The University of Calgary will update and modernize eight facilities thanks to $78 million from the federal government.

The money comes from the post secondary institution's Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) and is in addition to $162 million from the provincial government for new and ongoing projects, including the MacKimmie Complex project planning and the Schulich School of Engineering.

"Supporting our colleges and universities with these important infrastructure investments will ensure Albertans have access to state-of-the-art learning opportunities and create much-needed jobs to stimulate and grow our economy," Minister of Advanced Education Marlin Schmidt said in a release.

The eight approved projects include:

Engineering complex, phase 2B, renewal

Engineering complex, phase 3, renovation

High density library expansion

Research and innovation infrastructure renewal projects

Research field stations upgrades

Science A redevelopment, phase 2 early work

Utility reduction program, phase 1

Veterinary medicine clinical skills building expansion

Some of the work will include upgrades to research field stations, allowing for more modern methods of collecting climate data while investments in the utility reduction program could see gas emissions cut by 9,000 tonnes and result in savings of $1 million per year.

"This once-in-a-generation investment by the Government of Canada is a historic down payment on the government's vision to position Canada as a global centre for innovation," said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.

"That means making Canada a world leader in turning ideas into solutions, science into technologies, skills into middle-class jobs and start-up companies into global successes. This investment will create conditions that are conducive to innovation and long-term growth, which will in turn keep the Canadian economy globally competitive."