Lakeland College is one of the post secondary institutions benefiting from the feds proposed funding for research and innovation.
The Federal Government proposes to invest $4 billion over five years to Canadian researchers and sciences programs. Director of Applied Research at Lakeland College Diane Harms says that this is a step forward not only for research, but the economy as well.
“I think it’s a very strong signal the governments recognition of the value that research and industry collaboration can provide in terms of increasing economic development and innovation in the country.”
Lakeland is one of the institutions eligible for the College and Communities Innovation program, which has received funding under the new budget. The feds have proposed an additional $140 million over five years to the program starting in 2018-2019. Harms says that the funding will allow them to grow their applied research in the area of agriculture and environmental sciences.
“That provides an opportunity for Lakeland College to participate in competitive opportunities for funding in that area. So that might be an individual project with a company, where we apply for additional funding to leverage the company’s investment.”
Lakeland is currently receiving funding from the government under the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and are using that money for their agriculture research project. Harms says that the college’s research priorities are crop and livestock, as well as energy to help develop innovation in rural areas.
The 2018 budget also proposes to give $1.3 billion over five years to research equipment for colleges and universities, as well as making sure researchers have access to laboratories.