Sensing, Data & Analytics for Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDA-for-SDGs)
The world is facing a complex set of sustainability challenges:
- Climate change
- Resource scarcity
- Environmental degradation
- Rising inequality
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for bold, data driven, and interdisciplinary approaches to address these issues, yet major gaps remain. Many regions — including areas in Canada — still lack reliable environmental monitoring and ethical, context appropriate data systems.
These challenges demand new ways of thinking that connect sectors like energy, water and sanitation, health, agriculture and the environment through integrated “nexus” approaches.
From the Director
“Who cares if you build the most efficient water technology if no one wants to use it? Engineering solutions must integrate both technical elements and an understanding of what people need and want. By combining the strengths of the information you can from social science methodologies along with sensors and data, we create technologies that are not just innovative, but truly transformative — improving quality of life for the people and communities who need them most.”
Amy Bilton
Director, SDA-for-SDGs
Director, Centre for Global Engineering
Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto
Canada Research Chair in Engineering for Sustainable Global Development
Better Solutions, Together
Launched in 2025, SDA-for-SDGs is a NSERC CREATE-funded project that brings together leading researchers, students and global partners to tackle some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges through cutting-edge sensing, data and analytics.
Built on a foundation of interdisciplinary expertise, the program equips collaborators with the tools to design and deploy advanced technologies — from embedded sensors and IoT systems to drones, remote sensing and machine learning — that generate actionable insights for climate resilience, environmental monitoring and sustainable development.
By embedding systems thinking, inclusive design, leadership development and cross-cultural collaboration into training and research, SDA-for-SDGs empowers participants to innovate solutions that are both technically robust and attuned to community needs.
Supported by a consortium spanning the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, York University, Toronto Metropolitan University and international partners, this program offers a dynamic environment where academic excellence meets real-world impact.
Collaborators gain access to state-of-the-art facilities, experiential learning opportunities, and a vibrant network of experts working across sectors such as water and sanitation (WaSH), food security, health and environmental stewardship.
Real-World Impact
This program will prepare a new cohort of Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) not only equipped with scientific and technical expertise but also with a deep understanding of the global, interconnected nexus within which they operate.
The SDA-for-SDGs program will fill a crucial gap in Canada’s training landscape by attracting a diverse pool of HQPs to empower the country’s leadership in SDG technology and policy innovation.
Whether you’re a student looking to shape the future of sustainable technologies or a researcher seeking high impact partnerships, SDA-for-SDGs provides the platform to transform ideas into scalable solutions that are rooted in the communities they serve — paving the way for continued progress and fostering resilience to address sustainability challenges that extend well beyond the 2030 SDG timeline.
What are the SDGs?
Created by the United Nations (UN), the Sustainable Development Goals are a set of 17 interconnected objectives aimed at addressing global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change and access to clean water and education. Adopted by all 191 UN member states, the SDGs are intended to be achieved by 2030.
The latest progress report on the Sustainable Development Goals calls for action in six priority areas: food systems, energy access, digital transformation, education, jobs and social protection, and climate and biodiversity. It also urges increased international cooperation and sustained investment to turn the ambition of the 2030 Agenda into reality.
Beyond the SDA-for-SDGs project, the University of Toronto established an Institutional Strategic Initiative called SDGs@UofT to catalyze research on sustainability development.
Our Work in Action
SDA-for-SDGs is designed to enable participants to reach beyond the traditional research silos, which can otherwise hinder innovation.
Explore our gallery of work in action via the navigation arrows. Click images to expand and display captions.
News
Events
Contact
Email
sda4sdgs@engineering.utoronto.ca
Mailing Address
Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship
55 St. George Street, Room 792
Toronto, ON M5S 0C9
Canada
NSERC Acknowledgement
The Sensing, Data & Analytics for Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDA-for-SDGs) is a CREATE training program funded by NSERC that will train next-generation of cross-disciplinary professionals across academic, industry, government, and non-profit sectors to expedite market-ready Sensing, Data, and Analytic solutions to these global challenges.
We acknowledge the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Nous remercions le Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada (CRSNG) de son soutien.
