From the birth of the Universe to the end of life, McGill’s Canada Research Chairs will cover it
$15.4 million of federal funding will support 20 leading research projects
Federal Industry Minister Tony Clement today announced an investment of $275.6 million to fund 310 new or renewed Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) at 53 Canadian universities, of which $15.4 million has been allocated to research at McGill. The announcement came at the opening of a two-day regional conference organized to mark the 10th anniversary of the program.
“The Government of Canada is continuing its longstanding commitment to invest in science and technology to create jobs, strengthen the economy and improve Canadians’ quality of life,” Clement said. “For the past 10 years, the Canada Research Chairs Program has brought breakthroughs in clean energy, the control of infectious disease, business management and digital technologies. This funding will help strengthen Canada’s capacity for leading-edge research while, at the same time, building economic opportunities for Canadians.”
The funding announcement concerns 20 researchers at McGill, who cover a broad range of subjects. Two were new nominations. “The Canada Research Chairs program is a vital part of our country’s strategy to ensure that our research initiatives are at a world- class level and remain internationally competitive,” said Heather Munroe-Blum, McGill’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor. “We thank the Government of Canada for its continued support of this outstanding program and I congratulate McGill’s CRC recipients.”
“Today’s announcement is further proof that McGill continues to attract and retain world-leading researchers,” said Rima Rozen, McGill’s Interim Vice-Principal (Research and International Relations). “The research made possible by this funding will significantly increase our understanding of a wide range of fields, and contribute to Canada’s position as an innovator within the global community.”
Dr. Matt Dobbs, Department of Physics, a CRC holder, was thrilled by the long-term research prospects that have been enabled by today’s announcement. “Over the course of the next half-decade, my research group and I will be probing the physics governing the evolution of the universe a fraction of a second after the Big Bang,” he said. “We hope to understand how the universe was born and evolved, including the recent – by cosmological standards – phenomena of Dark Energy.”
The Chairs are divided into two pools, with Tier One researchers receiving $200,000 per year for seven years (totaling $1.4 million), and Tier Two researchers receiving $100,000 per year for five years (totaling $500,000).
New Tier One Canada Research Chairs
Dr. Bartha Knoppers, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics
Dr. Rod McInnes, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics
Renewed Tier One Canada Research Chairs
Dr. Geza Joos, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dr. Chao-Jun Li, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry
Dr. Caroline Palmer, Faculty of Science, Department of Psychology
Dr. Peter Sabor, Faculty of Arts, Department of English
Renewed Tier Two Canada Research Chairs
Dr. Darin Barney, Faculty of Arts, Department of Art History and Communication Sciences
Dr. Mathieu Brochu, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mining and Materials Engineering
Dr. Maurice Chacron, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology
Dr. Brian Cowan, Faculty of Arts, Department of History
Dr. Matthew Dobbs, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics
Dr. Samantha Gruenheid, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Dr. Patrick Hayden, Faculty of Science, School of Computer Science
Dr. Gilbert Holder, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics
Dr. Svetlana Komarova, Faculty of Dentistry
Dr. Frederic Megret, Faculty of Law
Dr. Bhushan Nagar, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry
Dr. Nathalie Tufenkji, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering
