Student researchers at work in an engineering lab at UBC's Okanagan campus.
Biologists, engineers, statisticians, chemists and a number of grad students at UBC’s Okanagan campus will benefit from federal research grants announced Thursday.
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) announced more than $465 million for some 4,000 awards as part of the discovery research programs for researchers across Canada; with almost $2.5 million coming to UBC’s Okanagan campus.
“We are very pleased with the success of our faculty in this latest round of funding,” says Phil Barker, vice-principal of research at UBC’s Okanagan campus. “This reflects outstanding work from our researchers and the strong upward trajectory of research on this campus. We thank NSERC for the Discovery Grant program and for their continued support of our efforts."
Twelve UBC Okanagan researchers, coming from both the School of Engineering and the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, were awarded Discovery Grants.
Discovery Grants support ongoing research projects with long-term goals, says NSERC President B. Mario Pinto, explaining they sustain the creativity and exploration that are at the heart of all research advances.
“Discoveries build the necessary foundation for an innovative, prosperous and sustainable society,” says Pinto. “A diversified and high-quality research base requires us to provide equality of opportunity across gender and culture. Bringing together multiple points of view strengthens our science, technology and innovation ecosystem and extends its many benefits more equally.”
Barker also points out that along with a Discovery Grant, Assistant Professor Kyle Larson, who teaches Earth and Environmental Sciences and Physical Geography, was awarded a prestigious three-year Discovery Accelerator grant, which will assist in his structural geological research focused on plate tectonics.
Along with the Discovery Grants, nine UBC Okanagan graduate students were awarded Canada Graduate Scholarships totaling more than $733,000 in funding for the student-led research. The student scholarships are intended to help develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students.
Learn more about NSERC here: nserc-crsng.gc.ca
UBC Okanagan 2016 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada recipients are:
Irving K Barber School of Arts and Sciences
Discovery grants
- Dan Durall, associate professor, biology
- Kevin Smith, professor, chemistry
- Wesley Zandberg, assistant professor, chemistry
- Kyle Larson, assistant professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Physical Geography
- Rebecca Tyson, associate professor, Mathematics, Statistics and Physics Unit
Discovery Accelerator
- Kyle Larson, assistant professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Physical Geography
Student Scholarships and Fellowships
- Lindsay Spielman, biology
- Rachel Field, biology
- Sudip Shrestha, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Physical Geography
School of Engineering
Discovery grants
- Rehan Sadiq, professor, civil engineering
- Gordon Lovegrove, associate professor, civil engineering
- Ahmed Idris, assistant professor, civil engineering
- Chen Feng, assistant professor, electrical engineering
- Thomas Johnson, assistant professor, electrical engineering
- Lukas Bichler, associate professor, mechanical engineering
- Kenneth Chau, associate professor, electrical engineering
Student Scholarships and Fellowships
- Mark Bergen
- Trevor Billows
- Bradley Reinholz
- Christopher Collier
Faculty of Health and Social Development
Student Scholarships and Fellowship
- Michael Tymko
- Anthony Bain
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