Establishing fish monitoring hubs to avoid consumption of contaminated fish, exploring the role of community gardens as intergenerational and intercultural learning spaces, and studying how the function of cytokinins in human muscle cells could aid aging treatments are among various Trent-led research projects to receive more than $1.1M in federal funding, announced March 13.  

“The awarded $1.1M is a testament to Trent’s ongoing commitment to collaborative research and innovation. World-class researchers at Trent received some well-deserved funding for their pursuits towards a more resilient and sustainable future,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, vice president of Research and Innovation at Trent. 

Trent University received approximately $2.6M in funding, with over $1.1M allocated to support important research projects, from the government’s recently announced funding. Support for grants and scholarships came from the Tri Agency’s Canada Graduate Scholarships Program for master's students, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s (SSHRC) Insight Development Grants, and the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) Alliance Grants. 

The full list of funding awarded Trent researchers and their projects are as follows:   

SSHRC Insight Development Grants: building knowledge and understanding about people, societies, and the world.  

• Dr. David Firang, International students' lived experience and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, $71,916 
• Dr. Yi Liu, Social capital and COVID-19 disclosure, $43,958 
• Dr. Saeid Kermani, Offensive advertising and consumer complaints: the role of social media backlash, $52,845  

NSERC Alliance Grants: encouraging university researchers to collaborate with partner organizations to generate new knowledge and advance research in Canada. 

• Dr. Ian Power, with partner Teck Resources Limited, Carbon dioxide sequestration using unconventional mine wastes, $128,550 
• Dr. Huy Dang, with partners Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association and V6 Agronomy, Nature-based alternatives to reduce Canada’s fertilizer emissions, $367,312 
• Dr. Stephanie Tobin, with partner University of Bonn, The role of TRIT1 in skeletal muscle regeneration, $25,000 
• Dr. Mary-Claire Buell, with partners Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, Michipicoten First Nation, Onakawana Education Fund, and Salmon Coast, Fish forever, $159,908  
• Dr. Aaron Shafer, with partner Ministry of Education and Culture, Genome assembly of the endangered Pampas deer, $25,000 
• Dr. Paul Wilson, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Limited, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and the Tula Foundation, Elucidating the origins of eastern wolves through ancient DNA, $199,000 

Scholarships and Fellowships (Tri-Agency): helping high-achieving undergraduate and early graduate studies students receive high quality training and advance and develop their research skills. 

Canada Graduate Scholarships:  

• Matthew McKeown, Building the great white hope 1908-1936; mapping the city, urban change and boxing in the United States and Canada, $17,500 
• Harper Jin, The relationship between water management and urbanization in Ancient Greece, $17,500 
• Pearl Finkelzon, Community gardens as intergenerational and intercultural learning spaces, $17,500 
• Sabrina Perry, The role of executive function in associations between personality and theory of mind, $17,500 
• Jacon Van Haaften, Decolonizing connectedness with nature, $17,500 
• Taylor Strachan, Publication bias in mindfulness-based interventions for anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis, $17,500  
• Alexis Johnson, Breaking bread: social class and food in Medieval England, $17,500 

Learn more about the full research funding announcement.