Echolocation in bats, smart pavement, aircraft propulsion, drug discovery, and clean combustion — these are a just a handful of the new University of Windsor research projects the federal government will fund for the next five years.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has announced it will fund 22 UWindsor researchers with grants totalling more than $3.8 million. Most of the funding comes from the Discovery Grants program, NSERC’s largest and longest-standing grant program.

“Canada’s science and research sector is solving some of the world’s greatest challenges, all while driving innovation, growth, and productivity,” said François-Philippe Champagne, federal Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, in announcing the funding recently. “Research programs like Discovery give researchers the flexibility to explore the most promising avenues of research as they emerge to ensure Canada remains a world leader in science and new technologies.”

The UWindsor grants are among $554 million in NSERC Discovery Grant funding nationally. Early career researchers who qualified for grants received additional $12,500 supplements to help set up their labs, and one researcher — Jeremy Rawson, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry — received $91,400 for the purchase of equipment under NSERC’s Research Tools and Instruments grant program.

Shanthi Johnson, vice-president, research and innovation, said the University of Windsor is grateful to the federal government and NSERC for this significant funding.

“As the name suggests, Discovery Grants allow researchers to explore emerging avenues of research and make breakthroughs, expanding the boundaries of their fields, and training the next generation of scientists and engineers,” Dr. Johnson said. “These grants are absolutely crucial to discovery in the natural sciences, computer science, mathematics, and engineering, and allow our faculty members to pursue bold and impactful research.”

Gordon Drake, a professor emeritus of physics, received the largest Discovery grant of any UWindsor researcher — $305,000. Dr. Drake’s project relates to the theory of atomic and molecular processes. Other notable grants include $275,000 to mechanical, automotive, and materials professor Ming Zheng for clean combustion studies; $260,000 to civil and environmental engineering professor Ram Balachandar for the study of wake dynamics; and $230,000 each to electrical and computer engineering professors Bala Balasingham for electric vehicle research and Merhdad Saif for research into autonomous driving systems.

Other Discovery Grant recipients are:

• Adeyemi Adesina, “Integrative Development of Smart and Low-Carbon Cementitious Materials for Enhanced Sustainability and Climate Resiliency of Infrastructures” ($180,000 plus $12,500 Discovery Launch Supplement)
• Tirupati Bolisetti, “Improved Spatial Modelling of Water Quantity and Water Quality Regimes Using Satellite Remote Sensing Data” ($155,000)
• Rupp Carriveau, “Advancing the Value of Wind Energy in a Climate of Rapid Change” ($160,000)
• Jeff Defoe, “Advancing Design and Increasing Access to Analysis of Fans for Future Aircraft Propulsion” ($160,000)
• Kevin Granville, “Spatial Interpolation and Spatial Queueing Models: Theory and Tools to Assist Wildland Fire Management” ($95,000 plus $12,500 Discovery Launch Supplement)
• Scott Mundle, “Stable Isotope Approaches to Mitigate Exposure to Industrial Pollutants” ($150,000)
• Alioune Ngom, “Graph Representation Learning Approaches for Computational Drug Repurposing and Bio-Molecular Association Prediction” ($175,000)
• Grace Oyeyi, “Innovative Sustainable Construction and Smart Pavements: Toward an Efficient Pavement Management System” ($135,000 plus $12,500 Discovery Launch Supplement)
• Ali Saber, “Development of an Integrated 3D Hydrodynamic-Water Quality- Ecological Framework to Evaluate the Response of Lake Ontario to the Current and Projected Anthropogenic and Climatic Stressors” ($130,000 plus $12,500 Discovery Launch Supplement)
• Vijendra Sharma, “Identification of Cell-Type-Specific mRNA Translational Control Mechanisms in Synaptic Plasticity and Memory Formation” ($195,000 plus $12,500 Discovery Launch Supplement)
• Paul Sudhir, “Analysis of Discrete Data (Counts-Proportions-Regression Models), Survival Data, and Longitudinal Data with Over Dispersion, Zero Inflation, Missing Responses, Missing Covariate Information, Covariate Measurement Error, and Bias Correction” ($105,000)
• Andrew Swan, “Spatial and Temporal Control of Meiosis” ($200,000)
• Hannah Ter Hofstede, “Ecological and Evolutionary Context in the Coevolution of Sensory Systems and Behaviour” ($200,000)
• Edward Timko, “Multivariate Operator Theory and Analytic Constraints” ($23,000 plus $12,500 Discovery Launch Supplement)
• John Trant, “Cavitands for Molecular Recognition” ($145,000)
• Caniggia Viana, “Electric Vehicle Powertrain with Reduced Components and Costs” ($145,000 plus $12,500 Discovery Launch Supplement)

“Love is a gift from the Creator given to Anishinaabe people so they can learn to love themselves, learn to love creation — the earth, the sky, the waters, everything,” says Jaimie Kechego.

Learning specialist in Indigenization at the Centre for Teaching and Learning, she is Anishnaabwekwe from Deshkaan Ziibing — the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation reserve — and a UWindsor grad twice over (BA 2006, B.Ed 2015).

Kechego agreed to share with DailyNews readers her understanding of the concept of Zaagidwin, love, one of the seven Grandfather Teachings represented along Turtle Island Walk.

“Love is unconditional, sacred, and based in truth — you can’t have one without the other,” she says. All of the teachings are interdependent and, says Kechego, contain a universal message.

“Every culture has a version of this teaching: when you’re acting with love, you tend to put more good stuff into the universe. What comes back is blessings.”

She says she tries to act in accordance with the seven teachings.

“No matter your background, no matter what you have learned, what ultimately matters is your beliefs and your actions,” Kechego says.

Watch for articles on the other teachings in DailyNews through the summer.

Application-based taxi and car service e-hailing systems have revolutionized urban mobility by providing on-demand ride services that are timely and convenient.

In a lecture at the Odette School of Business on Friday, July 12, a professor from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology will explore the latest developments and research issues in ride-sourcing markets, including demand forecasting, surge-pricing, matching, pricing, and ride-pooling, optimal resource allocation, and the impact of ride-pooling on traffic congestion.

Hai Yang, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, says the integration of mathematics, economics, and artificial intelligence is crucial for the development of efficient and sustainable on-demand mobility services, which ultimately benefit customers.

In his talk, entitled “Mathematics, Economics, and Artificial Intelligence for On-demand Mobility Services,” he will discuss such topics as competition, third-party platform-integration, Pareto-efficient market regulations, and the analysis of human mobility and network property using big car trajectory data.

Dr. Yang has a global reputation as a scholar in the transportation field and has published more than 300 papers in leading international journals, including Transportation Research, Transportation Science, and Operations Research.

The presentation, part of the Odette School of Business Distinguished Speaker Series, will take place in-person in the Odette Building at 1 p.m. July 12 following a light lunch at 12:30 p.m. RSVP to Linda Ingram at lingram@uwindsor.ca for location details.

Canada’s Minister of Health this week announced the re-appointment of Shanthi Johnson, vice-president, research and innovation, to the governing council for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

As the primary funding agency for health research in Canada, CIHR collaborates with partners and researchers to support new scientific knowledge and enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health care system.

Dr. Johnson was one of two re-appointments announced Tuesday. Having already served a three-year term, Johnson has been re-appointed for an additional three years.

“I am very pleased to announce the re-appointments to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) governing council,” said Mark Holland, Minister of Health. “Together, their knowledge and professional experience in the field of health and research will continue to be an outstanding asset to the organization.”

Before joining the University of Windsor, Johnson served as dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. Her community-engaged research focuses on falls and injury prevention, aging in place in rural communities, and social isolation among immigrant and refugee seniors.

Johnson has served on local and international boards, including the Eastern Kings Community Health Board and Annapolis Valley Health, the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, the National Seniors Council, and the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute. She has also been honoured as the Female Professional of the Year by the India Canada Chamber of Commerce, received the Award of Innovation by the Regina Chamber of Commerce, and was named one of RBC’s Top 25 Canadian Immigrants.

“CIHR plays a pivotal role in providing leadership and supporting health researchers and trainees across Canada,” Johnson said. “I am humbled and honoured by the faith the federal government is placing in me by re-appointing me to this important agency’s governing council.”

Established in 2000, the CIHR is an independent agency accountable to Parliament through the Minister of Health. Learn more about the CIHR here.

Recalling his own challenges as a student grappling with the complexities of X-ray diffraction, Anton Dmitrienko was determined to make the field more accessible as one of the organizers of the 17th Canadian Powder Diffraction Workshop, May 3 to 6 on the UWindsor campus.

The event attracted academic and industrial participants and featured instructors from Canada, the United States, and Europe to provide both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in crystallography — the study of the arrangement of atoms in solids — through scientific discussions, hands-on demonstrations, tutorials, and networking opportunities.

“Many acknowledged that the workshop was extremely useful, and it ignited an interest in powder X-ray diffraction that will not be quenched any time soon,” said Dr. Dmitrienko, a research fellow working in the group of chemistry and biochemistry professor Nick Vukotic.

Interaction of X-ray beams with crystalline powders results in diffraction patterns used to study crystalline structures and other physical properties of solids.

Dmitrienko hopes that teaching these concepts in a more intuitive manner will help dispel the misconception that the field is reserved for a select few. He said the inspiring sight of participants — some with no prior knowledge — quickly grasping advanced techniques is a testament to the professionalism and expertise of the instructors and lecturers.

By facilitating connections between academia and industry, workshops like this have the potential to cultivate fruitful collaborations and drive scientific breakthroughs in the future, Dmitrienko said.

WE-Spark Health Institute hosts monthly networking events for members of the Windsor-Essex health research community to get to know one another through fun and casual conversations. There is no formal agenda, and all are welcome.

This is an opportunity for anyone interested in health research to make connections in an informal and enjoyable atmosphere. The next event will be held Thursday, July 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Bourbon Tap & Grill, 1199 Ottawa St. No RSVP is required.

WE-Spark Health Institute is supported by an innovative partnership of the University of Windsor and Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital that brings together health research strengths, expertise, and infrastructure from across the Windsor-Essex region.