New research funding will drive innovation at UBCO, says NDP MLA Sandhu

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KELOWNA – New Democrat MLA Harwinder Sandhu says that research funding for the University of British Columbia – Okanagan (UBCO) will drive innovation through our economy by creating jobs for people, protecting our environment, and supporting the advancement of a stronger healthcare system.

“People rely on public infrastructure to be safe and effective, and researching culture is a great way for us to advance as a society,” said Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashee. “We’re investing in UBCO’s capacity to explore and understand how we can improve in both of these areas, and move forward in a safer, more stable, and more cohesive way.”

UBCO is receiving $330,166 as part of the BC Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF), to support state-of-the-art equipment, facilities, and laboratories that are essential for research. The funding will support two projects:

  • (Re)Media Infrastructure for multimedia research and creation, led by P.I. Emily Murphy with a BCKDF award of $122,166
  • Mega-Scale Multi-Dimensional Experimental Facility for Enhancing Canada’s Infrastructure Resilience, led by P.I. Shahria Alam with a BCKDF award of $208,000

This is part of a total investment of $25 million to support 34 post-secondary research projects at five universities across the province.

This new research equipment will help universities to attract world-class talent and develop solutions for real-world problems in fields such as health and life sciences, information and communication technologies, social sciences and humanities, clean technology, and natural resources.

Over the last four fiscal years, the BCKDF has awarded more than $154 million to 255 infrastructure research projects.

MLA Sandhu says supporting this cutting-edge research is part of the BC New Democrat’s plan to rebuild and grow our economy. We’re equipping our universities to enhance productivity and competitiveness, and to generate new businesses and jobs for people through commercialization and partnerships with industry.

John Horgan and the New Democrat government are working hard to build a more sustainable, inclusive, and innovative economy for people and communities throughout B.C.

Learn more: https://news.gov.bc.ca/25139