Over $22M going to UCalgary faculty members

Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this issue, read about more federal investment in research, plus 11 other stories you may have missed.

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🗳️ Question of the Week

Over $22M going to UCalgary faculty members

Late last week, the Government of Canada announced $693.8 million in funding for discovery and applied research, $554 million which will go to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) Discovery Research Program to support research on issues including environmental protection, food security, and sustainable construction in cold climates.

More than $94.5 million will also be invested in the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program to support 121 new and renewed chair holders at 39 post-secondary institutions across the country in a wide range of disciplines including health, sciences and engineering, social sciences and humanities.

"We are delighted to celebrate the exceptional research endeavours of our scholars recognized in today’s announcement, who represent the impressive breadth of our research disciplines and innovative approaches at UCalgary,” said Dr. William Ghali, vice president of research. “From making strides in Indigenous health equity, to broadening our understanding of hydrogen, their work exemplifies our institution’s position as a research leader in Canada and beyond.”

🤝 Funding, Deals, and Partnerships

• OCIF invests in Platform Calgary’s National Bank Investor Hub to unlock capital. The National Bank Investor Hub helps broaden the city’s investor pool and creates more opportunities for Calgarians to build their companies. Calgary Economic Development

• Led by former Solium CEO, CreditApp secures $2.7 million to commercialize auto lending software. Inovia-backed CreditApp aims to bring innovation to the auto-lending market. Betakit

• Rural Alberta receives $153M for high-speed internet; 120 communities to benefit. The province and federal governments announced funding for 24 projects on Friday. Calgary Herald

• SketchDeck.ai wins at Startup TNT summit by showing traction. SketchDeck.ai secured at least $150,000 at Startup TNT’s ninth investment summit on June 13 as founder and CEO Daniel Kamau used his company’s growth to land his third pitch since 2021. Taproot Edmonton

📰 Need To Know

• Platform Calgary released its 2023 Report to the Community. The annual report analyzes the past, present, and future of Calgary’s tech community. Platform Calgary

• Innovator of the Week: Pratik Ghoshal’s startup aims to provide access to affordable, reliable electricity. Ghoshal’s cleantech startup, ConnectX, was recently awarded more than $200,000 of investment to further its mission to modernize aging electrical grids. Avenue Calgary

• Times Square billboard features Calgary startup, UCalgary professor. Faramarz Samavati and his BigGeo team were top three in 2024 big Snowflake Startup Challenge. University of Calgary

• Millions down the drain: Water tech company says Calgary’s problems go beyond recent break. Alberta's growing population is putting additional strain on the province's already stretched water system. National Post

• Inside Avenue’s 2024 Innovation Event. The fifth annual event offered an exciting look at Calgary’s innovation scene by showcasing many of the companies, people and products that are putting the city on the map. Avenue Calgary

• Calgary tech companies earn awards at Global Energy Show Canada. The annual event focuses on technology, innovation, and sustainability in the energy industry. Calgary Tech

• Opinion: To compete in the future, Alberta needs to invest in innovation. This a province that knows technology and has used it to become an economic and energy powerhouse in Canada. Alberta does well by many standards, but we have challenges. Edmonton Journal