Diverse research projects – ranging from medical genetics to fish technology – got a major boost from the federal government on Sunday, Jan. 31, as Ottawa announced almost $10 million in funding for Memorial-led research and development during a news conference at the Marine Institute.

The Faculties of Medicine and Engineering and Applied Science, along with the Marine Institute, received funding under Round VII of the Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF) announced by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).

C-CORE, a separately incorporated entity of Memorial, also received significant funding.

In total, the units netted $9.6 million in funding.

The investment was made by Peter MacKay, the federal minister of Natural Defence, and the minister responsible for this province.

“The Atlantic Innovation Fund is an important catalyst for building research and development capacity in our region,” Minister MacKay said. “This latest round of funding ensures that more research will continue to be undertaken, and more innovative ideas commercialized, so that Atlantic businesses continue to grow, adapt, diversify and become more competitive.”

The Population Therapeutics Research Group (PTRG), a not-for-profit team within the Faculty of Medicine, will receive $1.8 million from the AIF over a three-year period.

Researchers will develop a state-of-the-art information technology platform able to generate large sample groups – family trees – to conduct studies on the genetic contribution to specific disease states, drug efficacy and adverse events.

Two innovative projects from the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science received substantial funding to further position Memorial as an international leader in oceans-related research.

A project involving the university’s autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) will receive $2.1 million over a four-year period.

The funding will help integrate sonar and advanced feature-based navigation and adaptive mission control systems for the university’s Explorer AUV.

The other project, involving the use of high frequency radars to monitor ocean activity, was awarded $1.7 million over a four-year period from AIF.

Memorial will develop new software for high frequency radar signals that could be used in a variety of oceans-related research including identifying the path and speed of ships and icebergs, assisting search and rescue planning and supporting meteorological applications such as weather forecasting.

The Marine Institute’s Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Resources will receive roughly $1.8 million from the AIF over a five-year period to develop and commercialize new bottom trawl fishing technology.

The centre aims to use new technology to catch commercial quantities of finfish and shellfish with reduced seabed contact compared to traditional systems, thereby reducing significant environmental impact on the seabed.

Researchers will undertake the design and computer simulation of innovative fishing systems, the evaluation of physical models using the Marine Institute flume tank and the construction and evaluation of full-scale prototypes.

Meanwhile, C-CORE, an international leader in the development and application of innovative engineering technologies for natural resource sectors, will receive $2.2 million from AIF over a four-year period to go towards research in radar-based satellite monitoring.

It will research into areas such as the next generation of satellite imaging and radar technology aimed at predicting subsurface ground movement.

More information about the AIF projects is available online.