Mohawk College Advertising students go 6 for 6 at national awards competition

New research partnerships for colleges and communities to boost marketplace innovation

Hamilton, Ontario, November 25, 2011 — The Government of Canada will support 18 community colleges that partner with businesses to collaborate on applied research projects, including projects related to new clean energy technologies, more efficient forestry practices and technology designed to assist senior citizens. The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), announced these new partnerships at Mohawk College today.

“These new partnerships will provide skills training for students in the communities in which they are based, position Canadian colleges as a destination for top applied research talent and give local businesses in communities across the country access to the knowledge and resources they need to innovate and commercialize new products and services,” said Minister of State Goodyear. “These partnerships are necessary if we are to improve innovation in this country. Our government supports innovation because it creates jobs, improves the quality of life of Canadians and strengthens the economy.”

A total of 35 innovative partnerships between colleges and businesses will be provided with more than $13 million over a period of up to five years through the College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program. The projects announced today were selected for funding following a peer-reviewed competition. This announcement follows other CCI investments announced in 2009 and 2010, bringing total CCI investments to date to over $120 million for 182 projects at 53 colleges.

Mohawk College received over $2.2 million to build a comprehensive microgrid system that will help design and test power systems. The Mohawk College Applied Research Centre in Energy Technology will partner with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Horizon Utilities Corporation, General Electric, Langford and Associates Incorporated – Schneider, Fuseforward International Inc., and McMaster University to create the microgrid.

The CCI Program is a collaborative initiative jointly managed by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The program has also received the support of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges and Polytechnics Canada.

“These CCI investments provide colleges with access to the people, resources and tools they need to be at the forefront of innovation,” said Suzanne Fortier, President of NSERC, which administers the program. “The ultimate goal is to create sustainable partnerships that will help sharpen our innovative edge and have a positive impact on the bottom line of our country and industry.”

NSERC is a federal agency that helps make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for all Canadians. The agency supports some 30,000 post-secondary students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding more than 12,000 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging more than 1,500 Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research projects.