The Government of Saskatchewan to Provide $6.3 Million in Funding to Establish Four Nuclear Research Chairs in Saskatchewan

The Province of Saskatchewan through SaskPower will invest $6.3 million during the next six years to establish four new nuclear research chairs at post-secondary institutions in the province.

The chairs, whose work will support nuclear science and the deployment of nuclear energy generation in Saskatchewan, are made possible by partnerships with the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE) and the Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation.

“We are committed to a reliable and affordable provincial electricity system powered by nuclear energy. Including a provincial economy strengthened by a world-leading nuclear industry,” Minister Responsible for SaskPower Jeremy Harrison said. “These four new research chairs will help build the nuclear engineering capacity and training Saskatchewan will need as we move toward our future nuclear reality.”

The funding includes $3.3 million over six years in order to join UNENE and establish Western Canada's first two UNENE nuclear research chairs. One at the University of Regina and the other at the University of Saskatchewan.

Another $3 million will be invested over six years with the Fedoruk Centre to establish two additional nuclear research chairs. One chair will be located at Saskatchewan Polytechnic and develop training programs to prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers in the nuclear sector. The other chair will be at the First Nations University of Canada and research how to best integrate and support the use of Indigenous knowledge in the licensing, construction, and operation of nuclear power facilities.