Canada boosts HE with C$20 million for ‘state-of-the-art’ kit

Universities in Canada will receive almost C$20 million (£10.9 million) for state-of-the-art tools and equipment to help them “attract and retain the best and brightest researchers from around the world”.

An investment of C$15.2 million was announced by the government on 15 April through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund, which aims to help institutions to attract top scholars by giving them access to “state-of-the-art research tools”. It will fund 94 projects at 33 universities in Canada; a third of the money (C$5.2 million) will support 19 research projects at the University of Toronto.

An additional C$4.5 million will be awarded to universities under the Infrastructure Operating Fund, which assists institutions with the operating and maintenance costs associated with new infrastructure.

Adriano Senatore, professor of biology at the University of Toronto and one of the recipients of the funding, said that the money will help him to equip his laboratory with “cutting-edge research tools, such as a high-performance computer, state-of-the-art microscopes and an electrophysiology system”.

“These critical pieces of equipment will help my team and me better understand how the nervous system evolved, providing a broader understanding of our own nervous system function and disease,” he said.

Kirsty Duncan, minister of science, said that the investment will “increase [Canada’s] capacity for innovation and discovery” and “benefit Canadians for generations to come”.

“When researchers are equipped with the right tools, they can make the kinds of discoveries that improve our environment, economy and wellbeing,” she said.

The first budget from Canada’s new Liberal government last month also announced a C$2 billion fund to help universities to modernise their infrastructure.

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com