Research chairs in environmental science to be identified

Toronto, ON – The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) says it will launch a competitive process on behalf of the Ontario government for one chair in renewable energy technologies and health and two chairs in green chemistry and engineering.

“We are pleased to work with the Ontario government in advancing research in this important area,” said Prof Bonnie M Patterson, the COU’s interim president.

The competitive process includes the use of an arm’s-length selection panel that will use expert reviewers to assess proposals, reflecting best practice in this area.

All publicly assisted universities in Ontario are eligible to submit applications in response to a request for proposals that will be issued shortly through the selection panel. World leaders in environmental science research, COU member institutions are home to 15 institutes that are researching clean energy, climate change and sustainability.

The Ontario Ministry of the Environment is providing $800,000 annually over the next five years for these three chairs. Green chemistry and green engineering are emerging fields of science that aim to develop greener approaches and processes to support industry in the transition to a green economy.

The two chairs in green chemistry and engineering will identify and address barriers to commercialization including furthering research into safer alternatives to toxic substances and production processes.

The chair in renewable energy technologies and health will focus first on emerging science and technology related to wind turbines, and then will explore the potential health effects from renewable energy.