Money for three colleges’ agriculture programs, nothing for southwest Alberta advancement

Alberta taxpayers are funding new research projects that will attract job-creating investment and promote innovation in energy and agriculture.

The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Red Deer College and Olds College are receiving almost $2.1 million in grants through the province’s Research Capacity Program (RCP). The money will help these post-secondary institutions perform cutting-edge research in areas like 3D printing, clean energy technology and smart agriculture, helping companies in these fields use this research to grow and expand.

These projects will showcase the innovative spirit that exists at Alberta’s post-secondaries, and will help diversify the province’s economy by training Albertans with technical skills in new and emerging technologies.

On Sept. 17, Alberta’s government announced it will move faster than any province in Canada to modernize intellectual property laws, making it easier to turn Alberta’s research and innovation into jobs and investment.

“This investment will help get Albertans back to work now, and prepare our next generation for the jobs of tomorrow in manufacturing, energy and agriculture. One of Alberta’s greatest strengths is our ability to tackle challenges through innovation. Growing these programs will make our province even more competitive as we turn ideas into reality, creating jobs and prosperity.” explains Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation

This spending will attract almost $6 million in additional research funding to the province, including more than $2.7 million from the federal government through the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada.

The Investment and Growth Strategy is part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan – an ambitious long-term strategy to build, diversify, and create tens of thousands of jobs, now. By building schools, roads, and other core infrastructure, we are benefiting our communities by putting Albertans back to work. By diversifying our economy and attracting investment with Canada’s most competitive tax environment, we are putting Alberta on a path for economic growth. Alberta came together to save lives by flattening the COVID-19 curve and now we must do the same to save livelihoods, grow back our businesses, and thrive as a province.

The RCP helps Alberta’s post-secondary institutions get the small equipment and large research infrastructure they need to attract, retain and develop researchers in the province. SAIT’s $1 million in funding will be used to expand its applied research training programs. Olds College is using its almost $1 million in funding for agricultural equipment, sensors, devices and computers for its Smart Agriculture Applied Research Program.

Almost $150,000 will go to Red Deer College for its Integration of Alternative Energy Lab – a teaching, research, and data hub designed to increase financial and scientific knowledge and access to clean energy technologies.

“Today the UCP announced $2.1 million in grants for the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Red Deer College and Olds College through the province’s Research Capacity Grant – a cost-shared funding program that has already existed for decades,” said Deve Eggen, in response to the announcement by Doug Schweitzer, NDP Official Opposition Critic for Advanced Education. “This is not new money. This grant is less than 1% of the cuts already made to Alberta’s institutions over 2019 and 2020. This grant will not replace the over 3,500 jobs lost this year alone. Alberta’s post-secondary institutions are key to the economic recovery of our province, and the UCP are making our institutions fend for themselves. This will result in higher tuition costs and diminishes the ability of these institutions to support staff and students in their capacity to drive innovation and prosperity.”