Canada Biomedical Research Fund and Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund—Stage 2: 6. CBRF budget allocation and BRIF infrastructure envelopes

6. CBRF budget allocation and BRIF infrastructure envelopes

CBRF budget allocation

The competition budget for CBRF is allocated over four years, with a larger proportion of the total budget allocated in years 2 and 3 than years 1 and 4. This allocation aligns funds with the expected ramping up and down of research and talent development activities.

Year	Yearly allocation ($ million)	Proportion of total budget (%)
1	34	16
2	71	33
3	71	33
4	39	18

For successful research and talent development proposals, grant amounts will be adjusted to reflect the proportions represented above. Applicants should consider these annual distributions of funds when drafting their proposals and establishing their budgets.

There is no annual allocation for BRIF infrastructure funding.

BRIF infrastructure envelopes

As per CFI practices for large infrastructure competitions, infrastructure envelopes have been established to help manage application volume and encourage the submission of strategic, high-quality research infrastructure components. Each hub can endorse up to $138.5 million in CFI funding for research infrastructure components.

Envelopes fix the upper limit of infrastructure funding a hub can endorse. They apply at both the notice of intent (NOI) and full application stages. To provide flexibility to hubs and applicants, a hub may exceed its envelope by up to 10% at the NOI stage.

There are no submission envelopes for research and talent development components of proposals.

Infrastructure envelope sharing amongst hubs

Certain projects may benefit multiple hubs, but they can only be endorsed by a single hub. To support such projects, research hubs can allocate a portion of their envelope towards a project endorsed by another hub. Hubs must report to the CFI any reallocation of their envelopes. This approach encourages interhub collaboration, and funding of projects with the greatest potential impacts in advancing research hubs’ visions and, ultimately, benefitting Canadians.