The University of Victoria has launched a fund to help researchers thrive.
The UVic Research Accelerator Fund (RAF) aims to help researchers find solutions and speed up recovery from COVID-19. As the population calls for more strategies to navigate through the pandemic, UVic researchers have been developing various tools such as non-invasive tests and virus resistant surface coatings, as well as new ways of detecting and monitoring the new coronavirus.
Lisa Kalynchuk, UVic’s vice-president research, said the fund is also aimed to address the urgent needs of communities “in areas of economic sustainability, the health of individuals and populations and Indigenous wellness.”
“UVic researchers are driving recovery from COVID-19. Donor support unlocks and accelerates research with local and global relevance. The UVic Research Accelerator Fund advances big ideas to make real change in our everyday lives over the long term,” Kalynchuk said in a press release.
The first focus of the RAF will be on COVID-19 research, but in the long term will support projects targeting social, economic and environmental issues.
“UVic researchers are immersed in activities related to the determinants of health including mental health, healthy aging and substance use, and social justice and equality,” UVic stated in a press release. “The university is also finding ways to support entrepreneurs and industry as they craft and adapt to new ways of working in the wake of the pandemic.”
Source: University of Victoria launches fund to support, accelerate research – Goldstream News Gazette
