Hamilton,
18
October
2022
|
15:08 PM
America/New_York

Mohawk College receives $3.25 million to expand applied research operations

Funding to create as many as 300 student research jobs

(Hamilton) Mohawk College will expand its applied research operations to support dozens of industry and community partners and create as many as 300 new student research jobs thanks to $3.25 million in funding announced today by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

The five-year funding for college’s applied research division, IDEAWORKS, is part of NSERC’s Mobilize program, intended to enhance the college’s existing research programs in seven key strategic areas: advanced manufacturing, energy and power, digital health, health technology, Internet of Things, unmanned sensor systems, and sustainability.

In addition to creating hundreds of student research jobs over the next five years, the funding will also allow IDEAWORKS to expand its technical expertise to help local and regional companies become more efficient and more accurate in process and product development, the development of new products, and improving product and process quality.

IDEAWORKS oversees multiple innovation centres and research labs, including the Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), the mHealth and eHealth Development and Innovation Centre (MEDIC), the Energy and Power Innovation Centre (EPIC), the Unmanned and Remote Sensing Innovation Centre (URSIC), the Sensor Systems and Internet of Things (IoT) Lab, the Centre for Emerging Research Initiatives (CERI), the Centre for Climate Change Management (CCCM), and a research chair in Sustainability.

The funding is part of an announced federal investment of $85 million for 76 grants  through the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program, managed by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. This applied research funding will help colleges, CEGEPs and polytechnics across the country address a wide range of regional applied research priorities for industry, health, and not-for-profit community-based organizations. 

“Applied research plays a critical role in the competitive success of companies throughout southern Ontario and across the country. We are grateful to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for its generous support of the important work our IDEAWORKS teams do at Mohawk College. Dozens of companies will gain a competitive advantage in the international marketplace and hundreds of students will gain relevant hands-on research experience, as a result.” 

Ron J. McKerlie, President & CEO, Mohawk College

“Today’s funding announcement is a testament to the crucial role that IDEAWORKS has played over the last 12 years in advancing innovation in Canada by providing our industry and community partners with access to expertise, equipment and student talent.” 

Cristina Gage, Interim Dean, Applied Research, Mohawk College

"For over a decade, the CCI program has been a primary source of funding for colleges, CEGEPs and polytechnics to foster research collaborations with their local partners to support their communities, strengthen their local economies, and train their students to enter the workforce. On behalf of the tri-agencies, congratulations to the first ever Mobilize recipients and this year’s recipients of the College and Community Social Innovation Fund."

 

Prof. Alejandro Adem, FRSC, President, NSERC