Training for students in biomedical engineering, green building science and climate change research at the University of British Columbia has received a $4.9-million boost from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
The funding, from NSERC’s Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program, will establish three new programs at UBC to help science and engineering students expand their professional and personal skills and prepare them for the workplace. The three programs will receive $1.65 million each over six years.
“With the CREATE grants, UBC is able to offer students the opportunity to combine interdisciplinary research with professional experience, while helping tackle some of the most pressing global issues we face,” said John Hepburn, UBC Vice President Research and International. “We are grateful to the Government of Canada for its ongoing support of education and its vision to support Canada’s future workforce.”
The CREATE program was developed to better prepare young researchers for careers in industry, government or academia. UBC’s three CREATE grants are part of a $29.6-million investment over six years for 18 projects announced this week. Since the program’s inception in May 2008, UBC has received seven CREATE grants.
UBC’s new CREATE programs are:
‘Engineers in Scrubs’ – Fostering Innovation in Medical Technology by Training Biomedical Engineers in the Clinical Environment
Developed to help engineers understand and appreciate the needs and uses of technology in health care, the Engineers in Scrubs program will help biomedical engineers learn to navigate the interface between engineering research, medical research, clinical practice and product development. Students will do a significant portion of their training in a hospital and the program will focus on the medical technology innovation process.
Sustainable Building Science Program
To keep up with the growing demand for sustainable buildings, the Sustainable Building Science Program aims to create highly qualified personnel with an expertise in sustainable building science. This program, the first of its kind in Canada, will bring together the fields of health, natural resources and energy, and environmental sciences and technologies, and will be integrated with UBC’s Centre for Interactive Research and Sustainability, which is expected to be North America’s greenest building when it opens in the fall of 2011. Students in this program will develop the knowledge and professional skills necessary to optimize the design and performance of sustainable buildings.
TerreWEB: Terrestrial Research on Ecosystems & World-wide Education & Broadcast
Terrestrial Research on Ecosystems & World-wide Education & Broadcast, or TerreWEB, is a graduate student program that will focus on global change science and bring together the fields of natural sciences research, behavioral decision research and science communication. TerreWEB aims to answer questions and find solutions to why there has been so little change in public behavior and government policy despite the challenges presented by global change. Students will also learn to develop strategies for communicating global change issues.
For more information on other CREATE programs at UBC, visit www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/media/releases/2009/mr-09-067.html and http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/?p=7379
For more information about CREATE and NSERC, visit www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Media-Media/NewsRelease-CommuniqueDePresse_eng.asp?ID=287
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