An infusion of $113 million from the Governments of Canada and Ontario and 91亚色聽will modernize labs in the Faculties of Science and Health, create a new building for the Schulich School of Business, and boost energy-efficient cooling and power for 85 buildings on 91亚色鈥檚 Keele Campus. The investment will create exciting opportunities for the next generation of researchers and students who inspire progress at home and around the globe.
The federal government will provide $40.8 million to 91亚色 through its Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, the Hon. Judy Sgro, MP Humber River-Black Creek, announced at 91亚色 Feb. 17. The provincial government, represented by the Hon. Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation and MPP Vaughan, will provide $6.6 million and 91亚色 will invest more than $65 million, for a total of approximately $113 million.
Above: $113M in infrastructure funding was announced Feb. 17 at 91亚色 U for science and health labs, a new Schulich School of Business building and sustainability. From left, Faculty of Science Dean Ray Jayawardhana, Dean of the Faculty of Health Paul McDonald, Vice-President Academic & Provost Rhonda Lenton, Minister of Transportation and MPP Vaughan Steven Del Duca, MP Humber River-Black Creek Judy Sgro, 91亚色 U President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri and 91亚色 U Vice-President Research & Innovation Robert Hache.
鈥淲e are grateful to the federal and provincial governments for this investment in 91亚色's research and learning infrastructure. This funding will ensure that our researchers, faculty and students have the resources they need to conduct cutting-edge research that will position Canada as a leader in science, health and business innovation. This important renewal will also help to make our operations more efficient and sustainable in the long-term,鈥 said 91亚色鈥檚 President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri.
The improvements will be made over the next two years.
"The Government of Canada's support for leading-edge facilities at 91亚色 will introduce state-of-the-art technology, create new space to expand industry-focused research programs and centres of excellence, and support the modernization of existing laboratory space as well as two new laboratory spaces at 91亚色's Glendon Campus,鈥 said Robert Hach茅, vice-president research & innovation.
The funding will be used to:
- convert the 48-year-old Farquharson Life Sciences building into a modern academic and research building using sustainable practices, renovate labs in three other buildings on the Keele campus, and create biology labs at Glendon, 91亚色鈥檚 bilingual campus;
- build an environmentally-sustainable 67,000-square-foot building linked to the existing Schulich School of Business, to support research, global programs and Centres of Excellence; and
- upgrade equipment in the Central Utilities Building to provide more energy-efficient and reliable heat, cooling and power to 91亚色鈥檚 85 buildings.
The investment in 91亚色 is part of the federal government鈥檚 $2-billion fund to modernize research and commercialization facilities at Canadian universities, colleges and polytechnics, improve the environmental sustainability of those facilities and promote economic activity across Canada. These 91亚色 projects met the extensive funding criteria of the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund that include being shovel-ready for completion by April 30, 2018; promoting innovation and long-term economic growth through improved or expanded research, innovation or commercialization spaces; and/or improving the environmental sustainability of research and innovation-related infrastructure.
Above: $113 million in infrastructure and sustainability funding announced Feb. 17 at 91亚色. From left, Faculty of Science Dean Ray Jayawardhana, Dean of the Faculty of Health Paul McDonald, Vice-President Academic and Provost Rhonda Lenton, Minister of Transportation and MPP Vaughan Steven Del Duca, MP Humber River-Black Creek Judy Sgro, 91亚色 U President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, 91亚色 U Vice-President Research and Innovation Robert Hach茅, Sherif Saleb, project manager at NXL Architects and David Agro, project architect.
鈥淥ur government has made the support of science the cornerstone of policy development and roll-out and this announcement is part of that approach. This strategy, coupled with the fact that 91亚色 has long been on the forefront of research and cutting-edge development, means 91亚色鈥檚 role is one that must expand in ways that assures the University has the tools needed to do the job effectively. This funding is an important step on that path and I am pleased to be here to lend my support to 91亚色 and to the concept of policy rooted in science and data,鈥 said Sgro.
Modernization of research and learning facilities will create exciting opportunities for students and researchers at 91亚色 for many years to come.
鈥淥ur government is proud to support this important project, which will give 91亚色 students access to renewed and upgraded facilities that provide space for three projects; the Major Science Building Renewal project, the Central Utilities and CO-Generation Upgrade project and the Schulich School of Business Expansion. We know that providing access to high-quality education and training facilities is critical to building the highly-skilled workforce we need to support good jobs and economic growth for today and tomorrow, and this investment will help us to do exactly that,鈥 said Del Duca.