Industry Minister Melanie Joly speaks to reporters on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, March 12, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

By The Canadian Press

Ottawa earmarks half a billion dollars for labs and research equipment

Mar 13, 2026 | 3:00 AM

OTTAWA — Ottawa committed to $552 million in science funding on Friday for equipment, tools and labs needed for academic research projects across the country.

The federal government released a list of 92 research projects which have secured funding through the Canadian Foundation for Innovation.

The money, distributed through the Innovation Fund, will be put toward dozens of projects in life sciences, engineering and other fields at universities and other higher education institutions across the country.

Funding competitions through the program, held about every two years, are meant to give researchers the chance to acquire new lab equipment and other resources to drive their studies. This announcement covers the 2025 competition.

One project granted funding would give University of British Columbia researchers new tools related to quantum technology.

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Another project at Dalhousie University is getting federal funds for new underwater drones to monitor marine life — research that has practical applications in conservation, fisheries management and infrastructure development.

McGill University received funding for 10 projects, University of British Columbia received funding for 14 and Université de Montréal won support for six.

University of Saskatchewan researchers are getting a new poultry research facility, which comes as the industry marches toward a ban on conventional battery cages in 2036. The government said the research should help producers with the shift to different farming methods, such as free-range.

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, who is responsible for the granting organization, was set to announce the funding at an event at University of Sherbrooke but had a last-minute scheduling change.

The 2025 federal budget earmarked $400 million over seven years for the Canada Foundation for Innovation as part of an effort to help “recruit exceptional international researchers to Canadian universities” and support them with equipment necessary for their work.

The foundation was at the same time listed for “targeted reductions” under a federal spending review.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2026.

The Canadian Press