The CP₂H, co-led by uOttawa (in partnership with The Ottawa Hospital) and McMaster University, is one of the five research hubs selected following the Stage 1 of the integrated Canada Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF) and Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF) funding opportunity totalling $10 million. The hub will be a strategic partner to enable Canada to become internationally competitive in the translation of novel biotherapeutic discoveries from academic laboratories and industry settings into clinical testing and commercialization. This unique collaboration between industry, academia, government, and healthcare institutions will allow Canada to pivot quickly and protect the health of Canadians should another epidemic or pandemic emerge.

The Canadian Pandemic Preparedness Hub is a network that will ensure that Canadian discoveries are turned into the medicines of tomorrow in a cost-effective, timely fashion. The new hub brings together highly collaborative investigators from across Canada with complementary research interests and a demonstrated track record of working together.

CP₂H will link the private sector with intellectual capital, physical infrastructure, experiential training programs, GMP facilities and manufacturing capacity across five leading Canadian universities and their affiliated research centres: 

Leveraging collaborations across the entire Canadian biomanufacturing ecosystem, CP₂H will:  

• Expand existing research, GMP manufacturing infrastructure and talent investments to develop therapeutic and diagnostic platforms and technologies including viral vectors, vaccines (protein subunit, mucosal, VLP), small molecules, antivirals and antimicrobials, antibodies, and immunomodulators.  
• Accelerate the translation of our novel platforms and technologies into commercially viable products, and partner to rapidly conduct early phase clinical trials.  
• Coordinate, develop and support experiential training programs to address biomanufacturing talent gaps in good laboratory, manufacturing, clinical, regulatory practices, bioprocessing and facilities management.  
• Support small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) by providing access to research expertise, collaborative research spaces, product development, GMP manufacturing and clinical development networks. 
• Embed equity, diversity, and inclusion best practices throughout our program

Progress of the integrated Canada Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF) and Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF) competition:

• Research, talent development, and infrastructure proposals were submitted to the CBRF|BRIF competition Sept. 7, 2023.
• Following administrative review, proposals were assessed by the Scientific and Technical Review Committee, which met between Oct. 30 and Nov. 29, 2023. Proposals deemed scientifically and technically meritorious moved on for review by the Strategic Review Committee (SRC).
• The SRC held meetings from Feb. 5 to 9, 2024, and its recommendations were sent to the Deputy Heads Steering Committee for review. The Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) Steering Committee and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Board of Directors will give final approval of awards.
• Final funding decisions are expected to be made public in early Spring.