This week a major $518-million funding initiative from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) was announced by the federal government, giving support to 102 projects at 35 post-secondary institutions across Canada.
Saint Mary’s is proud to be a collaborating partner on a project at Memorial University in Newfoundland. The new ACESCentre: Atlantic Canada Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry Centre was granted $6.7 million in federal CFI funding; Saint Mary’s will see approximately $485,000 of the total. The total value of the project with funding from other organizations will be $16.9 million.
This new world-class research centre will address challenges related to the environment. Many faculty members across campus, including those in Chemistry, Geology, Biology and Environmental Science will benefit from this investment.
At Saint Mary’s the funding will provide the installation of three new instruments for the Centre for Environmental Analysis and Remediation (CEAR) lab, which will serve the university and the greater community for the next two decades.
These significant investments in science and technology will provide our team with the ability to build on a history of collaborative research excellence, with a focus on sustainable chemistry and materials,” says Dr. Christa Brosseau, Chemistry researcher at Saint Mary’s and co-applicant on the project.
“We are grateful to be able to share this knowledge with the next generation of scientists, and with this strengthening of our Centre for Environmental Analysis and Remediation, we look forward to highlighting Atlantic Canada's abilities and goals on an international stage,” says Dr. Brosseau.
“Researchers at Memorial University and Saint Mary’s will collaborate to “address, study and solve problems related to several key, interrelated areas of environmental and economic importance pertaining to sustainable resource development and environmental knowledge in Atlantic Canada,” reads the project proposal.
“The tools requested will provide chemists, ocean scientists, biochemists, and engineers access to world-class instrumentation for characterization of molecules and materials for both sustainable resource processing and product development, and environmental understanding and monitoring.”
About the Canada Foundation for Innovation
For more than 20 years, the CFI has been giving researchers the tools they need to think big and innovate. Fostering a robust innovation system in Canada translates into jobs and new enterprises, better health, cleaner environments and, ultimately, vibrant communities. By investing in state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in Canada’s universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions, the CFI also helps to attract and retain the world’s top talent, to train the next generation of researchers and to support world-class research that strengthens the economy and improves the quality of life for all Canadians.