Canadian researchers connect with business and international peers to train next generation of science and engineering leaders

Government of Canada announces more than $29 million in support for 18 research teams across the country

SHERBROOKE, QC, July 16, 2018 /CNW/ - The next generation of Canadian scientists and engineers can rely on their mentors in research and industry to help them gain the knowledge, experience and skills they need to land the jobs of the future. Today's up-and-coming researchers also have the chance to learn from their counterparts from around the world who bring new perspectives on science and are attracted to Canada's strong research community.

It is this exciting combination of research, industry and foreign expertise that creates the perfect conditions for new investments in science.

Today, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, announced $29.7 million in Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) grants to 18 Canadian research teams across the country who are working to further discovery and innovation in areas such as environmental protection, green energy, and advanced manufacturing. The teams include a wide range of collaborators from several countries, including Germany, France, Australia, the United States, Switzerland and Brazil.

Two of the 18 research teams are being led by Dr. Dominique Gravel and Dr. Yves Bérubé-Lauzière from the Université de Sherbrooke. Dr. Gravel and his team will look to develop technical expertise and computing power to manage the massive amounts of information used to predict future impacts of human actions on biodiversity.  Dr. Bérubé-Lauzière and his team will research how to bridge the gap between quantum science and quantum technologies.

In addition to strengthening partnerships between Canadian and foreign research teams, the CREATE program, delivered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC),  provides students with hands-on training opportunities for the jobs of the future along with valuable connections to people working in industry, government and community organizations.

Quotes

"When young Canadians choose science, programs like CREATE empower them to pursue their ambitions and gain the hands-on experiences they need to launch their careers. Thanks to the worldwide interdisciplinary connections they will build through this program, these talented young researchers will further Canada's reputation as a leader in research and innovation."
– The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

"CREATE supports outstanding mentoring and skills training opportunities for students, where hands-on experience reinforces their science and engineering research training. Thanks to an emphasis on team-building, communications, and successful scientific collaborations, they will gain the life skills like problem solving and creative, critical, and adaptive thinking needed to make them job-ready as they launch their careers."
– Dr. B. Mario Pinto, President of NSERC

"The Université de Sherbrooke is making new contributions to meet society's needs in two areas. One is the development of advanced computer skills and expertise in data analysis for future generations of ecologists in the Big Data era. The second is the training of future scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs in the field of quantum technologies. Thanks to outstanding multidisciplinary groups, collective research themes and a collaborative approach, the UdeS prepares highly qualified professionals who will be able to tackle the many challenges of an increasingly complex world."
– Pierre Cossette, President, Université de Sherbrooke

Quick Facts

• CREATE teams are made up of a variety of national and international researchers and innovators who bring a diverse set of skills and experiences into the lab. Trainees will intern with several industrial partners and/or government agencies as part of the program.
• The two CREATE teams that are based at the Université de Sherbrooke are:
  • BIOS2: Computational Biodiversity Science and Services led by Dr. Dominique Gravel, and
  • QSciTech: Bridging the Gap between Quantum Science and Quantum Technologies – Training the Next Generation of Quantum Scientists, Engineers and Entrepreneurs led by Dr. Yves Bérubé-Lauzière.
• This year's CREATE projects cover a wide variety of topics including artificial intelligence, quantum technology, photonics, bioengineering, urban infrastructure, advanced polymer materials, and wearable technology.

Two other teams, the PRoTECT - Plant Responses To Eliminate Critical Threats team led by Dr. Li Xin at the University of British Columbia, and the Advanced Polymer Composite Materials and Technologies team lead by Dr. Jeffrey Wood at Western University, involve collaborations with the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation). The collaboration is a result of a partnership between NSERC and the Foundation to support bilateral training and an exchange of students between Germany and Canada

Associated Links

The complete list of the 2018 CREATE grant recipients.
The Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program
Where NSERC Invests and Why
A Vision of NSERC in 2020

About NSERC

NSERC invests over $1.2 billion each year in natural sciences and engineering research in Canada. Our investments deliver discoveries—valuable world-firsts in knowledge claimed by a brain trust of over 11,000 professors. Our investments enable partnerships and collaborations that connect industry with discoveries and the people behind them. Researcher-industry partnerships established by NSERC help inform research and development and solve scale-up challenges.

NSERC also provides scholarships and hands-on training experience for more than 30,000 post-secondary students and post-doctoral fellows. These young researchers will be the next generation of science and engineering leaders in Canada.

SOURCE Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Ann Marie Paquet, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Science, Tel.: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Tel.: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Valérie Levert-Gagnon, Media and Public Affairs Officer, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Tel.: [phone], Email: [email protected]