Michael Bhardwaj
Media Relations Specialist
613-943-5346
michael.bhardwaj@innovation.ca
Yves Melanson
Coordinator, Media Relations
613-996-3160
yves.melanson@innovation.ca
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CFI Helps Make Canada a Destination of Choice For World’s Top Research Talent
June 21, 2006
EDMONTON, June 21, 2006—Canada’s research landscape continued its remarkable transformation today when Dr. Eliot Phillipson, President and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), announced funding for 103 innovative new projects at 33 Canadian universities. This investment of $20.5 million under the CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund (LOF) will support the work of 132 of Canada’s brightest researchers.
Examples of the wide-ranging projects approved for funding today include: innovative strategies for improving the world’s groundwater supplies; new technologies for harnessing wind power; the effects of emerging organic contaminants on human health and the environment; and computer-aided music composition.
“Today’s investments represent another important step in ensuring that researchers from around the world continue to see Canada as a destination of choice,” said Dr. Phillipson. “Providing them with access to the cutting-edge equipment and facilities necessary to conduct world-class research will make sure that this exciting trend continues.”
The CFI’s Leaders Opportunity Fund (LOF) is a new program designed to reflect Canada’s fast-evolving research environment by giving Canadian universities the flexibility they need to both attract and retain the world’s finest researchers at a time of intense international competition for leading faculty. The recent 2006 Federal Budgetannounced that the LOF program will receive an additional $20 million per year.
“Scientific research and technological development are essential for higher productivity, and a rising standard of living,” said the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry. “The investments announced today will help stimulate research training of young Canadians, ensure Canada’s competitiveness in the global knowledge-based economy, and ultimately improve quality of life in Canada and around the world.”
The $20.5 million investment was approved by the CFI’s Board of Directors under two funds: $17 million under the LOF, and $3.5 under the Infrastructure Operating Fund, an accompanying program which assists universities with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with new infrastructure projects.
Today’s announcement includes a project jointly funded by the CFI and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to support the work of Jacob Masliyah at the University of Alberta, the recipient also of an Industrial Research Chair position awarded by NSERC. This is the first project approved under a new mechanism that will see the CFI review projects jointly with Canada’s three federal funding agencies, a process that will streamline and simplify the funding application procedure for both researchers and institutions.
“This exciting new initiative is a great example of how Canada’s various funding agencies can work together effectively to fund different aspects of a research program with a minimum of bureaucracy,” said Dr. Nigel Lloyd, Executive Vice-President at NSERC about this new mechanism. “As well, I am very pleased that NSERC can continue to support the work of Dr. Masliyah, who is a recognized leader in the field of bitumen extraction and one of the most prolific chemical engineering researchers in the world.”
A complete list of the projects funded to date and a list of the approved funding for this announcement are available here.
The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is an independent corporation created by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure. The CFI’s mandate is to strengthen the capacity of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and non-profit research institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development that benefits Canadians.
For more information:
Angus McKinnon
Coordinator, Media Relations
Canada Foundation for Innovation
(613) 996-3160
angus.mckinnon@innovation.ca
Isabelle Fontaine
Office of the Honourable Maxime Bernier
Minister of Industry
(613) 995-9001
Michael Dwyer
Media and Public Affairs Officer
NSERC
(613) 992-9001
michael.dwyer@nserc.ca
Canada Foundation for Innovation / Fondation canadienne pour l’innovation
Leaders Opportunity Fund / Fonds des leaders
REGIONAL BACKGROUNDERS / FICHE D’INFORMATION PAR RÉGION
- Alberta - British Columbia / Colombie-Britannique - Manitoba - New Brunswick / Nouveau Brunswick - Newfoundland and Labrador / Terre-Neuve et Labrador - Nova Scotia / Nouvelle-Écosse - Ontario - Quebec / Québec - Saskatchewan
| Project Title / Titre du projet |
Maximum CFI Contribution / Contribution maximale de la FCI |
| Excavation of a Mycenaean Cemetery at Ayia Sotira, Koutsomadi, Deme of Nemea, Korinthia | $8,929 |
| 1 project / projet | $8,929 |
| Carleton Facility for the Study of Plant Metabolism and Development | $244,200 |
| Laboratory for Aptamer Discovery and Development of Emerging Applications Research (LADDER) | $120,523 |
| 2 projects / projets | $364,723 |
| Automated Fluorescence Microscopy System for Elucidating the Molecular Mechanisms of Human Disorders and Organelle Biogenesis | 57 520 $ |
| Dual Polarization Interferometer for Studying Photosynthetic Complexes | 160 922 $ |
| Hormonal and Stimulant Effects on Brain Development and Plasticity | 136 172 $ |
| Interdisciplinary Research on Infrastructure Renewal, Monitoring, and Management | 248 703 $ |
| 4 projets / projects | 603 317 $ |
| A High Performance Computational Platform for Research in Condensed Matter Physics | $124,901 |
| Advanced Control and Mechatronics Systems Laboratory on Networked Intelligent Vehicles | $126,680 |
| Clinical Assessment of the Hearing Impaired Using the Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer | $150,000 |
| Evaluation of Computer Defense Mechanisms and Network Data | $146,525 |
| Infrastructure for Innovative Research in Nanoscience and Technology | $97,632 |
| Laboratory for the Investigation of Brain Cholesterol Metabolism in Neurodegeneration | $120,142 |
| Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Involved in the CFTR Chloride Channel Activity; Role in Cystic Fibrosis | $125,000 |
| 7 projects / projets | $890,880 |
École Polytechnique de Montréal
| Adaptive Mechatronic Systems Laboratory | 101 594 $ |
| 1 projet / project | 101 594 $ |
Laurentian University / Université Laurentienne
| Mass Spectrometer for Identification of Bioactive Natural Products | $73,633 |
| Pulsed Electron Deposition Facility for Value-Added Advanced Materials Processing | $77,595 |
| 2 projects / projets | $151,228 |
| From Mitochondrial Genes to Whole-Body Function: Assessment and Implications of Muscle Energy Crisis in Human Disease and Aging | 199 935 $ |
| Intracellular Signaling Mechanisms Controlling Pituitary Hormone Synthesis | 160 000 $ |
| Investigating the Microscopic World Within Muscle Cells: Molecular Motors in Action | 199 842 $ |
| Structural Organization of the Editosome in Trypanosomatids | 150 019 $ |
| 4 projets / projects | 709 796 $ |
Memorial University of Newfoundland
| Laboraory for the Infrared Sectroscopic Study of Ions and Solvated Ions | $547,630 |
| Numerical Modeling of Geometrically Constrained Magnetic Structures | $156,711 |
| Resources for Large-Memory Computational Problems in Mathematics and Statistics | $116,456 |
| 3 projects / projets | $820,797 |
| Eco-physiology and Morphometrics Infrastructure for the Marine Macroecology and Biogeochemistry Laboratory at Mount Allison University | $146,706 |
| 1 project / projet | $146,706 |
| Delineating the Mechanisms of Microvascular Dysfunction During Gastrointestinal Disease | $80,000 |
| Integrating Basic and Translational Cancer Research Through Studies of the DNA Damage Response | $217,760 |
| Multidisciplinary Analysis and Design of Innovative Biomechanical and Automotive Systems | $100,000 |
| 3 projects / projets | $397,760 |
| Computational Biology Facility for the Study of Biomolecule Structures and Dynamics | 121 119 $ |
| Integrated Facility for the Elemental and Isotopic Analysis of Marine Organic Matter | 109 550 $ |
| Plateforme d’appariement de banques de données intersectorielles à des fins de recherche | 194 152 $ |
| Research Unit on Vascular Disease in Chronic Renal Failure | 193 952 $ |
| State-of-the Art Synthetic Organofluorine Chemistry Laboratory | 215 335 $ |
| Établissement d'un laboratoire de caractérisation fonctionnelle et moléculaire en périnatalité | 312 230 $ |
| Établissement d’un laboratoire expérimental en énergie éolienne | 171 965 $ |
| 7 projets / projects | 1 318 303 $ |
| Deuterostome Phylogenetics, Hemichordate Systematics and Functional Morphology | 113 787 $ |
| Establishment of a Functional Genomics Laboratory to Study the Molecular Basis of Behaviour Using African Cichlid Fishes as a Model System | 132 025 $ |
| 2 projets / projects | 245 812 $ |
| Laboratoire de vision panoramique | 82 622 $ |
| 1 projet / project | 82 622 $ |
Université du QC Institut national de la rech. scientifique
| Advanced Millimeter-Wave Laboratory for High-Speed Wireless Communications and Radar Sensors | 215 153 $ |
| Optical Zeitgeist Laboratory | 227 937 $ |
| 2 projets / projects | 443 090 $ |
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
| Earth's Materials Laboratories, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi | 389 629 $ |
| 1 projet / project | 389 629 $ |
Université du Québec à Montréal
| Laboratory for Electrochemical Reactive Imaging and Detection for Biological Systems | 299 147 $ |
| 1 projet / project | 299 147 $ |
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
| Platform for Quantitative Analysis of Neuronal Morphology | 196 649 $ |
| 1 projet / project | 196 649 $ |
| In-Vivo Micro Computed Tomography Imaging Suite for Bone Adaptations After Pharmaceutical Intervention | $222,240 |
| Oil Sands Engineering | $338,652 |
| Ultra High Vacuum System with a Micro-Particle Image Velocimeter to Study Phase Change | $173,930 |
| Ultra-Trace Clean-Laboratory for Environmental and Human Health Sciences Research on Emerging Organic Contaminants | $200,001 |
| Upgrade of a Prototype-Scale Load Frame for the Experimental Analysis of Novel Pipeline Materials and Structures | $113,503 |
| Self-Assembled Nanostructured Organic Materials | $398,741 |
| 6 projects / projets | $1,447,067 |
| Advanced Electrochemical Techniques in Pipeline Corrosion and Stress Corrosion Cracking Research | $165,516 |
| Laboratory for Advanced Materials Science- Fuel Cells, Sensors and Batteries (LAMS-FSB) | $265,045 |
| Project PlanSys: 3-D VR Planning System for Surgical Treatment of Lung Cancer | $176,487 |
| Supramolecular Interfaces Research Facility (SIRF) | $172,732 |
| 4 projects / projets | $779,780 |
| Canada's First State-of-the-Art, One Micron Nuclear Microprobe | $145,795 |
| Facility for Nutraceutical Encapsulation and Performance Research | $126,045 |
| Integrated Venous Function in Chronic Heart Failure | $126,828 |
| Microneurography Facility for the Investigation of Spinal Circuitry in the Human Related to Movement and Balance | $86,529 |
| Research Setup for Active Food Packaging Systems, Biodegradable Material Forming and Food-Packaging Interaction | $84,418 |
| Sustainable Pest Management in Field and Horticultural Crops | $380,282 |
| The Guelph High Efficiency Gamma-Ray Spectrometer for Beta-Decay Experiments | $149,364 |
| Tissue, Cell, and Protein Dynamics Laboratory | $252,319 |
| 8 projects / projets | $1,351,580 |
University of Lethbridge (The)
| Tissue Culture and Molecular Virology Infrastructure for Development and Enhancement of Baculovirus-based Technologies | $144,352 |
| 1 project / projet | $144,352 |
| New Methods for Composition Using Computer Technology | $90,578 |
| Novel High-Frequency Instrument for Interdisciplinary Study that Bridges Nanomagnets, Semiconductors, and Metamaterials | $98,689 |
| 2 projects / projets | $189,267 |
| Canadian High-Arctic Ionospheric Network (CHAIN) | $318,916 |
| 1 project / projet | $318,916 |
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
| Facility for Nematode Ion Channel Research | $38,129 |
| 1 project / projet | $38,129 |
University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa
| A Multimedia Centre for Research in Counsellor Supervision Training | $50,350 |
| Brain and Language Laboratory (BALL) | $142,304 |
| Equipment for Studying Cannabinoid Receptor Coupling with Opioid and Dopamine Receptors | $170,000 |
| Fermentation of Recombinant Organisms for the Production of Functional Proteins | $64,109 |
| Infrastructure for Smart Autonomous Mobile Robots for Rescue Missions (SAMRRM) | $62,864 |
| Laboratory for Cryospheric Research | $205,829 |
| Laboratory for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine | $139,998 |
| The Research Unit on Childhood Hearing Impairment | $126,351 |
| 8 projects / projets | $961,805 |
| Proposal for Development of the Regina Integrative Cognitive Experimentation (RICE) Lab | $123,445 |
| 1 project / projet | $123,445 |
| A Supercomputer for Numerical Simulations of Planetary Dynamos | $100,000 |
| A Protein Interaction Network of the Yeast MRP-Subfamily of ABC Transporters | $176,627 |
| An NMR Spectrometer for the Investigation of Environmental Soil Processes and Toxicity In-Situ | $300,000 |
| Biotechnology for Wood Fibre Processing and Engineering | $100,000 |
| Infrastructure for Semantic Technologies Laboratory | $113,821 |
| Laboratory of Metabolic Systems Engineering | $102,150 |
| Systems Biology Through Machine Learning: Adaptive Computer Programs for Denoising, Interpreting, and Integrating Large-Scale Biological Databases | $128,873 |
| 7 projects / projets | $1,021,471 |
| Canada's Centre for Spatial Data Integration (CSDI-Canada) | $79,926 |
| Emulation Testbed for Multimedia Over Heterogeneous Wireless Networks | $152,387 |
| Establishment of The Signal Transduction Laboratory | $159,306 |
| Geochemical Laboratory for the High Precision Analysis of Dissolved Gases | $200,000 |
| Integrated System for Mapping Coastal Transport and Mixing | $160,000 |
| Technology Integration and Experimentation (TIE) Research Lab | $270,154 |
| 6 projects / projets | $1,021,773 |
| Enabling Advanced Digital Ergonomics and Shoulder Biomechanics Research | $178,035 |
| Optimizing Osteoporosis Diagnosis and Management: a Multi-Faceted Osteoporosis Research Centre | $95,521 |
| State-of-the-Art Facility for the Development of New Biopharmaceuticals and Biomarkers for Stress Detection | $120,000 |
| 3 projects / projets | $393,556 |
University of Western Ontario (The)
| Exercise and Health Psychology Laboratory | $390,036 |
| From DNA Repair to Neural Circuits: Mechanisms of Cellular and Neurological Dysfunction | $211,226 |
| Laboratory for the Development of Innovative Groundwater Remediation Strategies | $227,770 |
| Novel Photocatalysis and SMB Technology Laboratory | $255,902 |
| Ultrasound Systems Development Laboratory | $227,281 |
| 5 projects / projets | $1,312,215 |
| Infrastructure for a Medium-Scale Green Technology Wind Tunnel Research Program | $100,000 |
| Self-Assembled Monolayers on Ultrasmooth Surfaces | $50,000 |
| Viral Preparation/Cell Culture Facility for Investigating Mediators Involved in the Development and Progression of Breast Cancer | $50,000 |
| Virtual and In-Person Research Facilities for the Health and Well-being Lab | $46,888 |
| 4 projects / projets | $246,888 |
| Infrastructure for Cognition in Action Laboratory | $112,023 |
| 1 project / projet | $112,023 |
| Infrastructure to Support Research in the Area of Organometallic Chemistry for the Activation of Small Molecules and for the Polymerization of Functionalized Olefins | $255,608 |
| Three-Dimensional Shape Perception: How the Human Visual System Uses Statistical Regularities in Natural Scenes to Solve an Underconstrained Problem | $152,477 |
| 2 projects / projets | $408,085 |
