Networks of Centres of Excellence receive federal funding

Songs about slippery fish under the sea aren't usually on the agenda of a news conference.

Still, the performance by preschoolers at the Dartmouth Boys and Girls Club enlivened a recent federal government event to announce new funding for four national Networks of Centres of Excellence. These national research networks are partnerships between universities, industry, government and not-for-profit organizations, and are aimed at turning Canadian research into economic and social benefits for all Canadians.

The event was held to announce up to $55 million in new funding over three years for four different research networks: AUTO 21, the Canadian Language and Literacy Network (CLLRnet), the Canadian Water Network, and the Stem Cell Network. In total, there are 21 different networks, 15 of which involve Dalhousie researchers.

The children at the event were demonstrating new language skills acquired as part of program called TLC3, aimed at improving language, literacy and cognitive development in children from birth to five years of age. The program provides a preschool environment, sessions to encourage interaction between children and parents, and access to a speech language pathologist.

Dalhousie researchers Dr. Jean Hughes of the School of Nursing and Dr. Mandy Elizabeth Kay- Raining Bird of the School of Human Communication Disorders engaged in a CLLRnet research project study the program's effectiveness. In collaboration with researchers at the University of Calgary and the University of Toronto, they followed 120 kids and their families involved in TLC3. "One of CLLRnet's goals is to translate research findings into usable work, and that's exactly what we're doing," explains Kay-Raining Bird. "We found that each of the program components separately had an impact on the behaviour of parents and teachers in the preschool program, and there were also positive effects of those changes on the development of children." In part as a result of their research, the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation is now funding an extended study of the impact of the TLC3 program. The Nova Scotia Department of Community Services has also adopted the TLC3 model, and is placing four speech language pathologists throughout the province to support children's development.

Other CLLRnet projects at Dalhousie include Dr. Raymond Klein's studies of language learning processes and second-language learning, and Dr. John Connolly's research targeting brain mechanisms affecting reading and speech processing, and their application to conditions such as dyslexia. Dr. Dennis Phillips' CLLRnet projects examine the mechanisms of human auditory perception, and their role in language development. All three researchers are part of the Department of Psychology.

AUTO 21

Dr. Mark Asbridge is part of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, and is a member of AUTO 21, a network devoted to automobile research, from automobile design and safety, to understanding the car's social role. He collaborates with colleagues in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia to study anti-social behaviour and automobiles, particularly behaviours like impaired driving and road rage.

Dr. Asbridge says that new projects will result from this announcement, which could lead to better laws and policies that make roads and driving safer. "We're looking at the surveillance and evaluation of rates and trends of drug- and alcohol-impaired driving across Canada, as well as national policies. We're also looking at understanding how people who drive impaired think about impaired driving," he explains. "[New funding] will allow new projects to emerge, like our work studying drug impairment and motor vehicle collisions among emergency room patients in Halifax and Toronto. We're doing a two-city study to look at the prevalence of cannabis among collision victims."

Stem Cell Network

New funding for the Stem Cell Network will also support research being conducted by Dr. Ivar Mendez at the Brain Repair Centre. Connected with researchers in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, Dr. Mendez' network-funded project seeks to find new types of stem cells that can help repair damage caused by Parkinson's disease or stroke. It will also support the work of Dr. Francoise Baylis of the Departments of Philosophy and Bioethics, and Jason Roberts, Department of Philosophy, as they lead network projects investigating ethical questions surrounding the use of stem cells.

Canadian Water Network

The Canadian Water Network is the fourth network that will receive new funding. Dr. Graham Gagnon of the Department of Civil Engineering is leading the network's Small-Scale Rural Wastewater Management Solutions Initiative. With the assistance of new funding, Gagnon and research partners at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College are investigating constructed water treatment wetlands as a cost-effective and energy-efficient way to help rural communities deal with wastewater from homes and farms.