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| Twenty research labs in the Science Wing will be upgraded thanks to $17.8 million in funding from the Lab Innovation for Toronto (LIFT) program (Photo by Ken Jones) |
U of T Scarborough’s innovative research will receive a shot in the arm thanks to $17.8 million in new funding to upgrade labs in the Science Wing as well as the vivarium on campus.
The investment will upgrade 20 labs, the vivarium and other building infrastructure upgrades in the S-Wing on campus. The lab upgrades will assist current and planned levels of research, improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Work is expected to be completed by the spring of 2018.
“These renovations will help modernize our labs in the S-Wing and create state-of-the-art research space for our students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty,” says Professor Bernie Kraatz, VP of Research at U of T Scarborough.
“I’ve experienced first-hand the positive outcomes investments in science like this can have in terms of innovation, research excellence and training the next generation of researchers.”
The funding is part of the Lab Innovation for Toronto (LIFT) project announcement made this morning at U of T’s Medical Sciences Building. The announcement was made by U of T President Meric Gertler, federal innovation, science and economic development minister Navdeep Bains, science minister Kirsty Duncan, and provincial ministers Deb Matthews and Reza Moridi.
For more on the announcement read U of T lab retrofit “a historic investment in Canadian science and innovation”: Meric Gertler
U of T will provide $91.8 million, while the federal and provincial governments will contribute $83.7 million and $14.3 million respectively for a total of $189.8 million in funding across all three campuses.
The federal portion is the first funding announcement from the Strategic Investment Fund (SIF), a new $2 billion program aimed to modernize research facilities across the country.
Federal science minister Kirsty Duncan, herself a U of T alumnus and former instructor at U of T Scarborough, says the investment will contribute to innovation that will be important to Canada’s long-term economic growth.
“Through investments such as these, we are strengthening the foundation for building Canada as a global leader in scientific excellence.”