Advancing research, innovation and creation in Ontario
Compute Ontario (CO) works with the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES) to plan, secure and oversee provincial investments in *DRI and bring strategic alignment to the activities of provincially funded DRI providers. On behalf of the province, we collaborate with partners in the broader provincial and national DRI ecosystems to coordinate funding, skill development, and operations. Our goal is to ensure that Ontario researchers and their industry partners have access to crucial digital resources to achieve their research and creation goals, within a thriving DRI ecosystem that is sustainably funded and technologically sound.
*What is DRI?
Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI) is the ecosystem of compute and data storage, high speed networks, experts and software that powers artificial intelligence, advanced research and high-tech industry. DRI-based research is being applied in every field, from the design of next-generation materials and cancer treatments to film and media creation, curation and preservation. DRI-based research fuels profitable academic-industry joint ventures, innovative tech start-ups and the transformation of sectors such as mining and manufacturing — creating significant economic benefit and building/attracting expert talent to the province.
Ontario’s DRI is funded by the provincial and federal governments, with contributions from Ontario universities. Services in Ontario are delivered by four consortia of academic and health institutions.
Announcements
CO and OBI partner to support DRI training
JAN. 7, 2026 In partnership with Ontario Brain Institute (OBI), we are pleased to announce that three collaborative teams will receive funding support to create new digital research training materials and resources. A total of $70,000 has been allocated for these projects, which will enhance research data management and advanced computing skills for Ontario researchers and students.