Students and researchers at the Université de Moncton to share historic Budget 2018 funding for science

Canada's research community to benefit from largest investment in discovery science in Canadian history

MONCTON, Oct. 12, 2018 /CNW/ - 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, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, on behalf of the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, announced an investment of more than $1 million to support fundamental research at the Université de Moncton in areas ranging from physics to biology to computer engineering. The funding is part of the more than $558 million announced earlier this week by Minister Duncan for institutions across Canada and supports the Government of Canada's plan to attract global talent and promote diversity. The national funding will provide nearly 4,300 researchers and students with the means to pursue world-leading discovery work.

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 by giving more support to researchers and students.

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.

Quotes

"Today at the Université de Moncton, we are celebrating the researchers who are improving and enriching our country's knowledge economy. Our government's historic investment in science is exposing the next generation to advanced training experiences that will prepare them for the jobs and opportunities of tomorrow."
? The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health 

"Canada supports science and our talented researchers. Today, we are delivering on our historic investment in research and in the next generation of scientists. The 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

"Every year, about 40 Université de Moncton professors benefit from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada funding. Many students also receive NSERC bursaries that provide them with an outstanding academic experience. The funding announced today is a significant investment in advancing knowledge and training students at our university."
? Francis LeBlanc, Associate Vice-President of Research and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, Université de Moncton

"For a lab such as mine, which studies the molecular basis of cold tolerance, a grant of this magnitude supports the purchase of indispensible reagents, consumable items and small instruments to support our research activities."
? Dr. Pier Jr. Morin, grant recipient and professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Université de Moncton

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.
• The $558-million 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.

Associated links

Canada's research community to benefit from largest investment in discovery science in Canadian history 
About the Discovery Grants Program 
Overview of NSERC investments across Canada

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Follow NSERC on Twitter: @NSERC_CRSNG  

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.

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada