UNIVERSITY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
UPEI researchers awarded over $1.6 million in funding from NSERC

Eight researchers at the University of Prince Edward Island have been awarded over $1.6 million in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's (NSERC) 2023 discovery grant and research tools and instruments grant competitions. 

The UPEI funding was included in an announcement of federal investment in science and engineering research made on August 29 by the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health.  

Dr. Greg Naterer, vice-president, academic and research at UPEI, congratulated the faculty members on their success. 

"At UPEI, we are proud of our talented and award-winning faculty researchers," he said. "With support from NSERC, they will continue to contribute to new knowledge through innovation, while strengthening UPEI's reputation and profile in research nationally and internationally." 

Dr. Lisanework Ayalew, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, received a discovery grant and a discovery launch supplement for their project, "Impact of the avian reovirus S1 genomic segment evolutionary non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) on virus-host cell interactions." 

Dr. Aitazaz Farooque, interim associate dean, UPEI School of Climate Change and Adaptation, received a discovery grant for their project, "Development of Climate­Smart Agricultural Technologies: A Sustainable Approach to Improve Crop Productivity and Mitigate Environmental Risks." 

Dr. Nina Germitsch, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, received a discovery grant and a discovery launch supplement for their project, "Atlantic Canada's emerging parasites and their impact on naïve canid hosts." 

Dr. Yulin Hu, Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, received a research tools and instruments grant for their project, "Preparation of advanced biofuels and CO2 solid sorbents from biowaste." 

Dr. Trung Dung Ngo, Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, received a discovery grant for their project, "SoCoBot: Socially Compliant Mobile Service Robots." 

Dr. Jason Pearson, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, received a discovery grant for their project, "New Computational Models for Electronic and Molecular Structure Prediction and Analysis." 

Dr. Kathryn Proudfoot, Department of Health Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, received a discovery grant for their project, "Exploring factors that affect sleep and cognitive functioning in young animals." 

Dr. Xander Wang, UPEI School of Climate Change and Adaptation, received a research tools and instruments grant for their project, "Development of a Laboratory-Scale Coastal-Inland Flood Simulator for Prince Edward Island." 

NSERC's discovery grants program provides core funding that allows Canadian researchers to pursue ideas and breakthrough discoveries. The program assists in promoting and maintaining a diversified base of high-quality research capability in the natural sciences and engineering in Canadian universities; fostering research excellence; and providing a stimulating environment for research training. 

NSERC's research tools and instruments grants foster and enhance the discovery, innovation, and training capability of university researchers in the natural sciences and engineering by supporting the purchase of research equipment. 

UPEI's researchers are also supported by the Research Support Fund and Research Services, a team of administrative and professional staff who support research grant development and the administration of research funding at the University.