Community Engagement
BY THE NUMBERS
REAL-WORLD APPROACHES TO INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION
Driving student impact with our course: SCI888 - Evidence-Based Innovation
During Reading Week, 38 students took part in SCI888: Evidence-Based Innovation, a rigorous 40-hour course offered by the Science Discovery Zone (SDZ). This year, our hands-on program was designed to address real-world challenges related to NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard), focusing on issues such as homelessness, noise pollution, and land use regulations.
The course's practical approach was in high demand, reflecting students' desire for real-world applications of their academic knowledge. By integrating such courses into the curriculum, we enhance the student experience and contribute to community growth. Students benefit from immersive, collaborative learning, preparing them for real-world challenges through our incubator.
The course encouraged students to apply interdisciplinary strategies to complex problems. Teams worked intensively to develop innovative solutions, using evidence gathered from community interactions. The dynamic, hackathon-like environment fostered creativity and collaboration, providing students with invaluable problem-solving skills. At the end of the week, students presented their solutions, demonstrating how they used evidence-based research to tackle NIMBY-related issues.
SCI888 exemplifies the SDZ’s commitment to bridging the gap between education and real-world applications, driving both student success and community advancement. By actively involving students in meaningful projects, we prepare them for future challenges and contribute to the broader community’s growth.
Check out this article from TMU Today featuring SCI 888: Reading Week course applies real-world approach to interdisciplinary projects (opens in new window)
Bringing together the genomics and engineering biology startup community
The Science Discovery Zone is proud to partner with Ontario Genomics (external link, opens in new window) ’ BioCreate program, dedicated to advancing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in southern Ontario. This program supports companies in the health, food and agriculture, and cleantech sectors that have achieved a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4+.
BioCreate (external link, opens in new window) provides substantial support, including direct, non-repayable funding of $150,000, matched by an additional $100,000 from participating companies, leading to a total project size of $250,000 or more. Over 18 months, funded companies receive intensive business mentorship and access to critical infrastructure through Ontario Genomics’ strategic partnerships with the Science Discovery Zone, Velocity (external link, opens in new window) , Cleantech Commons (external link, opens in new window) , Synapse Consortium (external link, opens in new window) , and IndieBio (external link, opens in new window) .
At the SDZ, we are actively supporting teams awarded funding through BioCreate, helping them leverage the program’s resources to achieve commercial success. Our partnership underscores our commitment to fostering innovation and driving impactful outcomes in the genomics and engineering biology sectors.
Unlocking the commercial potential of STEM research across Canada with Lab2Market
We're in an era where innovation has become instrumental in driving economic growth and global competitiveness. Harnessing the transformative potential of groundbreaking research within Canada not only strengthens the nation’s global standing, it accelerates the development of groundbreaking inventions that can address the country's and the world's most complex problems.
Since 2022, the Science Discovery Zone has been a proud delivery lead of Lab2Market Discover (external link, opens in new window) ; a nation-wide program that empowers researchers and those curious about entrepreneurship to explore the market potential of their scientific discoveries.
The Discover program is one of four streams within the suite of programs in the Lab2Market portfolio. The four streams comprehensively support scientists from the point of curiosity and entrepreneurial discovery to launching their innovation in the market.
There are 37 partnered institutions across Canada, (external link, opens in new window) and together we are fueling a vibrant ecosystem of innovators and bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world impact.
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