Three Canadian universities were among 34 projects awarded grants through the ASHRAE Undergraduate Program Equipment Grants program. A total of $153,000 was awarded for the 2020-21 Society Year.
The grants are given to engineering, technical and architectural schools worldwide. This year seven different countries were represented by the winners. “Its goal is to increase student knowledge, learning and awareness of the HVAC/R industry through the design and construction of senior projects.” Grants are used to fund equipment and supplies for projects and two-year technical school projects that focus on ASHRAE-related topics.
The University of Alberta was awarded the grant for their project on “Undergraduate Gas/Liquid System Design: HVAC Components Demonstration,” the University of Windsor was awarded the grant for their project on “Novel Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) Adsorption Heat Transformation (AHT),” and the University of Regina was awarded the grant for their project on “Portable VAV System for Undergraduate Laboratory.”
“The practical experience that students gain through their work on these projects not only prepares them for the professional world, but encourages expanded thought and innovation,” said Ben Oliver, chair of the ASHRAE Student Activities Committee.
Winners were chosen from 92 applications – which is the largest number of applications in the history of the program. More than 50 per cent of applicants were new.
Successful projects were chosen based on relevance as an ASHRAE-related topic; long-term student impact of the project; amount of funding requested; and the participating student’s involvement with ASHRAE. The grants will impact over 4,000 students throughout the world, reports ASHRAE.
For more information about the program, please visit ashrae.org/grants.