The FIA-FSP funds five major categories of work:

• short- and long-term research to address issues related to forest and rangeland sustainability
   
• short- and long-term research to address issues related to improving forest growth and value
   
• short- and long-term research to address issues related to Aboriginal science
   
• infrastructure maintenance and re-measurement activities on selected long-term research installations that support short- and long-term research projects
   
• a provincial forest extension program to deliver existing and new knowledge to practitioners.
   
   
  
   

Research Funds

The allocation of research funds is based on long-term strategies and annual priorities for the Sustainability, Forest Growth and Value, and Aboriginal Science programs. The largest proportion of available funds within each program is allocated to single- and multi-year projects that address the annual priorities set by the Chief Forester's Forest Science Advisory Council. A small portion of funds is available for other projects within these program areas on topics not identified as the annual priority.

Over time, the CF-FSAC’s goal is to balance funding between the Sustainability, Forest Growth and Value, and Aboriginal Science programs, while funding projects of 1 to 3 years duration. Once approved, a multi-year project is funded for its full term (up to 3 years), based on the annual review of progress against deliverables and submission of an updated workplan and project timetable. Projects requiring longer than 3 years to complete must be resubmitted to compete in the annual Call for Proposals.

In recognition of the research benefits associated with long-term research installations, the CF-FSAC allocates a portion of its annual budget, as funding allows, to the maintenance of those installations that best support the research themes in the Sustainability, Forest Growth and Value, and Aboriginal Science programs.

Other Funding Programs

In 2006, the CF-FSAC (then the Forest Science Board) approved the creation of a Graduate Student Pilot Project, which provided funding for graduate students to work on projects of mutual interest to academic and industry or government supervisors. Now completed, this pilot project may be initiated again in future years, depending on funding availability.

Collaborative Research Initiatives (CRIs) have been established in the past to provide funding for issues required focused, collaborative research to make technological advances, such as Growth and Yield Modelling and Future Forest Ecosystems research associated with climate change. When active, these CRIs received a portion of funding from the annual research budget to fund directed research projects to achieve the specific research goals in these areas.

Extension Funds

The CF-FSAC allocates a portion of its annual budget to the Provincial Forest Extension Program based on an annual forest extension plan that delivers new information resulting from research as well as existing information to users.