Just hours before deadline, Yvon Fontaine backed out of signing on to a reserach lab next to Dr. Georges L. Dumont Hospital. (CBC)

Scientists in Moncton say they’ve lost out on the opportunity to get up to $9 million in funding to set up a bio-medical research centre and that the president of the local francophone university is to blame.

The Atlantic Cancer Institute, l’Université de Moncton and Vitalite Health Network had put together a proposal to establish a research centre at a former junior high school, located beside the Dr. Georges L. Dumont Hospital.

They were hoping to get about $2.6 million from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, which could have triggered other federal and private funding, said Martin LeBlanc, chairman of the board for the Atlantic Cancer Research Institute.

The money could have been used to renovate the building, set up the lab with equipment, hire up to 60 people and conduct research.

But the president of the university refused to sign off on the proposal the day of the deadline, said LeBlanc.

“Funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation doesn't come around very often and we had a golden opportunity here to position ourselves for a major funding,” he said.

“The ramifications of this are quite significant.”

University president Yvon Fontaine contends he backed out because he found out the old school might be slated for demolition.

“We learned at the last minute that the Vanier school, the status of Vanier school had not been decided politically,” he said.

LeBlanc is disappointed. If that was a concern, it should have been raised, he said.

“U de M decided of its own will, without really letting us know in advance, not to submit this letter of intent, which disqualifies us from being able to go this distance on this process.”

Joey Caissie, the CEO of the francophone health network, agrees. He said he was blindsided by the president's decision.

“The university did not consult, with myself, or at least with some of our employees, to say, ‘By the way, I will not be sending in this letter of intent,’” Caissie said.

Fontaine said he only got word of the status of the school hours before the deadline.

He declined to say who gave him the information that changed his mind.

Despite all of the criticism, Fontaine said he continues to stand by his choice.