NBIF Chair announces $6M for innovation research chairs – speech

Minister Carr, M le recteur, invited guests, ladies and gentlemen.

It’s with great pleasure that I stand here today to say a few words about our new Innovation Research Chairs initiative.

At NBIF, we understand that to build an innovation-based economy, you’ve got to have all of the preconditions for what makes that happen. On one side we need incredible talent to do applied research and develop new products, processes and technology.

On the other side we need both entrepreneurial talent and partnerships with industry to commercialize innovations developed right here in New Brunswick.

At NBIF we know that it’s the combination of these two vital communities…academia and business that will play a critical role in creating the economy we need right now, and for future generations.

These new research chairs will have a phenomenal impact on what NBIF has been working to do since its inception in 2003. To expand the province’s capacity to do innovative, applied research. It’s one thing to put millions of dollars into research facilities, and another to staff them with the outstanding talent they need. The deadline for letters of intent is January 15, 2014.

Développer le talent nécessaire pour réaliser de la recherche appliquée n’est pas nouveau pour la fondation. Depuis ses débuts, elle a aidé les institutions d’enseignement postsecondaire à recruter 47 nouveaux chercheurs de haut calibre avec son programme d’aide au recrutement.

Ici même à l’U de M, par exemple, nous avons octroyé 100 000 $ pour aider l’université à recruter Marc Surette qui travaillait alors aux États-Unis pour Pilot Technologies. Ces fonds l’ont certainement incité à venir s’installer au Nouveau-Brunswick et l’ont aidé à mieux équiper son laboratoire.

NBIF has also provided funding for 67 research technicians and almost a thousand student research assistants.

Why? Because at NBIF, innovation is our business, and the research community’s contribution to the province’s economy both now and in the future is an important part of our corporate strategy.

With NBIF’s running total of 30 million dollars invested in applied research in New Brunswick, researchers have been able to access hundreds of millions more from other agencies and industries.

Like you heard before, our new research chairs will provide $200,000 per year for five years to each new researcher chosen. Plus, each researcher will also receive an NBIF-funded research technician and two student research assistants in the first year, a value of $95,000.
But today, we have something more to announce as well. In addition to our chairs program, NBIF has decided to double the value of its startup grants from $100,000 to up to $200,000 to help recruit new applied research talent to the province’s research organizations.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The best professors attract the best students, and with that, our aim is to do whatever it takes to create the environment they need to collaborate with us as we continue to build the province’s innovation-based economy.

I’m confident that with all of the tremendous opportunities we’ve put forth to the applied research community in the past few months, we will attract and keep the talent we need to create a more prosperous New Brunswick.

Thank you

Merci