CFI awards $11.7M funding to applied research projects

Toronto, ON – Canadian companies specializing in everything from natural resources to information technology are turning to researchers at local colleges to grow their businesses and create high-quality jobs, because R&D and innovation happen at all levels—from the academic labs all the way to the shop floor.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has announced funding in support of 17 applied research projects at colleges, cégeps and polytechnics.

“Canadian colleges are lending their expertise to local companies, helping them to compete and grow,” said Dr Gilles Patry, president and CEO of the CFI. “The CFI is ensuring that colleges have in place specialized facilities to support their role as important hubs of economic growth and job creation.”

The CFI’s College-Industry Innovation Fund supports research activities from fundamental discovery-driven research to applied research, along with private-sector innovation.

The projects that were awarded funding, and funding amount, are as follows:

Camosun College

Applied Sensor and System Integration for the Enhancement of Human Performance: Harnessing new developments in sensor technology and advanced textiles/clothing to enhance human performance. $728,978

Cégep André Laurendeau

Infrastructures de recherche de pointe en optique-photonique: Mettre en place une infrastructure de recherche de pointe en optique et en photonique afin de permettre aux entreprises de ces secteurs de collaborer pour accroître leurs capacités d’innovation. $800,000

Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles

Mise en place de mâts de mesure visant à caractériser la couche limite atmosphérique et la performance des éoliennes: Caractériser la couche limite atmosphérique et la performance des éoliennes afin de mieux comprendre le secteur éolien canadien. $480,556

Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Usine pilote multifonctionnelle: Construire une usine multifonctionnelle pilote qui extrait et qui transforme des minéraux non énergétiques afin de concevoir de nouveaux produits à valeur ajoutée en collaboration avec le secteur privé et d’ouvrir des marchés pour la commercialisation de ces produits. $800,000

Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe

Infrastructure de développement de préformes 3D complexes pour l’aéronautique et autres secteurs industriels: Élaborer de nouvelles technologies pour fabriquer des matériaux plus légers destinés au secteur de l’aéronautique et aux autres secteurs industriels. $800,000

Cégep de Trois-Rivières

Systèmes complémentaires pour le prétraitement de la biomasse lignocellulosique: Concevoir des technologies pour transformer des résidus forestiers en nouveaux produits afin d’éliminer les résidus des sites d’enfouissement landfills. $666,955

Collège Shawinigan

Accroissement du laboratoire des biotechnologies et de l’environnement: Développer des bioprocédés industriels, environnementaux et de traitement des eaux usées et des déchets en partenariat avec le secteur privé de la région. Favoriser l’émergence de nouvelles technologies. $431,319

George Brown College

Green Homes: Supporting the Ontario construction industry with new technologies for green building and skilled workers for the growing green construction field. $762,041*

La Cité collégiale

Amélioration des infrastructures et équipements du centre de recherche appliquée en biovalorisation: Améliorer les infrastructures du Centre de recherche appliquée en biovalorisation afin d’accroître sa capacité de procéder à des analyses de haut niveau et d’aider les entreprises à devenir plus innovatrices et concurrentielles. $250,044

Lakeland College

Renewable Energy Centre for Sustainable Innovation: Developing practical and cost-efficient renewable energy solutions for small urban and rural economies. $571,001

Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology

Establishing the Centre for Healthcare Interoperability and Emerging Technologies: Helping Canadian businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, develop and commercialize innovative new healthcare IT products and services. $800,000

Niagara College

Canadian Food and Wine Institute: Niagara Food, Culinary and Beverage Innovation Centre: Helping the agribusiness sectors in southern Ontario develop value-added products, diversify product portfolios and increase competitiveness. $678,510

Olds College

Wireless Monitoring and Research Management of Constructed Wetlands: Expanding a constructed wetland to allow partners in sectors ranging from landscaping to real estate development to environmental consulting to test and develop processes that are friendly to sensitive wetlands habitats. $799,991

SAIT Polytechnic

Green Building Technologies Project: Advancing green building technologies by creating test and trial environments for mature building technologies. $799,525

Sir Sanford Fleming College

Applied Technologies for Removal of Trace Elements: Supporting Canada’s mining, energy and manufacturing industries with efficient new solutions for treating wastewater and reducing environmental impact. $798,414

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

NAIT Boreal Research Institute: Plant and Seed Technologies for Boreal Reclamation: Supporting the Canadian oil and gas industry with solutions for land reclamation and assisting commercial nurseries in developing the technologies necessary to ensure a stable supply of native plants for abandoned well sites. $800,000

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

Oil Sands Environmental Sustainability: Centre for Green Chemistry and Engineering at NAIT: Creating an applied research program that will identify, screen, validate, enhance and commercialize oil-sands tailings disposal technologies to enable industry to comply with environmental standards. $799,863*

TOTAL: 17 projects, $11,767,197

* Funding for Research infrastructure associated with a Five-Year CCI-IE grant application