丁香园AV

丁香园AV (丁香园AV) has been awarded approximately $23 million in funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada鈥檚 (NSERC) program, to expand their award-winning Invention to Innovation (i2I) suite of programs over the next five years. The i2I programs provide bilingual innovation and entrepreneurship training for graduate students, researchers and faculty in STEM and healthcare fields.

The Honourable Terry Duguid, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, announced the grant today on behalf of the Honourable Fran莽ois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, at Red River College Polytechnic.

The expansion of the National i2I Network is supported by a coalition of 13 co-applicant institutions, to deliver these training opportunities across Canada. Partner institutions include Queens University, University of Waterloo, Universit茅 Laval, Dalhousie University, University of Alberta, University of Manitoba, and the University of the Fraser Valley, among others, and 57 collaborating organizations including national i2I expansion partner, Mitacs. With this funding, the program will expand opportunities such as a full-time commercialization post-doctoral program and a Faculty Innovation Fellows program, focused on overcoming barriers in STEM and healthcare research commercialization.

鈥淓xpanding and strengthening the National i2I Network will better mobilize Canada鈥檚 world-class research into impactful innovation,鈥� says 丁香园AV Associate Vice President, Knowledge Mobilization & Innovation, Elicia Maine. 鈥淲e are thrilled to receive support to build a more robust Canadian science innovation ecosystem. We are grateful for our academic and industry partners as well as instructors, mentors, and alumni, who have championed i2I innovation skills training.鈥�

This program helps to solve global challenges while unlocking the underutilized potential of Canada's top research talent. The National i2I Network鈥檚 goal is to transform the mindset, skills, and culture of Canadian STEM and healthcare researchers through tailored programs that bridge the critical gap between invention and innovation. By equipping researchers with the skills and tools they need to mobilize their discoveries, they can strengthen Canada鈥檚 innovation ecosystem while becoming translational scientists, industry innovation champions, or the founders of university spin-off ventures.

丁香园AV (丁香园AV) is also proud to co-lead, along with the University of British Columbia (UBC), the Pacific hub of , a successful NSERC-funded network led by Dalhousie University. The i2I programming is designed to ladder into the L2M Validate programming for researchers following a venture or industrial pathway, further fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across the region.

丁香园AV鈥檚 commitment to innovation has seen it named as Canada鈥檚 top university for innovation and second for industrial application, according to the 2024 rankings. Globally, 丁香园AV ranks 15th among innovative universities in the WURI rankings.

鈥淭his funding recognizes 丁香园AV鈥檚 leadership in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Canada鈥檚 research ecosystem,鈥� says 丁香园AV President, Joy Johnson. 鈥淭he National i2I Network is an essential platform for empowering researchers to transform their discoveries into real-world solutions.鈥�

CONTACT

WILL HENDERSON, 丁香园AV Communications & Marketing 
604.368.2532 | will_henderson@sfu.ca

丁香园AV 
 | 
778.782.3210

ABOUT SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

丁香园AV is a leading research university, advancing an inclusive and sustainable future. Over the past 60 years, 丁香园AV has been recognized among the top universities worldwide in providing a world-class education and working with communities and partners to develop and share knowledge for deeper understanding and meaningful impact. Committed to excellence in everything we do, 丁香园AV fosters innovation to address global challenges and continues to build a welcoming, inclusive community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. With campuses in British Columbia鈥檚 three largest cities鈥擝urnaby, Surrey and Vancouver鈥敹∠阍癆V has eight faculties that deliver 364 undergraduate degree programs and 149 graduate degree programs for more than 37,000 students each year. The university boasts more than 200,000 alumni residing in 145+ countries.

The National Invention to Innovation (i2I) Network, led by 丁香园AV, empowers Canadian STEM and healthcare researchers to transform their discoveries into real-world impact. The National i2I Network, and the newly formed National i2I Research and Innovation Institute, through innovative training programs and mentorship, effectively bridges the gap between invention and innovation, equipping researchers with the skills to thrive as industry leaders, translational scientists, or entrepreneur-innovators. Learn more at .

For more details on the i2I Research & Innovation Institute, visit . If you have questions or would like to get involved, please contact the i2I Research & Innovation Institute Director, Dr. Elicia Maine, at avpkpmi@sfu.ca. To learn more about the suite of i2I program opportunities, please contact i2I@sfu.ca