Innovation projects get million-dollar funding in PEI

Charlottetown, PEI – The University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and PEI’s provincial government are launching projects designed to generate cutting-edge research, commercialization, and professional development opportunities.

The funding will allow the Prince Edward Island Health Research Institute, housed at UPEI, to develop and implement a Bioscience Scholar Award, as well as strengthen its training and mentorship program. The award will support a highly qualified professional for up to three years to conduct cutting-edge research related to health in the biosciences cluster. The program will also involve a new training, support and research program comprised of research team development awards.

Additionally, UPEI will set up a private-sector organization called UPEI, which will drive commercialization opportunities and provide a single window of access to the universitys intellectual property, knowledge and research services.

These two initiatives will help develop new connections between UPEI researchers and the larger health and business communities, says Dr Katherine Schultz, UPEI’s VP of research development.

ACOA will contribute $500,000 toward each of the Health Research Institute and UPEI. The PEI government will contribute $500,000 to the Health Research Institute.