Yahoo Finance University of Calgary gets $22M for research on infectious diseases, quantum computing
The Alberta government is investing more than $22 million in research infrastructure and technology development at the University of Calgary — with the hope it will advance innovation in the province.
The funding is part of the Research Capacity Program and helps post-secondary institutions receive both small equipment and large research infrastructure needed to attract researchers, according to a release.
It will support 11 research projects for the next four years in areas like health and wellness, infectious diseases and quantum computing.
Ed McCauley, university president and vice-chancellor, says the financial support will help strengthens the university's reputation as a leader in innovation and world-class research.
"We're helping Calgary's economy grow and diversify in expanding fields such as tech, in medicine and the sciences," he said. "Investments like today's brighten Calgary's future."
Doug Schweitzer, minister of jobs, economy and innovation, says the university is already building reputation as one of the places in North America to conduct research in quantum sciences.
"For those of you that pay attention to where the technology space is going, this is the technology that's going to disrupt the next decade," Schweitzer said at a press conference Monday.
"There's a huge opportunity for us to continue to leverage the work that's being done here at the University of Calgary to grow those opportunities, not just for research for research's sake, but for commercialization and jobs."
He says the province will be able to leverage that money into $170 million of innovation and research for partner institutions and industry.
"This can not only help us diversify our economy but continue to leverage the momentum that we're seeing in so many different areas of the tech space here in the province of Alberta."
Investments in health
Jason Copping, minister of health, says he's particularly excited about research that will lead to new health treatments.
"There's still an incredible wealth of talented and dedicated people across the health system in our universities working to make life better for all of us and for all our province."
He says researchers will study infectious diseases, mental illness in children and young adults, and how regenerative therapies can be used to improve healing.
"All of this will help improve the health of Albertans and set the stage for more research down the road. And this announcement today is just a glimpse of the range of research projects supported by Alberta's government that aim to make life better and assure Albertans have access to leading-edge treatments."
