TORONTO, June 26, 2014 - The Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) announced today that 39 researchers at York University have been awarded more than $5.1 million in NSERC grants, while five graduate students have received a total of $455,000 in funding for scholarships and fellowships. The funding was awarded following national, peer-reviewed competitions conducted by NSERC.
“NSERC’s investment in science, engineering and technological research reflects the strength and quality of the research programs at York and the commitment of our researchers, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to excellence in scholarship,” said Robert Haché, York’s vice-president research & innovation.
The Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology) announced 3,796 research awards today that will further discoveries in a full range of fields in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These awards comprise the 2014 competition results for NSERC’s Discovery Grants, Discovery Accelerator Supplements, Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships, NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships Programs.
In the Discovery Grants and Discovery Accelerator Supplements Competition, the funding was granted for research programs covering a wide range of topics, including:
- fMRI and patient studies of remote spatial and episodic memory
- Online Mining of Big Data Streams Using Cloud Computing
- 3D Augmented Urban Space Modeling for Smart City
- Advanced Design, Planning and Control Algorithms for Smart Distribution Grids
- Hunting for Bugs in Source Code of Video and Computer Games
The Discovery Grants Program supports ongoing programs of research in every scientific and engineering discipline. Discovery Accelerator Supplements, valued at $120,000 over three years, are awarded to researchers whose research proposals suggest and explore high-risk, novel or potentially transformative concepts and lines of inquiry, and are likely to have impact by contributing to groundbreaking advances in the proposed areas of research.
York researchers were also awarded $345,303 in funding in the Research Tools & Instruments competition. The funding enhances the discovery, innovation and training capability of university researchers in the natural sciences and engineering by supporting the purchase of research equipment and installations.
York University is helping to shape the global thinkers and thinking that will define tomorrow. York U’s unwavering commitment to excellence reflects a rich diversity of perspectives and a strong sense of social responsibility that sets us apart. A York U degree empowers graduates to thrive in the world and achieve their life goals through a rigorous academic foundation balanced by real-world experiential education. As a globally recognized research centre, York U is fully engaged in the critical discussions that lead to innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global social challenges. York U’s 11 faculties and 27 research centres are thinking bigger, broader and more globally, partnering with 288 leading universities worldwide. York U's community is strong − 55,000 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and more than 250,000 alumni.
-30-
Media Contact: Arielle Zomer, Research Communications, 416 736 2100 ext. 21069 /azomer@yorku.ca
