CREDIT: PROVIDED BY DR. BEN CECIL, CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER FOR CCPV
Fanshawe ranked exceptionally well on Canada's Top 50 Research Colleges, placing first for research growth and second for research income

Fanshawe College has achieved an accomplishment that deserves to be celebrated. On the list of Canada's Top 50 Research Colleges created by Infosource Inc., Fanshawe has earned first place for research growth and second place for research income.

Research Infosource is Canada's tool for research and development statistics. The source is responsible for publishing Canada's Innovation Leaders, including Top 50 Research Colleges, as well as specialized reports.

George Brown led the charts for research income with $13.2 million and Fanshawe was a close second with $12.3 million. However, according to Dan Douglas, the Dean of Fanshawe's Centre for Research and Innovation, there is a team aspect to achieving research success.

“Recently we partnered with George Brown College to assess the nutritional values of a sourdough bread developed at Fanshawe,” Douglas said.

Douglas also commented on partnering with Western University, to develop an online trading platform for financial institutions, and an international project with the Institute of Technology Sligo in Ireland. On top of partnering with other institutions, Douglas brought to light one of the main factors that has contributed to research success at Fanshawe.

“One of the major factors is the funding received through FedDev [Ontario] (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario), for the Canadian Centre for Product Validation (CCPV). It also included funding for research projects across the college,” Douglas said.

CCPV is a cutting-edge Centre that is the first of its kind in Canada. The unique design has allowed for the equipment to perform a variety of tasks all in one facility. From validation testing to failure mode analysis, CCPV is able to bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization.

Although CCPV has helped contribute to Fanshawe having the highest year after year growth (564.4 per cent), the school has also had an increase in partnerships and the number of faculty and students involved in research projects.

“In terms of pure dollars, we will drop next year as we do not receive the significant funding for such large-scale projects as CCPV every year,” Douglas said.

Even though the dollar value will decrease, Douglas predicts that partnerships and supports will continue to grow and the culture of research and innovation will continue to thrive at Fanshawe.

“We should be proud as an institution of our ranking this year. Hopefully it will garner recognition for the excellent work being conducted at Fanshawe and create a greater awareness for London about what resources are located so close to home” Douglas said.

This recognition is a great way to demonstrate the level of research that is taking place at Fanshawe.

Research and innovation is incorporated into all programs to allow students the additional learning opportunity. On top of the research being an asset to the college, it is also beneficial to community partners, and the economy, on a national level. Fanshawe is often working on ten or more projects at a time.

However, since many of the projects involve students, the strike has resulted in a number of projects being put on hold until a resolution is finalized. These projects are funded activities which means they will all be completed, but may require an extension.

The best place to see featured projects is the Centre for Research and Innovation website at fanshawec.ca. Due to confidentiality, not all projects can be showcased to the same level.