Two York University researchers will address urgent challenges in sustainable construction and biopharmaceutical development through $1.03 million in new funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
As recipients of NSERC Alliance Advantage funding, the projects will contribute new knowledge, strengthen industry partnerships and help accelerate innovation that benefits communities across Canada.
The Alliance Advantage program supports collaboration between researchers and partner organizations across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, focusing on projects that advance sector-specific innovation.
Successful York-led NSERC Alliance Advantage projects for 2025
Liam Butler, Department of Civil Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering
Project: Utilizing Mining Waste in the Development of 3D‑Printed Concrete Buildings for Remote Communities
Funding: $148,933 over two years
Canada’s mining industry produces substantial amounts of waste rock and tailings, which are costly to manage and difficult to repurpose. At the same time, remote communities continue to face housing shortages and limited access to construction materials and skilled labour.
The project, led by Butler and co-applicants Professor Magdalena Krol and Professor Matthew Perras from the Department of Civil Engineering, brings together Orla Mining and Printerra Inc. to explore how mining waste rock can be used as aggregate in 3D-printed concrete (3DPC).
Butler and his research team will: examine methods for evaluating the material; develop new printable concrete mixtures; and conduct tests to understand both short‑ and long‑term performance of 3D‑printed elements. They will also undertake a preliminary lifecycle assessment to better understand environmental impacts.
“We are excited to join this unique collaboration between academia, the mining industry and the rapidly advancing additive construction sector,” says Butler. “Together, we will help to address some of today’s most urgent challenges, including reducing industrial waste, increasing access to affordable housing and mitigating skilled labour shortages in remote communities.”
The work, says Butler, has potential to develop alternate use streams for mining waste, lower construction-related emissions, and support the development of durable, cost-effective housing infrastructure in remote communities.
The insights gained through this project will contribute to a scalable blueprint for applying circular‑economy principles across mining sites in Canada and internationally.
Derek Wilson, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
Project: Technology Enhanced Biopharmaceuticals Development and Manufacturing: Analytical
Funding: $880,000 over five years
Wilson’s Technology Enhanced Biopharmaceuticals Development and Manufacturing (TEnDev) Initiative is a large-scale (approximately $15 million) industry-academic platform that transforms drug and vaccine development and manufacturing pipelines using “information-rich” bioanalytical technologies.
Working with partners Sanofi, GSK, Jazz pharmaceuticals, SCIEX and Treventis, TEnDev develops tools that allow researchers to rapidly: characterize molecular structure and function in candidate vaccines and protein therapeutics; measure binding thermodynamics and kinetics; and examine how molecular interactions affect the structure and dynamics of target proteins.
“Analytical technologies provide mission-critical information to drug and vaccine developers as they undertake the expensive and risky process of discovering and selecting drug candidates for advancement,” says Wilson. “TEnDev technologies provide a competitive advantage to our partners by creating a uniquely information rich environment where candidate selection and manufacturing decisions can be made quickly and confidently.”
The work also contributes to Canada’s biomanufacturing capacity and supports a more resilient health innovation ecosystem.