Office of Applied Research and Innovation

Peterborough, ON — (December 4, 2025) — Fleming College has soared in the annual Top 50 Research Colleges in Canada rankings, climbing from 31st to 17th overall. The list, released by Research Infosource Inc., highlights the postsecondary institutions driving innovation and industry impact across the country.

The impressive climb was fueled by a surge in industry partnerships and activity across Fleming’s applied research centres. Among medium-sized Canadian colleges, Fleming ranked first in Industry Research Income Growth, marking an impressive 300 per cent increase in industry funding from the previous year.

Unlike traditional grants, industry income represents companies putting their own resources on the line to collaborate with Fleming researchers. It’s a strong signal that community and industry partners see real value in the expertise and facilities available through the College’s applied research centres.

“Our rise in the national rankings underscores the growing trust industry partners place in Fleming’s expertise,” said Dr. Theresa Knott, Acting Co-President, Fleming College. “This is a testament to the strength of our research teams, the innovation happening across our campuses, and the value our partners see in collaborating with us.”

Fleming College is home to three specialized applied research centres that address some of Ontario’s most pressing challenges. The Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies (CAWT) assists companies in developing innovative water and wastewater solutions that strengthen sustainability and environmental protection. The Centre for Applied Machine Intelligence and Integration Technologies (CAMIIT) drives advancements in artificial intelligence, embedded systems, and printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing. The Centre for Innovative Aquaculture Production (CIAP) supports the growth of sustainable aquaculture and food security across the country.

“Through our research centres and faculty-led initiatives across diverse fields such as healthcare, environmental conservation, policing, and community services, Fleming continues to strengthen its role as a trusted partner in applied research and innovation,” added Dr. Knott. “We’re proud to play a vital role in advancing innovation and supporting communities across our region.”

Through its research, Fleming also creates meaningful opportunities for students. Over the past two years, the number of paid student researchers has doubled, giving learners hands-on experience with industry projects and preparing them to enter the workforce with in-demand skills and practical knowledge.

With strong government support and growing industry investment, Fleming is proving that research impact isn’t defined by size, but by strong partnerships, innovation, and results.

Media inquiries:
Asher Lurie
Director, Communications
Communications@flemingcollege.ca

About Fleming College
Fleming College respectfully acknowledges that we are situated on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg lands and territory. Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 85 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Community Services, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 8,500 full-time and 445 part-time students, and 95,000 alumni.

Web: flemingcollege.ca
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Peterborough, ON – (November 3, 2025) – Fleming College has been awarded $357,033 by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR),  in collaboration with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The funding is provided through the College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF), one of the main grant types under the tri-agency College and Community Innovation (CCI) program.

The grant will fund a three-year applied research project aimed at improving nurse well-being at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) through structured resilience training. The funding announcement was made on October 31 by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

The project is led by Fleming College faculty members Jill Henderson, MN, RN; Wendy Morgan, MA-Ed, MA-CP; and Melissa Sherrer, MN, RN, from Fleming’s School of Health and Community Services. They are joined by Dr. Michael Ungar, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community Resilience at Dalhousie University.

"The nursing workforce in Canada faces severe challenges with devastating rates of burnout and projected shortages,” said Dr. Theresa Knott, Acting Co-President, Fleming College. “A recent poll from the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions reports 40 per cent of nurses intend to leave the profession within the next year. This funding will help address these workforce pressures and strengthen the future of health care in Ontario and across the country.”

The CCSIF-funded project builds on a successful pilot study led by Henderson and Morgan, previously funded by NSERC. In that study, the duo delivered resilience training to fourth-semester students in Fleming’s Practical Nursing program. Their research demonstrated clear benefits: participants reported improvements in overall mental health, increased self-awareness, better emotional regulation, and greater confidence in managing stress. Many also valued the group-based support.

With this new funding, the research team will adapt and expand their resilience training model to support nurses at PRHC and study the impact of the training over time. The goal is to support nurses' psychological well-being, reduce burnout, and strengthen job satisfaction, which are all factors that play a critical role in improving retention and patient care outcomes. The study offers a scalable training model to shape best practices in nurse support provincially and nationally.

“Fleming College is proud to support the well-being of nurses already in the field through this important new resilience training,” continued Dr. Knott. “While we remain committed to preparing career-ready nurses through our academic programs, this applied research project allows us to make a direct, meaningful impact on those currently serving in our healthcare system. It’s a response to real needs in our community.”

The project will also provide paid research opportunities for students from Fleming’s School of Health and Community Services.

Media Inquiries:
Elise Moore
Communications Officer
communications@flemingcollege.ca.

About Fleming College? 
Fleming College respectfully acknowledges that we are situated on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg lands and territory. Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 85 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 8,500 full-time and 445 part-time students, and 95,000 alumni. 

Find us online:
Web: flemingcollege.ca 
Facebook: facebook.com/flemingcollege 
X: @FlemingCollege on Twitter 
Instagram: @flemingcollege on Instagram 
TikTok: @flemingcollege on TikTok 

Peterborough, ON – (August 25, 2025) – Fleming College is proud to announce a major win for local innovation and clean technology: a new $450,000 grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to support the ongoing development of Canada’s first fan-in-wing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The three-year Applied Research and Development (ARD) project will be led by a team of researchers from Fleming’s Centre for Applied Machine Intelligence and Integration Technologies (CAMIIT) and researchers from Ontario Tech University’s Machining Research Laboratory (MRL) and Advanced Digital Design, Manufacturing, and Metrology Lab (AD2MLabs). Together, the teams will advance Horizon’s flagship aircraft, the Cavorite X7, a hybrid eVTOL built for clean, efficient regional air travel.

Through advanced simulations, engineering design, and manufacturing development, Fleming and Ontario Tech researchers will help finalize the design of the Cavorite X7’s wing-integrated fan system. This innovative propulsion technology enables the aircraft’s vertical lift off like a helicopter before the unique wing design transitions mid-air to allow for efficient high-speed flight like a conventional airplane.

The Cavorite X7 represents exactly the type of challenge CAMIIT was built to take on. By combining advanced simulation, design, and manufacturing expertise, the team is helping accelerate one of Canada’s most promising aerospace innovations.

The partnership gives students the opportunity to work as paid research assistants, gaining hands-on experience solving aerospace challenges and preparing for careers in advanced manufacturing, clean technology, and engineering.

“We are proud to continue this meaningful collaboration between leading Canadian academic institutions and Horizon Aircraft. Fleming College and Ontario Tech University have been incredible partners over the years, and have meaningfully contributed to our collective success,” said Brandon Robinson, CEO of Horizon Aircraft. “Together we will continue to push the boundaries of leading-edge sustainable aerospace technology here in Canada, employ the most talented Canadian engineers and technicians, and cement Canada as an innovative force that is committed to building a better future.”

About Horizon Aircraft
Horizon Aircraft, based in Lindsay, ON, is an advanced aerospace engineering company that is developing one of the world’s first hybrid eVTOL aircraft that offers industry-leading speed, range, and operational utility.

About CAMIIT at Fleming College
The Centre for Applied Machine Intelligence and Integration Technologies (CAMIIT) connects industry with Fleming’s leading expertise in smart technologies, advanced manufacturing, and prototyping to fuel the next wave of industrial innovation.

About Ontario Tech University’s MRL
The Machining Research Laboratory at Ontario Tech University is a multidisciplinary lab conducting research to develop and improve techniques in subtractive and additive manufacturing.

About Ontario Tech University’s AD2MLabs
The Advanced Digital Design, Manufacturing, and Metrology Labs at Ontario Tech University advances research and training in design optimization, simulation, additive manufacturing, and intelligent metrology to support next-generation industrial systems.

About Fleming College 
Fleming College respectfully acknowledges that we are situated on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg lands and territory. Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 85 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 8,500 full-time and 445 part-time students, and 95,000 alumni.

For more information, please contact: 
IES@flemingcollege.ca 

For media inquiries, please contact: 
Elise Moore 
Communications Officer  
Elise.moore@flemingcollege.ca  

Find us online: 
Web: flemingcollege.ca 
Facebook: facebook.com/flemingcollege 
X: @FlemingCollege on Twitter 
Instagram: @flemingcollege on Instagram 
TikTok: @flemingcollege on TikTok 

Lindsay, ON – (July 22, 2025) – Fleming College’s Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies (CAWT) has been awarded $450,000 through an Applied Research and Development (ARD) grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The funding will support a three-year research project aimed at identifying water system failures before they happen.

The ARD project is a new phase in a long-standing collaboration between the CAWT and Mueller Canada, a leading manufacturer of infrastructure products and solutions for water management. Echologics, a division of Mueller Canada, has developed advanced technologies to assess the condition of underground water pipes without the need for digging. Now, they’re teaming up with researchers at the CAWT to advance the next generation of their technology.

Led by Dr. Reza Moslemi, P.Eng., Principal Researcher at the CAWT, the new project builds on the momentum of an earlier five-year project that he also led as Fleming’s NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Predictive Water Network Analytics. Drawing on this deep foundation, the joint Fleming-Mueller research team will apply its combined expertise in pipe network modeling, hydraulic analysis, and machine learning to improve a tool that predicts when and where pipe failures are most likely to occur. This project will help municipalities better plan pipe renewal activities and effectively manage their aging water infrastructure.

“This new project builds on years of strong collaboration between Fleming College’s CAWT and Mueller Canada,” said Dr. Theresa Knott, Acting Co-President of Fleming College. “With the leadership of our NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Predictive Water Network Analytics, this partnership has already advanced the field of water main condition assessment. Now, we’re taking that work further to support smarter, more resilient water infrastructure. It’s a powerful example of applied research that delivers long-term impact.”

The resulting predictive model will become part of Mueller Canada’s suite of smart infrastructure solutions, helping the company and its municipal and utility clients make better decisions, reduce costs, and help support more sustainable and reliable water systems across Canada.

About Fleming College 
Fleming College respectfully acknowledges that we are situated on Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg lands and territory. Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 85 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 8,500 full-time and 445 part-time students, and 95,000 alumni.

For media inquiries, please contact: 
Elise Moore 
Communications Officer  
Elise.moore@flemingcollege.ca  

Find us online: 
Web: flemingcollege.ca 
Facebook: facebook.com/flemingcollege 
X: @FlemingCollege on Twitter 
Instagram: @flemingcollege on Instagram 
TikTok: @flemingcollege on TikTok 

What if something as simple as writing down three things you're grateful for each day could improve your mood, increase your motivation, and make daily life feel more meaningful?

Dr. Taryn Grieder set out to answer that very question.

A faculty member in Fleming College’s School of General Arts and Sciences, Dr. Grieder partnered with Kim Sargent, Director of Canadian Family Health Counselling, to explore the benefits of daily gratitude journaling—both in college students and health counselling clients.

Over four weeks, 67 participants completed a daily gratitude journaling exercise, writing down at least three specific things they were grateful for. It could be as small as a hot cup of coffee, a walk in the sunshine, or an unexpected kind word. Participants completed a Mental Health Quality of Life (MHQoL) questionnaire before and after the journaling period, measuring factors such as mood, optimism, relationships, and engagement in daily activities.

The results? Participants reported increased optimism, improved self-image, better emotional stability, and greater satisfaction with their daily activities. Many noticed a shift in how they experienced everyday moments—seeing more good, even during challenging times.

One participant shared, “This was life-changing! I now find myself looking for and noticing the good things to add to my journal… Instead of having a negative outlook, it’s changed to positive and optimistic.”

As the project demonstrated, this low-cost and easy-to-implement strategy could have real potential in mental health counselling and wellness support. The team is already looking at next steps—testing different journaling formats, evaluating long-term effects, and exploring the impact on different populations.

Dr. Grieder brings her background in neuroscience and education to this project, blending rigorous research with practical mental health solutions. And thanks to a strong partnership with Canadian Family Health Counselling, this project has already made a meaningful difference for its participants.

This project was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through Fleming College’s iGRO (Internal Grants for Research Opportunities) program. 

Fleming's Office of Applied Research & Innovation

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