Ground-breaking research from a number of Water Institute members has been recognized by the Canada Foundation for Innovation in their latest Innovation Fund grant awards, with three projects receiving a total of $7,615,829.
Professors David Blowes and Carol Ptacek from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences have been awarded $3,313,077 for their project Developing Innovative Technologies for Predicting and Remediating Environmental Contamination.
This project focuses on developing new strategies for cleaning existing contamination and protecting water resources from future contamination due to resource extraction work, industrial and municipal waste disposal systems. This research will lead to improved environmental management and protection of ecosystem and human health, enhanced environmental sustainability, and result in opportunities for commercialization of new technologies.
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 the 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.
Professor Monica Emelko from the Department of Civl and Environmental Engineering, alongside Professor Kirsten Müller from the Department of Biology were awarded an additional $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.
“Canada's researchers and scientists are some of the brightest and most skilled in the world," says The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. "Today’s investments will ensure that they have what they need to help us build a Canada that is healthier, cleaner, and more competitive.”
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.