TORONTO, ONTARIO – Humber College has received six grants totaling $1.8M in research funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

The funding includes five grants from NSERC’s College and Community Social Innovation Fund intended to support college research projects in partnership with local community organizations. Humber also received an Innovation Enhancement (IE) grant designed to enable Canadian colleges to increase their capacity to work with local companies, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

"NSERC funding strengthens Humber's ability to contribute knowledge and solutions to foster social innovation in Canada and develop competitive advantages for SMEs in the area of data analytics," says Chris Whitaker, president and CEO, Humber College. "We are excited about the opportunities and work experiences these grants provide for Humber students and faculty researchers to impact society and industry."

Through the NSERC IE award, Humber will form the Institute for Design-Driven Analytics (IDDA) to develop competitive advantages for SMEs.

Humber received funding for the following projects:

  • Institute for Design-Driven Analytics
  • Affordable Housing Needs in South Etobicoke
  • Community Agency Partnerships: Best Practices for the Creation of Healthy Communities
  • Engaging and Educating Young-Adult Cannabis 2.0 Consumers
  • Experiences of hope, self-compassion and authentic collaboration: Foundations for a consumer-informed compassion-based human services delivery framework in a Canadian context
  • Measuring the Impact of 21st Century Experiential Learning on New Immigrant Workplace Performance

One particular project, in collaboration with ACCES Employment, will measure the impact of experiential learning opportunities on employment outcomes for internationally-trained professionals.

"Our ability to help internationally-trained professionals to overcome barriers to employment and successfully integrate into the Canadian job market will be enhanced by collaborating on this initiative," says Allison Pond, President and CEO, ACCES Employment. "This research will result in a deeper understanding of the impact of our bridging program model in supporting internationally-trained professionals to find work in their field that reflects their past experience."

More information about the funded projects can be found here: College and Community Innovation Program. Information regarding the grants can be found here.

About Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning  
Humber College is focused on our students' future. As a global leader in polytechnic education, Humber students receive in-depth theoretical learning and hands-on experience with applied research and extensive industry connections. Humber provides career-focused education to more than 33,000 full-time and 23,000 part-time and continuing education students across three campuses. A comprehensive range of credentials including honours undergraduate degrees, Ontario graduate certificates, diplomas, apprenticeships and certificates, prepare career-ready global citizens to move seamlessly from education to employment. More than 86 per cent of Humber graduates are employed within six months of completing their studies. Visit humber.ca.  
 

For more information, please contact: 
Nadia Araujo 
Media Relations and External Communications Specialist 
Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning 
nadia.araujo@humber.ca | 416.580.1364