Recently, the federal government announced a $200 million investment to empower researchers at all stages of their research in tackling the world's biggest challenges through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight programs. Researchers at Queen's will be receiving $5.4 million to fund critical research infrastructure such as technology to study the impact of radiation in energy production and support exploratory research related to concepts like public law and the justice system.
"The Government of Canada will continue to empower researchers, students, and institutions by providing the resources and opportunities to advance their groundbreaking work," says the François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry. "By investing in their growth and development, we are reinforcing Canada's leadership in global research and innovation and paving the way for a more prosperous and sustainable future for everyone."
The JELF program provides vital infrastructure support to help Canadian researchers remain at the forefront of innovation. It assists universities in their efforts to recruit and retain outstanding researchers, acquire the tools that enable their work, and offer them research support in combination with partner organizations.
Included in this round of funding is support for Queen's newest Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC). Announced this past winter, Paul Kubes and Yanwen Zhang have joined Queen's to establish globally leading research programs. Both will be receiving $800,000 from JELF to support the infrastructure critical to their research. Dr. Kubes (Sinclair Cancer Research Institute) is the CERC in Immunophysiology and Immunotherapy, studying how and why changes in a person's immune cell biology can alter the stability of the body's chemical and physical state to decipher the complex immune pathways involved in cancer, infection, and chronic disease. Dr. Zhang (Mechanical and Materials Engineering) is the CERC in Impact of Radiation in Energy and Advanced Technologies, researching the degradation of alloys in the high-intensity environments of nuclear reactors to inform ways to build them to be safer and longer-lasting.
SSHRC's Insight Development Grants support research in its initial stages, enabling the development of new research questions, as well as experimentation with new methods, theoretical approaches, or ideas. Funding is provided for short-term research projects of up to two years. Whereas Insight Grants provide support for larger-scale research initiatives and offer funding for between two to five years with the intention to develop understanding from interdisciplinary perspectives and mobilize knowledge. There is also a significant focus on providing high-quality research training experiences for students.
"Queen's researchers are working to address the world's most significant challenges, such as developing novel cancer treatments and achieving a low-carbon future. We are grateful for the funding from CFI and SSHRC which is helping our researchers advance all stages of their work - from supporting initial experimentation to acquiring the equipment that enables discovery," says Nancy Ross, Vice-Principal (Research).
These programs support innovative research projects that address complex issues by advancing scientific knowledge, developing cutting-edge technologies, and tackling issues of local, national, and global significance. Learn more about the funded Queen's projects:
John R. Evans Leaders Fund
Pouya Amiri (Kinesiology and Health Studies): Technologies for Neuromusculoskeletal Disorders - $144,000
Élise Devoie (Civil Engineering): Permafrost Hydrogeology in a Changing Climate - $90,000
Sarah Dick (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences): Cardiac Macrophage Subset Maintenance and Expansion in the Healthy and Injured Heart - $175,000
Hesham Elsawy (Computing): Diverse, Perceptive, and Intelligent Wireless Infrastructure for 6G and Beyond - $220,000
Paul Kubes (Sinclair Cancer Research Institute): Imaging Immunity in Chronic Disease and Cancer - $800,000
Nir Rotenberg (Physics, Engineering Physics, and Astronomy): Integrated Photonics for Massive Entanglement Generation - $402,000
Aaron Shugar (Art History and Art Conservation): Developing an Analytical Imaging Laboratory for Cultural Heritage Science - $100,000
Xian Wang (Mechanical and Materials Engineering): Magnetic Micromanipulation System for Mechanical Measurement and Stimulation of Brain Tumor - $120,000
Stephanie Wright (Civil Engineering): The Fractured Rock and Cryo-hydrogeology Lab - $100,000
Xiaying Xin (Civil Engineering): Nanobubble-aided Advanced Photocatalytic Treatment for Emerging Contaminant Removal - $100,000
Yanwen Zhang (Mechanical and Materials Engineering): Impact of Radiation in Energy and Advanced Technologies - $800,000
SSHRC Insight
Sari van Anders (Psychology): Gender Diversity and Disparities in Youth Educational Experiences and Outcomes - $250,529
Julian Barling (Smith School of Business): Becoming a Leader (or Not): Navigating First-Time Leadership Role Transitions - $253,592
Scott Berthelette (History): Indigenous Slavery in the Galley Fleet of Louis XIV: A Global Haudenosaunee History - $63,945
Pilar Camargo Plazas (Nursing): Sound the Alarms! The Rampant Escalation of 'No Money for Food': A Participatory Approach to Addressing Canada's Commitment of Food Security for All - $213,429
Jan-Mathieu Carbon (Classics and Archaeology): GRAMI: Graeco-Roman-Anatolian Miracle Inscriptions - $32,720
Diana Córdoba (Global Development Studies): Beyond the Plantation: Making Black Geographies Visible in Colombian Land Use Planning - $99,999
Joshua Karton (Law): Contracts All the Way Down: A Contractarian Theory of Arbitration - $89,720
Steven Lehrer (Economics): A Peek Inside the Black Box of How Air Pollution Affects Adolescent Academic Performance: Incorporating Changes in Brain Development - $94,971
Margaret Moore (Political Studies): Referendums in Divided Societies - $92,962
Ashwini Vasanthakumar (Law): Transitional Justice for Everyday Oppression: Applying the Tools of Transitional Justice to Address Structural Injustice - $109,003
Grégoire Webber (Law): Exploring our Shared Human Vulnerability: On the Responsibility of Government and Law's Foundations - $58,700
SSHRC Insight Development
Thomas Abrams (Sociology): Digitally Divided: Representation, Agency, and Exclusion in the Lives of Disabled Dating Platforms Users - $62,301
Amarnath Amarasingam (Political Studies; Religion): Coercion Without Borders: Transnational Repression and Diaspora Activism in Canada - $73,937
Sari van Anders (Psychology): Testing the Novel "Race/Ethnicity Configurations Theory" Framework - $67,448
Julia Brook (DAN School of Drama and Music): Affordances & Limits of Motion Capture Video Analysis of Older Adults in "Real-World" Music and Movement Contexts - $74,929
Kesha Fevrier (Geography and Planning): Exxon, Chevron, and Emerging Petrostates in the Caribbean: Rethinking Regional Energy Security and the Myth of a Just Energy Transition - $60,284
Paul Gardner (Political Studies): How Parliament Constrains the Supreme Court: The Limits of Judicial Independence in Canada - $44,330
Lisa Guenther (Philosophy): P4W/ The Garden Project - $70,000
Jamie Van Gulck (Civil Engineering): Exploring the Impact of Knowledge Waste Reduction on Municipal Waste Reduction in Panniqtuuq, Nunavut - $74,885
Bhargav Gopal (Smith School of Business): The Effect of Non-Compete Agreements on Wages, Job Separation, and Employer-Provided Investment - $45,550
Fauzia Husain (Sociology): Schools, Sex, and Muslim Belonging - $69,535
Shota Ichihashi (Economics): The Economic Impact of Algorithmic Decision Making by Consumers - $32,267
Ceren Kolsarici (Smith School of Business): Online Gambling Marketplaces, Consumer Addiction, and Government Regulation - $49,817
Eun-Young Lee (Kinesiology and Health Studies; Gender Studies): Nostalgic Bliss or Sustainable Shift: Rethinking Outdoor Play in the Age of Climate Change - $50,616
Cherie Metcalf (Law; Economics): Culture and Private Enforcement Rights for Public Law - $73,300
Kristin Moriah (English): "Breaking Loose": Black Self-Publishing in Canada - $55,273
Ali Na (Film and Media): Hauntologies of Empire: Site-specific Disorientations of Marseille's "Staircase of the Colonies" - $69,724
Ekin Ok (Smith School of Business): Time and Money Prediction Biases in Online Gambling and Sports Betting - $46,679
