Polytechnics Canada welcomes new federal research infrastructure funding

OTTAWA, May 22, 2012 /CNW/ - Polytechnics Canada welcomes the granting of $15.3 million in new national research infrastructure funding made today by Minister of State for Science and Technology Gary Goodyear at George Brown College in Toronto.

These 17 project awards, the first under the College Industry Innovation Fund (CIIF) announced in 2010, are designed to support the applied research capacity in Canada's colleges, institutes and polytechnics. The investments will fund equipment and facilities that enhance the ability of these institutions to meet the R&D needs of Canadian companies.

"This kind of funding strengthens the ability of Canada's college and polytechnic sector to better serve the needs of their industry clients," said Nobina Robinson, CEO of Polytechnics Canada. "Canadian small and mid-sized companies rely on the cutting edge infrastructure at their local college or polytechnic to take new products and services to market."

We congratulate the three Polytechnics Canada members who submitted four winning proposals under this new competition:

• George Brown College in Toronto for its Green Homes retrofit initiative;
  
• NAIT in Edmonton for two awards—in Boreal Research and Reclamation and Green Chemistry and Engineering; and
  
• SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary for Green Building Technologies.
  

The CIIF grants provide much needed infrastructure and equipment support for college applied research that enhances hands-on student engagement with industry innovation. As a result, colleges and polytechnics help businesses meet their immediate needs while creating a highly innovation-literate workforce to help address Canada's long-standing productivity and innovation challenges.

Located in Canada's key economic regions, the current Polytechnics Canada members are: British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), SAIT Polytechnic, NAIT, Conestoga, Sheridan, Humber, George Brown, Seneca and Algonquin.

http://www.innovation.ca/en/Media/News/GovernmentCanadaannouncesnewbusinessinnovationmoney.

Rebecca Snelgrove
Policy Analyst
Polytechnics Canada
Email: [email protected]
Tel. [phone]