There was some exciting news received by members of the Faculty of Science this month. Three Brandon University professors received federal funding for their research projects through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The funding was awarded through Discovery and Discovery Development Grants.

The three projects that received the aid focus on the fields of sub-atomic physics, vascular biology and fractional calculus. Dr. Margaret Carrington leads a project in regards to Non-Perturbative and Out-of-Equilibrium Field Theories. She says that funding is instrumental in research projects at BU.

“NSERC support is important for the continued success of the many productive research programs that are ongoing at Brandon University.” explains Carrington.

However, Dr. Carrington points out that the funding doesn’t only assist in the direct costs of the project but much more: “In addition to funding the direct costs of research projects, grant money also creates opportunities for students at BU and contributes to the training of future researchers.”

Dr. Mousumi Majumder, who is from the department of biology, started her project recently and says the funding went a long way.

“My lab started recently, the funding received was a huge boost” explains Majumder, who adds she can also recruit new students for the project with the funding.

Dr. Majumder’s research focuses on molecular determinants responsible for embryonic growth and vasculogenesis in the vertebrate system. Vasculogenesis, as Majumder explains, is the formation of a new vascular system in an embryo.

Dr. Chenkuan Li was the third professor to receive assistance through the NSERC grants and says that with the additional funding he will be able to support more students.

“With the funding from NSERC, I am able to support my summer research students on the project and attend conferences in the areas of interest” says Li, whose research focuses on fractional calculus of distributions by convolutions and approximations, as well as Abel’s integral equations.

Overall, the three professors received a combined total of $360,000 in funding. The funding announcement also leads to another exciting development. There are now eleven BU faculty members throughout the university that are leading Discovery or Discovery Development Grant projects. These grants once again showcase the importance of the scientific research being conducted here at BU.