UBC’s Jason Loeppky is one of two statistics professors across Canada to receive NSERC’s Grant Accelerator Supplement.
Researchers win NSERC Discovery grants to continue research projects
Research scientists across several faculties at UBC Okanagan’s campus will receive more than $2.6 million in financial grants, fellowships, and scholarships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
NSERC’s announcement of more than $340 million to support academic researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and students across the country was made Monday by the Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology).
At UBC Okanagan, seven professors in the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences have been awarded just over $1.2 million. Nine scientists in the School of Engineering will receive more than $1.6 million, and two scientists in the Faculty of Health and Social Development will receive a total of $356,000.
In addition to receiving a Discovery Grant, Jason Loeppky, associate professor of statistics with the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, will receive a Grant Accelerator Supplement, providing an additional $40,000 a year for the next three years to maximize the impact of his research program. NSERC awards 125 Accelerator Supplements nation-wide each year. This year, eight were given to math and statistics professors across Canada. Loeppky is one of only two statistics professors to receive the supplement in this round of funding.
Deborah Buszard, UBC Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Okanagan campus, notes the NSERC awards recognize research excellence in several scientific disciplines and faculties at UBC Okanagan, with projects ranging from statistics, to cell research, flat-lens microscopy, to lung capacity at high altitude.
“We are delighted to see NSERC invest more than $2 million in research at UBC Okanagan,” says Buszard. “From investigation of the behaviour and composition of materials to research related to water quality and infrastructure, these awards will allow UBC researchers to make ground-breaking contributions in diverse fields of scientific inquiry.”
The awards announced Monday include NSERC’s flagship Discovery Grants and Discover Accelerator Supplements, as well as Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships, Postgraduate Scholarships, and Postdoctoral Fellowships. The funding helps researchers as they make new discoveries in science and engineering that push the boundaries of knowledge, create jobs, opportunities, and improve the quality of life of Canadians.
UBC Okanagan NSERC Winners
School of Engineering: Discovery Grants Program – Individual
- Shahria Alam
- Joshua Brinkerhoff
- Kenneth Chau
- Wilson Eberle
- Cigdem Eskicioglu
- Ian Foulds
- Kasun Hewage
- Dwayne Tannant
School of Engineering: Research Tools and Instruments Grants Program
- André Phillion
Faculty of Health and Social Development: Discovery Grants Program – Individual
- Ainslie, Philip
- McManus, Alison
Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences: Discovery Grants Program – Individual
- Gino DiLabio
- Andrew Jirasek
- Andis Klegeris
- Jason Loeppky
- Soheil Mahmoud
- Xi (Adam) Wei
- Kirsten Wolthers
Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences: Research Tools and Instruments Grants Program
- Kirsten Wolthers
Graduate students who received funding:
- Gyan Kumar Chhipi Shrestha—School of Engineering
- Mehrbod Estaki — Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences
- Ryan Hoiland — Faculty of Health and Social Development
- Taylor Holland — Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences
- Seyed Mohammad Rezaei Niya— School of Engineering
- Kurt Smith — Faculty of Health and Social Development
More information about NSERC’s announcement can be found at: NSERC Media Release.
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