From nanoparticles to aquatic ecosystems

The Natural Science and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC) has awarded U of T researchers a total of $7.3 million through its Strategic Network Grants (SNG) and Strategic Project Grants (SPG) programs. 

The SNG program is designed to increase research and training in targeted areas that could enhance Canada’s economy, society and environment within the next decade. This funding is focused on large-scale, multidisciplinary research projects in targeted research areas that require a network approach and involve collaboration between academic and Canadian-based organizations. 

The SPG program helps to address Canada’s science and technology priorities. The primary goal of these grants is to increase research and training in targeted areas that, like the SNG program, could enhance Canada’s economy, society and/or environment in the next 10 years. 

“This funding is a tremendous boost to U of T’s ability to address real-world problems that affect all Canadians,” said Professor Paul Young, U of T’s vice-president (research and innovation). “We are deeply thankful to the Government of Canada and NSERC for this investment in our applied research.”

U of T’s research awarded through the SNG program:

• Donald Jackson, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB), lead researcher for the Canadian Network for Aquatic Ecosytem Services – $4.4 million for 18 researchers from 11 Canadian universities, along with 10 scientists from government, two industrial partners and a provincially-funded technology futures organization.

U of T research awarded through the SPG program:

• Elizabeth Edwards, Chemical Engineering, $489,400; expanding the ability to anaeorobically digest pulp and paper mill waste
• Marie-Josee Fortin, EEB, $307,000; optimizing future networks of marine protected areas in response to global change by combining genetic connectivity and biophysical models
• Omer Gulder, University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, $738,000; environmental performance, sustainability and durability improvements in fuel-flexible combustors for stationary and motive engines
• Nazir Kherani, Materials Science & Engineering, $536,160; efficient light harvesting using nanoparticle-based selectively transparent and conducting photonic crystal and index-graded antireflective films
• Ulrich Krull, Chemical & Physical Sciences, U of T Mississauga, $262,000; implementing microfluidics-based manufacturing of model theranostic nanoparticles
• Jorg Liebeherr, Edward S. Rogers Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), $218,270; enabling heterogenous self-organizing machine-to-machine networks
• Andreas Mandelis, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, $403,500; non-destructive imaging of manufacturing flaws in industrial automotive power metallurgy green and sintered parts using a novel IR thermal-wave technology.