Western researchers are set to receive an influx of funding aimed at supporting wind and climate-related research.
On Friday, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry François-Philippe Champagne announced that Western University is receiving $3,887,057 as part of a $628-million investment for 19 research infrastructure projects at 14 institutions across the country.
Western will use the funding for its WindEEE (Wind Engineering, Energy, and Environment) research facility. The WindEEE Dome is Canada's only research tool capable of generating local and large weather systems, such as tornadoes and hurricanes in a controlled environment. Researchers are using this advanced technology to test and better understand the effects of weather and climate change on infrastructure.
"WindEEE is at the forefront of innovative research, creating new ways of measuring, testing, and finding engineering solutions for evolving challenges in wind and climate engineering," said WindEEE Director Girma Bitsuamlak. "This support will help us maintain our leadership in climate and wind engineering research."
The investments are made through the Canada Foundation for Innovation's (CFI) Major Science Initiative (MSI) fund, to support maintenance needs of research facilities of national importance.
"These significant investments in world-class research infrastructure reflect the importance we place on issues that affect our environment, the health, prosperity, and quality of life of all Canadians," said CFI President and CEO Roseann O’Reilly Runte.
The WindEEE Research Institute, located at 2535 Advanced Avenue, is also home to two other facilities including the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory, where the structural safety of buildings and bridges all over the world are tested, and another facility dubbed the "Three Little Pigs" where full-scale houses are tested by varying wind loads until they fall apart.
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