Ontario Advancing Homegrown Research Through Investments in the Ontario Research Fund and the Early Researcher Awards

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The Ontario government is advancing 'made-in-Ontario' research and innovation with an investment of over $278 million in 406 research projects through the Ontario Research Fund and the Early Researcher Awards programs.

Ontario Research Fund

From 2022 to 2024, Ontario awarded $271.48 million in funding to 353 research projects across the province through eight different categories of the Ontario Research Fund:

• $152 million to support 43 research projects through the Ontario Research Fund - Large Infrastructure Fund to provide research institutions with funding to help cover the costs of building or renovating facilities and equipping them to conduct collaborative academic research.
• $51.7 million to support 272 research projects through the Ontario Research Fund - Small Infrastructure Fund to provide research institutions with funding to support infrastructure needs, such as the acquisition and renewal of state-of-the-art research equipment and laboratories for individual researchers.
• $39.2 million to support 25 research projects through the fund's Ontario Research Fund - Research Excellence to help cover the operational costs of major projects of strategic value to the province.
• $16 million to support three research projects through The Ontario Research Fund - Research Infrastructure: Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund. This investment will help address the immediate infrastructure needs of postsecondary institutions and affiliated research hospitals to support pandemic preparedness and respond to emerging health threats.
• $5 million to support three research projects through the Ontario Research Fund - Interdisciplinary Challenge Teams. This co-funding to Genome Canada's Interdisciplinary Challenge Teams will address specific questions and reduce the carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions of Canada's agriculture and food systems.
• $3 million to support four research projects through the Ontario Research Fund - Research Infrastructure: College Fund to help cover the costs of building, renovating and equipping research facilities to promote collaborations between colleges and industry, not-for-profit and public sector partners.
• $2 million to support two research projects through the Ontario Research Fund - Genomics Hubs, providing co-funding to Genome Canada's Data Coordination and Collaboration Hub and the Knowledge Mobilization and Implementation Coordination Hub. These hubs provide administrative, technical and coordination leadership for the Interdisciplinary Challenge Teams projects.
• $1.9 million to support a research project through the Ontario Research Fund - Genomic Applications Partnership Program to advance genomics research and development.

Early Researcher Awards

In December 2023, Ontario also awarded $7.42 million to 53 promising, recently appointed researchers working at publicly funded Ontario research institutions. This funding helps them build a research team and improves Ontario's ability to attract and retain the best and brightest talent in a variety of research disciplines.

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