$1.6M funding for research to help mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS) and the University of Toronto today announced over $1.6 million in funding to support groundbreaking research that will advance Canada’s science and technology objectives and help prepare for the impacts of climate change.

These funds will support eight research projects at the University of Toronto looking at a variety of climate change and air quality issues. The principal investigators of the projects are: Jochen Halfar of geography, Richard Peltier, Kaley Walker and Paul Kushner of physics, James Donaldson and Frank Wania of chemistry, Theodore Shepherd of physics and the Centre for Global Change Science, and Greg Evans of chemical engineering and applied chemistry.

“These projects are a perfect fit for the goal of this competition, which focuses on research that will give decision-makers the scientific tools they need to face future challenges,” said Gordon McBean, chair of CFCAS. “This is the sort of information that must be built into sound public policy, innovation and strategic development moving forward into an era of mitigation and adaptation to climate change and associated factors.”

“We are delighted and excited about this investment from CFCAS in these critical research projects by some of our leading scholars focused on climate change,” said Paul Young, U of T’s vice-president, research. “This funding will allow these researchers continue their important work and help provide crucial information that informs environmental policy and decision-making.”

The funding is part of the $5.5 million recently awarded by CFCAS to promote research across Canada aimed at increasing knowledge and training in air quality, extreme weather, climate sciences or marine environmental prediction. The competition focused on research that could guide environmental policy or adaptation strategies. Funds were awarded to research air quality, northern science, weather prediction and forecasting, climate change and water resources. Multidisciplinary collaborative research was encouraged, as well as partnerships with researchers in the health or social sciences, as appropriate.