In August the provincial government announced nearly $25 million in funding for post-secondary research. The investment comes from the BC Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF) which supplies institutions with the resources and equipment needed to conduct research. Over the past 4 years, 255 projects have been awarded a combined $154 million from the BCKDF. The government says these investments help BC attract and maintain top researchers while driving innovation and job creation within our province.
“When we make investments in research, we invest in shared success in British Columbia, Canada and the world. Canada’s research communities need critical funding to build capacity, to bring new discoveries to light and to deliver essential training for tomorrow’s science teams,” said Lisa Kalynchuk, vice-president of research and innovation at UVic.
This latest round of investing centres 34 research projects from five institutions. The recipient schools are Simon Fraser University, Thompson Rivers University, the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Vancouver campus, UBC’s Okanagan campus and the University of Victoria (UVic). The projects range from developing more resilient and sustainable infrastructure to creating patient-tailored cancer treatments.
UVic received $535,000 for three projects:
Solar Power Materials Innovation
A laboratory led by materials scientist Makhsud Saidaminov received $210,000. Funding will go towards advancing Saidaminov’s research into the discovery of novel materials for solar power technologies.
Longevity Research
Nicole Templeman, Canada Research Chair in cell biology, received $175,000 for her investigation into how to delay age-related deterioration. Templeman’s research explores signalling pathways and molecular mechanisms that play a key role in reproduction and longevity.
Community Water Infrastructure
Kristian Dubrawski, Canada research chair in water sustainability for Indigenous and rural communities, received $150,000 to further his research in nature-based water reuse, water quality monitoring, and supporting communities in developing water management solutions.
The government says these research grants are a key piece of BC’s economic recovery plan by increasing competitiveness and potentially developing new products or industries.
According to federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne, “This partnership is helping B.C. universities rise to the challenges facing Canadians across the country – from combating climate change to conserving our precious water resources, from fighting cancer to maintaining a high quality of life for our growing senior population – all while cultivating the top-notch talent we need to excel on the global stage.”
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UVic harnesses power of research to aid in pandemic recovery
