Two research clusters led by UBC Civil Engineering faculty are among the 47 interdisciplinary Research Excellence Clusters supported at UBC Vancouver for 2025/26.
Funded through the Grants for Catalyzing Research Clusters (GCRC), these initiatives bring together researchers from across disciplines to address pressing societal and cultural challenges.
Smart Infrastructure and Construction Research Cluster (SICRC)
Led by Dr. Tony Yang, the Smart Infrastructure and Construction Research Cluster is one of 23 new recipients of GCRC funding for 2025/26. This multidisciplinary cluster includes expertise in structural and materials engineering, robotics, computer science, construction management, and infrastructure planning from both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan.
In collaboration with industry partners and international experts, the cluster is focused on developing efficient and cost-effective civil infrastructure solutions to address key issues such as the housing crisis, skilled labor shortages, and climate change impacts.
UBC Disaster Resilience Research Network
The UBC Disaster Resilience Research Network, co-led by Dr. Carlos Molina Hutt (UBC Civil Engineering) and Dr. Sara Shneiderman (UBC Anthropology and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs), is in its second year of GCRC support.
This cluster fosters transdisciplinary collaboration to strengthen disaster preparedness and inform risk reduction strategies. With a focus on multi-hazard assessment and inclusive, just disaster risk governance, the network aims to support policy and decision-making at both community and governmental levels, drawing on insights from British Columbia and global contexts.
Learn more about UBC’s Research Excellence Clusters.