Overview
The Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI) is an interdisciplinary ocean research and training collaboration, led by Dalhousie University and supported by an extensive network of local and international partners across government, academia, industry, and other key sectors.
OFI manages several major research and training programs, including Dalhousie University’s two largest awards from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund: the Safe and Sustainable Development of the Ocean Frontier, a partnership with Memorial University and the University of Prince Edward Island, and Transforming Climate Action: Addressing the Missing Ocean, a partnership with Université du Québec à Rimouski, Université Laval, and Memorial University.
A collaborative team of more than 30 professionals supports OFI’s mission, bringing expertise in research implementation, data management, project and financial management, science communication, public relations, Indigenous and respectful engagement, and ocean policy and governance. Together, OFI staff support researchers and students across Dalhousie University and our partner institutions to deliver impactful work that reduces uncertainty around ocean, carbon, and climate interactions, supports just and equitable climate change adaptation, and advances solutions to complex ocean challenges.
Governance
OFI@Memorial
Memorial University formalized the Ocean Frontier Institute @ Memorial (OFI@Memorial) as an official university centre in February 2026. OFI is a major ocean research partnership originally established under a Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) program, with Dalhousie University as the lead institution and Memorial as a founding partner.
