SASKATOON — Innovation Saskatchewan is allocating more than $166,000 in two applied research projects at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in bioscience and geospatial science through the Innovation and Science Fund (ISF).
ISF matches federal innovation funding dollars for projects from Saskatchewan universities, colleges and research institutes to promote research excellence and competitiveness in the province.
“Saskatchewan continues to be a global leader in applied research, helping industries address challenges and deliver high-quality products to market,” Innovation Saskatchewan CEO Kari Harvey said. “This investment will expand Saskatchewan’s research capacity in agriculture and natural resources, driving economic growth in two key sectors and advancing the 2030 Growth Plan goals.”
The program funding, with matching funding provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), supports the purchase of equipment for two projects that will advance applied research in bioscience and geospatial science:
Photo courtesy Saskatchewan Polytechnic
- $96,171 – Cannabis Plant Quality Improvement Applied Research and Analytical Lab led by Blaine Chartrand. This project addresses the need for robust cannabis crop breeding programs. The funding will be used to install growth chambers in the BioScience Applied Research Centre (BARC) to improve plant quality, as well as support genetics research, and the development of propagation methods for better value-added products in agriculture and life science industries.
- $70,000 – Geospatial and Remote Sensing Tools for Sustainability project led by Dr. Abdul Raouf. This project addresses the growing demand for more comprehensive geospatial data in resource industries like mining, energy and forestry, and to support Indigenous-partnered research in land use mapping. The funding will be used to acquire a suite of sensors and a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System platform to provide additional capacity for primary data collection and analysis tools to increase capacity for mapping natural resources, community infrastructures and environmentally vulnerable zones.
Both projects leverage Sask Polytech’s strong applied research presence in bioscience and geospatial science as part of the Sustainability-Led Integrated Centres of Excellence (SLICE), providing an opportunity for Saskatchewan to be on the forefront of emerging fields and innovations in core sectors like mining, energy and agriculture.
Additionally, this investment will help attract and retain highly qualified researchers, train the next generation of scientists and strengthen Saskatchewan’s world-class research community while highlighting the vital contributions of post-secondary institutions like Sask Polytech.
“We’re extremely grateful to Innovation Saskatchewan for investing in applied research and enabling our faculty and students to continue addressing sustainability challenges, in collaboration with our industry and community partners,” says Dr. Larry Rosia, Saskatchewan Polytechnic president and CEO. “This funding will allow our teams to improve opportunities for students by expanding the capabilities of our BioScience Applied Research Centre in Saskatoon and by establishing a new geospatial hub at the Regina campus.”
Since 2018, Innovation Saskatchewan has provided more than $18 million in ISF funding, supporting more than $137 million of additional investment.
Photo courtesy Saskatchewan Polytechnic
