University of Saskatchewan research centres get nearly $170M from feds

University of Saskatchewan (CTV file photo)

Four research centres at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) have been given federal money to further research.

Canadian Light Source Inc. (CLS) was given $97,243,194, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) was given $53,948,651, SuperDARN Canada was given $2,604,037, and The Global Water Futures Observatories (GWFO) received $15,253,186.

The sum represents 27 per cent of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry funding, according to a U of S press release.

“This large federal investment in USask, which is more than one-quarter of all MSI fund allocated, highlights the critical contributions our world-class research centres are making nationally and globally,” university president Peter Stoicheff said in the U of S media release.

“These investments are vital to strengthen Canada’s international leadership in research and development and to advance economic prosperity of Canadians,” vice president of research at the university, Baljit Singh, was quoted as saying in the press release.

SuperDARN Canada operates five radars located in Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The goal is to provide continuous mapping of “space weather” above Canada.

GWFO provides data to address flood, drought, and water quality issues. They operate across seven provinces and territories, with the U of S leading the nine-university collaboration.

“This funding means the core of Global Water Futures will carry on to 2029,” director John Pomeroy said in the press release, adding that the money will be used to support observatories in Canada. “The observations will help us to continue to develop solutions to manage and conserve Canada’s water supplies and major rivers.”

VIDO is working on infectious disease research and vaccine development. They plan to upgrade their facilities to containment level 4.

“This funding provides critical support to operate VIDO, one of Canada’s leading research organizations focused on emerging infectious diseases of humans and animals,” director and CEO of VIDO Volker Gerdts said. “This helps ensure Canada’s preparedness by enabling Canadian scientist access to world-class containment infrastructure.”

CLS has been helping advance cancer therapy and find solutions for antibiotic residence, improve water and soil quality, support global food security and develop greener technologies for energy production, according to the U of S press release.

The federal government is contributing a total of $628 million for 19 research infrastructure projects around the country.