NSERC announces award recipients

This year’s recipients of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) include 26 of Canada’s scientists and engineers, and 28 of their industry partners.

The recipients’ achievements include advancements in climate change science and plant response, discoveries in the field of AI for mobile robots, contributions in scalable quantum technology, and partnership work on energy storage solutions.

“The recipients of this year’s NSERC Prizes are responsible for important scientific and technological breakthroughs, and act as role models within the research community and for future scientists and engineers,” said Professor Alejandro Adem, president, NSERC. “By celebrating their work, we recognize the invaluable contributions of the people behind the Canadian discoveries and innovations that will advance knowledge, enhance the well-being of Canadians and make the world a better place.”

Pr. Lenore Fahrig was awarded the Gerhard Herzberg Canada gold medal for science and engineering, worth up to $1 million. Dr. Kerry Rowe is the inaugural recipient of the Donna Strickland Prize for societal impact of natural sciences and engineering research and Dr. Tomislav Friščić received the John C. Polanyi Award in recognition of his advancements in the field of mechanochemistry.

The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) team was awarded with the Brockhouse Canada Prize for interdisciplinary research in science and tngineering.

NSERC also announced six recipients of the Arthur B. McDonald fellowships, which recognize early-stage academic researchers in the natural sciences and engineering, and recognized examples of collaboration that stand as models of effective partnership between partner organizations and colleges or universities by awarding five Synergy Awards for Innovation.