UBC Applied Science projects awarded $1.2M in federal research infrastructure support 

Eight research projects based at UBC Applied Science have together received $1.2 million in support for labs and equipment through the Canada Foundation for Innovation's John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF). 

The fund aims to "[help] institutions to recruit and retain outstanding researchers, acquire the tools that enable the innovative work of leading researchers and offer research support that ... is highly competitive.” 

Through the JELF, the Government of Canada is providing $77 million in funding to support 332 new research infrastructure projects at 50 universities across Canada, including $5.7 million for 37 projects at UBC. 

“Now, more than ever, [Canadian researchers] need state-of-the-art labs and equipment to turn their visions into reality,” said the Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, in the official Canada Foundation for Innovation release. “These investments will not only support our ground-breaking contributions to science and research but also improve our economy, environment and quality of life.” 

The UBC Applied Science-affiliated projects for the November 2020, March 2021 and June 2021 JELF funding rounds are: 

Mining and Verifying Specification of Complex Software Systems ($91,850) 
Apurva Narayan (School of Engineering, UBCO) 
 
Development of Crack-Resistant High Strength Aluminum Alloys for Laser Metal Deposition ($125,000) 
Michael Benoit (School of Engineering, UBCO) 
 
RNA Enhancement And Clinical Translation (REACT) Platform ($125,000) 
Anna Blakney (School of Biomedical Engineering) 
 
Control and Instrumentation Infrastructure for High-speed Bearingless Motors Research ($125,000) 
Minkyun Noh (Mechanical Engineering) 
 
Controlling the Reaction Environment in Sustainable Catalytic Processes to Produce Fuels, Chemicals, and Power ($159,821) 
Chester Upham (Chemical and Biological Engineering) 
 
Toward Autonomy and Resilience of Control Systems Using an Industry 4.0 Platform ($125,000) 
Ahmad Al-Dabbagh (School of Engineering, UBCO) 

AI-driven Platform for Translating Precision Medicine Discoveries in Women’s Cancers ($325,000) 
Ali Bashashati (School of Biomedical Engineering) 

Healthy Brain Development in Preterm Infants ($123,640) 
Manon Ranger (School of Nursing) 
 
For a full list of supported UBC projects, please see the official announcement on website of UBC's Office of the Vice-President Research + Innovation.