Research Excellence Magazine

Health research in Canada has an illustrious and internationally acclaimed track record.

Why should we care?
Each one of us depends on health care that keeps us and our loved ones well, and saves or prolongs our and our loved ones’ lives. This care, on which we rely, does not spontaneously emerge. It comes from research. Today’s treatments are yesterday’s discoveries.

We cannot afford not to care.
Our health research enterprise is inventing the future of the health care on which we, our children and subsequent generations can rely. It works. Rates of illness and death caused by disease have dramatically dropped over the last 20 years. We’re living longer, and better. That’s because we’re discovering the root causes of disease, enabling the creation of better treatments and technologies.

Colleges Bring Market-Pull Innovation to Canada SMEs

Collaborations in applied research between Ontario (Canada) colleges and businesses are stimulating new R&D activity and spending by businesses—
and leading to actual innovations— that would not have occurred without college expertise and funding, according to a study by The Conference Board of Canada.

Moreover, the Board reports, “Ontario colleges are helping businesses and other organizations create new and improved products, services, and processes much more quickly, and with greater quality, than they otherwise would have been able to achieve without college support.” Currently, 20 out of 24 publicly funded colleges in Ontario incorporate a network of innovation centers called CONII–Colleges Ontario Network for Industry Innovation (http://www.conii.ca). The centers provide one-stop assistance for innovators. Their unusual innovation model was described to CIMS Sponsors at their Fall 2010 meeting by Trish Dryden, AVP Research and Corporate Planning at Centennial College, one of CONII’s founding colleges.

Call for FedDev Proposals: Industry Outreach Events

To raise awareness among small and medium-sized Ontario businesses about an opportunity to gain competitive advantage through joint pre-commercialization projects with Centennial, the Applied Research and Innovation Centre (ARIC) hosted two industry outreach events on February 24 and March 3, 2011. These workshops were information sessions on the Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative sponsored by FedDev Ontario. Centennial had received $525K to fund ten partnership projects through FedDev.

2011 Biotechnology Lecture Series

On March 8th and 9th 2011, Centennial College presented a Biotechnology Lecture Series in collaboration with Bioscience Education Canada. This lecture series hosted a dynamic group of speakers from all areas of the biotechnology industry in Canada, as well as some nationally recognized bioscience educators, to speak about cutting-edge research and the latest breakthroughs in the field of biotechnology.

Government Invests in New Research Partnerships

The Government of Canada Invests In The Jobs Of Tomorrow - Today
Government invests in new research partnerships for colleges and communities

Kingston, Ontario, May 31, 2010 — Twelve colleges will work with their communities and local businesses to get new innovations from campuses into the marketplace. These new partnerships will develop innovative environmentally-friendly technologies to reduce water contamination, advance emerging solar technologies and clean up heavy metals from residential and industrial soils. Speaking at St. Lawrence College today, the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), announced funding for these and other projects.

Applied Research and Innovation

At Centennial College, applied research and innovation (ARIC) is paramount to learning in the classroom and within in the community.

ARIC seeks to build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with community employers and industries to solve problems and meet specific goals through applied, market-driven research, development and commercialization.

One of the most beneficial relationships is between Centennial and its faculty and staff.