NSERC awards $35 M to 91社区-led research projects
Today, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, announced an investment of more than $588 million through the Nearly $35 million of this investment will go to 128 91社区-led projects. 91社区鈥檚 early career researchers, those who have held an independent academic position for 5 years or less, lead thirty of these projects. The funding, stemming from the $4 billion for research committed in Budget 2018, will also support graduate scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships for students in the natural sciences and engineering.
鈥�91社区 is grateful for the significant and flexible funding for fundamental research programs provided by NSERC,鈥� said Martha Crago, Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation. 鈥淭hanks to the Discovery Grants program, 91社区鈥檚 impressive cohort of researchers pursue diverse research topics, from the burgeoning field of 鈥榯ailor made鈥� quantum matter to studies of how biological diversity is responding to climate change.鈥�
Professor Guillaume Gervais鈥攁 91社区 physicist鈥攚ill continue his discovery research program with a grant for the project, Frontiers of Quantum Matter On-a-Chip! Starting from raw semiconducting material, Gervais鈥� lab creates structures for electrons, or nanoholes for quantum fluids, using cutting-edge clean room fabrication processes evolved from the nanotech community. His research is pushing the boundaries of existing paradigms, tackling among other topics the development of thermodynamics on a chip. His team was the first to report quantum oscillations in black phosphorous, a prospective graphene substitute.
Discovery grantee Professor Andrew Gonzalez is tackling one of the greatest global challenges of our time: how human activities are altering the processes that maintain and generate biodiversity. His research has the potential to produce direct advice to municipal and provincial governments for conservation policy, planning and action, specifically related to the design of an ecological network for the Saint-Laurence Lowlands.
鈥淭he funding announced today demonstrates our strong and enduring commitment to science and researchers鈥�, said the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport. 鈥淪ince taking office, our government has worked hard to bring science and research back to their rightful place and this historic investment in the discoveries of tomorrow is just one example of how we are achieving this goal.鈥�
By Meaghan Thurston, Senior Communications Officer, Research and Innovation
