UOIT scientists and engineers receive new federal research funding

Fourteen researchers and two graduate students at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) will receive new federal funding for innovative research and scientific discovery, UOIT President Tim McTiernan announced today.

The funding is part of more than $430 million in new research funding unveiled June 22 by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) through its Discovery Grants program. The new grants will support thousands of top researchers and students at more than 70 Canadian universities.

The national announcement was made at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology by the Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology).

• Link to national NSERC news release

At the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, $1.9 million will go to researchers and trainees, including Dr. Christopher Collins (Canada Research Chair in Linguistic Information Visualization, UOIT Faculty of Science) who is receiving $300,000 to develop new techniques to better process and present large volumes of text-based data so users can more easily understand them and find the answers they are looking for.

Following the announcement, Minister Holder toured Dr. Collins’ Visualization for Information Analysis Laboratory (vialab).

The NSERC Discovery Grants Program funds discovery in a variety of disciplines, including in chemistry, physics, life sciences, mathematics, computer science, earth sciences, and the many branches of engineering. The broad base of research capacity built by these awards has given this country a strong reputation for research excellence around the world.

Quotes

“Thank you Minister Holder for highlighting the University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s innovative research. Congratulations to all NSERC Discovery Grants Program recipients across the country who, like our university’s faculty and students, are advancing high-quality research that leads to transformative cultural, economic and scientific change.”

-Tim McTiernan, PhD, UOIT President and Vice-Chancellor

“My laboratory focuses on new ways of visualizing big data, extracting meaningful information that makes those data relevant to groups like businesses and policy makers. The NSERC Discovery Grant enables us to explore how visualizing big-data can discover hidden patterns, unknown correlations, market trends, customer preferences and other useful information that can help Canadians make informed decisions. The grants also assist the next generation of researchers, like the students in my lab, to become future leaders and innovators.”

-Dr. Christopher Collins, Canada Research Chair in Linguistic Information Visualization, Assistant Professor (Computing Science), UOIT Faculty of Science

Faculty of Business and Information Technology

• Dr. Patrick Hung: Safety enforcement framework for bring-your-own device in service-oriented architecture
• Dr. Salma Karray: Game-theoretic models for competitive supply chains
• Dr. Wei Shi: Improving big data infrastructure to effectively utilize resources for data processing and services

Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science

• Dr. Igor Pioro: Advanced fundamental studies on supercritical fluids

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

• Dr. Hossam Kishawy: Machining of metal matrix composite - process modelling, tool wear and surface integrity
• Dr. Shahryar Rahnamayan: Efficient evolutionary algorithms for many-objective optimization
• Dr. Jing Ren: Vessel-based framework for joint image registration and segmentation

Faculty of Health Sciences

• Dr. Michael Holmes: A neuromechanical approach to define muscle recruitment strategies and control of the upper limb

Faculty of Science

• Dr. Pietro-Luciano Buono: Theory and applications of symmetric bifurcation theory
• Dr. Christopher Collins: Mixed-initiative visual text analytics: Data-driven views and analytic guidance
• Dr. Brad Easton: Understanding the activity and stability of electrode materials targeted for clean energy applications through diagnostic impedance measurements
• Dr. Sean Forrester: The acetylcholine-gated chloride channel gene family in parasitic nematodes
• Dr. Faisal Qureshi: Next-generation smart camera networks
• Dr. Jaroslaw Szlichta: Big data cleaning

Scholarship and Fellowship recipients at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology

• Gavin Scott, graduate student, Faculty of Science
• Timothy Teatro, graduate student, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

The university is also receiving two Canada Graduate Scholarships for high-calibre students enrolled in master’s degree programs.

About NSERC

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is the primary funding agency supporting Canada’s science and engineering research community. The agency supports almost 30,000 postsecondary students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding approximately 12,000 professors every year and works with over 3,000 Canadian companies that are participating and investing in postsecondary research projects.

About the University of Ontario Institute of Technology

As one of Canada’s newest research universities, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) advances the discovery and application of knowledge through a technology-enriched learning environment and the delivery of innovative market-driven programs responsive to the needs of students and industry. With more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in 76 programs, UOIT promotes social engagement, fosters critical thinking and integrates outcomes-based learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. UOIT's commitment to accelerating economic growth and social innovation is realized through faculty research collaborations with leading organizations such as Ontario Power Generation, IBM, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Durham Regional Police Service. To find out more, please visit uoit.ca or follow UOIT on Twitter.

Media contact
Bryan Oliver
Communications and Marketing
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
905.721.8668 ext.6709
289.928.3653 (cell)
bryan.oliver@uoit.ca