U of S Awarded $1.6 M in CFI Grants

Posted November 15, 2001


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 15, 2001 2001-11-12-OTHER

U of S Awarded $1.6 M in CFI Grants

Today five University of Saskatchewan researchers were awarded Canada
Foundation for Innovation (CFI) grants totaling more than $1.25 million for
labs and equipment to advance leading-edge research that could lead to
improved medical implants, electronic devices and pulse crops.

Four of the projects relate to the Canadian Light Source (CLS)
http://www.cls.usask.ca/ which is now under construction on the U of S
campus.

As well, U of S was awarded $377,484 to help with operating and maintenance
associated with these new infrastructure projects.

"We're delighted that all five of our applicants were approved for this
funding," said Michael Corcoran, U of S Vice-President Research. "With this
CFI support, these five new outstanding researchers will have access to the
equipment and facilities they need to undertake and help build research
capacity across the campus."

The funding, announced in Guelph today, is part of a $17.6-million CFI
investment aimed at creating world-class research facilities for new faculty
at 33 Canadian universities.

"This is a strategic investment in the ability of our universities to
attract and retain the best researchers in Canada, and in the capacity of
our people to compete with the best in the world," said Carmen Charette, CFI
Senior Vice-President. "These 92 new researchers will have access to the
equipment and facilities they need to undertake leading-edge research and to
train young Canadians for the knowledge-based economy."

- Katie Mitchell, assistant professor of physics and engineering physics,
will receive $388,500 to establish an ultra-high vacuum scanning probe
microscopy facility for nanomaterials science. This will be used to study
properties of surfaces patterned on the nanometre (one billionth of a meter)
and sub-nanometre scale. These fundamental studies are relevant to a wide
range of applications in areas such as electronics, catalysis, environmental
and biosensors, and medical implants.

An ultra-high vacuum scanning probe microscope is a unique instrument
capable of "seeing" and modifying the local arrangement of atoms at a
surface. The only one of its kind in Saskatchewan, this instrument will be
used to complement studies at the CLS.

- Alexander Moewes, associate professor of physics and engineering physics,
will receive $387,500 to purchase a spectrometer to perform materials
research using the CLS. The spectrometer is an integral part of the CLS
multi-spectroscopy beamline, which is led by professor Moewes. This beamline
will be a unique research tool for Canada, with many graduate students
participating in the research.

This basic research could ultimately lead to designing materials with new
electronic, optical, and magnetic properties that may be used as sensors and
electronic devices.

- Stephen Urquhart, assistant professor of chemistry, will receive $215,500
for equipment to study the structure and properties of nanostructured
organic materials such as plastics. This research could have implications in
the production of better, cheaper materials using the CLS.

- Rosalind Ball, assistant professor of plant sciences, will receive
$106,500 for laboratory and field instruments to measure and locate improved
nitrogen fixation metabolism in chickpea, lentil, bean and pea crops under
stress conditions. Over the long term, she hopes to come up with pulse crops
that have better yield, stability and quality under stress conditions.

- Kaori Tanaka, assistant professor of physics and engineering physics, will
receive $160,277 for computers required for powerful numerical and parallel
computing. This research may lead to improved computer chips, biosensors
and electronic devices.

Her work will enhance understanding of new electronic and magnetic
properties of small superconductors of sub-micron (one millionth of a meter)
to nanometer size, providing the theoretical framework required to interpret
the nanoscale measurements made at the CLS.

The CFI is an independent, not-for-profit corporation established in 1997 by
the federal government. The CFI has a capital investment budget of $3.15
billion, and its investments are made in partnership with all levels of
government, as well as with the private and voluntary sectors.


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For more information, contact:

Kathryn Warden
U of S Research Communications
Tel: (306) 966-2506
FAX: (306) 966-2411
kathryn.warden@usask.ca