University of Alberta researchers are bridging diverse fields to explore possibilities in everything from producing hydrogen through nuclear technology to bringing Indigenous land-based knowledge to health sciences education and developing dental fillings that can sterilize themselves, thanks to new federal funding announced today.
Six projects led by U of A principal investigators were awarded a total of $1.5 million in Exploration Grants through the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), with each project receiving $250,000 over the next two years.
The NFRF Exploration Grants support high-risk, high-reward Canadian-led research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.
“These projects reflect the University of Alberta’s excellence in research addressing complex challenges in health and energy,” says Aminah Robinson Fayek, U of A vice-president of research. “By bringing together researchers across disciplines, Exploration grants also enable us to broaden the range of expertise we apply to these grand challenges.”
NFRF Exploration Grant recipients from U of A
Khaled Altabtbaei, Bernadette Quemerais (Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry)
Breaking the cycle: Real-time family oral microbial transmission patterns as intervention targets
Grant Bruno (Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry), Laura-Ann Lines (School of Public Health)
From the land to the lab: Developing and piloting a land-based health sciences academy for First Nations youth
Sue-Ann Mok (Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry), Michael Woodside (Faculty of Science)
A new approach for addressing neurodegenerative protein misfolding in biomolecular condensates
Samir Mushrif (Faculty of Engineering)
Adapting nuclear reactor coolants for chemical process applications: A novel pathway to produce carbon-free hydrogen
Prasanna Neelakantan (Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry)
A new generation of self-sterilizing polymeric materials for dental fillings
Daniel Sameoto (Faculty of Engineering), Vivian Mushahwar (Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry)
Biomechanically matched neuroprosthetics for long-term implantation