Supporting big research ideas
June 16, 2021
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Over 125 Queen’s researchers across disciplines have received support that will advance discovery, innovation, and collaboration in their research programs. Today, The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (ISED), announced a bundled research announcement under the theme "Supporting BIG ideas!", meant to continue the Government’s historic investments in support of a strong and vibrant world-leading research ecosystem.
The bundled announcement includes funding from a variety of programs under the umbrellas of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Canada Research Chairs program. More than $635 million is being invested in scholars across Canada through new grants or grant extensions.
"We are proud to continue investing in, and celebrating, the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of Canada’s research ecosystem," says Minister Champagne. "It is inspiring to see the ingenuity and dedication Canadian researchers embrace in exploring big ideas that will fuel the discoveries and innovations of tomorrow to make our world a better place and create prosperity for Canadians."
The funding will advance the research continuum from fundamental to applied scholarship at Queen’s. In addition to pandemic-related projects, these investments will support emerging and ongoing research in areas of critical importance, such as precision medicine, military family health, particle physics, climate change, citizenship and social justice, chronic pain, and gender, race, and inclusive policies. For more information on each of the funding programs and the Queen’s recipients please see below:
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
The goal of SSHRC’s Insight program is to build knowledge and understanding about people, societies, and the world by supporting research excellence in all subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. Insight grants provide stable support for long-term research initiatives, while the Insight Development grants support research in its initial stages. The grants enable the development of research questions, as well as experimentation with new methods, theoretical approaches, and/or ideas.
Partnership Development grants provide support for new and existing formal partnerships over four to seven years to advance research, research training, and/or knowledge mobilization in the social sciences and humanities. Partnership funding is intended for formal partnerships between postsecondary institutions and/or organizations of various types.
SSHRC Partnership Development Grants 2020
| Principal Investigator | Affiliation | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| Heather Aldersey | School of Rehabilitation Therapy | Redefining the social contract: Rebalancing formal and natural support for people with disabilities and their families |
| Heidi Cramm |
School of Rehabilitation Therapy; Psychiatry |
Families matter: A partnership of partners to study, serve, and support the families of military, Veterans, and public safety personnel |
SSHRC Insight Grants 2020
| Principal Investigator | Affiliation | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Brulé | Gender Studies | Decolonizing the academy: Indigenizing the university seven generations in the future |
| Rosa Bruno-Jofré | Education; History | Giving the past a new meaning to re-imagine the future in education |
| Pierre Chaigneau | Smith School of Business | Too many rewards? Performance shares and the optimal structure of executive pay |
| Amanda-Mae Cooper | Education | Social science research funding agencies' support and promotion of knowledge mobilization and research impact: Learning from high impact case studies of collaborative research networks |
| Theresa Claire Davies | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | A Delphi Study to advance research on accessibility standards for augmentative and alternative communication |
| Anthony Goerzen | Smith School of Business | Improving global value chain governance |
| Kerah Gordon-Solmon | Philosophy | Duties, constraints, prerogatives, and permissions: Or, how to defend lesser-evil options |
| Oded Haklai | Political Studies | Population settlements and territorial control |
| Fiona Kay | Sociology | Paralegals and access to justice: Regulation, job rewards, and legal services during COVID-19 pandemic |
| Benjamin Kutsyuruba | Education | Understanding the well-being capacity of pre-service teachers |
| Susan Lord | Film and Media; Art History; Gender Studies; Cultural Studies | Under the shadow of empire: Minor archives and radical media distribution in the Americas |
| David McDonald | Global Development Studies; Geography and Planning; School of Environmental Studies | Public Banks + Public Water |
| Nicole Myers | Sociology | Risky decisions: Professional judgement, public safety and the bail decision |
| Steven Salterio | Smith School of Business | Understanding the extant and nature of replication research in social sciences: The case of accounting research |
| Marcus Taylor | Global Development Studies; Sociology; School of Environmental Studies | Can climate-resilient crops transform smallholder agriculture? A comparative sociological analysis |
| Veikko Thiele | Smith School of Business; Economics | Scale-up Ecosystems: Theory and Empirical Evidence |
| Grégoire Webber | Law; Philosophy | Recovering the good in law |
Canada Research Chairs
Part of a national strategy to attract and retain leading and promising minds, the Canada Research Chairs program aims to make Canada one of the world's top countries in research and development. The program invests approximately $265 million per year to attract and retain some of the world's most accomplished and promising researchers. Queen’s is currently home to 51 Canada Research Chairs across a variety of disciplines.
Canada Research Chair (CRC) Renewals
| Name | Affiliation | Status | Research Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heather Castleden | Geography and Planning; Gender Studies | Tier 2 - CRC in Reconciling Relations for Health, Environments, and Communities | Applying Indigenous and Western knowledge systems to research involving social and environmental justice and health equity: this research aims to create healthier relationships between Indigenous peoples and Settler (non-Indigenous) Canadians by advancing recognition, responsibility, and reconciliation in community-driven and participatory ways. |
| Philip Jessop | Chemistry | Tier 1 - CRC in Green Chemistry | Using carbon dioxide as a “trigger” for “switchable materials” able to change from one form to another: this research will make industry safer and more environmentally-benign through the reuse of waste carbon dioxide gas. |
| Mark Ormiston | Biomedical and Molecular Sciences; Medicine; Surgery | Tier 2 - CRC in Regenerative Cardiovascular Medicine | The study of Natural Killer (NK) cells in the development of diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension: this research could lead to the creation of new immune-based treatments that could reverse changes made in a person’s lungs. |
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
The Discovery program supports ongoing research with long-term goals. These multi-year grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances. Discovery program grants are considered “grants in aid” of research, as they provide long-term operating funds and can facilitate access to funding from other programs, but are not meant to support the full costs of a research program.
Notably, Cathy Crudden (Chemistry), Canada Research Chair in Metal Organic Chemistry, received the largest Discovery grant in Canada (valued at $605k over five years) for her project Nanoclusters, nanoparticles, and surfaces: Bridging the gap between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis.
NSERC Discovery Program Grants 2020/2021
| Principal Investigator | Affiliation | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| Furkan Alaca | School of Computing | Securing user authentication in emerging threat landscapes |
| Brian Amsden | Chemical Engineering | Aliphatic polycarbonates: Building blocks for new biodegradable biomaterials |
| Levente Balogh | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Structure-property relations of materials having complex microstructures generated by radiation damage and additive manufacturing |
| Sameh Basta | Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | M2a macrophage activation and the regulation of immune functions |
| Albrecht Birk | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Safe transport and storage of pressure liquefied hazardous materials |
| Amanda Bongers | Chemistry | Cognition in chemistry: Exploring how the brain encodes and manipulates scientific models |
| Joseph Bramante | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy | Astroparticle theory for dark sectors |
| Chantelle Capicciotti | Chemistry; Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | Chemical biology tools for probing and discovering glycan-protein interactions |
| Pascale Champagne | Civil Engineering; Chemical Engineering | Photosynthetically-enhanced eco-engineered treatment systems |
| Che Colpitts | Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | Membrane rearrangement by positive-sense RNA viruses: Molecular mechanisms and cellular responses |
| Cathleen Crudden | Chemistry |
Nanoclusters, nanoparticles, and surfaces: Bridging the gap between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis Critical replacement of super critical fluid HPLC for chiral separations Variable temperature UV/Vis spectrophotometer for study of NHC-stabilized gold nanoclusters |
| Michael Cunningham | Chemical Engineering; Chemistry | Replacing traditional surfactants in the preparation of polymer nanoparticles |
| Mark Daymond | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy; Mechanical and Materials Engineering |
Effect of local microstructure on cracking of materials for next generation reactors Characterising irradiation induced damage and phase changes |
| Kevin Deluzio | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Tools for the biomechanical analysis of human movement |
| George diCenzo | Biology | Gene networks of Sinorhizobium meliloti |
| Marc Dignam | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy | Nonlinear and quantum optics in two-dimensional materials and nanophotonic systems |
| Steven Honghui Ding | School of Computing | Assistant professor |
| Juergen Dingel | School of Computing | Model-driven engineering for distributed, reliable, adaptive, web-based software |
| Cao Thang Dinh | Chemical Engineering | Electrode engineering for carbon dioxide electroreduction to fuels and chemicals |
| Paul Duchesne | Chemistry | Earth-abundant heterogeneous catalysts for the synthesis of renewable fuels |
| Christopher Eckert | Biology | Ecology & evolution of species range limits |
| Dixia Fan | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Physics-informed (and -informative) reinforcement learning and bio-inspired design of a smart morphing flapping wing for dual aerial/aquatic-propulsion and maneuvering |
| Laura Fissel | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy | Understanding the role of magnetic fields in star and planet formation using stratospheric balloon-borne polarimeters |
| Luis Flores | Psychology | Brain function and real-world choice and effectiveness of intrapersonal and social forms of emotion regulation |
| Georgia Fotopoulous | Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering | Fusion of heterogeneous geosensing observations for enhanced site characterization |
| Jason Gallivan | Psychology; Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | Human functional neuroimaging stimulus presentation and data collection system for studies of action, perception and decision-making |
| Jun Gao | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy | Surfaces and interfaces of luminescent polymer mixed ionic/electronic conductors |
| Charlotte Gibson | Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining |
Surface analysis for the concentration and extraction of metals using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Concentrating minerals critical to energy storage applications from Canadian hard rock deposits |
| Guillaume Giroux | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy | NEWS-G search for light dark matter with spherical proportional counters |
| Sidney Givigi | School of Computing | Safe adaptive social cyber physical systems |
| Farnaz Heidar-Zadeh | Chemistry | Theoretical chemical design with machine learning: Model development and applications |
| Tom Hollenstein | Psychology | Integrated psychophysiology and observational system for synchronous measurement and analysis |
| Neil Hoult | Civil Engineering | Reimagined environmentally-friendly (RE-Design) of reinforced concrete infrastructure |
| Graeme Howe | Chemistry | Tracing enzyme mechanisms across evolution to elucidate the origins of enzymatic catalysis |
| Stephen Hughes | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy | Dissipative mode theories and reservoir engineering in quantum nanophotonics |
| Robin Hutchinson | Chemical Engineering | Measurement and modeling of polymerization kinetics for process and product development |
| Judith Irwin | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy | From galaxy to intergalactic medium -- the magnetic connection in the age of the square kilometre array |
| Shideh Kabiri Ameri Abootorabi | Electrical and Computer Engineering | High performance visually imperceptible on-skin sensors and electronics based on nanomaterials |
| Frederick Kan | Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | Oviductal regulation of gamete interaction and reproductive function |
| Sadan Kelebek | Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining | Investigations on the separation of metal-bearing values from secondary sources in the production of value-added products |
| Il Yong Kim | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | System, layout, and topology optimization for automotive and aerospace design |
| Marianna Kontopoulou | Chemical Engineering | Environmentally friendly and scalable processes for the production of graphene and applications in advanced functional materials and technologies |
| Ehssan Koupaie | Chemical Engineering | Techniques for enhanced anaerobic digestion and bioenergy and conversion of pulp and paper sludge |
| Valerie Kuhlmeier | Psychology | Cognitive origins of ownership concepts |
| Yanzhe Lei | Smith School of Business | Real-time dynamic optimization for omnichannel retailers |
| Guang Li | Smith School of Business | Revenue management and policy design in the presence of customer multi-item shopping behavior |
| Qingguo Li | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Biomechanical energy harvesting: Optimization, control and biomechanics |
| Hok Kan Ling | Mathematics and Statistics | Shape-constrained inference: Testing and estimation for incomplete survival data |
| Alexander Little | Biology | Mechanisms and costs of adaptive plasticity in a starlet anemone (Nematostella Vectensis) model |
| Christopher Lohans | Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | Mechanistic enzymology of beta-lactam antibiotic resistance mechanisms and target proteins |
| Alan Lomax | Medicine; Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | Analysis of the vagal afferent innervation of the mouse colon |
| Stephen Lougheed | Biology |
Digital PCR infrastructure to enhance research and HQP training in biology High performance computing infrastructure for evolutionary biology, spatial ecology, and conservation biology |
| Giusy Mazzone | Mathematics and Statistics | Partially dissipative systems with applications to fluid-solid interaction problems |
| Kim McAuley | Chemical Engineering | Combining fundamental models with data |
| Chris McGlory | School of Kinesiology and Health Studies | Mechanisms underlying the regulation of human skeletal muscle protein turnover by omega-3 fatty acids |
| Jordan Morelli | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy | Applied magnetics - nuclear fusion |
| Michele Morningstar | Psychology | Development of neural and cognitive processing of peers' nonverbal cues in adolescence |
| Parvin Mousavi | School of Computing | Learning algorithms for predictive modeling in biomedical computing: Methods and applications |
| Christian Muise | School of Computing | Advanced techniques for action model solicitation, verification, and induction |
| Kevin Mumford | Civil Engineering | Contaminant transport and remediation in dynamic gas-and-groundwater systems |
| Ram Murty | Mathematics and Statistics | Zeta functions and probability theory |
| Sara Nabil | School of Computing |
Advanced techniques for everyday embodied interaction E-textiles digital design and fabrication |
| Guy Narbonne | Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering | When life got big - Ediacaran evolution in a period of profound global change |
| Jianbing Ni | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Secure and privacy-preserving edge caching in next-generation mobile networks |
| Jean-Michel Nunzi | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy; Chemistry | Life-mimetic nano-photonics |
| Gema Olivo | Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering | Mineral resources in basins: Base metal ore systems and footprint |
| Mary Olmstead | Psychology | Immune-reward interactions: Contributions of the endocannabinoid system |
| Christopher Omelon | Geography and Planning | Impacts of talik microbial geochemistry on a changing permafrost landscape |
| Diane Orihel | Biology; School of Environmental Studies | A new ecological framework for adverse outcomes of contaminants on ecosystems: Microplastics as a case study |
| Patrick Oosthuizen | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Numerical and experimental studies of steady and unsteady natural and mixed convective heat transfer from horizontal and inclined surfaces of complex shape |
| Anna Panchenko | Biomedical and Molecular Sciences; Pathology and Molecular Medicine; School of Computing | Deciphering the mechanisms of modulation of DNA accessibility in chromatin: Discovery of novel pioneer transcription factors |
| Sarah Jane Payne | Civil Engineering | Elucidating drinking water quality deterioration in premise plumbing |
| David Reed | Medicine | Inhibition of visceral sensation by cannabinoids in the gastrointestinal tract |
| David Rival | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | High-speed, plane-wave ultrasound imaging for Lagrangian particle tracking |
| Matthew Robertson | Mechanical and Materials | Novel robot actuators leveraging the molecular mechanics and topology of biological muscle |
| Nir Rotenberg | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy |
Frontiers of nonlinear quantum optics: From fundamentals to technology Ultra-coherent lasers for the exploration of quantum photonic nonlinearities |
| Karen Rudie | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Keeping secrets: Realizing the potential of decentralized discrete-event systems |
| Sarah Sadavoy | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy | The role of magnetic fields in forming stars, disks, and planets |
| Yuksel Asli Sari | Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining | Innovative dynamic short-term, medium-term and long-term mine planning strategies incorporating new automation and data analytics technologies |
| Jessica Selinger | School of Kinesiology and Health Studies; Mechanical and Materials Engineering | A lower-limb exoskeleton system for investigating the neuromechanical control of human locomotion and designing assistive robotic aids |
| Bhavin Shastri | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy | Neurophotonic-electronic brain-machine interface system |
| Zhe She | Chemistry | Probing molecular interactions of soft surfaces by scanning probe microscopy |
| Amber Simpson | School of Computing; Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | Integrated computational modeling of multi-scale biomedical data |
| Gregory Smith | Mathematics and Statistics | Combination algebraic geometry |
| Yanglei Song | Mathematics and Statistics | Sequential decision making under uncertainty: Fundamental limits and applications |
| Sameh Sorour | School of Computing | Enabling intelligence on multi-access edge networks with heterogeneous resources |
| Christopher Spencer | Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering | Constraining the interplay of geodynamics with the biosphere and atmosphere across the Archean-Proterozoic boundary |
| Patrick Stroman | Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | Functional MRI investigation of spinal cord resting-state networks and their physiological relevance |
| Myron Szewczuk | Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | Nobel biased G-protein coupled receptor-signalling paradigm regulating growth factor and pathogen-sensing receptors |
| William Take | Civil Engineering | Landslide triggering, mobility, and monitoring in a changing climate |
| David Thomson | Mathematics and Statistics | Statistical spectrum estimation and solar gravity modes |
| Aaron Vincent | Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy | Discovering the dark sector with astroparticle phenomenology |
| Bas Vriens | Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering | Sustainable mine waste management: From microscale hydrogeochemical processes to macroscale prediction models |
| Jeffrey Wammes | Psychology | Mechanisms underlying learning-related representational reorganization |
| Robert Way | Geography and Planning | Susceptibility of peatland permafrost in coastal Labrador to future environmental change |
| Peng Wang | Chemistry; Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy | Discovery and development of crystalline radiation detection materials |
| Joshua Woods | Civil Engineering |
System-level multi-element analysis of structures using hybrid-simulation (SMASH) lab High-performance structural systems for seismic protection and resilience of built infrastructure |
| Gang Wu | Chemistry | Development of new 17O NMR spectroscopic techniques for studying biological systems |
| Sarah Yakimowski | Biology | The evolution of herbicide resistance |
| Laurence Yang | Chemical Engineering | Learning models of metabolism and gene expression from biological big data |
| Scott Yam | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Intelligent fiber sensors via digital signal processing and machine learning |
| Mohammad Zulkernine | School of Computing | Building and monitoring security in emerging softwarized systems |
For more information on the Government of Canada’s Support BIG Ideas announcement, please visit the website.