From the smallest of nanomaterials to the edges of our known galaxy, and every water droplet in between, researchers in the Faculty of Science are pushing the boundaries of knowledge.
This ground-breaking research has been recognized by the Canada Foundation for Innovation in their latest Innovation Fund grant awards, with six projects in Science receiving a total of $13,749,382. Of this funding, approximately $4.3 million is going towards projects involving the Department of Biology.
Professors Brian Dixon and Paul Craig from the department of Biology have received $780,000 for the creation of a new Waterloo Aquatic Threats Environmental Research (WATER) Facility.
Research from the WATER Facility will improve management and protection of Canada's threatened waters and ecosystems resulting from multiple and cumulative stressors. Strategies for managing Canada's wild fish populations and fisheries will be improved using the knowledge derived from WATER Facility research on the impact of climate change, environmental chemicals and pathogens.
A second project, led by Professor Monica Emelko from the Faculty of Engineering, in collaboration with Professor Kirsten Müller from the department of Biology were awarded $3,522,752 for a project named forWater AID: Advanced Infrastructure Development for forested drinking water source protection technologies in Canada.
This project will enable the state-of-the-art analysis of known and emerging water quality threats to drinking water treatability, as well as the year-round access to and instrumentation of Canada's world class watershed observatories. This will allow researchers to identify threats to Canadian water supplies and develop forest management-based technologies to ensure Canadian drinking water security now and in the future.
“Investing in research is an investment in the future of Canada,” says Roseann O’Reilly Runte, the President and CEO of Canada Foundation for Innovation. “These projects demonstrate the breadth and depth of Canadian expertise and excellence, and these awards are a tribute to the innovative researchers across the country.”
This grant was announced by Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau and supported by the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry on March 3, 2021. Across the country, a total of $518 million was invested to support projects allowing Canada to remain at the forefront of exploration and knowledge generation.