Published April 28, 2023 at 6:25 AM ET
Updated April 28, 2023 at 10:41 AM ET
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The Canadian government announced Friday that 11 universities will receive part of nearly $1.4 billion in funding for research into new technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, carbon capture and healthcare.
This funding is provided through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), which aims to promote research at Canadian post-secondary institutions.
The University of Toronto received the single largest grant in the program’s history, with a total of $199.5 million awarded over seven years.
Ten other schools across the country also receive federal funding.
- McGill University: $165 million for DNA to RNA: An Inclusive Canadian Approach to Genomic-based RNA Therapeutics (D2R)
- Memorial University of Newfoundland: $91 million for the Qanittaq Clean Arctic Shipping Initiative
- University of Ottawa: $109 million for Brain-Heart InterConnectome
- Dalhousie University: $154 Million to Transform Climate Action: Tackle Lost Oceans
- University of Victoria: $83 million to accelerate community energy transformation
- Université de Montréal: $124 Million for R3AI: A Paradigm Shift for Robust, Logical, and Responsible Artificial Intelligence and its Adoption
- York University: $105 million for Connected Mind: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society
- Concordia University: $123 Million for the Electrified Society: Towards Decarbonized and Resilient Communities
- University of Calgary: $125 Million per Child Every Child: A Toronto Metropolitan University: $98 Million in Immigrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: Bridging the Divide
This is the third time the fundraising competition has been held, with multiple post-secondary schools submitting letters of intent for projects they believe will revolutionize the industry. University pitches are made before an independent committee, after which a handful of universities are selected for funding.
The last time the competition was held was in 2016, when the government provided $2.38 billion to 13 schools. Prior to this announcement, the single largest grant he received was $113 million, given to the University of T for regenerative medicine in 2015.
What is the money used for?
In the case of the University of Toronto, the funding will go to an acceleration consortium to support further research in self-driving labs that combine AI and automation to create new raw materials.
“From life-saving pharmaceuticals and biodegradable plastics to low-carbon cement and renewable energy,” a University of Toronto press release reads.
Launched in 2021, the Acceleration Consortium is a group of self-driving labs working to discover new materials and molecules.
Scientists use AI to input the traits they want to test and let the technology work backwards in a “boring trial and error” loop.
By enabling AI to complete these tasks, labs can evaluate molecular combinations at a fraction of the time and cost of humans.
Products being tested include biodegradable plastics, high-capacity, eco-friendly LEDs and wearable devices, corrosion-resistant alloys and sustainable cements, high-capacity batteries, and pharmaceutical antiviral coatings.
The funding will be used for research and development of self-driving labs, the industrial application of molecular discovery and development, and the commercialization of new materials while training scientists for the future.
Funding comes as Federal Reserve interest in AI grows
François-Philippe Champagne, Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry, announced the winners of the round at an event held at Montreal’s Concordia University on Friday.
This is because the federal government has expressed growing interest in investing in new AI as businesses rapidly expand their technology and access to it. The government’s 2023 budget specifically cites advances in artificial intelligence as one way to support innovation and production.
“With the best educated workforce on the planet, world-class academic and research institutions, and a robust startup ecosystem across the country, the Canadian economy is fast becoming a global technology leader, with strong growth in areas such as artificial intelligence. Leverage the strengths of your budget.
Artificial intelligence comes in many forms, from smart home features to self-driving cars. This technology can deliver results after being trained by humans.
Over the past few months, companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google have dominated the growing AI industry, creating technologies that can be trained to scrape information from the internet and answer questions.
The possibilities for mundane tasks that AI can perform are endless, because AI cannot work without a human inputting context into the database.
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