Students and faculty at Canadian colleges and polytechnic institutes are taking on even more innovative research, thanks to more funding.
An increase in partnerships between Canadian businesses and the country's colleges has resulted in a rise in applied research across the nation for the past few years.
According to a 2015-16 survey by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CIC), "colleges and institutes worked with over 6,800 partners from the public and private sectors last year on a variety of applied research projects."
Traditionally, universities have been partnered with the bigger businesses and multinationals, but CIC's survey reports there is a 51-per-cent increase in partnerships between colleges and these large enterprises. The survey also notes that in the past five years, college partnerships with small and medium-sized enterprises have also risen, by 23 per cent.
An increase in government funding is also fuelling innovative research, but remains behind its university counterparts. This year, the federal government announced more than $37-million to fund 37 projects at Canadian colleges, polytechnics and CEGEPs to help increase research and get more technologies to market. Around the same time, the Canadian government gave $328.5-million to 17 research facilities run by 12 universities nationwide.
Here are selected research centres and the funding they receive.
1. Northwest Territories
College: Aurora College
Research Centre: Aurora Research Institute
Project example: Neutron monitoring
Research: Analysis of high-energy space particles and their impacts on Earth.
Funding Income: $2,367,000
2. Yukon
College: Yukon College
Research Centre: Yukon Research Centre
Project example: Ecological monitoring protocols for protected areas
Research: Devising standardized protocols for protected areas through continuing research at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, Kusawa Territorial Park and Age Mene Territorial Park.
Funding Income: $4,695,000
3. British Columbia
College: British Columbia Institute of Technology
Research Centre: Rehabilitation Engineering Design Laboratory
Project example: Exoskeleton research
Research: Looking at the benefits and limitations of powered walking exoskeletons (powered orthotic frames that support and move a user's body).
Funding Income: $6,300,000
4. Alberta
College: Olds College
Research centre: Olds College Centre for Innovation
Project example: Prairie turfgrass research
Research: Focuses on maintaining turfgrass in a cold and dry climate (weed control, biostresses etc.).
Funding Income: $4,220,000
5. Saskatchewan
College: Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Research Centre: Digital Integration Research Group
Project example: Puck perfection
Research: Development of new puck with sound pulses for use in blind hockey.
Funding Income: $1,595,000
6. Manitoba
College: Red River College
Research Centre: Building Envelope Technology Access Centre (BETAC)
Project example: Thermally broken concrete balconies
Research: Conducting thermal and structural tests on different forms of thermal insulation materials and different types of rebar for balconies to reduce heat loss.
Funding Income: $4,876,000
7. Ontario
College: Lambton College
Research centre: Centre of Excellence in Energy and Bio-Industrial Technologies
Project example: Bluewater Technology Access Centre and Lamperd Less Lethal
Research: Development of "less lethal" non-metal munition used in Canadian munitions company Lamperd's 40 MM launcher for training purposes, crowd control and peace-keeping activities.
Funding income: $7,025,000
8. Quebec
College: Collège Shawinigan
Research Centre: Centre National en Électrochimie et en Technologies Environnementales
Project example: Industrial Bioprocesses
Research: Development of biological processes for sectors including bioenergy and nutraceuticals.
Funding Income: $2,369,000
9. New Brunswick
College: Collège communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick
Research Centre: CCNIB-INOV Matériaux composites/Composite Materials
Project example: Agroforestry
Research: Develop and demonstrate agroforestry techniques – use of trees in agricultural production – throughout Atlantic Canada.
Funding Income: $2,623,000
10. Nova Scotia
College: Nova Scotia Community College
Research Centre: Applied Geomatics Research Group
Project example: Community mapping
Research: Develop community maps that can be updated via the internet.
Funding Income: $3,319,000
11. Prince Edward Island
College: Holland College
Research Centre: Canada's Smartest Kitchen
Project example: Food product development
Research: Team of product developers research snack trends and develop flavours.
Funding Income: $1,659,000
12. Newfoundland and Labrador
College: College of the North Atlantic
Research Centre: Applied Minerology and Chemistry Analysis Lab
Project example: Soil Gas Geochemistry
Research: Developed a technique for detecting underlying hydrocarbon deposits or mineral deposits by examining microscopic concentrations of hydrocarbon gas trapped in soil.
Funding Income: $1,821,000
13. Nunavut
College: Nunavut Arctic College
Research Centre: Nunavut Research Institute
Project example: Lightning detection
Research: Monitors lightning patterns in the Arctic to detect influence of climate change.
Funding Income: N/A (individual researchers use grants from their organizations)
Source: Research Infosource Inc.