Provincial News

• Provincial News
• August 22, 2016

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Ontario Investing $51 Million to Support Research and Foster Innovation

Province Awards Successful Recipients of Research Funding Competitions

Ontario is awarding a total of $51 million to support world-class studies and research talent at leading institutions across the province, laying the foundation for Ontario's future knowledge-based economy.

This funding will help sharpen Ontario's competitive edge by fostering discoveries; leading to new technologies, treatments and cures for cancer patients and other diseases while supporting high quality, knowledge-based jobs for Ontarians. It will also drive the province's ability to attract and retain the best and brightest research talent.

The funding will:

• Support 161 state-of-the-art and industry-relevant infrastructure initiatives at 25 institutions by investing $34.7 million through the Ontario Research Fund - Research Infrastructure program
• Help support the work of 79 promising and recently appointed researchers at 22 institutions while creating jobs for graduate and undergraduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants, associates and technicians by investing $11 million through the Early Researcher Awards
• Promote the use of genomics to solve real-life problems, including global health issues like cancer and Hepatitis C, by investing $3.4 million to five research projects at three institutions through the Ontario Research Fund - Genomic Applications Partnership Program
• Support five genomics research projects in order to grow Ontario's agri-food, fisheries, and aquaculture industries by investing $1.8 million at five institutions through the Ontario Research Fund - Large Scale Applied Research Project

Building our knowledge economy is part of the government's economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in Ontario's history and is investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.

Quick Facts

• Specific information about projects across the province will be made available in the coming weeks.
• Projects were evaluated through a rigorous peer review process involving Canadian and international academic and industry experts. Successful projects were chosen based on their research excellence and their economic and societal benefits to Ontario.
• Including these awards, Ontario has committed and announced $951 million towards 2,235 projects through the Ontario Research Fund – Research Infrastructureprogram.
• Ontario awarded 901 Early Researcher Awards to the province’s leading early career researchers, since the program’s inception in 2005.
• Through the Ontario Research Fund, Ontario provides co-funding for Genome Canada’s Genomic Applications Partnership Program (GAPP). To date the Ontario Research Fund had invested $3.4 million in GAPP projects.
• Through the Ontario Research Fund, Ontario provides co-funding for Genome Canada’s Large Scale Applied Research Project (LSARP) program. To date the Ontario Research Fund had invested $1.8 million in LSARP projects.