NSERC Discovery Research Program

Discovery Grants

46 UVic scholars are receiving Discovery Grants

1. Arif Babul Towards a holistic, cosmologically realistic model for the formation-evolution of galaxies, galaxy groups and clusters of galaxies
2. Amanda Bates Local-scale buffering of extreme events and resilience of temperate rocky reefs
3. Julia Baum Turning Up the Heat: Ecological resilience to climate change amplified heatwaves
4. David Bristow Towards regenerative cities through integration of resilience and sustainability
5. John Cassidy Earthquake hazard assessment in western Canada
6. Devika Chithrani Mechanisms of nanotechnology mediated radiosensitization with megavoltage and kilovoltage photons in vitro using two- and three-dimensional cell models
7. Robert Chow Post-transcriptional mechanisms in neural development
8. Patrick Côté Galaxies, nuclei, star clusters and black holes: Deciphering their co-evolution with next-generation space telescopes
9. Elizabeth Croft The message in the medium: Bi-lateral human-robot communication
10. Christopher Dennison Novel tools to study impact biomechanics of protection devices and materials
11. Xiaodai Dong Terahertz communications and sensing for 6G
12. Stan Dosso Quantitative geoacoustic inversion
13. Peter Dukes Fractional and signed relaxations of balanced combinatorial structures
14. Heath Emerson C*-algebraic and spectral techniques in dynamical systems
15. Johannes Gemmrich The role of surface waves in linking the ocean to the coast
16. Samira Gharehkhani From the Canadian forest to miniaturized energy storage devices
17. Nathan Gillett Using observations to narrow uncertainties in climate projections
18. Tom Gleeson Local to global groundwater systems for climate resilience, environmental justice and reconciliation
19. Colin Goldblatt Climate, past, present and future: Water, clouds and aerosols
20. Mariya Goncheva Determining the role of bacterial proteins at host-commensal interface of the human respiratory tract
21. Aaron Gulliver Connected smart devices: An intelligent ecosystem for the future
22. Fraser Hof Complex supramolecular systems and high-affinity hosts for biological applications
23. Mina Hoorfar Smart gas detection: Integrating pre-concentration techniques and artificial intelligence for multi-component gas sensing for high sensitivity and selectivity in diverse environmental conditions
24. Jing Huang Graph structure and algorithm
25. Jody Klymak Understanding and parameterizing ocean mixing processes for improved ocean prediction
26. Olav Krigolson Examining changes in EEG oscillations to improve our understanding of human decision making
27. Mark Lewis Ecological dynamics under environmental change
28. Regan Mandryk Predicting and preventing toxicity with immersive social technologies
29. Brenda Matthews The space between: Dust, gas and planets revealed by planet-disk interactions
30. Alan McConnachie The darkest galaxies
31. Madeleine McPherson Pathways to net-zero in the energy sector: Accelerating the transition with stakeholder engaged modelling
32. Matthew Moffitt Microfluidics manufacturing of polymeric nanomedicines: Addressing challenges and developing technologies
33. Helen Monkman Digital inclusion through improved design and deployment of digital technology
34. Anthony Quas Multiplicative ergodic theory and thermodynamic formalism
35. Gourab Ray Statistical mechanics of spins, trees, random surfaces and factors of iid
36. Lisa Reynolds The regulation and function of eosinophils during postnatal development
37. Andrew Rowe Domain-coupling for energy system innovation
38. Yang Shi An intelligent and resilient model predictive control framework for autonomous mechatronic systems
39. Min Sun Advancing the design of economical and dependable tubular steel structures
40. Tianhaozhe Sun Combining numerical modelling and geophysical observations in studying subduction zone earthquake processes
41. Venkata Rama Lakshmi Sravya Tekumalla Engineering intelligent alloys using additive manufacturing
42. Marie-Ève Tremblay Microglial remodelling of the extracellular matrix: Outcomes on synaptic plasticity and behaviour
43. Stephen Tuffs Gaining the edge: Mechanisms of interspecies niche competition by Staphylococcus aureus
44. Andrew Weaver Exploring the capacity of the ocean and its deep sediments to sequester atmospheric CO₂
45. Kui Wu Augmenting network observability with multi-task learning
46. Jane Ye Theory and algorithms for solving bilevel optimization with applications in economics and machine learning

Discovery Launch Supplements

Seven of those researchers also received single-year Discovery Launch Supplements:

1. Johannes Gemmrich The role of surface waves in linking the ocean to the coast
2. Samira Gharehkhani From the Canadian forest to miniaturized energy storage devices
3. Mariya Goncheva Determining the role of bacterial proteins at host-commensal interface of the human respiratory tract
4. Helen Monkman Digital inclusion through improved design and deployment of digital technology
5. Tianhaozhe Sun Combining numerical modelling and geophysical observations in studying subduction zone earthquake processes
6. Venkata Rama Lakshmi Sravya Tekumalla Engineering intelligent alloys using additive manufacturing
7. Stephen Tuffs Gaining the edge: Mechanisms of interspecies niche competition by Staphylococcus aureus

Subatomic Physics (SAP) Discovery Grants

Two scholars received Subatomic Physics Discovery Grant funding:

1. Tobias Junginger Reaching the full potential of ARIEL and further develop TRIUMF and UVic’s accelerator physics expertise
2. Randall Sobie Reducing the environmental impact and power requirements of SAP computing

Research Tools and Instruments

Six scholars will receive Research Tools and Instruments funding:

• Craig Brown High density silicon probes for electrophysiological recording of activity in hundreds of neurons across brain regions
• Joshua Giles A digital image correlation system to support innovative mechanical, materials, civil and biomedical engineering research
• Mina Hoorfar Nanoparticle tracking analysis system urgently required for research in targeted drug-delivery, exosomes, nanoplastics and artificial cell studies
• Inigo Novales Flamarique Cameral system for transmission electron microscope
• Makhsud Saidaminov Photoemission yield spectroscopy in air
• Hiu Ming Bosco Yu The design, prototyping and manufacturing of heterogeneous architectures and metamaterials for interdisciplinary research

Major Resources Support

• Randall Sobie HEPNET/Canada – computer networks for subatomic physics research.