Université Laval awarded historic $98 million grant

QUÉBEC CITY, July 31, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Université Laval has obtained the largest research grant in its history for the massive Sentinelle Nord research program: a $98 million award from the federal government's $350 million Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

"To have Sentinelle Nord selected by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund proves that Laval is a leading research university," stated Rector Denis Brière. "The grant recognizes the years of work we have put into developing research chairs in our university's faculties, cultivating an intersectoral approach, and fostering international collaborations."

"This is a vast collaborative scientific undertaking that will see our university and its partners bridging disciplinary boundaries to produce new knowledge," noted Éric Bauce, Executive Vice-Rector of Development. "Sentinelle Nord will help provide the knowledge we need to manage change in northern environments at every level, from microbiota to entire ecoysystems, using the latest technologies and intervention strategies suited to sustainable health and development."

The broad focus of Sentinelle Nord is based as much on a human approach as on state-of-the-art technologies in such areas as optics-photonics and neurophotonics. It will advance our understanding of climate change and its effect on human populations, with renowned professors from cutting-edge fields contributing to a multidisciplinary body of research.

Sentinelle Nord is an ambitious, long-term project that will give rise to an international scientific panel, new research chairs, and new mixed research units. "Université Laval is already well-known from coast to coast for research excellence. The new Sentinelle Nord program will push us even further to the forefront and consolidate our international leadership in northern research," noted Edwin Bourget, Vice Rector of Research and Innovation.

About Université Laval
Université Laval, located in the world heritage city of Québec, is the oldest French-language university in North America. One of Canada's top 50 research universities, it is ranked 7th with funding in excess of $300 million. Université Laval is home to some 48,000 students, including over 13,000 graduate students.

SOURCE Université Laval

For further information: Samuel Auger, Media Relations, Communications Department, Université Laval, 418-656-3952, [email protected]