Alberta announces more than $22M in funding for University of Calgary
The province has announced a $22 million boost in funding for the University of Calgary to support research infrastructure and technology development.
The money comes from Alberta's Research Capacity Program, and will be provided over the course of four years.
The government says the money will help build the facilities and infrastructure needed to support 11 research projects, which will attract new talent and investment to the province.
"These projects are collaborative in nature and some involve participation from researchers at facilities from across Canada," the news release stated.
"The Alberta government’s investment in the University of Calgary leverages close to $170 million allocated for these projects across partner institutions, including the Canada Foundation for Innovation, other participating institutions, non-profit organizations and industry collaborators."
The government says the projects will support leading-edge discoveries in health and wellness, infectious diseases, machine learning, energy storage solutions, clean energy technology, quantum computing, wireless telecommunications and more.
“Transformative research is the engine that will drive diversification forward and power Alberta’s economy for the future," Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer said.
University of Calgary president and vice-chancellor Ed McCauley says the money will help support innovative and game-changing research.
"This funding means a range of research projects in health, science and engineering can take a big step forward," McCauley said in a news release.
The Research Capacity Program helps Alberta’s post-secondary institutions get equipment and research infrastructure.
This new funding is in addition to $4.9 million in Research Capacity Program funding for the U of C’s SMILE-UVI satellite project announced in October 2020.
NDP RESPONDS
Late Mondy afternoon, NDP Advanced Education Critic David Eggen released a statement saying the additional funding was meagre compared to what the UCP has already cut from Alberta post secondary institutions.
“Today’s funding announcement is a fraction of the amount the UCP has cut to post-secondaries across the province," it said.
“The UCP has already cut $87 million from the University of Calgary and $110 million from the University of Alberta with $700 million in planned cuts across the system under their government.
“The best asset for our future is education. If we want to diversify our economy and keep Albertans in the province, we need to be investing in our education system.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.