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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Dr. Deborah Saucier Early Researcher Award results

2019 results

The program was highly competitive overall. The Office of Research Services has provided program statistics below for information.

Total number of applications received to the
Dr. Deborah Saucier Early Researcher Award program:

19

Total funding requested by applicants:

$475,000

Total funding envelope available for the program:

$25,000

Total number of awards granted:

One $25,000 award


2019 Dr. Deborah Saucier Early Researcher Award Recipient

Heather Sprenger, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences

Project title: “Effects of cooling inactive muscle on performance in the heat of Paralympic athletes”

Award amount: $25,000

The decision was made by a multi‐disciplinary Selection Committee formed by the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (VPRI), which includes: 

Voting members: 

  • Denina Simmons, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Science
  • Adam Dubrowski, Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences
  • Bin Chang, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Information Technology
  • Kirk Atkinson, Associate Professor - Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science

Facilitators/advisors:

  • Jennifer Freeman, Executive Director, Office of Research Services
  • Ewa Stewart, Grants Officer, Office of Research Services

2018 results

The program was highly competitive overall. The Office of Research Services has provided program statistics below for information.

Total number of applications received to the
Dr. Deborah Saucier Early Researcher Award program:

 24 
Total funding requested by applicants: $594,940
Total funding envelope available for the program: $100,000
Total number of awards granted: Four awards granted, each at $25,000


Dr. Deborah Saucier Early Researcher Award recipients 

  • Carlos Rossa, PhD, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS)
    • Project title: Smart Needles with micro impedance sensors for detecting and treating breast, prostate and gynecological cancers
    • Award amount: $25,000
  • Mehran Ebrahimi, PhD, Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Program Director, Faculty of Science (FSci)
    • Project title: Efficient Computational Approaches for Medical Image Processing
    • Award amount: $25,000
  • Olena V. Zenkina, PhD, Assistant, Professor, FSci
    • Project title: Molecularly defined ‘smart’ surface enhanced functional materials
    • Award amount: $25,000
  • Pejman Mirza-Babaei, PhD, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Information Technology (FBIT)
    • Project title: Framework for AI-based games UX evaluation
    • Award amount: $25,000

The decision was made by a multi‐disciplinary Selection Committee formed by the Vice-President Research, Innovation and International (VPRII), which includes: 

Chair:

  • Douglas Holdway, PhD, Interim Vice-President Research, Innovation and International

Voting members: 

  • Bernadette Murphy, PhD, Professor and Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS)
  • Andrea Slane, PhD, Associate Professor and Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Programs, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH)
  • Anthony Waker, PhD, Professor, Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science (FESNS)
  • Karthik Sankaranarayanan, PhD, Assistant Professor, FBIT
  • Janice Strap, PhD, Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director, FSci
  • Shahryar Rahnamayan, PhD, Associate Professor, FEAS
  • Langis Roy, PhD, Dean, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies 

Facilitators/advisors:

  • Colleen McKay, Grants Officer, VPRII
  • Lisa Kozycz, Grants Officer, VPRII