About
Our mission.
To create, support, and promote applied research opportunities that benefit students, faculty, employees, our community, and the College while encouraging diversity of participants, partners, disciplines, and ways of knowing.
Our interdisciplinary approach fosters a rich exchange of ideas – blending expertise from diverse fields to tackle complex problems and create transformative solutions.
The Applied Research Centre plays a pivotal role as the central coordinating body bridging the gap between faculty researchers, external partners, and government funders in pursuit of innovative solutions for important social and business challenges. We strive to include students in this work, providing them with valuable hands-on and real-world experiences and developing the next generation of industry leaders.
Our four corners promise.
To solve pressing problems with immediate social and/or economic benefit to Canada and Canadians, we bring together the four corners of applied research.
01
Community partners
including for-profit corporations, not-for-profit organizations, First Nations, municipalities, hospitals, etc.
02
Expert faculty
apply theory to real-world problems, devising practical solutions through experimentation and analysis.
03
Student researchers
innovate, experiment, and analyze data under mentorship to address real-world challenges in applied research.
04
Resources
including advanced tech and diverse funding, including grants, institutional support, and industry collaborations.
Our advantage.
Research Themes
The Applied Research Centre’s primary research themes are natural products innovation, data analytics and bioinformatics, and social innovation.
Intellectual Property
Langara retains no interest in IP generated during the course of an applied research engagement. All IP remains the exclusive property of the partner. This is spelled out in detail within a Collaborative Research Agreement.
Tools and Instruments
Langara is home to well-equipped laboratories and the Langara Makerspace. The College has a wide range of sophisticated tools for conducting chemical and biochemical analysis, including cell biology and genomics. We also have well-developed toolchains for bioinformatics and data analytics.
Funding
Our primary source of funding is the College and Community Innovation Program (CCIP), which is administered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Since 2016, Langara has attracted over $12.5 million in research funding from federal, provincial, and corporate sources.
Our team.
Philip Robbins, MFA
Coordinator, Makerspace
Langara researchers.
Faculty
Faculty-led applied research at Langara College plays a pivotal role in bridging theoretical knowledge with real-world applications, thus benefiting both academia and society at large.
Our roster of faculty researchers cultivates innovation, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities among students. They foster an environment where students can actively engage in hands-on learning experiences, gaining practical skills and insights that enhance their academic journey and future careers.
Students
Student researchers play a crucial role in applied research, as their involvement not only benefits the projects they contribute to but also enriches their own educational experiences. Prioritizing hands-on experience in research allows students to translate classroom lessons into practical application, deepening their understanding of theoretical concepts and honing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Students have opportunities to collaborate with peers and faculty from diverse academic backgrounds, exposing them to different perspectives and methodologies. This cross-disciplinary interaction enhances their ability to tackle complex problems from multiple angles, fostering creativity and innovation.
Research ethics and policies.
The Langara Research Ethics Board (LREB) ensures that all research involving human subjects conducted at the College is in accordance with nationally accepted ethical standards. The LREB is an independent committee that operates free of influence, and its review process is guided by the core principles of respect for persons, concern for welfare, and justice. Research at Langara is supported through the Langara Research Ethics Board and a commitment to quality assurance. For more info, write to ethics@langara.ca.
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