Western Receives $693,608 In CFI Funding To Support Five New Research Projects

Today, The University of Western Ontario welcomed the Canada Foundation for Innovation's (CFI) investment of $693,608 to support five new research projects. "Today's investment in state-of-the-art infrastructure will help support the development of world-class expertise in communities across the country and help to attract the best research minds in the world to Canada," says The Honourable Lucienne Robillard, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec. "Today's announcement is more great news for The University of Western Ontario. I am sure this CFI funding will further the great research that is already being done at Western and it will bring great new social and economic benefits to our community," says Joe Fontana, M.P. for London North Centre. "These awards represent a strategic boost to the research capabilities of these universities," says Carmen Charette, Interim President and CEO of the CFI. "These projects were selected following a thorough assessment process and will help ensure that researchers and graduate students at The University of Western Ontario have access to a world-class facility and training environment." The CFI Board of Directors approved $693,608 in infrastructure for five projects at Western. They include: Computational Laboratory for Fault System Modeling, Analysis, and Data Assimilation - $138,490; lead researcher is Kristy Tiampo, Department of Earth Sciences. Tiampo left the University of Colorado in Boulder to start work at Western in September. "I was interested in the department, the program, the research, the funding - the whole package," says Tiampo. The research from this project will contribute towards a better understanding of the mechanics and physics of earthquake systems and their hazards. Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology - $141,608; lead researcher is Bruce Morton, Department of Psychology. Morton moved to London in July 2002 after working for two years at the University of Denver. He was attracted to the Centre for Brain and Mind at Western, one of the leading cognitive neuroscience programs in the world. His research will look at how changes in brain functioning in children relate to changes in their thinking and behaviour. Infrastructure to Enable the Assessment of Implant Fixation and Load Transfer in Joints of the Upper Limb - $205,641; lead researcher is Cynthia Dunning, Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Department of Surgery, and scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute. After completing her PhD in engineering at Western, Dunning started work at the University. "I was drawn to the great team environment with the engineering and medical communities in London," she says. She will look at the factors that can prevent the loosening of orthopedic joint replacements. Laboratory for the Synthesis and Characterization of Self-assembled Nanoscale Architectures - $112,869; lead researcher is James Wisner, Department of Chemistry. Wisner began his position at Western in July 2002. He researches the design and construction of synthetic molecules that interact with each other in solution in specific ways. "The instrumentation acquired through the CFI funding will enable us to more quickly purify these molecules, look at the energetics of the assembly processes in detail, and determine the sizes of the final structures to verify the success of our designs," says Wisner. Nanoelectronics Design, Simulation, and Testing Laboratory (NDSTL) - $95,000; lead researcher is Wei Wang, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering. Wang started his career at Western in August 2002 after completing a PhD at Concordia University. His research looks at nanotechnology techniques: carbon nanotube as an alternative to the current silicon chips in computers. The power consumption of carbon nanotube is much lower than that of silicon chips. "The New Opportunities Program within the Canada Foundation for Innovation is one of the most effective recruiting tools for Western as it seeks to attract the best researchers," says Nils Petersen, Western's Vice President (Research). "This funding announcement is another example where five new faculty members have been able to attract funding for state-of-the-art equipment that will allow them to compete internationally in their respective fields. We congratulate each of them and their co-investigators on this success." Today, a national funding announcement of $29.9 million to 33 institutions across the country was made by Charette and Andy Savoy, Member of Parliament for Tobique-Mactaquac, in Fredericton, New Brunswick. These investments, approved by the CFI Board of Directors on March 2, 2004, were made under the New Opportunities Fund, providing $23 million for infrastructure support to newly recruited academic staff, and the Infrastructure Operating Fund providing $6.9 million to help with operating and maintenance costs associated with new infrastructure projects. A complete list of New Opportunities Fund projects, by university, can be found at: www.innovation.ca. The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is an independent corporation created in 1997 by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure. The CFI's mandate is to strengthen the ability of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and other non-profit institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development that will benefit Canadians. For more information: Christine Roulston, Media Relations Officer, The University of Western Ontario (519) 661-2111 ext. 85165 Valérie Poulin, Coordinator, Media Relations, Canada Foundation for Innovation (613) 996-3160; cell: (613) 447-1723 Chantal Gobeil, Executive Assistant, Office of Joe Fontana, (613)992-0805