The post-secondary institution strategic investment fund is a budget 2016 item with $2 billion to fund capital projects at post-secondary institutions. There are clearly established objectives and criteria for the program. The main focuses are on expansion or improvement of facilities to conduct research and do commercialization, to improve industry-relevant training space, and to improve the environmental sustainability of those facilities.
The process works as follows. There was an application period, when post-secondary institutions across the country were invited to submit proposals directly to the department, with the exception of the Province of Quebec, where the proposals were sent to us via the Government of Quebec. They are examined against these various merit criteria. Over and above that, because it is a cost-shared program, we work with provinces and territories. Within the range of projects that institutions there have submitted, provinces and territories will identify their priorities, and more specifically the projects for which they are prepared to fund half the cost. We will be working jointly with provinces and territories on projects that meet our merit criteria, that meet the terms and conditions of the program, and that are in turn projects that the provinces themselves feel are important and valuable enough for them to fund 50% of the cost.