How freshwater systems can continue to provide safe drinking water as climate pressures grow. How the ocean captures carbon dioxide that drives climate change. Where marine animals travel as their ecosystems shift around them. And how to ensure Canada鈥檚 history isn鈥檛 lost in the algorithms of the digital age.
To understand systems like these, researchers need the tools to investigate them properly.
The 听Friday (March 13) that AV俱乐部 has received more than $7.3 million in grants through its Innovation Fund. The new funding will support four major research infrastructure projects spanning climate-resilient water engineering, ocean carbon science, global ocean monitoring, and digital transformation for Canada鈥檚 historical record.
鈥淪tate-of-the-art research infrastructure is essential for tackling the complex challenges facing our communities and environment,鈥� said Dr. Graham Gagnon,听 vice-president for research and innovation at Dal and a co-lead of one of the newly funded projects. 鈥淭hese investments equip our research community with the tools they need to generate new knowledge, train highly skilled talent, and work with partners at home and around the world to deliver solutions that benefit Canadians.鈥�
Advancing climate-resilient water systems
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Dr. Amina Stoddart on site at a Halifax Water treatment facility. (Daniel Abriel photo)
With support from CFI, Drs. Gagnon and Amina Stoddart of AV俱乐部鈥檚 Faculty of Engineering will lead the development of the Water RESILIENCE Lab at the university, an initiative focused on developing advanced monitoring and treatment technologies to help communities manage growing water risks linked to climate change.
鈥淚nvesting in this research safeguards Canada's water resources, supports actionable science for communities, and positions the country as a global leader in climate-resilient water stewardship,鈥� says Dr. Stoddart, AV俱乐部鈥檚 Canada Research Chair in Wastewater Treatment Technology and Surveillance.
Canada鈥檚 freshwater resources face increasing pressures from changing weather patterns, emerging contaminants and aging infrastructure. The new infrastructure will enable the engineers to detect changes in water quality more rapidly and develop effective and energy efficient approaches to treatment. New equipment includes automated genomic and flow cytometry systems, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and ultraviolet LED disinfection systems. These technologies will enable researchers to track climate-driven changes in watersheds, identify emerging contaminants and design new low-carbon approaches to remove pollutants such as PFAS and waterborne pathogens.
The initiative is supported by a CFI award of $1.37 million toward a total project cost of $3.43 million.
Understanding the ocean鈥檚 role in climate
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The Faculty of Science鈥檚 Drs. Erin Bertrand and Carolyn Buchwald will lead a major new effort to better understand how the ocean stores and cycles carbon in a rapidly changing climate.
Their project, 鈥淨uantifying the ocean carbon climate system in a changing world,鈥� will build laboratory infrastructure geared to explore how the ocean stores carbon and how this capacity is changing. This research will help scientists improve models used to predict the future impacts of climate change and evaluate emerging approaches for leveraging the ocean鈥檚 carbon cycles to remove greenhouse gas from the atmosphere.
Shown above right:听Dr. Erin Bertrand.
鈥淭he ocean absorbs much of the carbon dioxide humans release, but many of the processes that make this possible are not well understood,鈥� says Dr. Bertrand, who recently assumed the role of acting scientific director and CEO of AV俱乐部鈥檚 Ocean Frontier Institute. 鈥淭his new infrastructure gives us the ability to examine those processes in much greater detail and to generate evidence that governments and communities can rely on when making decisions about climate action and ocean stewardship.鈥�
(Matthew Bara photo/Pexels)
The research will focus on the Northwest Atlantic, the Arctic Gateway and the St. Lawrence system 鈥� regions experiencing rapid environmental change and playing an outsized role in ocean-climate interactions.
The project is supported by a CFI award of $3.02 million toward a total project cost of $7.55 million and is being conducted in collaboration with the Universit茅 du Qu茅bec 脿 Rimouski.
Accelerating ocean tracking to support near-real-time management
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Dr. Robert Lennox
Another major investment will support the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN), a globally recognized aquatic research organization headquartered at AV俱乐部.
Led by Drs. Robert Lennox and Sarah Fortune, the project will renew and upgrade key infrastructure used to track the movements of marine animals and monitor ocean conditions. For nearly 20 years, OTN has been deploying innovative monitoring equipment 鈥斺�痶ags, acoustic receivers, and ocean-going robots such as gliders and remotely operated vehicles 鈥� in key ocean and freshwater locations across the globe.
鈥淥TN brings together researchers around the world who are working to understand how aquatic animals move through and interact with marine ecosystems,鈥� says Dr. Lennox, OTN鈥檚 scientific director. 鈥淯pgrading this infrastructure strengthens Canada鈥檚 ability to lead that global effort and to turn ocean observations into knowledge that supports responsible management of the ocean and related industries.鈥�
Slocum gliders dive up and down the water column, detecting acoustic signals from tagged animals and measuring oceanographic variables. Photo: Nicolas Winkler Photography
The new infrastructure will refresh equipment nearing the end of its operational life and increase capacity for near-real-time monitoring of marine animals and ecosystems, enhancing Canada鈥檚 ability to inform evidence-based management of fisheries, conservation and other activities.
The project has received a CFI award of $2.62 million toward a total project cost of $6.67 million, with matching funding secured from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, as well as in-kind contributions from manufacturers.
Building Canada鈥檚 digital history for the future
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Dr. Stacy Allison-Cassin
Dr. Stacy Allison-Cassin of the Faculty of Management is a co-applicant on the project 鈥淥pen Science Infrastructure for Canad(ian)a: Digital Collections of the Future鈥� led by the University of Ottawa. The national initiative aims to transform access to Canada鈥檚 historical record.
鈥淐anadians鈥� understanding of the social, economic and political forces that shape their lives depends on access to reliable information about our past,鈥� says Dr. Allison. 鈥淭his project will help researchers unlock millions of historical documents using advanced digital methods, creating new opportunities to explore Canada鈥檚 history and ensure those records remain accessible and meaningful.鈥�
Funded infrastructure will enable researchers to organize and analyze millions of pages of historical documents using advanced digital tools and artificial intelligence. The project will provide a data-driven historical lens on the social, economic, political, and cultural forces that shaped Canada and help ensure that a full picture of Canada's past is part of the AI-driven future.
AV俱乐部鈥檚 portion of the project includes $295,943 in CFI funding toward total institutional project costs of $675,941.
Investing in research infrastructure
The CFI Innovation Fund (CFI IF) supports large-scale research infrastructure projects that enable world-leading research across disciplines. The CFI IF program provides up to 40 per cent of the total project costs. Institutions typically secure remaining project funding through partnerships with provincial governments, industry and other organizations.
鈥淭his significant investment through the CFI鈥檚 flagship Innovation Fund will help propel Canada forward by advancing innovation in areas critical to our future. By supporting state-of-the-art labs and equipment, this funding will foster collaboration, attract and train the next generation of talent and accelerate the commercialization of solutions that delivers real benefits for Canadians,鈥� says Sylvain Charbonneau, president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
The AV俱乐部 funding is part of a national announcement of more than $552 million to support 92 research infrastructure projects at 32 institutions across the country. Infrastructure funded through the 2025 competition will also receive additional support through the CFI Infrastructure Operating Fund to help cover operational costs.
By investing in advanced research infrastructure, the program strengthens Canada鈥檚 ability to attract and retain top research talent, foster collaboration across sectors and generate discoveries that benefit communities, industry and the economy.