This past October, the Government of Canada, through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), announced a multimillion-dollar investment at Carleton University for new research.
In a press release, Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced an investment of $4,746,499 through the CFI’s Innovation Fund to support research infrastructure at Carleton. The investment was made on behalf of the Minister of Science, Kirsty Duncan.
The CFI is an independent organization that invests in research facilities—buildings, laboratories and equipment—in Canada’s universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions.
According to their website, the Innovation Fund allows organizations to carry out research and technology developments that benefit Canadians, by covering part of the cost.
President and CEO of CFI, Roseann Runte, said in an email that the CFI periodically holds competitions in various categories for institutions to set their own research priorities.
Before taking on the role as president and CEO of the CFI, Runte served as Carleton’s president for nine years.
Runte also said every application is submitted by the researchers and these are reviewed by a committee which include researchers from across Canada and around the world. A final approval from the Board of the CFI is required.
Their website states their main goal is to allow researchers to compete with others around the world and to strengthen Canada’s position in the knowledge-based economy.
In this year’s competition, 117 projects in 61 universities were approved for a total funding of $534 million, Runte said.
According to Runte, the latest results announced an investment of $3,350,000 for two projects led by Mark Boulay, a physics professor at Carleton.
“[Boulay] will be exploring the extremely small particles called neutrinos and looking at defining their mass,” Runte said. “He will also be looking at the question of dark matter.”
She said he was awarded the largest grant.
“I am sure this success will inspire further work and thoughtful initiatives among researchers both at Carleton and in physics,” Runte said.
Runte also said both research projects will be done in Sudbury at the SNOLAB.
“I am delighted they received the funding and that I could be there personally to make the announcement,” Runte said.
According to the CFI website, the Innovation Fund encourages institutions to bring the right tools to the country’s scientists to aim higher in their research. The investment will help to make discoveries, innovate and train their students for future jobs.
Photo by Aaron Hemens
