Innovation & Science Fund (ISF) - Innovation Saskatchewan

ISF: Powering Impactful Research

Open Intakes

ISF is designed to drive economic growth and develop solutions to complex challenges in the province’s research priority areas through four streams: Research Infrastructure, Research Projects, Research Ecosystem and International Research Collaboration.

ISF prioritizes projects related to the four priority areas identified in Saskatchewan’s Research Strategy.

ISF Streams

Research Infrastructure

Maintain Saskatchewan’s world-class research infrastructure and seize opportunities to build research capacity and advance provincial priorities.

Research Projects

Support research projects that advance innovation in provincial priority areas.

Research Ecosystem

Funding for supporting organizations and programs that advance commercialization and build capacity in research priority areas.

International Research Collaboration

Investment in projects and programs that attract new research talent to Saskatchewan or partnerships with international institutes.

Please read the eligibility requirements carefully for each stream. For all streams, except for Research Ecosystem, proposals must be submitted through the administrative office of a recognized post-secondary or research institution. For the Research Ecosystem stream, proposals can be submitted on behalf of an eligible organization, including post-secondary institutions, nonprofits or research institutes.

ISF-Funded Projects

Meet some of the researchers transforming Saskatchewan through innovation and science.

Advanced Antibacterial Research Technology led by Dr. Omar El-Halfawy

Supporting the study of bacteria in infection‑like conditions, uncovering hidden resistance mechanisms, accelerating drug discovery and guiding more effective antibiotic use to combat antimicrobial resistance.

Water Quality Research Equipment led by Dr. Kerri Finlay

Expanding high‑precision monitoring across 100+ southern Saskatchewan lakes, tracking climate change and human impacts and informing evidence‑based water protection strategies.

Waste Management System Design Laboratory (WMSD Lab), led by Dr. Kelvin Tsun Wai Ng

Enhancing tools to better map and analyze plastic waste, enabling cost‑effective, data‑driven waste management solutions for Saskatchewan municipalities.

Geospatial and Remote Sensing Tools for Sustainability project led by Dr. Abdul Raouf

Increasing access to comprehensive land use data by deploying a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System platform and specialized equipment.

Cannabis Plant Quality Improvement Applied Research and Analytical Lab led by Blaine Chartrand

Supporting genetics research to improve cannabis crop breeding programs and create better value-added products in agriculture and life science industries.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) Fuel Corrosion Laboratory led by Dr. Arthur Situm

Studying rust and damage prevention in materials used to protect fuel in SMRs and provide advanced training opportunities in SMRs technology.

Multi-scale studies of the Nuclear Medium led by Dr. Gojko Vuljanic

Upgrading simulation lab equipment to study nuclear matter under extreme conditions, advancing nuclear science and developing technologies like computational accelerators for AI and supercomputing.

Solenoidal Large Intensity Device (SoLID) Heavy Gas Cherenkov (HGC) Detector led by Dr. Garth Huber

Supporting the construction and testing of the HGC detector, part of the SoLID project, a global collaboration advancing physics.

HAWC Science Mission led by the University of Saskatchewan

Delivering critical data for weather prediction, climate modeling and disaster monitoring as part of NASA’s Atmosphere Observing System.

Innovation & Science Fund

The Innovation & Science Fund (ISF) is a strategic program that provides financial support to advance research, innovation and collaboration and strengthen Saskatchewan’s future.