Ontario Research Chairs (ORC)
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment is providing five-year funding through the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) to support the establishment of an Ontario Research Chair in “Renewable Energy Technologies and Health” and two Ontario Research Chairs in “Green Chemistry and Engineering”. Note that Canada Research Chairholders may NOT be candidates for these Ontario Research Chairs.
For both competitions, the RFP specifies that if an existing faculty member is nominated for the chair, “the Panel will consider other proposals for attaining the objective of augmenting overall capacity in Ontario, e.g., the university should treat the funding as incremental – if an existing faculty member is nominated as the chair, it is anticipated that the funding would not be allocated to his/her salary and benefits but rather to hiring postdocs or junior faculty to assist in the research, or directed in some other way to the research program itself.”
A university may make one submission to each competition.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 8, 2010. The Selection Panel will make its decisions by Friday, February 12, 2010.
Ontario Research Chair in Renewable Energy Technologies and Health
The chair in Renewable Energy Technologies and Health will be funded at $300,000 per year for five years, non-renewable. The competition for this chair will have a one-step selection process, i.e. the university must nominate an individual to fill the chair at the same time as it makes its institutional proposal. The individual will need to be in place and taking up his or her duties as the chair as soon as possible following the selection -- the university is asked to specify the date by which this will occur.
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. Increasing renewable energy is part of Ontario`s efforts to combat climate change, reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, help protect the environment and the communities that are home to renewable energy projects.
Full details (and application template) for this Chair is available by contacting the Office of Research.
Ontario Research Chairs in Green Chemistry and Engineering
There are two chairs in Green Chemistry and Engineering available. They will be funded at $250,000 each per year for five years, non-renewable. The competition for these chairs allows for a two-stage process, but does not require it – the university can nominate the chairholder at the same time as it makes its institutional proposal, or can submit the nomination at a second stage. The individuals who will fill the chairs must be in place within 12 months of the selection of the successful universities.
The two Chairs in Green Chemistry and Engineering will identify and address barriers to commercialization of green chemistry and engineering discoveries including furthering research into safer alternatives to toxic substances and production processes; and emphasizes the development of alternative approaches that result in the reduced use and release of toxins, including those substances identified under Ontario’s Toxics Reduction Act, 2009 and its regulations. They will also help build Ontario’s capacity in this field by training a new generation of green chemists and engineers.
Full details (and application template) for this Chair is available by contacting the Office of Research.
Contact Andrew Barker for further information
