Funding enhances research impact

Funding enhances research impact

Queen’s received more than $55 million in federal and provincial funding in last quarter.

By Anne Craig

August 7, 2015

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Since May, Queen’s University has received more than $55 million in funding from both federal and provincial funding agencies. The funding will help Queen’s researchers enhance the university’s impact at national and international levels, and will support opportunities to address the world’s greatest challenges.

“Research is a cornerstone of the university and is key to the positive student experience and to our reputation as an outstanding place of learning and discovery,” says Steven Liss, Vice-Principal (Research). “These five funding announcements reflect the excellence of faculty, students and trainees that we attract to Queen's, and further secure our position of strength in research intensity, innovation and educational opportunities.”

The funding received will advance research in health, cardiology, physics, chemistry, psychology, geography, biology and computing along with key pieces of infrastructure for various laboratories and research facilities across campus.

Funding highlights include:

  • Researchers Mark Chen (Physics), Stephen Archer (Cardiology), Cathleen Crudden (Chemistry) and Ian McWalter (CMC Microsystems at Innovation Park) received $16 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) 2015 Innovation Fund.
  • Twenty-five researchers received more than $16 million in funding from the Government of Ontario’s Early Researcher Awards and the Ontario Research Fund. The projects range from discovering dark matter to renewable energy to gender in the military.
  • Seventy-nine researchers received more than $14 million through a number of Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) programs. The announcement included funding for doctoral and post-doctoral students in a variety of disciplines including geography, biology, chemistry, computing and neuroscience. The two other funding envelopes include NSERC Discovery Grants and Discovery Accelerator Supplements.
  • Seven Queen’s researchers received more than $8.8 million in operating grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The researchers include Daren Heyland (School of Medicine), Christopher Booth (Cancer Care and Epidemiology), Christopher Bowie (Psychology and Psychiatry), Colin Funk (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences), Lois Mulligan (Pathology and Molecular Medicine), Keith Poole (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences) and Shetuan Zhang (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences).
  • Alexander Braun (Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering), Robert Colautti (Biology) and Lindsay Fitzpatrick (Biomedical Engineering) earned a total of $425,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation John R. Evans Leaders fund.

Queen’s distinguishes itself as one of the leading research-intensive institutions in Canada. The mission is to advance research excellence, leadership and innovation, as well as enhance Queen’s impact at a national and international level. Through undertaking leading-edge research, Queen’s is addressing many of the world’s greatest challenges, and developing innovative ideas and technological advances brought about by discoveries in a variety of disciplines.