Research such as Olds College's work in the biodiesel field is significantly bolstered by support from the CFI.
As part of Polytechnics Canada, an alliance of Canadian colleges and institutes of technology emphasizing applied education and applied research, the potential benefits for the College and its partners in the Central Alberta region are numerous.
“Olds College was one of the first Canadian colleges to be eligible for funding from the CFI,” said Dr. Tom Thompson, Olds College President. “Our School of Innovation has a proven track record of assisting small and mid-sized enterprises with their research and commercialization needs and there is an excellent chance we will be able to secure more support through this new funding and continue this vital work.”
CFI cancelled an earlier program for funding college research equipment and infrastructure over 10 years ago. As a result, polytechnic and college research activity for the past decade has received only limited project funding from the research granting councils with no dedicated resources for equipment and facilities, unlike the university sector.
“We are appreciative that the Government of Canada has recognized this gap and taken steps to close it,” said Thompson.
Polytechnics Canada will work closely with CFI to ensure that the new program criteria are closely aligned with the applied research needs of industry.
Polytechnics Canada is an alliance of nine leading research-intensive, publicly-funded colleges and institutes of technology in key economic regions of Canada where the emphasis is on applied education and applied research. The current nine member colleges are: Algonquin College, Humber, Conestoga, Sheridan, George Brown and Seneca in Ontario; SAIT Polytechnic and Olds College in Alberta; and BCIT in British Columbia.
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