Global Futures Initiatives (GFIs) 2.0 Leverage and Scale Initiatives
As announced on October 19, 2026, meet the second cohort of Global Futures Initiatives (GFIs) totalling $1.1M in funding. Each GFI consists of one or more Initiative Leads who have developed an interdisciplinary and cross-functional team of faculty and staff to drive integrated activities across research, education, and service.
Scaling Waterloo.AI: Strategic Research Clusters and the Bridge Program for Global Impact
Scaling Waterloo.AI seeks to build a globally-recognized AI research and innovation hub by strengthening internal, interdisciplinary collaboration and accelerating the translation of research through stronger industry partnerships, increased external funding, expanded student opportunities, improved responsible AI practices, and a more integrated AI ecosystem capable of tackling complex global challenges.
Initiative Co-leads: Stephen L. Smith and Marcel O'Gorman
Can-View: A National Eye Data Repository for AI-Driven Research, Policy, and Innovation in Vision Care
Can-View builds and validates a secure multi-tenant health data platform capable of ingesting and harmonizing eye-care data from across Canada by establishing governance frameworks addressing privacy, ethics, consent, cybersecurity,
Indigenous data sovereignty, and responsible AI.
Initiative co-leads: Stanley Woo and Helen Chen
TRuST and Innovation: A Collaborative Exchange for Infrastructures of Trust from Insight to Impact
TRuST aims to create a proven, scalable model for building trust across science, technology, health, innovation, and communities to improve public engagement of the disciplines, enhance student experiential learning, generate practical tools, and society's capacity to address complex innovation challenges.
Initiative co-leads: Lai-Tze Fan
Global Futures Initiatives (GFIs) 2.0 Pre-seed
Pre-seed grants support new, interdisciplinary initiatives with up to $50,000 in funding for one year, helping teams test ideas, formalize partnerships, and build pathways toward larger-scale impact across research, education, and service.
AMPLIFY: Empowering Regional Youth as Global Futures Leaders
"AMPLIFY empowers underrepresented youth to engage with Global Futures challenges through experiential and civic learning, positioning young people as knowledge creators and community leaders while strengthening campus–community partnerships."
Initiative lead: Karim Wissa
Open Quantum–AI Platform for Generative Drug Discovery and Systems Pharmacology Modeling
"This project develops an integrated quantum computing and AI platform to accelerate drug discovery and pharmacological modeling, leveraging Waterloo’s strengths in quantum science, applied mathematics, and artificial intelligence."
Initiative co-leads: Mohammad Kohandel and Roger Melko
MIRACLE Centre: Microrobotics Institute for Research Advancements in Clinical & Life Science Engineering
"The MIRACLE Centre advances interdisciplinary research and training in medical microrobotics, creating a collaborative platform to accelerate innovation in clinical and life‑science engineering."
Initiative co-leads: Veronika Magdanz and Hamed Shahsavan
Governing Uncertainty: Community-Centred Evidence Infrastructures for Global Urban Futures
"This initiative pilots new approaches to evidence-based governance that support cities making decisions under conditions of uncertainty, with a focus on safety, equity, climate resilience, and public trust in data-informed policy."
Initiative lead: Carrie L Mitchell
Global Futures Initiatives (GFIs) 1.0
As announced on September 9, 2025, meet the first cohort of Global Futures Initiatives (GFIs) totalling $2.3M in funding. Each GFI consists of an Initiative Lead who has developed an interdisciplinary and cross-functional team of faculty and staff to drive integrated activities across research, education, and service.
Stay tuned for updates that will be made to this page with more details on each GFI including progress snapshots capturing developments and impact.
The Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute
"The Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute is a leading interdisciplinary research institute with a focus on professional training and national collaboration enhancing information security and human privacy."
Initiative lead: Adam Molnar
The Future in Motion: From Aviation Leadership to Sector-Wide Transportation Sustainability
“Driving innovation in sustainable, safe, and equitable transportation through global research and industry collaboration.”
Initiative lead: Suzanne Kearns
Creating Canada’s Largest Capstone Ecosystem
“Scaling an integrated, cross-campus capstone ecosystem that connects students with real-world partners to tackle Global Futures challenges.”
Initiative lead: Derek Rayside
Building Canada's Capacity to Address Climate Change - University of Waterloo's National Climate Leadership Centre
“A bold new Climate Leadership Centre, positioning UWaterloo as the national hub for lifelong learning in climate change and sustainability.”
Initiative lead: Sarah Burch
Strategies for Intersectional Gender Justice, Networked Action, and Liberation (SIGNAL) Network
“SIGNAL is a cross-disciplinary research and action network dedicated to addressing the growing threat of tech-facilitated violence, radicalization, and systemic inequity online.”
Initiative lead: Brianna I. Wiens
Acting Locally, Leading Globally with Build Now Waterloo Region: A Living Lab Focused on Affordable Housing Innovation
“A living lab within North America’s largest affordable home ownership project, embedding research, learning, and partnerships to scale sustainable housing solutions.”
Initiative lead: Leia Minaker
Indigenous Futures Circle
“The Indigenous Futures Circle is where Indigenous communities can dialogue about global challenges and, in collaboration with researchers across the University, advance culturally grounded, future-focused solutions.”
Initiative lead: John Lewis
The Future of Work: Integrating Technology, Social Infrastructure, Ethics, and Education
“The Future of Work Insititute is an interdisciplinary institute dedicated to our changing work environments and to exploring the impact of AI, automation, and hybrid work on society, education, and the economy.”
Initiative lead: Edith Law