Ontario Investing in Research to Strengthen Economy and Create Jobs

News.ontario.ca
Sept. 5, 2019

Ontario is demonstrating it is open for business and open for jobs by making new provincial investments in research and innovation.

Today, Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, visited York University to announce that Ontario is investing nearly $41 million in leading-edge research that will improve the quality of life for people, while opening the province for business and creating jobs.

"Making Ontario truly open for business includes paving the way for new companies," said Minister Fedeli. "We want to make sure the people who are learning how to cure diseases, who are inventing new technologies, and who are creating whole new industries and jobs, have the support, tools and facilities they need to do their work."

Provincewide, Ontario is investing in 174 research projects through three separate funding streams: the Early Researcher Awards, the Ontario Research Fund - Research Infrastructure program and the Ontario Research Fund - Genomics programs.

The Facility for Assessing the Fire Resiliency of Building Materials, headed by Professor John Gales, Ph.D, is one of six York University projects receiving funding. Professor Gales' lab studies how new materials, like engineered timber, as well as heritage materials, behave in a fire. Ontario's investment will help expand the scope of what the lab can test. This is one of six York University projects receiving funding for a total investment of over $700,000.

"York University's research excellence is rooted in creating positive impacts in the lives of individuals and communities," said Rhonda Lenton, Ph.D, President and Vice-Chancellor of York University. "Professor Gales' lab examines how materials can help make buildings and homes -- and the people and families who live and work in them -- safer from the risk of fire, and we are grateful to the Government of Ontario for supporting this important research."

Ontario's investments are helping newly appointed researchers build their teams; making sure colleges and universities have up-to-date labs and equipment and supporting key projects in the field of genomics. Research leads to new knowledge that can deliver advances in health care, make our businesses more competitive, and lead to new products and services, companies and jobs.

Quick Facts

• A total of 174 research projects were selected for funding through a rigorous and competitive peer review process.
• The Ontario Research Fund -- Research Infrastructure program provides research institutions with funding to help support infrastructure needs, such as modern facilities and equipment. The government is supporting 86 projects with an investment of $22,851,155.
• The Early Researcher Awards program helps new researchers working at publicly funded Ontario research institutions build their research teams. The government is supporting 74 projects with an investment of $10,360,000.
• Through the Ontario Research Fund -- Genomics programs, the government is investing $7,687,023 in 14 projects advancing our knowledge of genomics. Genomics, the study of all the DNA contained in the cells of a body, promises many benefits, including speeding up the discovery of new drugs.