The Short Report, September 4, 2019: Master of Information, ocean protection, beef research

Dalhousie University's School of Information Management (SIM) is offering a new title to prospective library studies grad students: Master of Information. The renaming of the Master of Library and Information Studies program reflects changes in the library profession as digital information has become pervasive. The revised program will support more career options related to digital transformation, data management, community engagement and human-centred design. - Dalhousie

Two new challenges have been launched through the Innovative Solutions Canada program: the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is inviting small businesses to develop a computer model that will help specialists determine which vaccination strain would be most successful at preventing and controlling foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in livestock; and the National Research Council Canada wants SMEs to develop new solutions for medical drug delivery and carbon manufacturing.  - CFIA, NRC

Ottawa has awarded more than $8.2 million for four research projects at Concordia University and McGill University to improve protocols and decision-making to minimize the environmental impacts of oil spills. The projects are funded under the $45.5 million Multi-Partner Research Initiativeto support collaborative research among oil spill experts. The funding for the research projects is part of the $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan. - Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Canadian research network PermafrostNet will receive more than $5 million over five years from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to support permafrost science. The collaboration between 12 universities and more than 40 partner organizations is led by Carleton University’s Stephan Gruber, professor and Canada Research Chair in Climate Change Impacts/Adaptation in Northern Canada. Permafrost underlies more than one-third of the Canadian land surface and nearly all of it will experience thaw during the 21st century. - Carleton University

CANARIE announced $2M in funding to support the Canadian Association of Research Libraries’ (CARL) Portage Network, a national, library-based research data management (RDM) network. The funding will expand Portage services and tools and add capacity to national RDM resources. - CANARIE

The Ontario government opened the Ontario Beef Research Centre in Elora. The centre will provide access to research and technology for Ontario's 6,800 beef farms, as well as support research related to animal welfare, reproduction, nutrition, meat quality and safety. - Ontario

Vancouver software firm Clio has secured investments from American growth equity firms TCV and JMI Equity totalling US$250-million, which represents the largest single venture-capital financing in Canadian history. Clio provides cloud-based services to lawyers, such as time tracking, case management and billing. With the new financing, co-founder and CEO Jack Newton said he sees the company evolving to become the operating system for law firms. - The Globe and Mail

Alberta Innovates, the Natural Resources Canada Clean Growth Program, and Emissions Reduction Alberta are teaming up with industry partners to fund BIOSALIX, a coal mine reclamation project in Alberta valued at $10.5 million. The project will use municipal organic waste from Edmonton to replenish soil at the mine site in order to grow a willow crop that may be used as a biomass feedstock for renewable energy. - Alberta Innovates

Google's Sidewalk Labs has partnered with the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan to launch Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, a company that will invest in “technology-enabled” urban infrastructure, such as dynamic traffic-monitoring systems using multiple sensors. - The Globe and Mail

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada announced a $12-million investment in Rockport Networks to support the company's $50-million Networking at the Edge (NATE) project, which will create software-enabled network systems for data storage while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. - ISED

Bishop's University is unveiling $9.3-million in renovated science labs, study spaces and a greenhouse this fall. The renovations will benefit students in astrophysics, biodiversity, epidemiology, cell biology and chemistry. - CBC

The government of Canada is putting $22 million towards a Low Carbon Innovation Centre for the Vancouver region, with a mandate to support green job growth while “aggressively reducing” carbon emissions. The project is part of a $183-million nationwide initiative called Low Carbon Cities of Canada (LC3). LC3 is a partnership between Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to accelerate climate solutions in order to meet 2030 and 2050 carbon reduction targets. - Journal of Commerce

THE GRAPEVINE

Saskatoon-based uranium producer Orano Canada announced that Jim Corman will replace Vincent Martin as president and CEO. Corman joined Orano’s predecessor company, COGEMA, as a geological engineer in 1993 and has held multiple positions in the company since then. He'll be returning to his home province of Saskatchewan from Paris, France, where he was director of projects and industrial support at Orano Mining. - Globe Newswire

Toronto-based real estate valuation platform iLOOKABOUT (ILA) announced the appointment of James Kelsey as company director. Kelsey led the startup of the Corporate Finance Division for Bank of Montreal, and most recently served as vice chairman of North American Commercial Banking at the Bank of Montreal. - Stockhouse

Halifax-headquartered underwater inspection provider Welaptega appointed Tyler de Gier to general manager for its global business. The appointment is part of the company's international growth strategy following its acquisition of global subsea equipment and solutions specialist Ashtead Technology in November 2018. - Offshore Engineer