Four Thompson Rivers University researchers have been awarded more than $644,000 in funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants program, supporting research in environmental modelling, contaminant remediation, artificial intelligence and statistical learning.
The grants provide long-term support for investigator-driven research, helping researchers pursue new discoveries while training the next generation of highly qualified personnel.
“NSERC Discovery Grants recognize the creativity and expertise of our faculty researchers,” said Shannon Wagner, vice-president, research at TRU. “These projects reflect the outstanding scientific research at TRU while advancing knowledge that can improve lives, strengthen communities and spark the innovations that help address some of society’s most pressing challenges.”
Together, the projects highlight TRU’s strength in discovery research, with work spanning environmental science, engineering, artificial intelligence and mathematics.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, announced $630 million in funding to natural sciences and engineering researchers nationwide to support of discovery research and help create research environments where students and researchers can develop valuable skills.
“Canada’s greatest competitive advantage is our people. By investing in our world-class researchers and innovators right here at home, we are helping turn Canadian discoveries into new technologies, growing companies, and good jobs. At a time of rapid global change we are backing Canadian talent, strengthening our economy, and ensuring Canada remains a global leader in innovation, competitiveness, and resilience.”
The following TRU researchers received NSERC funding:
Yana Nec: Modelling, control and optimisation of fluid flow in environmental applications with man-made components, $170,000 Discovery Grant
Jonathan Van Hamme: Microbial desulfonases targeting polyfluorinated alkyl sulfonates, $220,000 Discovery Grant
Yan Song: Temporal detection of human actions in videos with multimodal data and limited labels, $210,000 Discovery Grant
Mateen Shaikh: Parsimonious Discrete Inferences in Statistical Learning via Sequences of Surrogate Functions and Evolutionary Algorithms, $44,000 Discovery Development Grant
NSERC Discovery Grants support ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project. The program helps researchers advance knowledge in natural sciences and engineering while supporting student training and research capacity across Canada.
The Research Support Fund provides a portion of the costs associated with managing research funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. This includes salaries for research administration staff, workplace health and safety training and library maintenance.
Thompson Rivers University is leading in sustainability. Learn more about TRU’s contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
