Above: Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph congratulates the U of G researchers. (All photos courtesy of Lloyd Longfield MP)
For Immediate Release - October 10, 2018 – Guelph, ON
Science is about discovery. When researchers are given the tools to push the boundaries of knowledge, great
things happen. These discoveries lead to the innovations that will grow the economy and help ensure Canada
has a workforce capable of taking on the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Today, Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph, on behalf of the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister
of Science and Sport, highlighted $10,419,435 in support for discovery research at the University of Guelph. This
investment is part of the more than $558 million in funding for researchers and students at institutions across
Canada that was announced by Minister Duncan on October 9.
This $558-million investment in research—the largest one this year from the Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council of Canada (NSERC)—includes $70 million in new funding announced in Budget 2018. With this
investment, the Government of Canada is delivering on Budget 2018’s historic commitment to science. The
investment is also part of the Government of Canada’s plan to attract global talent and promote diversity, and it
will provide nearly 4,300 researchers and students with the means to pursue world-leading discovery work.
This year, as part of the $558-million investment, the NSERC Discovery Grants program is providing more than
$5 million in supplements for early-career researchers, ensuring the next generation of scientists, engineers and
researchers will have the tools they need to flourish.
At the University of Guelph, that includes the research
being done on projects ranging from environmental friendly coolant strategies for machining, characterizing the
emergence timing of week species and determining implications within the context of climate change to
advancing biodiversity science through DNA barcodes and so much more.
“Today’s funding will provide Canada’s research community with the largest investment in discovery science in
Canadian history. This investment here at the University of Guelph will lead to innovation to grow our economy
and will help prepare the next generation of scientists, engineers and researchers to take on the challenges of
today and tomorrow.” – Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph
“Canada supports science and our talented researchers. Today, we are delivering on our historic investment in
research and in the next generation of scientists. These remarkable researchers and students we are celebrating
are working to make the world a better place and to secure a brighter future for all Canadians.” – The
Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport
“The funding commitment outlined in Budget 2018 will provide a very significant increase to the Discovery
Program to support science and engineering researchers. Additionally, this investment will contribute critical
supplementary funding to launch early-career researchers and to support equity, diversity and inclusion.” – Dr.
Pierre Charest, Vice-President, Research Grants and Scholarships Directorate, Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council of Canada
“These awards will enable outstanding University of Guelph researchers and scholars to pursue promising ideas
and breakthrough discoveries, including studies to benefit human health and the environment and intended to
help us understand everything from our universe to ourselves. This funding reflects the breadth and depth of
research expertise across campus and underscores our shared commitment to improving life.” - Karina McInnis,
Associate Vice-President (research), University of Guelph
Quick facts
• The $558-million research investment announced by Minister Duncan on October 9 includes $70 million
in new funding from Budget 2018. The grants go toward NSERC discovery programs, graduate and postgraduate
scholarships and post-doctoral fellowships, and research tools and instruments.
• Among this year’s Discovery Grants recipients is the University of Waterloo’s Dr. Donna Strickland,
winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, who is receiving support for her work on using lasers to better understand
matter at the molecular level.
• This investment also includes $5.4 million in funding to help more than 400 early-career researchers in
the first year of their Discovery Grants launch their careers.
• Investments in science are essential to innovation and to the economic strength of a country.
About NSERC
NSERC invests over $1.2 billion each year in natural sciences and engineering research in Canada. Our
investments deliver discoveries—valuable world-firsts in knowledge claimed by a brain trust of over 11,000
professors. Our investments enable partnerships and collaborations that connect industry with discoveries and
the people behind them. Researcher-industry partnerships supported by NSERC help inform research and
development and solve scale-up challenges.
NSERC also provides scholarships and hands-on training experience for more than 30,000 post-secondary
students and post-doctoral fellows. These young researchers will be the next generation of science and
engineering leaders in Canada.
Follow @CDNscience on social media for science-related news: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Follow NSERC on Twitter: @nserc_crsng
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