With a value of $10 million each, The University of Western Ontario may be in line for two of Canada’s largest and most prestigious research grants.
The Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) program was introduced last year by the Government of Canada. Today, Federal Industry Minister Tony Clement announced that 40 proposals from universities across Canada, including two from Western, have made the shortlist.
Each Chair will bring with it $10 million in funding (over seven years) to be used by the university to attract a world-class researcher.
Western President Paul Davenport said, “This is an unprecedented government investment to help universities undertake international searches to attract the ‘best of the best’ in signature areas where we have already established a stellar track record of success.”
“Brain and mind research and biofuels are two areas where Western is leading nationally. We are delighted the federal government has recognized that excellence by including our proposals in the shortlist.”
Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging: Over the last seven years Western has invested more than $11.4 million in infrastructure for the creation and support of the Centre for Brain and Mind – administered jointly by the Faculty of Social Science and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, including the Robarts Research Institute and its Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping. Western’s imaging facilities and expertise are unmatched by any other institute in Canada.
Environmentally Friendly Processing of Canadian Petroleum Resources and Biofuels: Over the past five years, Western has emerged as a research leader in environmental sustainability and green energy. This leadership has led to significant federal, provincial and industry investments, and has attracted the support of a large number of multi-disciplinary faculty members from the faculties of Engineering, Science, Social Science and the Richard Ivey School of Business. Alternate energy and biomass conversion to bio-oil is an identified priority in research at Western.
Western’s Provost and Vice-President Academic, Fred Longstaffe, is in Ottawa and took part in this afternoon’s announcement.
In all, 132 submissions for CERC were received from Canadian universities and just 40 have been given the go-ahead to bring forward candidates for consideration by a selection board, which will identify 20 candidates for funding. Chairs would be announced by the fall of 2010.
Details are available at https://www.cerc.gc.ca/hp-pa-eng.shtml