Aurora College Receives Over $2 Million in Funding from NSERC

June, 20 2019

On June 13th, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, announced funding of over $73 million through the College and Community Innovation (CCI) Program and the College-Industry Innovation Fund (CIIF). Aurora College was the recipient of 3 awards.

The newly created Arts, Crafts & Technology Micro-manufacturing Centre (ACTMC) received 2 grants. The first, $1.75 million from CCI's Technology Access Centre (TAC), is to merge traditional arts and crafts with micro-manufacturing. The ACTMC is a collaborative endeavour that provides the space, equipment, training and ongoing support to artists in the Beaufort Delta who are interested in merging their artistry with modern technology and micro-manufacturing techniques.  The centre provides a fully-equipped and resourced space where artists can access new technologies to grow their small businesses and pursue existing and emerging economic opportunities. The ACTMC also received an Applied Research and Tools Instrument (ARTI) grant for $144,873.00 to purchase equipment for the TAC. 

The third grant is an ARTI award for equipment for the Applied Permafrost-Infrastructure Research Hub. The Permafrost Hub is a collaborative research hub that supports innovative and applied permafrost monitoring and research in the north. The project has received funding from multiple other sources, including a $200 000 NSERC Innovation Enhancement award. The Applied Permafrost-Infrastructure Research Hub will be instrumental in mitigating climate-change adaptation in the region and will also enhance local capacity in applied permafrost monitoring and research.