NSERC Mobilize Grant Funds Canadore Research
Dec 8, 2023 | Cindy Males, Public Relations and Communications Specialist
The Research Centre at Canadore College will collaborate with other community organizations on new research projects. The $937,000 Mobilize grant, from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) will allow the College to engage in several short-term projects. NSERC grants provide Canadian colleges with flexible funding to acquire the necessary resources to address applied research priorities in industry, health, public and non-for-profit organizations within their community and provide applied research training opportunities for students.
“This funding is crucial for our community and allows us to start projects in a timely manner for our community partners,” said Dr. Christina DeRoche, Research Centre Director. “While the funding focuses on social innovation areas, it also allows us to expand our ability to support our partners and enhance our research capacity and student training experience.”
Canadore already includes students on its research projects, and this grant will allow the College to hire up to six more students per year by year five. In its first year, the project has been able to hire two students to support six different projects.
“Students are at the core of these projects. They’re receiving training that exposes them to real-world challenges and readies them to be employed after graduation with real-world problem-solving skills,” said DeRoche.
“I am deeply honoured to have had the chance to contribute to various projects as a student with the Research Centre,” said Dakota Hamilton, a second-year student in the Mental Health and Addictions program. “Each assignment has given me the ability to grow, learn, and make a positive impact on the community. With the funds from the Mobilize grant, I have helped support different initiatives, and I am reminded of what wonderful opportunities there are for students here at Canadore."
“This is experiential learning at its best,” said Canadore College President and CEO George Burton. “Not only do our students benefit from these research opportunities, but our community does as well.”
The projects Canadore will engage in include the collection and analysis of data related to homelessness, school bus safety, a survey of newcomers to North Bay, and burnout rates for local healthcare workers.