Imperial Oil donates $650,000 to university research

Toronto, ON – May 26, 2004 – Imperial Oil has donated $650,000 to fund research projects at Canadian universities as part of a program that has been maintained continuously for over 50 years. Over the last five years alone, the company says it has donated more than $3 million to Canadian university research.

A total of 30 research awards will be made to 15 Canadian universities in 2004. The awards are provided to full-time faculty members who generally direct graduate students in carrying out the research. As well, Imperial Oil assists faculty members in obtaining additional matching funding through the Research Partnerships Program of the federal government’s Natural Science and Engineering Research Council.

A five-member selection committee awards the grants based on research merit and business relevance. Each research project is also assigned an Imperial research professional who acts as both a mentor to the graduate students and a liaison between the research team and the company.

“Imperial’s University Awards Program is positive for everyone concerned,” says Will Rogers, manager of research for Imperial’s products and chemicals division. “Not only does this program result in a significant contribution to Canadian university research, students and faculty benefit from working with Imperial professionals, and the company benefits from having a window on the latest in university research.”

Each award is for a one-year term and may be renewed for up to three years. Of the 30 projects to be funded by awards in 2004, 17 are new projects and 13 are renewals. Fields of research include engineering, environmental, earth, chemical, physical, computing and social sciences.

Imperial Oil’s University Awards Program was inaugurated in 1951 and is an integral part its long-standing commitment to Canadian education. The program has funded projects ranging from geological, geophysical and chemical research to fields such as archeological exploration, artificial intelligence and the examination of the effects of workplace stress.