Dr. Jian Liu (left) leads UBCO’s Battery Innovation Centre, designing, developing and prototyping powerful, sustainable and efficient battery technologies. Graduates from the Interior Salishan Studies Centre (right), helped established by Dr. Jeannette Armstrong, benefit from the centre’s multifaceted work in teaching and research, including new infrastructure and tools across partner sites to enable the collection, sharing and archiving of language and culture.
Canada Foundation for Innovation invests more than $4 million in infrastructure funding for two key UBC Okanagan-led research projects
Two UBCO-led research projects were awarded a combined $4.15 million in infrastructure funding today as part of the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Innovation Fund.
Funded projects include pursuing the development of better, cleaner battery technology in a new, state-of-the-art on-campus facility and the revitalization of endangered Indigenous languages and culture through a series of resource hubs embedded in regional Indigenous communities.
The Innovation Fund is a grants program that supports large-scale, team-based research projects that require cutting-edge infrastructure to help Canada remain at the forefront of exploration and knowledge generation. Funds support researchers in addressing global challenges and making meaningful contributions to the social, health, environmental and economic aspects of life in Canada.
The announcement marks the first time UBC Okanagan has been awarded funding through the Innovation Fund program, a sign of the university’s continuing research growth and expanding expertise.
“I am delighted to see our researchers and their teams recognized for their knowledge, drive and ongoing contributions to such important and impactful areas,” says Dr. Suzie Currie, Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation. “The urgency for cleaner, more efficient, affordable energy has never been more evident, nor has the need to safeguard endangered languages and cultures that are a prominent part of our region’s history. We are grateful to CFI for this vote of confidence and look forward to establishing ourselves as leaders in these fields as we continue to make impactful contributions to benefit Canada and the world.”
This funding, which was part of more than $552 million in support for Canadian research infrastructure through CFI, was announced today by Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. A total of 14 projects across UBC were awarded funding.
The CFI typically contributes up to 40 per cent of a project’s research infrastructure costs. Research institutions secure remaining funds through partnerships with provincial and territorial governments, industry and other organizations. Proposals for matching provincial funding for CFI awards may be pending confirmation at the time of the CFI announcement.