$17.1M in grants to fund knowledge and technology transfer

Ottawa, ON – The federal government has announced 22 grants worth $17.1 million over three years to accelerate the transfer of knowledge and new technology being developed in Canadian universities, hospitals and colleges.

The grants are intended to strengthen interactions among publicly funded research institutions through the support of regionally based networks and expand the training of technology transfer experts.

The grants include 16 network awards, worth $14.26 million, that are intended to help research-intensive institutions to develop the expertise, tools and resources to manage and protect intellectual property, and to encourage entrepreneurship.

To address the short supply of technology transfer practitioners in Canada, the remaining $2.87 million will be provided to six internship programs. These internships provide the opportunity to gain the hands-on experience required to manage intellectual property and guide its commercialization.

The grants are being funded through the intellectual property mobilization program, a cooperative arrangement involving the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.