Dalhousie University has been selected as one of eight Canadian universities to join a research project into women’s entrepreneurship.

The university said its Norman Newman Centre for Entrepreneurship will join other institutions from across Canada to participate in the Women's Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub. The federal government is contributing $9 million over three years to the national project, which will be led by Ryerson University.

Mary Kilfoil, Director of the Newman Centre, will be the lead researcher for the Dalhousie team, and will be supported by researchers Eddy Ng, Martine Dourier-Copp, Binod Sundararajan, and Aaron Newman.

“The WEKH, which is part of the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, will advance research, gather important data and disseminate information related to the advancement of women’s entrepreneurship in Canada,” said a statement from Dal. “The WEKH will also deliver a report on the progress of women entrepreneurs in Canada.”

The statement noted that less than 16 percent of Canadian small and medium-sized businesses are owned by women.