Research

We have identified four strategic areas of research:

Energy + Minerals

Energy, minerals, and mining represent areas of historic success for the Faculty of Engineering. The faculty has received tremendous support from the energy industry in our province, and energy remains an area of interest for the Government of Alberta and one of the five Signature Areas of the U of A. Energy and mineral expertise span our four departments and represent a significant portion of our products in education and research. Growing our leadership in this target area is paramount for achieving a reputation as a top engineering program in Canada.

Resilient Infrastructure

The Faculty of Engineering hosts a number of nationally and internationally recognized research centers and educational programs in areas related to infrastructure. The extension of our expertise into infrastructure resilience is well-suited to address the challenges stemming from climate change and the energy transition towards Net Zero and to continue to position the faculty as a center of excellence in this area.

Climate + the Environment

The Faculty of Engineering has developed expertise in a variety of fields related to environmental sustainability, becoming an internationally recognized center of excellence for wastewater management and treatment, carbon capture and storage, and surface water management. Researchers in this area have established long-standing partnerships with private and public sector organizations. Our areas of expertise include air quality, solid waste treatment, climate management in remote and indigenous areas, and remediation of mine tailings.

Emerging + Advanced Technologies

Demand from both students and industry for additional learning and research opportunities in emerging technologies (including mechatronics, autonomous systems, nanosystems, materials, and artificial intelligence applications to engineering) is the way for innovation. Emerging and advanced technologies drive innovation across all sectors. The discovery and application of these technologies remain a fundamental priority and a key ingredient to economic prosperity and job creation (Government of Alberta ATIS 2022). Our focus on the integration of multiple subfields in engineering is bolstered through collaborations within the College of Natural and Applied Sciences and in the delivery of a new program in mechatronics to solidify excellence in this area, as well as the world-class engineering and health sciences research and teaching programs in the College of Natural and Applied Sciences and the College of Health Sciences to expand and streamline the biomedical engineering teaching and research program.