- Research Grants
Dongling Ma
Nanomaterials (Energy, Biomedical)
The CFI and Government of Quebec support three infrastructure projects addressing today’s scientific and societal challenges.
The Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) is proud to announce that three of its research teams have secured major funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Innovation Fund and the Governement of Quebec for a total of $14 million dollars. These investments will support the development of cutting‑edge infrastructure aimed at tackling key challenges related to the energy transition, sustainable agriculture, and clean energy production.
“This CFI and Governement of Quebec funding provides us with the cutting‑edge research infrastructure we need to open new scientific avenues with strong potential for impact. It will allow our INRS teams to advance their work even further in sustainable energy, environmental innovation, and agricultural solutions. More broadly, it highlights the importance of investing in Canada’s researchers, whose expertise and creativity are at the heart of the sustainable solutions our society depends on.”
Luc-Alain Giraldeau, Chief Executife Officer, INRS
The newly funded research infrastructures at INRS
An advanced characterization laboratory to accelerate the energy transition
Led by Professors Dongling Ma and Daniel Guay, the Advanced Laboratory of Operando and In Situ Characterizations (ALOIC) will provide a unique infrastructure in Canada capable of performing ultra‑high‑resolution in situ and in operando analyses. These tools will allow researchers to observe, in real time, how key materials behave during processes such as hydrogen production, biomass conversion, pollutant degradation, battery development, and solar‑fuel catalysis.
By enabling the study of ultrafast charge‑carrier dynamics and real‑time tracking of catalytic intermediates, ALOIC will help overcome major challenges in designing next‑generation clean‑energy materials and systems. Bringing together more than 10 professors and 100 collaborators, the facility will position Québec as a leading hub in sustainable‑energy research and foster new collaborations and industry partnerships. It will also offer an exceptional training environment, bridging the worlds of the ultra‑small and the ultra‑fast.
This project receives total funding of $8,2M
H₂‑CO₂ Transition: A new laboratory of the University of Québec for the capture and sequestration of gases
Led by Professors Jasmin Raymond and Geneviève Bordeleau, this interdisciplinary laboratory will develop new approaches for the capture, storage, and monitoring of hydrogen (both “green” and “white”) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). In partnership with the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, the team will explore geological and mineral storage, examine environmental impacts, study the role of microorganisms in gas transformation, and assess the territorial potential linked to the energy transition.
This demonstration platform will support Canada’s carbon‑neutrality objectives by advancing scientific understanding and developing solutions that contribute directly to emissions reduction and clean‑energy strategies.
This project receives total funding of $5,2M
Microbiome manipulation platform to improve the sustainability of agriculture
Directed by Professors Étienne Yergeau and Philippe Constant, this platform will make it possible to analyze, at large scale, the microorganisms present in soils and plants—critical actors that influence crop health, productivity, nutrition, and resilience. Agriculture is facing increasing pressure as the gains of the Green Revolution plateau and climate change accelerates; microbes may offer a new path forward.
The platform will enable the cultivation of major Canadian crops under controlled microbial conditions, allowing researchers to pinpoint the microbial drivers of plant performance. This deeper understanding will support strategies to manipulate soil and plant microbiomes, reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides, and advance the development of microbe‑driven, sustainable agriculture.
This project receives total funding of $4,4M
Discover their areas of expertise
Daniel Guay
Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Storage
Geneviève Bordeleau
Isotopic geochemistry
Étienne Yergeau
Microbial ecology
About Funding
The Innovation Fund is one of the CFI’s flagship funding programs. It is open to Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions recognized as eligible by the CFI. Typically held every two years, Innovation Fund competitions support a broad range of research programs including those in natural sciences and engineering, health, social sciences, humanities and the arts, as well as interdisciplinary research.
Funding for these infrastructures is provided at 80%, shared equally between the CFI and the Government of Quebec (a joint initiative of the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE), the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS), and the Ministry of Higher Education (MES)). The remaining 20% comes from various other partners.