Province Investing in Ontario-made Research and Innovation

Accelerating Ontario’s economic growth through world-class research

September 29, 2022

TORONTO – The Ontario government is supporting Ontario-made innovation with an investment of more than $198 million in research projects at colleges, universities and research hospitals across the province. The funding is being delivered through the Ontario Research Fund and Early Researcher Awards and supports researchers in making discoveries that advance knowledge, drive progress and create jobs for the people of Ontario.

“Cultivating research excellence and innovation are more important than ever as Ontario continues to respond to the impacts of COVID-19 and lays the groundwork for robust long-term economic growth,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “These critical investments will ensure our world-class researchers have the technology and equipment to put Ontario at the forefront of innovation, supporting the development of homegrown ideas and products and creating jobs in local communities.”

The funding will support 241 research projects across the province and will be used to cover the costs of research operations and infrastructure, including building, renovating and equipping research facilities with the latest technology, and supporting researchers to attract and retain research talent.

Examples of funded research projects include:

Sinai Health System is receiving $5,830,254 to build an integrated platform to identify and characterize rare cells that contribute to cancer, neurodegenerative and other disorders and develop drug leads to treat these diseases. The platform will be accessible to the scientific community to enable further rare cell studies.
Durham College is receiving $788,509 to create a resource for Ontario small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to evaluate, develop and deploy cybersecurity systems, helping them to detect, prevent and respond to cyber-attacks efficiently. This will enable SMEs to monitor for vulnerabilities and protect data.
McMaster University is receiving $430,000 to purchase a transmission electron microscope that will support research focused on developing the next generation of advanced steels. Their work will seek to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of passenger vehicles.
Lakehead University is receiving $127,079 for research that investigates innovative power conversion and control for next-generation offshore wind systems. This initiative aims to reduce the cost and size of existing wind systems while improving their efficiency and reliability.
The Hospital for Sick Children is receiving $164,620 to collaborate with Indigenous People, federal and provincial organizations and other conservation and wildlife groups to identify and create high-quality reference genomes for 400 Canadian species. The information will be made freely available on a user-friendly platform so that other researchers can use the data to support biodiversity conservation in Ontario.
The University of Waterloo is receiving $738,083 to improve the conversion of food waste into biodegradable bioplastic materials using novel genomic solutions. Through a collaboration of industry partners, this project aims to create a circular economy, which involves sharing, reusing, repairing and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible.
Carleton University researcher Professor Laura Banducci is receiving an Early Researcher Award of $140,000 to train Ontario students in modern archaeological excavation, research methods, digital data management and 3D visualization by exploring the ancient city of Gabii, one of the largest settlements in pre-Roman Italy. This project builds on 10 years of work at the excavation site.

“Research and innovation are important drivers of Ontario’s economic growth, and through these investments, our government will ensure that our research and research infrastructure continue to be competitive and attract the best and brightest talent to the province,” said Minister Dunlop. “By supporting ground-breaking research, we can advance new discoveries and innovation, help create a skilled labour force and promote new business opportunities across the province.”

Quick Facts

The government is investing over $500 million over the next 10 years to support additional high‐value research undertaken across Ontario’s universities, colleges, research institutes and research hospitals.
Research projects were selected through a rigorous and competitive peer review process.
The awarded projects are funded through six different categories:
- The Ontario Research Fund – Small Infrastructure Fund provides research institutions with funding to support infrastructure needs, such as acquiring research equipment. The government is supporting 133 research projects with an investment of $29,717,536.
- The Ontario Research Fund – College Fund (formerly the College-Industry Innovation Fund) helps cover the costs of building, renovating and equipping research facilities to promote collaborations between colleges and industry, not-for-profit and public sector partners. The government is supporting eight research projects with an investment of $6,337,547.
- The Ontario Research Fund – Large Scale Applied Research Project aims to advance genomics research and development. The government is supporting four research projects with an investment of $4,962,143.
- The Ontario Research Fund – Large Infrastructure Fund provides research institutions with funding to help cover the costs of building or renovating facilities and equipping them to conduct collaborative academic research. The government is supporting 40 research projects with an investment of $148,065,848.
- Ontario Research Fund – Genomic Applications Partnership Program aims to advance genomics research and development. The government is supporting two research projects with an investment of $1,605,949.
- Early Researcher Awards provide funding to new researchers working at publicly funded Ontario research institutions to build a research team. The government is supporting 54 researchers with an investment of $7,560,000.
On March 3, 2022, the Ontario government announced the launch of Intellectual Property Ontario, a new board-governed agency will serve as a go-to resource for Intellectual Property (IP) expertise to help researchers and companies maximize the value of their IP, strengthen their capacity to grow and compete in the global market.
As announced in the 2022 Ontario Budget: Ontario’s Plan to Build, the launch of Intellectual Property Ontario is being supported by an investment of about $58 million over three years.
The launch of Intellectual Property Ontario is a significant milestone of the province’s Intellectual Property Action Plan.