Mineral exploration and mining, environmental ecosystems and health sciences will be the focus of research led by Laurentian University, following a funding announcement of $2.67 million.
The funding comes from the Ministry of Research and Innovation's Ontario Research Fund-Research Excellence program.
Of the funding, $2.24 million will go towards the Smart Underground Monitoring and Integrated Technologies (SUMIT) for Deep Mining. In conjunction with colleagues at the University of Toronto and Queen’s University, the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) will seek to improve safety and efficiency in deep mining.
Dr. John Gunn will use $260,538 to study the effects of environmental stressors such as air pollution, climate change, invasive species and the expansion of mining, forestry and hydroelectric development on the North's fresh water and look for possible recovery methods.
Dr. Thomas Merritt has received $149,486 to study microbial communities and the impacts of contaminants in an effort to find new reclamation techniques.
With $15,862 in funding, Dr. Ralf Meyer will study the physical properties of materials and how they can be influenced by processing methods in order to develop computer-based tools for designing new materials with specific properties, ultimately, giving Ontario's manufacturing industry an important competitive advantage.
Finally, Dr. Nancy Young will use $13,354 to conduct research into better access to health-care services for children in rural and Northern communities, which will guide health policy and practice.
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