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null Ten McGill research projects receive $42 million from CFI Innovation Fund

Investment supports research infrastructure including biofabrication project led by The Institute’s Darcy Wagner

Source: The McGill Reporter
March 17, 2026

McGill was awarded $42 million through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Innovation Fund to support ten research infrastructure projects led by McGill researchers in collaboration with partner institutions across Canada. The funding was announced today by The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Region.

The Government of Quebec and partner organizations provide additional funding, bringing the total investment to $106 million. McGill researchers are also involved in 8 projects led by other institutions.

Darcy Wagner, PhD, Senior Scientist in the Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program at The Institute, co-leads one of the McGill projects funded through the CFI Innovation Fund.
Darcy Wagner, PhD, Senior Scientist in the Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program at The Institute, co-leads one of the McGill projects funded through the CFI Innovation Fund.

The Innovation Fund (IF) supports Canadian post-secondary institutions, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions in acquiring and developing cutting-edge infrastructure to advance their research capacity and foster world-class research.

For the 2025 competition, the CFI introduced new funding streams to support exploration and knowledge generation projects in the social sciences, humanities, and arts, as well as the creation, renewal, and upgrade of core research facilities.

“McGill thanks the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and the federal and Quebec governments, for this vital investment in McGill-led research,” said Dominique Bérubé, Vice-President, Research and Innovation at McGill and Board Member at The Institute. “Their commitment enables transformative collaborations and ensures our researchers have the cutting-edge tools and facilities they need to drive innovation and deliver meaningful benefits for society.”

List of funded projects below:

Biofabrication robuste et avancée pour la valorisation d'organoïdes (BRAVO)
Research team lead and co-lead: Corinne Hoesli, Faculty of Engineering and Darcy Wagner, PhD, Senior Scientist in the Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program at The Institute.
Collaborators: McGill University Health Centre, Polytechnique Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, University of Ottawa
$6,056,914

Canadian Centre for Computational Genomics (C3G)
Research team lead: Guillaume Bourque, Department of Human Genetics and McGill Genome Centre. Collaborators: Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke
$1,876,000

Unveiling the Microsecond Radio Sky
Research team lead and co-lead: Victoria Kaspi and Jason Hessels, Faculty of Science and the Trottier Space Institute
Collaborators: Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto
$5,317,762

Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT)
Research team lead and co-lead: Fabrice Marandola and Marcelo Wanderley, Schulich School of Music
$3,618,791

McGill Platform for Neuroinflammation Research (MPNIR)
Research team lead and co-lead: Udunna Anazodo and Julien Doyon, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Montreal Neurological Institute
$5,531,670

Canadian Center for Computational Genomics
Research team lead: Guillaume Bourque, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Collaborators: Université de Sherbrooke, Université Laval
$1,876,000

Douglas Cerebral Imaging Centre – High Field Animal and Post-mortem Imaging
Research team lead and co-lead: Mallar Chakravarty and Mahsa Dadar, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Douglas Research Centre
$4,158,712

Unveiling the Microsecond Radio Sky
Research team lead and co-lead: Victoria Kaspi and Jason Hessels, Faculty of Science
Collaborators: Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, The University of British Columbia, University of Toronto
$5,317,762

CONNECT: cell-cell COmmunicatioN Networks: Exploring Changes and Transformations in immune health & disease
Research team lead and co-lead: David Langlais and Jo Anne Stratton, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
$2,580,090

Imaging Parkinson’s Disease Across Scales
Research team lead and co-lead: Heidi McBride and Edward Fon, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Montreal Neurological Institute
$6,492,693

An Integrated Platform for Agro-Environmental Modelling to Mitigate Impacts of Climate Change on Soil, Water and Crops
Research team lead and co-lead: Zhiming Qi and Joann Whalen, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
$2,315,475

CritMetThermo – Thermochemistry Infrastructure Platform for Critical Metals Research and Development
Research team lead: Vincent van Hinsberg, Faculty of Science
Collaborators: Polytechnique Montréal, Université du Québec - École de technologie supérieure
$4,170,606

The Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media and Technology: The Sound of the Future & the Future of Sound
Research team lead: Marcelo Wanderley and Fabrice Marandola, Schulich School of Music
$3,618,791