Federal funding boosts research infrastructure
The funding was announced at a press conference at the Launch Zone at Ryerson's Student Learning Centre. From left: Minister of Finance Bill Morneau; Trinity-Spadina MPP Han Dong; Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi; and Dérick Rousseau, Ryerson Science professor.
Ryerson University is the recipient of $31.9 million from the federal government’s Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund (external link) , a new federal program designed to modernize infrastructure and improve the environmental sustainability on post-secondary campuses. The multi-million dollar boost will improve Ryerson’s infrastructure capabilities, enhance research and lab space, and encourage collaboration among researchers. The Province of Ontario will support the initiative with an additional $4.7 million, bringing the total government investment to $36.6 million.
Ryerson University President and Vice-Chancellor Mohamed Lachemi thanked the federal and provincial ministers for the government support.
“The government’s generous contribution will enable Ryerson to further enhance our research and lab facilities where our faculty and students will be encouraged to tackle complex problems, think creatively, and develop new solutions and approaches,” said President Lachemi. “The changes coming to our campus will create more state-of-the-art facilities to shape Canada’s future innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs.”
$19.8 million will support the redevelopment and construction of the Centre for Urban Innovation (CUI) at 44 Gerrard Street East – a new state-of-the-art lab and fabrication space. $16.7 million of the funds will be used to retrofit and renovate labs in Kerr Hall used by the university’s Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, and the Faculty of Communication & Design.
“This once-in-a-generation investment by the Government of Canada is a historic down payment on the government’s vision to position Canada as a global centre for innovation,” said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “That means making Canada a world leader in turning ideas into solutions, science into technologies, skills into middle-class jobs and start-up companies into global successes. This investment will create conditions that are conducive to innovation and long-term growth, which will in turn keep the Canadian economy globally competitive.”
“As a result of this investment, people like you will be able to work in state-of-the-art facilities that support the country’s best research,” said Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance. “You will have better access to new partners that can help turn ideas into the products the future marketplace most needs. Your discoveries will plant the seeds for the next generation of innovators. And you will play a direct role in building up Canada’s inventory of brain power and excellence. Our investment today has made us partners in our future success.”
When completed, the CUI will provide 40,000 square feet to house researchers and innovators with strong industry links in areas such as alternative energy, water management, food production, data analytics, and urban infrastructure, as well as purpose-built research wet and dry labs, fabrication space, teaching labs and collaboration areas.
Improvements scheduled for Ryerson:
- Development of the Centre for Urban Innovation
- Communication and design research hub
- Laboratory for occupational and public health upgrade
- Biology and chemistry laboratories renewal
- Physics laboratories upgrade
- Space avionics and instrumentation laboratory upgrade
- Mechanical and industrial engineering labs renewal
- Particle erosion laboratory enhancement
- Mechatronics/Robotics/Control laboratory renewal
- Structures lab upgrade
- Unit operations laboratory
- Microelectronics packaging and optical sensing lab upgrade
- Flexible and CNC manufacturing laboratories
- Biomedical engineering laboratory enhancement
- Civil engineering building improvements