Two University of Windsor professors are the newest members of a corps of elite scholars working to make Canada a world leader in research and development.

Law professor Manoj Mate and engineering professor Ning Zhang have been awarded Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs in their respective fields. Dr. Mate holds the Canada Research Chair in International Trade Law and Dr. Zhang will hold the Canada Research Chair in Edge Computing and the Internet of Vehicles. Each position comes with $120,000 in annual funding for five years, renewable for an additional five years.

“I am absolutely delighted that these two outstanding earlier-stage researchers have been awarded Canada Research Chairs,” said K.W. Michael Siu, UWindsor’s vice-president, research and innovation.

“Both are recognized leaders in their respective fields, and I am confident that they will contribute significantly to knowledge on international trade law, as well as edge computing and the Internet of Vehicles.”

The Government of Canada Wednesday announced $151 million in funding for 188 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at 43 institutions across the country. The program, launched in 2000, is a national strategy to attract and retain a diverse cadre of world-class researchers in engineering, the natural sciences, health sciences, humanities, and the social sciences.

“The Canada Research Chairs announced this week comprise the full diversity of Canada, both in terms of their backgrounds and training, as well as the board range of disciplines they represent,” said Ted Hewitt, president of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and chair of the CRC program steering committee.

“This, in turn, helps to drive the research excellence we have come to expect from these outstanding scholars, as well as their contributions to the well-being and prosperity of Canadians.”

Zhang is researching mobile edge computing, in which roadside servers cache data contents and execute different computational tasks for vehicles. This can reduce latency in content delivery and data processing. He and his research team are also developing intelligent systems for caching and delivering content, scheduling computational tasks, and managing AI-aided resources to ensure vehicles can access the data needed to complete computational tasks in real time.

It’s all part of the Internet of Vehicles, a wireless network used to exchange information between vehicles, infrastructure, and pedestrians using smart devices and sensors inside and outside of vehicles. The Internet of Vehicles can improve road safety and efficiency by providing information to support decision-making, but to work properly, it depends on timely data acquisition and processing — exactly what Zhang is investigating.

Mate’s expertise sees him leading two cross-national studies in Asia and North America to examine how private actors affect the way international trade law is implemented at the domestic level.

One study examines the role private businesses play in how international trade and development norms are implemented in World Trade Organization dispute resolution processes in India and China in the solar, textiles, and agriculture sectors.

In the second, he is looking at the role industry stakeholders and lawyers play in implementing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s provisions on automotive rules of origin in Canada and the U.S.

Roseann O’Reilly Runte, president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation, said she is proud her agency financially supports the Canada Research Chairs Program.

“This funding enables universities to retain and attract top researchers to Canada and allows all Canadians to benefit from their important discoveries.”

Look for profiles of the University of Windsor’s newest Canada Research Chairs in upcoming editions of DailyNews.

—Sarah Sacheli