Water research was among several areas to receive substantial government support this past week from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Canada Research Chairs (CRC) grants. The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, and member of parliament for Waterloo, revealed seven University of Waterloo award recipients — including Water Institute members David Blowes and James R. Craig — Friday during a special announcement in the University’s Science Teaching Complex.
$5.5 million was awarded to David Blowes, who will lead a research network investigating new environmentally responsible mining initiatives, funded by the Strategic Partnership Grants program and administered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Blowes, a professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences and a Canada Research Chair in groundwater remediation, will lead 15 co-investigators from seven Canadian institutions in the TERRA-NET (Toward Environmentally Responsible Resource Extraction Network) project. The group aims to find new ways for mining companies to reduce their environmental impact and stabilize mine waste.
Mining is an important activity in Canada, but the benefits derived from mining are offset by serious environmental and social concerns,” said Blowes, speaking at the announcement. “Within Canada, there are currently about 90 operating mines, and more than 10,000 abandoned mines. Responsibility for most abandoned mines has reverted to the Crown.
Among
Waterloo
researchers
to
be
named
new
or
renewed
Canada
Research
Chairs
(CRC),
Minister
Chagger announced
Water
Institute
member
James
R.
Craig,
from
the
Department
of
Civil
and
Environmental
Engineering,
as
a
new
Canada
Research
Chair
in
hydrologic
modelling
and
analysis.
The
award
of
$500,000
over
five
years
will
allow
Craig
to
develop
and
apply
new
hydrologic
modelling
approaches,
addressing
challenging
water
resources
problems
in
both
groundwater
and
surface
water
systems.
Read
about
all
Waterloo
faculty
who
received
awards
in
Waterloo
celebrates
$11
million
in
awards
from
NSERC
and
CRC.