Putting the best research tools in the hands of Canada's scientists - More than $705,000 for state-of-the-art research equipment at the Université de Sherbrooke

OTTAWA, May 16, 2018 /CNW/ - Canada's scientists are making discoveries that lead to new opportunities, a stronger economy and a growing middle class. To keep up Canada's competitive edge, however, our researchers must have access to the most sophisticated tools and laboratories to help them break new ground in areas such as climate change, clean energy, ocean research and artificial intelligence. The Government of Canada, through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), helps universities do just that.

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, on behalf of the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, today announced support of $705,605 for two projects at the Université de Sherbrooke.

Dr. François-Michel Boisvert and his team will use the CFI funding to purchase sophisticated research equipment that will help expand their biomarker research. Some protein biomarkers can save lives by indicating cancer or other diseases in patients. Dr. Boisvert's research could lead to better and earlier detection and treatment. Minister Bibeau had the opportunity to tour the lab with Dr. Boisvert and witness his team's incredible work first-hand.

The other Université de Sherbrooke project receiving CFI funding focuses on the transfer of electricity via transmission towers, which cover many urban and suburban regions. The efficiency of transferring electricity along those tower lines can be affected by extreme weather conditions. This is why Dr. Sébastien Langlois and his team are working on improving the resistance of transmission towers to extreme weather conditions by developing a modelling method to test a tower's resilience.

The funding highlighted today is part of the more than $42 million in CFI support announced on April 11 by Minister Duncan. This funding, which is being provided through the CFI's John R. Evans Leadership Fund, will support 37 new research infrastructure projects at 186 universities and research hospitals across the country.

Quotes

"I want to congratulate today's funding recipients, who will now have access to state-of-the-art tools and research infrastructure that will allow them to explore some of our most pressing questions. The answers they find contribute to the evidence our government needs to build a stronger economy and a more prosperous future for all Canadians."
– The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

"When researchers are well-equipped, they can make discoveries that improve our quality of life and contribute to economic development. This support will enable the Université de Sherbrooke's scientific community to take the lead on innovative research work that has great potential for the future."
– The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie

"Investing in a new generation of research talent is more important than ever before for Canada. The Canada Foundation for Innovation is making it possible for our brilliant researchers to remain in Canada, to build our economy and to contribute to solving the problems of the world."
– Dr. Roseann O'Reilly Runte, President and CEO, Canada Foundation for Innovation

"This funding will allow us to support critical, strategic research that will make the Université de Sherbrooke even more attractive to the best researchers, both current and future. By financing our original ideas, the CFI is helping us gain equal footing in knowledge-based society." 
– Dr. Jean-Pierre Perreault, Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies, Université de Sherbrooke

"This new precision medicine initiative will bring us closer to curing diseases such as cancer by giving us access to the individual profiles needed to offer patients treatment that is better tailored to the specifics of their illness."
– Dr. François-Michel Boisvert, Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Université de Sherbrooke

"The digital image correlation equipment that we can purchase thanks to this funding will greatly improve the information obtained when testing structures. It is an important addition that brings a new way of using the test results not only from transmission towers but also from all types of civil engineering structures whether made of steel, reinforced concrete or composite materials."
– Dr. Sébastien Langlois, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke

Quick facts

• The John R. Evans Leaders Fund helps a select number of exceptional Canadian researchers—particularly those in early stages of their career—conduct cutting-edge research by giving them the tools and equipment they need to be or become leaders in their field.
• The total funding of $42,337,780 announced by Minister Duncan includes $32,567,523 in capital funding for infrastructure and $9,770,257 awarded under the CFI's Infrastructure Operating Fund, which helps institutions with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with the acquisition of new infrastructure.
• Budget 2018's record-setting investment of nearly $4 billion in new support for science will help Canadian researchers make life-changing discoveries we can't even yet imagine.
• This historic investment includes $1.7 billion for the granting councils and the next generations of researchers and scholars.
• Budget 2018 announced $763 million for the Canada Foundation for Innovation to put cutting-edge tools in the hands of our scientists, scholars and students and ensure they have state-of-the-art labs and facilities to make their greatest discoveries.

Associated links

• Canada Foundation for Innovation
• John R. Evans Leaders Fund
• CFI Research Facilities Navigator
• List of CFI-funded projects and stories about the facilities

Follow the Canada Foundation for Innovation on Twitter @InnovationCA and subscribe to its YouTube channel for videos about the organization and its many transformative research projects.

Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on Twitter: @ISED_CA.

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada