Tri-Council Funding
Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) are allocated to universities to support exceptional researchers across the country who are achieving excellence across disciplines, including engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
In the fiscal 2016-17 period, based on our share of total Tri-Council funding over three years, Ryerson was awarded one new CRC, bringing our total positions to 20.
20 Canada Research Chairs
Seth Dworkin (Mechanical and Industrial Engineering) received a Tier II CRC in High Performance Computing and Sustainable Energy to focus on improving emissions profiles for aircraft engines, geothermal heating systems and cooling systems. Through this five-year research program, Dworkin will develop computer models adaptable to industry use in order to reduce the effects of emissions on air quality and climate change.
Ryerson researchers were recognized by the Tri-Council agencies and received approximately $14.6 million in Tri-Council funding.
$2.5M Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
$8.1M Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
$4.0M Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
Discovery Grants Program
Imogen Coe (Chemistry and Biology) received a Discovery Grant to study a class of proteins that transport nucleoside molecules in and out of cells or compartments within cells. Nucleosides are an important route of entry for a range of drugs used in anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-parasite treatments, meaning that a deeper understanding of how they work and how they are regulated will have important clinical applications.
Bin Wu (Electrical and Computer Engineering) was the recipient of one of Ryerson’s largest single Discovery Grants for his work in developing a high-power converter that promises to transform medium voltage drives used to convert energy for a wide number of applications, including power utility and renewable energy, like wind and hydro power systems. This next technological step will improve both energy efficiency and system performance.
Research Tools and Instruments Grants Program
Three Ryerson researchers were recipients of awards from NSERC’s Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) program:
Habiba Bougherara (Mechanical and Industrial Engineering) received an RTI grant to purchase a 3D Stereo Microscope imaging system from Correlated Solutions Inc. to support her work developing new composite and smart materials for medical implants as well as the work of five co-applicants.
Comondore (Ravi) Ravindran (Mechanical and Industrial Engineering) received an RTI grant to purchase a Spark Optical Emission Spectrometer used to measure the chemical composition of samples, which will help him further his work in developing new metal alloys with a range of industrial applications.
Scott Tsai (Mechanical and Industrial Engineering) received an RTI grant to purchase a mask aligner for UV lithography processes. This equipment will be installed in the new, class 10,000 clean-room at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Technology (iBEST), a partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael’s Hospital.
Costin Antonescu (Chemistry and Biology) was the recipient of the New Investigator Award in the competition’s final year for his work in expanding our understanding of how cells control the proteins that drive the growth and spread of tumours. His work aims to help uncover novel strategies for treating certain types of cancer that are difficult to treat with existing therapies while also preventing them from spreading further.
Mark Towler (Mechanical and Industrial Engineering) received the first ever Project Grant awarded to Ryerson in order to build on preliminary work into mesoporous bioactive glasses, a new material that can be used to help accelerate blood clotting when applied to a wound. Hemorrhage remains the most common cause of death during both surgery and trauma, meaning these glasses have the potential to decrease death during surgery and in first responder vehicles.
Rupa Banerjee (Business Management) received an Insight Grant for a study in close collaboration with community partners examining whether Canada’s new “Express Entry” system for immigration results in improved outcomes for employers and new immigrants. This study aims to improve policy and practice while also contributing to enhanced public discourse on the role of the immigration system in the Canadian labour market.
Shelagh McCartney (Urban and Regional Planning) received a Knowledge Synthesis Grant for her work in improving our understanding and the application of Indigenous knowledge systems, values and cultural practices in the design and implementation of housing systems. Through the project, she hopes to address inadequate and culturally inappropriate housing in First Nations communities in order to work together to develop sustainable communities.
Michael McGregor (Politics and Public Administration) received a notable Insight Grant to pursue a landmark study into municipal elections in Canada across 10 cities. The study will survey an estimated 27,000 respondents, the largest survey of its kind. Only two studies have systematically surveyed individual municipal voters in Canada before, meaning McGregor’s work has the potential to fundamentally transform the state of municipal elections research in Canada.
Collaborative Health Research Projects (CHRP) is a granting program administered jointly by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CHRP grants provide significant support to interdisciplinary, collaborative research projects in the natural sciences, engineering, and health sciences.
Victor Yang (Electrical and Computer Engineering) received a CHRP Grant to investigate how the effective use of surgical imaging technology can improve the treatment of skin cancer. Usual treatment protocols for non-melanoma skin cancer — such as surgical excision or photodynamic therapy — do not provide information about the tissue underlying the lesion area. By introducing the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT), Yang is developing an image-guided planning system for patients that has the potential for more personalized, comprehensive and non-invasive treatment of skin cancer.
Five Ryerson researchers were recipients of Early Career Researcher (ECR) supplements to their NSERC Discovery grants:
Saman Hassanzadeh Amin (Mechanical and Industrial Engineering) is studying the management of closed-loop supply chains, examining real case studies in Canada with a focus on paper, tires, computers, and hazardous materials. His work considers product networks, recovery options like recycling, and federal and provincial policies to provide relevant management insights for practitioners.
James Gräfe (Physics) is advancing the development of non-invasive systems that can measure rare earth metal concentrations in the human body. This would be achieved through a novel method proposed by Gräfe, using rare earth elements as a contrast agent for the online monitoring of tumour position and treatment during proton therapy, which is currently being approved by Health Canada.
Behrang Keshavarz (Psychology) studied “vection,” a psychological phenomenon by which the mind creates an illusory feeling of motion despite the subject remaining stationary. This work aims to improve the simulation of the feeling of motion in virtual reality, with a number of applications in training and rehabilitation.
Claire Oswald (Geography) is enriching our understanding of the cumulative impacts of climate and land use changes on human-dominated (urban) watersheds. Her work will inform the sustainable management of urban water resources in Canada, including preparation for extreme weather events and their effects on water quality.
Hossein Zolfagharinia (Business Management) is providing insights into the potential benefits of collaboration among companies in providing transportation services. His work explores these benefits to both transportation providers as well as clients and customers, including lower transportation costs and reduced fuel consumption, resulting in important environmental impacts.