Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF)

The Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund was CFI's response to Budget 2021, when Ottawa set aside CAD 500 million for biomanufacturing and life sciences infrastructure. The fund was designed to address gaps exposed by COVID-19 and to strengthen Canadian capacity in biocontainment and related biosciences. It ran through two competitions, including a stage focused on biocontainment and large-animal facilities and a second stage delivered through the SSHRC Convergence Portal. Across the program, the infrastructure total was CAD 385 million plus CAD 115 million through the Infrastructure Operating Fund, and CFI covered up to 60% of eligible infrastructure costs. Both competitions are now closed, so the route is no longer open to new applicants. The record is best read as a completed federal investment in specialized bioscience capacity rather than a live competition. BRIF fits institutions that needed highly specialized bioscience platforms, not general lab refreshes. The strongest historical use cases were facilities with clear public-health relevance, strong governance, and enough scale to justify a national response. Because the competitions are closed, the practical value of the record is historical context, not an active application path.

No upcoming rounds verified. Cadence: One-off.