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Canada-India Research Centre of Excellence
To help meet these objectives, on November 5, 2012, Prime Minister Harper announced that the Government of Canada has selected the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnership to Accelerate Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS) as the winner of the Canada-India Research Centre of Excellence (CIRCE) competition announced in Economic Action Plan 2011.
The goal of the competition – which was run by the Networks of Centres of Excellence – was to establish a centre that:
- raises Canada’s reputation as a research leader internationally by partnering with India on cutting-edge initiatives;
- provides a training environment to develop Canadian/Indian researchers with skills and knowledge in areas critical to the productivity, economic growth, public policy and quality of life of both countries and promote exchanges among them;
- expands established collaborations with Indian organizations to develop coordinated partnerships that will generate social, economic, technological and wellness impacts in both countries;
- enhances bilateral dissemination of knowledge, sharing of resources and technology; and,
- leverages existing Canada-India collaborative frameworks to provide an efficient, cost-effective and streamlined delivery mechanism for the proposed Centre.
IC-IMPACTS, the competition winner, will bring together a team of expert researchers, industry innovators, community leaders, government agencies, and community organizations from both Canada and India to address three important issues that affect millions of people: safe and available drinking water, effective public health by preventing and treating disease, and reliable civil infrastructure, such as well constructed bridges and hospitals.
The Centre will develop and implement solutions to these issues in partner communities in India and Canada, providing a real-world testing ground, with the goal of sharing effective solutions with other communities. The Centre will receive Government support of $13.8 million over five years. This funding will be administered through the Networks of Centres of Excellence program.
The Centre, which is being spearheaded by Scientific Director Dr. Nemkumar Banthia of the University of British Columbia in collaboration with the University of Alberta and University of Toronto and various public and private sector partners in Canada and India, will undertake international research, explore ways of commercializing this research, and establish community partnerships. Its activities will open new markets to Canadian and Indian industry while placing a strong emphasis on training a new generation of talented professionals to lead future research and innovation activities.
By producing and implementing new technologies and treatments, IC-IMPACTS will help improve public health, spark economic prosperity, and create positive social change. The legacy of IC-IMPACTS will be that joint training and knowledge sharing between Canada and India produced healthy and sustainable communities in both countries.
