August 13, 2007

EARLY RESEARCHER AWARD PROGRAM

Through the Early Researcher Award program, the McGuinty government is helping promising, recently appointed Ontario researchers undertake cutting-edge research and build their research teams of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and research associates. Researchers each receive a $100,000 award through the program.

University of Windsor

Dr. Daniel Mennill Vocal communication plays a vital role in how animals find partners and defend their territories. Using an innovative environmental technology called an Acoustic Location System, Dr. Daniel Mennill, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Windsor, will study the ecology, evolution and behaviour of wild bird populations. This research will help improve the understanding of the relationship between animal vocal behavior and communication strategies, and provide important information for developing conservation strategies for endangered species.

Early Researcher Award

The Early Researcher Award program is a $51-million, five-year initiative. This program is a key component of the province's research and innovation strategy, which aims to strengthen Ontario's economic advantage by helping to attract, retain and develop the best and brightest researchers.

Each award to a leading researcher is a maximum of $100,000 and must be matched by an additional $50,000 from the researcher’s institution and/or a private sector partner. In addition, up to $40,000 in indirect costs is provided to the institution. The award must be used to cover the eligible expenses of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and research associates, including:

• Salaries and benefits
• Travel and expenses related to conferences, workshops or seminars
• Travel and expenses related directly to offsite research activities.

For more information about the Early Researcher Award, please visit www.ontario.ca/innovation.