The frontiers of scientific discovery are boundless and effective research infrastructure is a major conduit for exploration and progress. Today, as part of a Government of Canada funding announcement, Queen’s University researchers have secured over $18 million from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation – Innovation Fund (CFI-IF) for research infrastructure that will help tackle critical societal issues – from mitigating the impacts of climate change to improving healthcare for millions of Canadians.

The Innovation Fund offers ongoing financial support for infrastructure, across the full spectrum of research, from fundamental studies to applied research and technology development. By providing funding for diverse projects, the Innovation Fund ensures Canada’s continued leadership in scientific exploration and knowledge creation in a range of fields. This funding also helps institutions attract and retain the world’s top talent, to train the next generation of researchers, and to support world-class research that strengthens the economy and improves quality of life. 

Learn more about the Queen’s-funded projects: 

Microscopes and Ions for Small Modular Reactors

Under the leadership of Dr. Mark Daymond (Mechanical and Materials Engineering), the team leading the Microscopes and Ions for Small Modular Reactors project has received $8.6 million to advance nuclear science technology. The project's objectives include fostering the integration of small modular reactors (SMRs) into future power generation and pioneering innovative engineering materials for SMRs.

The team will establish a world-leading facility, as an extension of the existing highly successful Reactor Materials Testing Laboratory (RMTL). The new facility will be equipped with an accelerator and transmission electron microscope (TEM) to study materials under ion irradiation and corrosive environments in real-time. By providing valuable insights into materials’ behaviour, the research aims to develop novel engineering materials and predictive models for SMRs, ensuring their safe and efficient operation while also extending the lifespan of existing reactors.

SMRs will play a significant role in Canada’s strategy to achieve carbon-free energy by 2050, as they offer cost reductions, improved thermal efficiency, and enhanced safety compared to traditional nuclear power plants. Dr. Yanwen Zhang, who was recently appointed as the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Impact of Radiation in Energy and Advanced Technologies at Queen’s will be collaborating with the RMTL to enhance the overall proficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of these nuclear energy systems. This project has the potential to significantly impact the clean energy sector and global economies reliant on nuclear energy, as well as inform future nuclear technologies.

Translational Institute of Medicine – Core Facility (TIME Core)

The TIME Core project, led by Dr. Lynne-Marie Postovit (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences) and Dr. Stephen Archer (Medicine), has received $5.3 million in funding from the CFI-IF. TIME Core will be a central facility consisting of six world-class research platforms that will allow investigators to move bidirectionally from scientific discovery to the treatment of patient populations.

The overarching mission of TIME Core is to deliver state-of-the-art research tools that enable fundamental discoveries and facilitate the translation of this new knowledge into diagnostic tests and therapies for some of the major diseases affecting the health of Canadians. These include cancer, cardiopulmonary diseases, inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. TIME Core will catalyze the translation of discovery science by leveraging approximately 20 research groups and over 100 trainees within Queen’s Health Sciences.

The program will elevate training in areas such as biotechnology, clinical research, and biomolecular sciences, providing learners and faculty with infrastructure tailored to their research needs. It will also accelerate the translation of discoveries into new medicines and biomarkers. For example, the delivery of cell therapies to cancer patients, the development of a microbiome-based therapy for analgesia in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), and the elucidation of biomarkers for the early detection of neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease (AD). TIME Core will also help advance first-in-person clinical trials that will test whether novel mitochondria-targeting agents can be used for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PAH).

TIME Core has the potential to improve healthcare outcomes for millions of Canadians and be an engine for discovery, education, and purposeful translation, leading to innovations in healthcare at Queen’s.

Environmental & Climate Change Observatory of Ontario (ECCO-Ontario)

As global temperatures continue to increase and emissions threaten our ecological systems, we must find new ways to monitor and protect our freshwater ecosystems. Under the direction of Dr. Stephen Lougheed (Biology), in partnership with the River Institute (Cornwall), the ECCO-Ontario project has received $4.6 million from the CFI-IF. The research group will develop innovative and sustainable approaches to aquatic environment monitoring, as well as address challenges in Ontario’s waterways and wetlands, which are experiencing unprecedented degradation and species loss due to factors like climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, overharvesting, and pollution.

To support these advancements, a new Environmental Science Research Centre and Indigenous Centre will be constructed at the Queen’s University Biological Station (QUBS). Additionally, upgrades to the Queen’s Biosciences Complex Phytotron, including new environmental chambers, plus a confocal microscope and other instrumentation, will enable experiments to explore the resilience of species to future climates.

The ECCO-Ontario project will shape the conservation and restoration practices of freshwater resources, to safeguard vital ecosystems, and provide actionable insights for decision-makers to support clean water, climate action, habitat stewardship, and biodiversity conservation for future generations. ECCO-Ontario will foster partnerships with Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Environment Program and First Nations Technical Institute in Tyendinaga that intersect leading-edge Western Science and Indigenous Knowledge resulting in culturally significant and sustainable environmental stewardship.

Learn more about Queen’s success in the recent $40M federal government research announcement.