$6.5M supports advanced science technology facility

Victoria, BC – A new quantum materials spectroscopy centre (QMSC) for the University of British Columbia is receiving $6.5 million in funding from the BC government. The facility will be located at the Canadian Light Source (CLS), the national synchrotron centre based in Saskatoon.

“The QMSC will be the only one of its kind in the world, reinforcing UBC’s reputation as a leader in scientific innovation,” says Stephen J Toope, the university’s president. “This investment will allow our researchers and students to contribute to both fundamental science and real-world applications.

The CLS is one of Canada’s largest scientific projects with researchers studying some of the world’s most complex problems, including diseases, natural pesticides, fuel efficiency, air pollution, the health of food, and forensic science. Close to 1,000 professors, students, scientists and industrial engineers participate in studies every year at the CLS and the QMSC is expected to attract an additional 300 people.

“We will use the QMSC as an extension of our physics classroom,” says Andrea Damascelli, the UBC research chair who will lead the project. “We are excited about our ability to increase our research efforts in this important area of study.”