Fundamental to Lethbridge College’s vision of leading and transforming education in Alberta, the Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE) is a catalyst for economic growth, sustainability, and social development in the region through applied research and technical services. Recently ranked 16th in the annual Research Infosource ranking of Canada’s top 50 research colleges, CARIE has grown exponentially over the past five years, with two-thirds of our $8 million (2022-2023) of externally funded applied research funding focused on agriculture. The college’s work is all industry-driven and the growth speaks to the high demand for an active agri-food ecosystem.
CARIE brings unique expertise and facilities to our region. We have three areas of agricultural research expertise: irrigation science, post-harvest technology, and controlled-environment integrated food production (focused on aquaponics, aquaculture, and greenhouse techniques). These areas are led by Dr. Willemijn Appels, Dr. Chandra Singh, and Dr. Nick Savidov, respectively. Lethbridge College operates a 385-acre facility and over 20,000 sq. ft of on-campus controlled-environment agriculture facilities focused on sustainable integrated food production. All are equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and enable our field-to-work vision for applied research services.
On average, CARIE works with 30 clients/partners annually in both grant-funded and fee-for-service projects. Federal and provincial funders affiliated with Lethbridge College work include the Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Sciences Research Council of Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Research Capacity Program, Results Driven Agriculture Research, PrairiesCan, and Alberta Innovates. Our researchers actively publish, and we have the ability to hire international post-docs, host graduate student projects, and hire student research assistants, expanding the knowledge we bring into our team and transfer to end users and potential technology adopters. Lethbridge College currently has nine post-docs and hire 20+ students per year.
https://lethbridgecollege.ca/departments/centre-for-applied-research-and-innovation
Dr. Brad Donaldson
President and CEO
Lethbridge College