Supporting discovery

l-r: President Tom Traves, Minister Bernier, Dr. Fortier, Dr. Breckenridge (Abriel photo)

Dalhousie took centre stage on Sept. 8 for a major national announcement that will have a direct and lasting impact on university researchers and students across the country.

The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry, and Dr. Suzanne Fortier, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), announced the results of the 2006 NSERC Grants and Scholarships competitions, worth more than $503 million. Funding was awarded to some 8,800 professors and students across Canada following national, peer-reviewed competitions conducted by NSERC.

Nearly $37 million of this funding will go to Atlantic Canada to support and sustain research excellence. Minister Bernier also announced that Dalhousie University is receiving over $13 million of this funding. ÒThis money will reinforce Dalhousie University's reputation as a world-class institution,” he said.

ÒDalhousie is known to be one of the top universities in North America for postdoctoral work and scientific research. It is also a tremendous resource for the province, the region, and the country,” he said. ÒThe federal government and NSERC play a key role in that success story.”

During his remarks, DalhousieÕs Vice President (Research) Carl Breckenridge acknowledged NSERC as one of the universityÕs largest supporters. He thanked NSERC and the federal government for their support, which will benefit DalhousieÕs many engaged faculty members and students.

Each year thousands of professors from universities across Canada compete for NSERCÕs Discovery Grants and other funding. These grants provide primary support for research in dozens of fields, such as chemistry, life and material sciences, mathematics, and civil engineering. The professors dedicate a large portion of their grant funds to training Canadian undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers.

As a result of the current competition, some 3,000 professors from across Canada will receive $383.4 million in Discovery Grants to support their research in the natural sciences and engineering. (These awards are normally paid out over five years.) In addition, 2,341 young university researchers Ð 2,086 at the graduate level and 255 at the postdoctoral level Ð will receive $100 million to pursue their studies in these fields, while 3,466 undergraduate students will receive Undergraduate Student Research Awards worth a total of $18.7 million to give them a hands-on research experience in a laboratory.