Durham College (DC) announced today that its Office of Research Services and Innovation (ORSI) has  been approved for more than $400,000 in applied research funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through the council’s College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program. 

In total, $443,168 of funding, being made available via three Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI)  grants will be used to acquire equipment to support applied research in three areas including microbrewing, agriculture and rapid prototyping.

“This most recent round of support from the federal government once again confirms that Durham College is a leading college in the field of applied research,” said Judy Robinson, vice-president, Academic, DC. “On behalf of ORSI and the college, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to NSERC for its support of three of our newest applied research initiatives, which are enabling the college to assist local businesses with bringing their ideas to market and contribute to the economic prosperity of Durham Region and beyond.” 

The CCI Program, managed by NSERC in collaboration with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, grants six different types of funding. The ARTI grant is designed to support the purchase of research equipment and installations to foster and enhance the ability of colleges to undertake applied research, innovation and training in collaboration with local companies.

“These ARTI grants will allow our researchers and industry partners to create and develop projects using state-of-the-art technology,” said Debbie McKee Demczyk, director, ORSI. “In addition, this funding will enable our students to gain valuable research and testing experience while making industry contacts and gaining marketing expertise. We are grateful for the opportunities now available to us through NSERC’s extensive funding program.”

With the intention of capitalizing on the growing craft beer brewing industry a new microbiology BrewLab will support projects that analyze and improve the microbial integrity of various beer products and evaluate the fermentation performance of yeast strains for Ontario craft breweries.

ORSI will also continue to develop agricultural research projects that will utilize new Growth Chambers, devices designed to assist local growers in tackling challenges related to pest management, crop integration and plant propagation. The project will allow DC partners to expand and diversify their product lines while exploring innovative plant propagation techniques and processes.

A third set of research projects will employ a new Rapid Prototyper to reproduce the dimensional properties of trial-ready prototypes in house and at a low cost for a variety of industries requiring advanced manufacturing. It will also allow students to work with industry during research capstone projects, providing them with additional skill sets.

ORSI provides an important link to the community through its support and advancement of institutional effectiveness and contribution to the economic performance of the region, using a collaborative culture of engagement that is student-centered and community-focused. ORSI is comprised of three teams – Applied Research; Institutional Research and Planning; and Program Development and Quality Initiatives.

NSERC is a Canadian government agency that provides grants for research in the natural sciences and engineering. The council promotes discovery by funding research conducted by post-secondary professors and students and fosters innovation by encouraging Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research and training.