Camosun awarded over $2 million in research grants
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May 31, 2012
Camosun College has been awarded two major national research grants for its work in Applied Research.
$1.75 million NSERC Grant
Camosun is receiving $1.75 million over five years ($350,000 per year) from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to develop research partnerships between the college and local industry to boost marketplace innovation.
- This funding comes from NSERC's College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program which enables Canadian colleges to help industry partners innovate and take new products/services to market.
- Under the direction of Dr. Tim Walzak, Camosun's BC Regional Chair of Sport Technology, the college will use this funding to expand "Camosun Tech," through which Camosun will provide a full spectrum of technical services to local companies, including: technical expertise, prototype design and development; sensor and electronic device development; textiles and technical garment testing; human performance technology development; environmental technology; wireless protocol/device integration; and, health science research.
- "Camosun Tech" is a branding of the good work the college already does with local industry and builds on the problem solving and client collaboration approach developed by its already successful Sport Innovation Centre (SPIN) and Vancouver Island Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping (VICAMP).
$728,978 Canada Foundation for Innovation Grant
Camosun is also receiving a $728,978 College-Industry Innovation Fund grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) toward a $1.8 million project in "Applied Sensor and System Integration for the Enhancement of Human Performance."
- CFI funding comes from the Government of Canada and helps support research infrastructure at colleges and universities across the nation.
- Camosun is the only college in BC to receive the College-Industry Innovation grant this year. The grant will be matched by the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund through the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation.
- Dr. Walzak and his team, along with faculty and students, will use the funding for equipment and infrastructure to continue their research with industry partners in integrating highly precise wireless sensors into specialized clothing to monitor heart rate, speed, core body temperature, blood pressure, gait analysis, balance, speech recognition and real-time motion analysis.
- Current industry partners include: White's Diving, Canada's largest diving suit manufacturer, with which Camosun is carrying out thermal testing and validation for their newest high performance underwater diving garment; and, FAB Biosyn Systems Inc., which creates portable wireless sensory systems for the human body to accurately monitor biomechanical movements.
- This research has important implications and benefits for several fields including: high performance athletic training, military, medicine, recreation, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, ergonomics, sports equipment design, the entertainment industry and many others.
"With over $3.25 million in grants garnered to date, we are seen as a leader among BC colleges in applied research and an essential partner in the economic development of our community," says Dr. Walzak.
"These grants are very prestigious for Canadian colleges and I would like to congratulate Tim and everyone involved for garnering such tremendous funding support and national awareness of applied research at Camosun," says Camosun President Kathryn Laurin.
Contact
Dr. Tim Walzak
BC Regional Chair of Sport Technology Camosun College
250–220–2530 (office)
twalzak@camosun.bc.ca
Last updated: May 31, 2012 11:02 am
