Faculty and students at the University of Manitoba will be receiving almost $4 million in new grants and scholarships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
The awards were part of a national announcement made today by the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology); Rick Dykstra, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines; and Suzanne Fortier, president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
“Our government is investing in the people and ideas that will produce tomorrow’s breakthroughs in order to keep Canada’s economy growing and create new jobs,” said Minister Goodyear. “This research will improve the quality of life of Canadians, while helping universities develop, attract and retain leading scientists and engineers.”
A total of sixty-one researchers will receive $2,854,783 in funding from the NSERC Discovery Grants program in the categories of individual, subatomic physics, and research tools and instruments. An additional $80,000 is being awarded under the Discovery Accelerator Supplements program, and another $790,800 to thirty-nine young researchers at the graduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral levels.
“These awards are not only an investment in science and technology, but also recognize the degree of excellence we are known for at the University of Manitoba,” said Digvir Jayas, vice-president (research) and distinguished professor at the University of Manitoba. “I congratulate all our deserving recipients.”
“The scholarship and fellowship funds provided by NSERC make it possible for us to attract and retain the brightest talent in Canada, and we are very proud of the work that is generated here,” said John (Jay) Doering, dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Manitoba. “This support is both appreciated and well-deserved.”
NSERC Discovery grants support a program of quality research that will have meaningful impacts. The training of highly qualified people is an essential element of the evaluation process and an important selection criterion.
In total, $411 million will be provided through NSERC grants and scholarships to nearly 3,800 scientists, engineers and students at Canadian universities and colleges. At the University of Manitoba, the money will be supporting a wide range of projects ranging from natural resources to the science of immunology.
NSERC is a federal agency that helps make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for all Canadians. The agency supports some 30,000 post-secondary students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. It promotes discovery by funding more than 12,000 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging more than 1,500 Canadian companies to participate and invest in post-secondary research projects.
For the lists of recipients and descriptions of projects,
see http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/
For more information, please contact John Rymon, research communications officer, University of Manitoba, at: 204-474-7184.