Funding, News and Announcements

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) provides institutions with Infrastructure Operating Funds (IOF) to support the operations and maintenance of CFI-funded equipment and space to house that equipment. Administration of these funds is at the discretion of the institution and, to date, Dalhousie has administered the funds in accordance with the Dalhousie Operations and Maintenance Plan (October 2018).

Starting April 1, 2023, Dalhousie will shift to a more streamlined and flexible method for administering the IOF by awarding the funds to the Faculty identified as the lead for the project (and/or with primary responsibility for infrastructure housing and maintenance). This change will affect active IOF accounts, awarded CFI projects, and upcoming CFI projects. All active IOF accounts will be closed as of March 31, 2023 and any remaining funds will be transferred to an account held by the Dean. Researchers requiring financial resources to support the operations and maintenance needs of their CFI-funded equipment are encouraged to reach out to their Faculty to identify their forthcoming needs.

This new administration system for IOF will greatly reduce administrative responsibilities for researchers, in particular related to tracking of expenses, record keeping and reporting requirements. It will also provide greater flexibility to address operations and maintenance needs as they arise, as well as possible pooling of resources to enhance support.

The Dalhousie Operations and Maintenance Plan will be revised to reflect these changes. There will also be a redesign of Dalhousie’s Operations and Maintenance Response Fund to better meet the needs of the community, which will be communicated in Spring 2023.

For any questions regarding the revised administration of the CFI IOF, please reach out to cfi@dal.ca.

For any questions regarding O&M needs, please reach out to discuss with your Faculty Dean or Associate Dean Research.