UBC gets $42 million from Ottawa for sciences and engineering
The University of British Columbia has received $42 million in federal funding to boost research work in the sciences and engineering.
"To be successful in the highly competitive global economy, Canada must continue to perform world leading research, and generate new breakthrough ideas," said Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan who made the announcement at UBC Friday.
The UBC funding was part of a larger announcement of federal grants. All told, $515 million will go to 71 research institutions across Canada. That money will be disbursed to more than 4,000 scientists, engineers and graduate students working in astronomy, chemistry, biology, medicine and physics.
That announcement was made in Victoria by Science Minister Kirsty Duncan.
Encouraging scientists
"We believe in encouraging scientists' cutting-edge ideas that will lead Canada to greater social and economic growth," Duncan said.
The funding comes from The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through scholarships, fellowships and equipment grants.
At UBC, the work of UBC zoologist Trish Schulte was singled out. Schulte received $450,000 for her research into the effects of climate change on fish.
"Understanding how fish cope with a changing environment is really important both for fundamental knowledge and the economy of Canada," said Schulte.
"This (funding) allows researchers to ask questions that push forward scientific frontiers."
