CANARIE - Infrastructure Extension Program

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Frequently Asked Questions  

    Launched: 1 April 2007
    Status: Closed

If you require further information about this program please email iep@canarie.ca or phone 613-943-5454.

1. Eligibility    

  1. Who can apply for a connection to access the CANARIE network?
    Any Canadian based organization involved in the areas of research or education, with a need to access CANARIE’s secure, high-capacity, high-speed network, can apply for a connection.
  2. Are private sector companies eligible to connect to the network?
    For-profit organizations engaged in innovative research or development may be eligible to apply, provided that use of the CANARIE infrastructure is for non-profit purposes or to the benefit of non-profit organizations. For further clarification, please contact Catherine Power via email at iep@canarie.ca.
  3. Do I need to be involved in a CANARIE project (e.g., NEP, Green IT, Lightpath etc.) to be an eligible applicant?
    No, it is not necessary, but a higher priority will be placed on connection requests that involve CANARIE funded projects.
  4. Can CANARIE’s ORAN partners apply for IEP funding to upgrade their network infrastructure?
    No, such projects fall outside the scope of the IEP. CANARIE has other programs designed to address provincial infrastructure requirements.

2. General Info    

  1. Will CANARIE help me prepare my application?
    The IEP is a competitive process. CANARIE cannot help you write your application, but will offer clarity where required.
  2. Once the connection is in place, who is responsible for the on-going costs of operating and maintaining the link?
    Should the application be approved for funding under the IEP, CANARIE will fund the connection (including installation costs) from the estimated delivery date up to and including March 31, 2014.
  3. What is the success rate of previous competitions?
    From 2009 to date, there has been a 21.4% success rate.
  4. How long does it typically take for a new connection to be put in place once an application is funded?
    Each connection is unique due to many factors including the applicant’s geographical location. It takes approximately six months from application to completion of a connection, but note that some connections have taken as long as a year to complete due to challenging locations, permit issues etc.
  5. How often does the IEP program accept proposals?
    Proposals will be reviewed according to the schedule posted within the Call for Proposals. [Note: the Call for Proposals has now closed.]
  6. Is there a list of previously funded connections?
    No, CANARIE does not specifically list funded connections, though we do typically issue a press release to announce new IEP funded connections. All organizations with access to the CANARIE network can be found on our website at /en/network/members

3. Terms & Definitions  

  1. How does CANARIE define cyberinfrastructure?
    The term "cyberinfrastructure" describes evolving research environments that support electronic data acquisition, data storage, data management, data integration, data mining, data visualization and other computing and information processing services. In some jurisdictions this is also referred to as E-Science.
  2. What is e-Research?
    The term e-Research refers to the use of information and communications technology to support existing and new forms of research. e-Research extends e-Science and cyberinfrastructure to other disciplines, including the humanities and social sciences. The main features of e-Research are that it:
    - is collaborative
    - uses grid computing technologies
    - is data intensive

4. Evaluation  

  1. Who will evaluate my proposal?
    Proposals will be evaluated by CANARIE staff with input sought, where relevant, from outside organizations. Staff will recommend to the CANARIE Board of Directors which proposals should be funded. The board will review the recommendations in making the final funding decision.
  2. Should my application meet all of the criteria outlined in the IEP Call for Proposals, will my connection request be approved?
    Not necessarily, since the process is a competitive one. As funding is limited, CANARIE can only support a limited number of applications. The costs associated with a given proposal and the overall demand may prohibit CANARIE from funding a specific proposal that otherwise meets all the criteria.
  3. When will I know if my proposal was successful or not?
    Proposals are evaluated as per the schedule listed within the Call for Proposals. CANARIE provides official notices to all applicants once decisions are finalized.
  4. Does CANARIE provide feedback on the reasons for not accepting an IEP proposal?
    Yes, CANARIE provides feedback and we encourage applicants to incorporate or address this feedback, as appropriate, in future IEP proposals.

5. IEP Service 

  1. Q17. Can an IEP connection replace my commodity Internet connection?
    IEP connections requested solely for Internet access will not be granted under this program. The criteria on the application form are used exclusively for the purpose of determining which connections to grant.
  2. What is an IEP connection?
    An IEP connection is a point-to-point link from an applicant’s physical location to the Canadian research and education infrastructure following CANARIE’s connection policy /en/network/policies/network-policies.
  3. What type of connection will I receive?
    Should your IEP application be short-listed for cost analysis, CANARIE will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to service providers to ascertain the costs associated with obtaining “managed service” or “dark fibre” solution. In remote locations, it may be necessary to analyse “line of sight/wireless” options. It is at CANARIE’s discretion to determine the type of connection to be provided, should the costs be deemed non-prohibitive.
  4. What does it mean to receive a “managed service” connection?
    A managed service is a connection managed by a third party. It is important to note that the service provider will require rack space and power on your premises to install equipment to enable the connection.
  5. What is a “dark fibre” connection?
    A dark fibre connection is a connection that is run directly over fibre networks. Fibre can be provided by one or multiple providers. Dark fibre networks provide a greater flexibility in terms of what optical technology is being implemented. E.g., Gigabit, 10Gigabit or even wavelength division multiplexing to allow an increase of capacity where needed. Equipment required to enable a dark fibre connection is the applicant’s responsibility.

6. Optical Regional Advanced Networks (ORANs) 

  1. What is an ORAN?
    ORANs are provincial networks, partially funded by CANARIE that link universities, research institutions and other research networks to each other and to the CANARIE Network.
  2. Can an organization connect directly to the CANARIE Network without connecting to a local ORAN?
    Only if the ORAN is unable to support the connection. Please refer to CANARIE’s Connection Policy /en/network/policies/network-policies.
  3. Will CANARIE cover the cost of the equipment required to use the network?
    This is not an eligible cost to the Program. CANARIE will cover the cost of the delivery of a point-to-point connection from an applicant’s physical location to the local point of presence (POP).
  4. Are there any fees associated with accessing the CANARIE network?
    Most local ORANs across Canada do charge “membership” or “access” fees. It is mandatory for IEP applicants to contact their local ORAN to inquire about supplemental fees, prior to making a submission to the IEP. To obtain ORAN contact information, please visit /en/network/connected/connected-process
  5. Should my application be conditionally approved and deemed cost prohibitive, would CANARIE be open to cost sharing?
    CANARIE may discuss leverage with the applicant should the price, obtained from the service provider, be deemed too expensive and should the applicant still wish to proceed.

7. CANARIE Membership 

  1. Do I have to become a member of CANARIE to apply to IEP?
    Membership is not a factor when evaluating IEP proposals.
  2. What are the benefits of becoming a CANARIE member?
    CANARIE membership enables access to the evolving services offered by CANARIE, including Canadian Access Federation, IPv6 and Peering. As a CANARIE member, you will add your voice to those advocating expanding the digital infrastructure supporting research, innovation and education in Canada. CANARIE members also contribute to our Board of Directors, technical and program committees, activities and events. Members benefit from CANARIE’s promotion of research and innovation at member institutions through CANARIE events, the website, press releases, speaking engagements and newsletters. The contributions of our members help CANARIE shape the future of advanced networking, research and innovation in Canada. To learn more about membership, please review our membership form or contact membership@canarie.ca.