Backgrounder
July 28, 2008
STRENGTHENING ONTARIO’S INNOVATION ECONOMY
Funding world-class research is part of Ontario’s plan to build an innovation economy.
Ontario’s universities, colleges, hospitals and research institutes play a vital role in the government’s five-point plan to ensure Ontario remains at the forefront of the global knowledge-based economy by supporting cutting-edge research and developing world-class researchers.
The Early Researcher Awards program (ERA) helps promising, recently-appointed Ontario researchers build their research teams of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants and associates. The goal of the program is to improve Ontario’s ability to attract and retain the best and brightest research talent from around the world.
Across the province, this investment will mean cutting-edge research opportunities for as many as 225 graduate students and post-doctorate researchers, and engage as many as 6,700 high school students each year, giving them an inside look at real research and inspiring them to consider a career in science and technology.
The ERA program is a key part of Ontario’s Innovation Agenda. Supported by close to $3 billion in spending over eight years, the Ontario Innovation Agenda is building Ontario’s innovation economy on the strength of our province’s creative environment, diverse culture, highly skilled workforce, world-class educational system and internationally recognized research community.
LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY EARLY RESEARCHER AWARDS RECIPIENT
Dr. Han Chen
Managing the Diversity of Ontario’s Forests
Sustainable management of boreal mixed-wood forests is crucial for long-term ecosystem health and the forestry economy in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada. How can forest management improve forest productivity and simultaneously enhance biological diversity and carbon uptake? This is the focus of Dr. Han Chen’s research at Lakehead University. Answering these questions will help us develop more innovative strategies to manage Ontario’s boreal forest in a changing environment.
See also:
- News Release: Driving The Innovation Economy In Thunder Bay
