Minister of State tours NU researcher's lab

Last week, the Honourable Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology) visited Nipissing University to highlight some of the research earning an investment from the federal government to improve the lives of Canadians.While at Nipissing, Minister Holder toured Canadian Research Chair in Watershed Analysis and Modelling grant recipientDr. April James’ Watershed Hydrology lab and discussed her stable water isotope study.
Dr. James received $110,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engerineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to support her project titled Stable Water Isotope Study of a Mesoscale Precambrian Shield Basin for Improved Model Predictions of Water Quantity and Quality. Studying the cycling of water through watersheds is critical to predicting the impact of human activity on freshwater resources as well as the future of freshwater resources on a broad scale.
“A key pillar of our government’s updated science, technology and innovation strategy is ensuring that Canada develops, attracts and retains the world’s most talented researchers,” said the honourable Ed Holder, minister of state. “Dr. James is one of the many talented women and men at Nipissing University whose research continues to create jobs and opportunities, and improve the quality of life of Canadians.”
Nipissing received this investment through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants Program. Funding of $282,500 will go to researchers and students at Nipissing University
This federal investment supports academic researchers, post-doctoral fellows and students at Nipissing University as they make new discoveries in science and engineering that push the boundaries of knowledge, create jobs and opportunities, and improve the quality of life of Canadians.
The following researchers from Nipissing University earned NSERC Discovery Grants:Dr. Mukund Jha, associate professor, Chemistry, received $100,000 ($20,000 per year for five years), for his project, titled Synthesis of Novel Indole-Based Heterocycles.Dr. Alexandre Karassev, professor, Computer Science and Mathematics, received $55,000 ($11,000 per year for 5 years), for his work, titled Homogeneous spaces and dimension theory.Dr. April James, Canada Research Chair in Watershed Analysis and Modeling and associate professor, Geography, received $110,000 ($22,000 per year for five years) for her research project, titled Stable Water Isotope Study of a Mesoscale Precambrian Shield Basin for Improved Model Predictions of Water Quantity and Quality.
“Thank you to NSERC and the Federal government for this investment in Nipissing University and our researchers,” said Dr. Harley d’Entremont, Provost and Vice-President, Academic and Research. “These are important grantsthat bolster the existing research culture at Nipissing while simultaneously benefiting all Canadians. The success of Nipissing’s faculty members is a testament to the quality of their research and the potential impact it has to improve lives
For more about grant announcement,click here.
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.