New Research Positions To Help Develop New Markets For Province’s Natural Resources

October 5, 2009 – The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation today announced that it has awarded $437,000 under its Research Technicians Initiative in support of the creation of six new research positions at the province’s universities.  Distributed over three years, the funding is expected to leverage an additional $2.2 million in contributions from other organizations and national granting councils.

The funds support the hiring of six new professional research technicians for professors working on a variety of commercially driven research projects. The research supported under the program ranges from power converters for wind turbines, to paper that conducts electricity, and powerful antioxidants from shrimp oil.

“Creating these kinds of jobs makes a big impact on the success of our researchers in the province and their ability to introduce new opportunities for industry,” says Roger Gervais, Vice President of Research at the Foundation, “these technicians are highly trained in their field and add significant value by increasing the province’s capacity to develop new innovations.”

A joint initiative between the Foundation and the New Brunswick Department of Post-secondary Education, Training and Labour, the Research Technicians Initiative has invested over $3 million and leveraged another $15 million to create 43 of these highly skilled positions since 2003.

“Our government is pleased to be able to support the Research Technicians Initiative of the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation,” Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour minister Donald Arseneault said. “Education and applied learning are key elements of ‘Be Inspired. Be Ready. Be Better. The Action Plan to Transform Post-Secondary Education in New Brunswick’ and a driver of our government’s self-sufficiency objective.”

Doing research means long days and multiple demands. Since most projects involve more work than any one person can do, the Research Technicians Initiative provides the resources necessary to bring new researchers to the province, or to keep outstanding talent here, so professors can hone in on the critical aspects of their research.

For more information contact:

Chet Wesley
Director of Communication
New Brunswick Innovation Foundation
1-877-554-6668
info@unb.ca