proposal must focus on one area of institutional research excellence and align with one or more of the Government of Canada priority challenge areas:

• Healthy Canadians: Enhancing the health and wellness of Canadians across all life stages.
• Innovative and Resilient Communities: Building thriving communities that are inclusive, livable, smart and safe.
• Sustainable Food Systems: Maximizing Canada’s agri-food potential to support economic growth and secure, equitable access to food.
• Clean and Resource-Rich Canada: Fighting climate change and protecting Canada’s environment while harnessing the potential of natural resources to support a resilient, sustainable economy, and high quality of life.
• Technologically Advanced Canada: Advancing transformative and enabling technologies that will support a technologically advanced economy and society. 

Areas of focus have been identified under each challenge area. Proposals that could achieve the goals of a challenge area, but do not directly align with the areas of focus listed, would also be considered. The challenge areas, areas of focus, and expected outcomes are provided in more detail in the following table: ST&I priorities for the CERC and CFREF programs: https://www.cerc.gc.ca/program-programme/priority_areas-domaines_prioritaires-eng.aspx

CFREF objectives are to support the full range of research—from fundamental to applied—and to give institutions the ability to:

• Pursue the best in the world for talent and partnership opportunities to enable breakthrough discoveries;
• Seize emerging opportunities and strategically advance their greatest strengths on the global stage; and
• Implement large-scale, transformational and forward-thinking institutional strategies.

For additional program considerations, see: https://www.cfref-apogee.gc.ca/program-programme/competitions-concours/2022/apply-demande-eng.aspx#9

This competition will use a challenge-driven approach to priority areas. This approach reinforces the expectations for CFREF initiatives to:

• Use an interdisciplinary and intersectoral approach inclusive of all research disciplines, including the social sciences and humanities;
• Establish significant and meaningful partnerships and collaborations with Canadian and international entities (academic, public, private, not-for-profit, philanthropic); and
• Promote knowledge translation, mobilization and commercialization.