May 1, 2009
Federal minister announces new funding for Canadian nuclear research
Hamilton, ON. May 1, 2009 –The federal government has announced $6 million in funding for a new grants program to develop the next generation of nuclear energy systems.
Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources, made the announcement this morning at an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR).
Natural Resource Canada (NRCan), in partnership with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and in collaboration with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), will provide the grants over the next three years to fund and coordinate 23 Generation IV (Gen IV) research projects at Canadian universities.
“The federal government’s continued investment in nuclear research will lead to new inventions, treatments, and increased knowledge for nuclear safety,” said Peter George, president of McMaster University. “Moreover, it will ensure Canada is producing the most highly qualified personnel to assume the jobs that are being created in this nuclear renaissance and that this talent remains at home.”
The federal CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory (CANMET-MTL), which is relocating from Ottawa to the McMaster Innovation Park, will have facilities dedicated to Gen IV research and will work in partnership with several universities.
“We’re very pleased to invest in this extremely important clean-energy research by Canadian universities,” said Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources. “McMaster and the other universities participating in this program have world-class research capabilities, and they’re training the students who will be future leaders in Canada’s nuclear industry.”
Over the last half century, the McMaster Nuclear Reactor has established itself as a vital and necessary partner in research circles. The reactor tests the engine turbine blades of the world’s commercial aircraft fleet, it analyzes core samples for the mining sector, produces over 60,000 treatments worth of I-125 each year (used in treatment for prostate cancer) and provides students considering careers in nuclear engineering, medical and health physics and other applied radiation sciences a real hands-on experience unavailable anywhere else in Canada.
McMaster University, one of four Canadian universities listed among the Top 100 universities in the world, is renowned for its innovation in both learning and discovery. It has a student population of 23,000, and more than 140,000 alumni in 128 countries.
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For more information please contact:
Michelle Donovan
Public Relations Manager: Broadcast Media
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext 22869