(SAULT STE. MARIE, ON- July 7, 2022): Algoma University researchers Dr. Brandon Schamp and Dr. Nicolas Rouleau were recently awarded a total of $355,000 in funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant program. NSERC funds visionaries, explorers and innovators who are searching for scientific and technical breakthroughs that will benefit our country. Through NSERC’s support, the scientific community can develop opportunities and attract new expertise to make Canada’s research community thrive.
Dr. Brandon Schamp was awarded a Discovery Grant for his research, “Linking pattern and process in community assembly”, which will address gaps in understanding how ecological processes contribute to these intriguing patterns. By extending knowledge of how communities are assembled, Schamp’s research can inform conservation and restoration initiatives and help mitigate the negative impacts of invasive species and climate change. Dr. Schamp was awarded a total of $165,000 in funding, spread over five years.
“Ongoing funding from NSERC will continue to let me do what I love, interrogate nature,” shared Dr. Brandon Schamp, Professor, Department of Biology within the School of Life Sciences and the Environment. “NSERC funding also allows me to provide opportunities for students, both undergraduate and graduate, to conduct research and develop sharp scientific minds.”
Dr. Nicolas Rouleau, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, also part of the School of Life Sciences and the Environment, was awarded a Discovery Grant for his research, “Identifying the neurostructural determinants of minimal cognition using embodied 3D bioengineered brain models (BBM)”. Rouleau’s efforts will seek to establish an embodied 3D BBM with which to delineate fundamental neurocognitive mechanisms. Dr. Rouleau received a total of $190,000 in funding over five years to support his research.
“This research will interface miniaturized, bioengineered brain tissues with robotic bodies to uncover the mechanisms of cognitive functions like problem-solving and decision making,” shared Dr. Rouleau. “The hybrid robots will be customizable, allowing me to assess the roles of different neural circuits in cognition.”
“I am delighted at the success of Drs. Schamp and Rouleau in this highly competitive Canada-wide competition,” shared Dr. Michele Piercy-Normore, Vice-President Academic and Research. “The NSERC Discovery Grant program funds innovative research programs led by exceptional faculty members, exploring novel and timely research questions. This recent announcement further reinforces the high calibre of research being conducted at Algoma University.”
Further details on the most recent round of NSERC grant funding is available online.
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