MARCELLE-GAUVREAU ENGINEERING RESEARCH CHAIRS PROGRAM
The ÉTS will stimulate the careers of researchers with exceptional determination

Through its new Marcelle-Gauvreau Engineering Research Chairs program, the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) hopes to stimulate the careers of talented researchers by focusing not only on the criteria of excellence normally recognized in the academic community, but also on exceptional qualities of resilience and determination in the face of adversity. A budget of $5 million will be awarded over five years to provide 10 engineering research chairs to researchers who meet the criteria, five of which will be awarded to external candidates.

"We can all react differently in the face of adversity when our goals suddenly seem unattainable. At ÉTS, we believe that the ability to persevere in these crucial moments or to bounce back from setbacks are essential ingredients for a successful career in research," explains Ghyslain Gagnon, Dean of Research. By integrating different evaluation criteria than those normally used, the ÉTS hopes to foster diversity and equity in a highly competitive program of excellence. Each recipient will receive $100,000 annually over 5 years to carry out his or her research program. A committee, composed of two ÉTS faculty members, the Dean of Research and two social scientists, will select individuals based on the criteria of research excellence of the San Francisco declaration (DORA), the merit of their research proposal and their proven ability to demonstrate perseverance and resilience.

The five research chairs to be awarded to external candidates will be posted in the spring of 2021.

Five chairs awarded to ÉTS professors

The first five internal incumbents of this new program were selected on December 4. They are professors Julien Gascon-Samson from the Department of Software Engineering and Information Technology, Martine Dubé from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bora Ung from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Annie Poulin from the Department of Construction Engineering, and Nicola Hagemeister from the Department of Systems Engineering.

Promoting equity, diversity and inclusion  

The ÉTS is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in all of its research activities. The innovative Marcelle-Gauvreau Engineering Research Chair program, which broadens the criteria for research excellence, is one of the initiatives that will help to diversify the ÉTS's faculty.

About ÉTS

École de technologie supérieure is one of ten constituents of the Université du Québec network. It trains engineers and researchers who are recognized for their practical and innovative approach, the development of new technologies and their skill at transferring their knowledge to companies. Almost one-quarter of all engineers in Québec graduated from ÉTS, which boasts 11,000 students, including 2,650 at the graduate and post-graduate level. ÉTS specializes in applied training and research in engineering, and maintains a unique partnership with the business sector and with industry. For more information, please visit etsmtl.ca.

About Marcelle Gauvreau

One of the pioneers of the early scientific era and the first female M.Sc. graduate in French Canada, Marcelle Gauvreau specialized in seaweed from the St. Lawrence River and the mouth of the St. Lawrence. Her research took her to the Magdalen Islands, the Gaspé Peninsula, the Saguenay, the Charlevoix region, Minganie, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Her dissertation director was Jules Brunel. She also travelled extensively to the United States and Europe to expand on what she had learned. She was also among the first women to present the results of her research to the Association canadienne-française pour l'avancement des sciences (ACFAS).

For more information about the Marcelle-Gauvreau Engineering Research Chair program:  Consult the page https://bit.ly/3qADHT4