U of S flagship research centres awarded $69M to advance innovation

SASKATOON, SK - Three unique-in-Canada research centres at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) have been awarded almost $69 million in federal funding, enabling them to stay at the forefront of international science in protecting human and animal health, developing new medical imaging techniques and providing critical radar mapping of electromagnetic “space weather” just above Earth’s atmosphere.

Canada’s Science Minister Kirsty Duncan today announced $328 million will be invested through the Major Science Initiatives (MSI) fund of the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to support operations at 17 national science centres over the next three to five years, including three at U of S:

$48 million for the Canadian Light Source (CLS), which is using its brilliant synchrotron light to support ground-breaking research in health, the environment, materials and agriculture including unique work done in biomedical imaging and therapy that holds promise in areas such as advancing cancer therapy and treating osteoporosis;

$19.3 million for the International Vaccine Centre (InterVac), part of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), which is one of the largest, most advanced containment Level 3 facilities in the world and provides the infrastructure to safely study infectious diseases of animals and humans and develop vaccines to protect against these emerging health threats; and

$1.56 million for SuperDARN Canada, a U of S-led initiative operating five radar arrays across Canada that provide continuous mapping of “space weather” above Canada, data critical to being able to predict when electromagnetic storms above Earth could threaten technologies such as GPS, electrical grids and navigation systems.

"This major investment, which amounts to one-fifth of all the funding CFI announced today, affirms the value to Canada of the world-class science being done within these unique centres,” said U of S President Peter Stoicheff. “These centres support the work of hundreds of scientists and graduate students working within our signature research areas, bolstering the success of the U of S as one of Canada’s top research universities.”

The CFI’s MSI program funds national facilities that enable Canadian researchers to undertake world-class research and technology development that leads to social, health, economic or environmental benefits to Canadians. This CFI funding is intended to cover 40 per cent of operating costs, with each research centre responsible for finding additional public and private funds. For more information, visit: https://www.innovation.ca/awards/major-science-initiatives-fund

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