University of Guelph receives over $30M to grow research

The University of Guelph will be expanding research spaces across campus after the federal and provincial governments announced a joint investment of $66.6 million with the school.

The funding will support six projects at the school. These include:

• A new biosafety level two production animal research isolation unit. The university currently has the only facility in the province for housing production animals for infectious disease research - this unit will improve researchers' ability to identify and prevent threatening infectious diseases.

• New research and collaborative spaces for computer science and engineering students and faculty in the Reynolds Building.
• Renovations to the MacNaughton building, which houses the departments of chemistry, mathematics and statistics, and physics.
• Renovations to the McLaughlin library, including new spaces for collaboration and new digital content, data sets and tools.
• A food innovation centre to enhance research and innovation and expand food manufacturing training.
• A dedicated bio-carbon innovation and commercialization centre to be housed in U of G's Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre.

The first lab of its kind in the world for enhancing bio-carbon manufacturing, "this new bio-carbon centre will make plastics from engineered green composites and study their use in sustainable manufacturing, specifically the automotive sector," the university said in a release.

'Critical investment'

Of the $66.6 million needed for the projects, the federal government is contributing $26.2 million through its Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, $4.7 million is coming from the province and the university will contribute $35.7 million. 

"This critical investment will allow us to expand our world-class facilities and the reach and impact of U of G innovations," president Franco Vaccarino said in a release.

"The new spaces and resources will also facilitate the exchange of new ideas and opportunities, providing benefits for decades to come." 

Don O'Leary, vice president of finance and administration, told CBC News the university would have still gone ahead with the projects being funded, but it would have taken much longer.

"It's accelerated and brought those opportunities ahead by eight, 10 years, so that's fantastic," he said.

O'Leary added the school has been nearly constantly growing in recent years.

"We just want to create an atmosphere of student support as well. So we've been investing in student housing, in recreation facilities and we really want to do the best we can in all areas," he said. 

This is the third major funding announcement for the university in a year.

In March, the province announced a $23 million investment at the Ontario Veterinary College for enhanced teaching and learning spaces and advanced surgery facility. Last fall, the province also committed $12 to relocate the turfgrass research institute.

Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield said the university shares "mutual goals" with the federal government to help students become "creative and entrepreneurial citizens."

Guelph MPP Liz Sandals, who is also the president of the Treasury Board, said the funding will help provide access to high-quality education and that is "critical to building the highly skilled workforce we need to support good jobs and economic growth for today and tomorrow."