NSERC to set up office in Atlantic region

Halifax, NS October 20, 2003 The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) plans to open an office in Atlantic Canada in 2004.

“Every year NSERC invests more than $700 million in university research across Canada, yet up to now all its staff have been in Ottawa. The new office will be involved in helping Atlantic universities build research capacity and in stimulating innovation in the communities of our region,” says Robert G Thibault, minister of fisheries and oceans, who made the announcement on behalf of Allan Rock, minister of industry and minister responsible for NSERC.

“We will also listen better if we’re closer,” adds Tom Brzustowski, President of NSERC. “And we’ll make sure our regional staff are sufficiently senior to be able to make decisions and take prompt action locally.”

A similar small office for the prairies was announced earlier this month. Others will eventually be established in Qubec, Ontario and British Columbia.

NSERC says that last year, Atlantic researchers received more than 1,400 NSERC grants and scholarships worth a total of C$36.2 million. The academic institutions that will be served by the new office include Mount Allison University, Universit de Moncton, University of New Brunswick, Acadia University, Dalhousie University, Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, St. Mary’s University, St. Francis Xavier University, University College of Cape Breton, University of Prince Edward Island and Memorial University of Newfoundland.