The CFI caps the maximum amount for which each institution can apply in each round of the Innovation Fund. For the 2025 Innovation Fund, the CFI envelope for Western and its affiliated hospitals was $35.9M. Internal proposals must therefore be competitively adjudicated to determine which applications will be submitted to the CFI within Western's envelope.

Information Session

An information session will be held by Western Research on Monday, November 10, 2025 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. in the Weldon Community Room (Room 128, first floor of the D.B. Weldon Library) to provide general information on the Innovation Fund, and detail Western’s internal processes for this round. All interested Western teams and staff are welcome to attend by registering here. A recording of the webinar will be made available following the session.

Notice of Intent

A mandatory internal Notice of Intent (NOI) must be submitted, deadline to be determined.

This short NOI collects basic information on the applicant and their research team, the proposed infrastructure, collaborating institutions and the facility/space requirements of the proposed infrastructure. Applicants are strongly recommended to discuss their projects and infrastructure needs with the relevant Faculty(ies) early in proposal development and prior to submitting their NOI.

The NOIs are mandatory, but are not adjudicated, are not binding, and will be used only for planning purposes. To encourage collaboration and minimize equipment duplication, submitted NOIs will be shared with Associate Deans (Research) and made available to the Western community.

Pitch Your Proposal Events

To provide potential applicants with an opportunity to obtain constructive feedback on their internal proposals, "Pitch Your Proposal" events will be held in January/February 2026. Applicants will be asked to provide a brief, five-minute "pitch" of their Innovation Fund proposal, with time provided for questions, suggestions and feedback to improve the proposal from the audience. These events are optional and will not impact the competitive internal review process. However, some faculties may require participation in a Pitch event to secure Faculty support of the internal proposal; applicants are encouraged to check with their Associate Dean (Research) and their faculty research office for more information. The events will be open to all applicants and members of the Western community to encourage potential collaborations and share the panel's advice and insights more broadly. Dates, times and locations are included above.

Internal Proposals

Internal proposals are mandatory. Internal proposals will include:

1. A completed internal application form, including required attachments such as a 6-page description of the proposed project addressing CFI criteria, along with project team CVs;
2. A completed budget template; and
3. A completed research equipment & space needs assessment form for each space that will house the proposed equipment. Internal proposals will require signatures from the dean (or designate) for each faculty that will house some of the proposed equipment.
    

This process is required for all Innovation Fund projects led by Western and its affiliated hospitals; inter-institutional projects not led by Western but seeking a contribution from our CFI envelope will be required to submit  a different request form (see below) that will be assessed as detailed in the call for proposals.

Proposals should be aligned with Western’s strengths and strategic priorities, build on past investments in people, research, and infrastructure, and demonstrate world-leading research that will increase Western’s competitive advantage in the global research landscape.