Ontario Minister of Research and Innovation, Reza Moridi, announced $35 million in matching funding from the Ontario Research Funding for U of T researchers, including U of T Engineering faculty members Omer Gulder (UTIAS), Charles Mims(ChemE) and Ted Sargent (ECE).

Gulder received funding for a High-Pressure Blow-Down Facility for Gas Turbine Combustion Research, Mims for an Ontario Centre for Characterization of Advanced Materials (which is co-led by MSE Professor Doug Perovic) and Sargent for research into nanomaterials for energy. More information on their projects can be found here.

The funding matches grants announced by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) in January. In total, U of T has received over $100 million in research funding thanks to the two funding agencies. Other U of T faculty members receiving funding are:

• U of T Host Microbiome Research Network, Dana Philpott, Immunology
• Centre for Biofouling Control, Gilbert Walker, Chemistry
• Centre for Chemical Analysis, Andrei Yudin, Chemistry
• Development of Open-Access Research Tools for Epigenetics, Cheryl Arrowsmith, Medical Biophysics
• Technology and Instrument Developments for Space and Ground-based Astronomy, Dae-Sik Moon, Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Centre for the Evaluation of Technological Innovation (CETI), Murray Krahn, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy

The funding comes from these sources:

• CFI: $35 million for purchase of infrastructure and $10.5 million through the Infrastructure Operating Fund for operating and maintenance of infrastructure
• ORF: $35 million for purchase of infrastructure
• Other sources such as partnerships with the private sector and institutional investments: $22 million

“As researchers across Ontario continue to excel, their work depends increasingly on access to state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure,” said U of T President, Professor David Naylor. “We are therefore very grateful to the Province of Ontario for this forward-thinking investment.  It will support world-leading innovation ranging from fundamental science in diverse disciplines to projects involving technologies that have rapid industrial applications.”

Professor Yu-Ling Cheng, acting dean of the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, also expressed her gratitude. “I am delighted that the work being done by Professors Gulder, Mims and Sargent and their teams has been recognized at both the federal and provincial level. It is not only an indication of the importance of their research, but it will provide them with the resources they need to carry out that research.”

These successes are also notable in terms of the national and provincial share of the awards, noted Professor Paul Young, U of T’s vice president (research and innovation):

• 46 per cent ($76.4 million) of the total CFI funds awarded ($166 million) in the January 15 announcement were awarded to Ontario
• U of T and its partner hospitals received $35 million (20 per cent) of the $166 million
• U of T and its partner hospitals received $35 million (46 per cent) of the $76.4 million of the Ontario awards.

“This is a fantastic success rate and is due to the innovation and relevancy of the research and to the talented U of T faculty and staff who developed the proposals,” he said.