Dozens of researchers from Dal are part of a major investment made in social science, natural science, humanities and engineering research by the Government of Canada.
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and industry, announced earlier this month (June 15) more than $635 million in funding for more than 4,800 lead researchers and their teams across the country.
This will support:
- more than 3,400 new grants and grant extensions through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants program
- 1,315 research projects across Canada through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Development Grants, Insight Grants and Insight Development Grants
- 156 new or renewed Canada Research Chairs (CRC) at 36 institutions across Canada
Read more about our newest Canada Research Chairs: Supporting big ideas, discoveries and innovations
“We are proud to continue investing in, and celebrating, the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of Canada’s research ecosystem,” says Minister Champagne in a news release. “It is inspiring to see the ingenuity and dedication Canadian researchers embrace in exploring big ideas that will fuel the discoveries and innovations of tomorrow to make our world a better place and create prosperity for Canadians.”
“We are appreciative of the Government of Canada for this investment in the science and research ecosystem, and the ongoing support of our researchers,” says Alice Aiken, Dalhousie’s vice president research and innovation. “I’d like to congratulate all of the Dalhousie researchers who received grants from NSERC and SSHRC, and our newest Canada Research Chairs. Your innovative work is playing a critical role in helping create a better tomorrow.”
Pushing back and exploring the frontiers of knowledge
A total of 44 Dal researchers are the recipients of over $7.3 million in funding from NSERC’s Discovery Grants and Research Tools and Instruments Grants Programs.
The Discovery Grants (DG) program is NSERC’s largest and longest standing program. By supporting ongoing research programs with long-term goals, Discovery Grants give researchers the flexibility to explore promising avenues of research as they emerge. Recipients are not only making an impact on their field of study, but are specializing in research with the potential to impact the world.
The Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) grants program fosters and enhances the discovery, innovation and training capability of university researchers in the natural sciences and engineering by supporting the purchase of research equipment.
Some of the successful projects include:
Researcher: John Frampton
Faculty: Engineering
Project: A bioprinter system for fabricating advanced biomaterials
Researcher: Kimberly Brewer
Faculty: Medicine
Project: Development of quantitative multi-contrast molecular imaging
Researcher: Julie LaRoche
Faculty: Science
Project: Renewal of essential flow cytometry instrumentation for the study of marine microbes
Researcher: Mark Obrovac
Faculty: Science
Project: New chemistries for metal matrix composites
Researcher: Mike Smit
Faculty: Management
Project: Assessing the quality of research data infrastructure software
More on NSERC’s Discovery Grant program can be found here.
Addressing some of the biggest challenges of our time
A total of 28 projects with Dal researchers as applicants, co-applicants or collaborators received $3.4 million in funding from the SSHRC Insight Grants and Insight Development Grants.
Insight Grants build knowledge and understanding about people, societies and the world by supporting research excellence in all subject areas eligible for funding from SSHRC.
Some of the successfully funded projects include:
Researcher: Kevin Quigley
Faculty: Management
Project: Using scenario planning to address ambiguous risks – The future of tourism for persons with disabilities
Researchers: Matthew Schnurr
Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Project: Digital agriculture and surveillance capitalism
Researcher: Kate Sherren
Faculty: Management
Project: Using climax thinking to understand and overcome resistance to adaptations for coastal and overland flooding in the Maritimes and Gaspé
Insight Development Grants support research in its initial stages. They enable the development of new research questions, as well as experimentation with new methods, theoretical approaches and/or ideas.
Some of the successfully funded projects include:
Researcher: Jodi Lazare
Faculty: Law
Project: Prohibited advocacy – farm trespass laws, civil disobedience, and the constitution
Researcher: Raluca Bejan
Faculty: Health
Project: Following the refugee relocation scheme – ideological interpretations of EU inter-state responsibility
Researcher: Sergio Carvalho
Faculty: Management
Project: Linking charitable giving to investing in social ventures
More on SSHRC’s Insight Grants and Insight Development Grants can be found here.