CAPILANO UNIVERSITY
University receives $1.5 million NSERC Mobilize grant for applied research on regional climate action

On December 8, Capilano University (CapU) is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $1.5 million Mobilize grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The five-year grant will support CapU students and faculty in pursuing important applied research on regional climate action in the public and private sectors.

NSERC, Canada's major federal agency responsible for funding natural sciences and engineering research, works with universities, colleges, businesses and not-for-profits to remove barriers, develop opportunities, and promote discovery and innovation. This Mobilize grant marks the first NSERC funding award received by the university. 

The Mobilize funding grant will also support the development of a new Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Sustainability (CIRS) at CapU that will focus on research themes such as sustainable tourism, biodiversity, and the integration of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in community and business practices.

"Tangible outcomes from faculty-led research will include new university-community partnerships where outputs will influence business practices that will balance social, economic, and environmental needs alongside urban and rural development, impacting the good health of our local communities and across Canada," said Dawn Whitworth, associate vice president of Creative Activity, Research and Scholarship & Graduate Studies.

With the addition of the CIRS at CapU, students and faculty will drive innovation that contributes to our social and economic wellbeing. Collaborating with partners on and off campus, faculty and students will develop new solutions to the climate challenges we face every day.

Mobilize grants provide long-term funding to support post-secondary applied research initiatives focused on the priorities of the educational institution's partner(s). CapU will collaborate with community and industry partners, including the Howe Sound Biosphere Regional Initiative Society and the North Vancouver Chamber and its member organizations.  The grants are designed to provide flexibility to accommodate the diverse and unique needs of distinct institutions whether large or small, urban or rural, with established or newly developing research programs.