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October 2009
Canada funds nine new national research networks - five in Ontario
The Hon. Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science & Technology), recently announced Canada's investment in the creation of nine new national research networks, funded through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). It consists of a total investment of $45 million over five years to each of the projects. Five of these new research networks will be located at Ontario institutions: the Ophthalmic Materials Network at McMaster University, the Canadian Pollination Initiative and Bioconversion Network at the University of Guelph, and the Strategic Network for Bioplasmonic Systems and Business Intelligence Network at the University of Toronto. All nine networks will support research in areas such as environmental science, natural resources and energy, health and related life sciences, and information and communications technologies. Read more at www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
Algoma U breaks ground on $16M research centre
Sault Ste. Marie's Algoma University recently celebrated the groundbreaking for its Biosciences and Technology Convergence Centre, after receiving federal and provincial funding totalling $16 million through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program and Ontario's 2009 Budget. The new centre will bring together teaching, research and commercial activities in a dynamic atmosphere to foster innovation and growth in the biosciences, computer games technology and health informatics research. Along with teaching and faculty research labs, established enterprises like the internationally recognized Sault Ste Marie Innovation Centre will anchor the facility. Another tenant will be the newly-launched Algoma Games for Health, a design studio bringing computer games technology to the delivery of health care and rehabilitation services. Read more at www.algomau.ca/news.
U of T opens nanotechnology research lab
The University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering officially opened a state-of-the-art nanotechnology research lab recently. The lab will allow scientists and engineers to create next-generation devices that could significantly impact health care, information technology, clean technologies, digital media and the automotive industry. The heart of the new facility is a $6.5 million electron beam lithography system, a tool that can define features as small as 10 nanometres - about 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. The facility is one of only two of its kind in Canada and will be open to both academic and industrial researchers across the country. The electron beam nanolithography facility was built and equipped with contributions from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and Ontario's Ministry of Research and Innovation, as well as numerous industry partners. Learn more at www.news.utoronto.ca.
Boréal opens new Timmins campus
Sudbury's Collège Boréal officially opened its doors recently to its new Timmins campus. An $18-million investment was made in the new campus, from the provincial and federal governments and corporate and private donors. "To see this investment in our community, $18 million for francophone education, I think it's long, long overdue," said Mayor Tom Laughren. Allowing students to study at home is one of the things Boréal president Denis Hubert said the college is focusing on. The new campus has allowed the college population to grow from 360 students to 570 and for the number of programs to expand from 16 to 27. Read more at www.borealc.on.ca/news.
Western opens access to research
The University of Western Ontario opens access to research as it launches Scholarship@Western, a new online resource that collects, disseminates, archives and preserves scholarly materials created or sponsored by Western. To address the growing need for open access, it targets academics and the general public with an online archive that assembles the most up-to-date research by Western scholars. The archive aims to advance scholarship and disseminate knowledge by providing open access to the academic and professional achievements at Western. Scholarly Communication Librarian Adrian Ho says providing open access to scholarly materials will prevent research efforts from being duplicated and help to advance new research developments. Read more at http://ir.lib.uwo.ca.
CONII expands
The Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation (CONII) has recently expanded its network to include 10 more Ontario colleges: Collège Boréal, La Cité College, Fleming College, Cambrian College, Lambton College, Georgian College, Mohawk College, Durham College, St. Lawrence College and Sault College, totalling to 20 out of the 24 Ontario colleges. This is a significant leap in the organization's collective ability to engage with industry and community partners as they continue to work together to foster and improve social, economic and cultural productivity in Ontario and Canada. CONII is an applied research and development network aimed at helping small and medium enterprises solve technical problems, adapt new technologies for the marketplace, and develop new or improved products and processes. Read more at www.conii.ca.
UOIT, Sick Kids collaborate to save babies
Oshawa's University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), the Hospital for Sick Children and IBM Canada are collaborating in a new project called Artemis that captures and analyzes vast amounts of physiological data from premature babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) to present to physicians and nurses. Using health informatics, the Artemis project aims to enable earlier detection of nosocomial infections in NICUs, which could help reduce infant mortality and even improve the overall ongoing health of the patient. Even though it will be a few more years before all clinical trials have been completed and the system is ready to be put to regular use, researchers are confident that their work is going to give clinicians a new tool to hunt down and eradicate infections. Read more at http://hir.uoit.ca.
Humber, U of T music students connect to NY jazz musicians
The Manhattan on the Rideau program continues this year, linking leading jazz faculty of the Manhattan School of Music with accomplished music students at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The sessions use the very latest in broadband videoconference technology to connect teachers and students in real time with high fidelity audio and video. A masterclass is a one-on-one lesson in which a master musician teaches a selected student or ensemble under the watchful eyes of fellow students and members of the public. Each masterclass involves two to three students in succession followed by questions. Music students from Toronto's Humber College, the Schulich School of Music at McGill University, and the Music Faculty at the University of Toronto are participating. Read more at www.nac-cna.ca/en/news.
York scores first in Ontario in sustainability
The College Sustainability Report Card, released today, awards York University a B+ for sustainability, the highest ranking achieved by Canadian universities in the US-Canada survey. Among the 332 schools evaluated, York scored first in Ontario, sharing the top Canadian ranking with University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, and McGill University, all of which received grades of B+. The most comprehensive survey of sustainability on campuses in the 50 US states and in Canada, the 2010 report card assesses 48 indicators in nine categories: administration, climate change & energy, food & recycling, green building, student involvement, transportation, endowment transparency, investment priorities, and shareholder engagement. The College Sustainability Report Card is provided by the Sustainable Endowments Institute. To view the full report card online, visit www.greenreportcard.org.
People News
Former Senior Director of Partnerships & Strategic Alliances, David Koa, recently left ORION to pursue new opportunities in the private sector. Greg Murphy, former Chair of Contemporary Media at Fanshawe College, is now Dean of Media, Art and Design at Durham College. Boréal College recently announced that first-year student Derik Servant was the winner of the convertible Smart Car in a contest draw for all Boréal full-time students.
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