Strategic Network Grants (SNG) Target Area Descriptions

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Advanced Communications and Management of Information

Few fields have experienced the same rate of change as communications and information management. Further paradigm shifts will be driven by increasing machine intelligence, advances in signal processing, and improved materials. To lead future developments, Canadian researchers need to address strategic challenges in areas such as advanced networks (wireless and optical), software for communications, enabling technologies, emerging and non-traditional devices, heterogeneous and homogeneous photonics and electronics, and information management. Advances in these areas will strengthen the quality and capacity of communications infrastructures and result in the introduction of valuable new products and services. Research conducted in new media, animation and games are also considered part of the Advanced Communications and Management of Information targeted area.

Healthy Environment and Ecosystems

A continually growing economy/population increases the competition between humans and other species that share Canada’s ecosystems, for the energy and material resources within those systems. Canada’s science and engineering community can play an important role in helping policy makers understand the long-term ecological consequences of disturbances such as industrial activity or climate change. This strategic target area seeks better ways to protect and conserve Canada’s natural resources through research to enhance and maintain healthy environments and ecosystems that are better able to adapt to these disturbances. The targeted natural resources include groundwater, estuarine and coastal waters, rivers, lakes, soil, air and forests within managed and/or natural ecosystems.

Research is required to:

• determine ecological processes that are sensitive indicators of ecosystem health, particularly those with promise to guide environmental policy relative to the impact of resource utilization activities such as urbanization, agriculture, fisheries, mining and forestry;
• determine specific interventions that could significantly help ecosystems adapt to disturbances such as changing climate and economic activities with particular attention to the biodiversity of plants and animal life;
• determine ways to significantly improve our ability to effectively and sustainably use water resources in anticipation of local climate change variability; and
• determine better and more effective ways to manage wastes and remediate contaminated soil and groundwater.

Climate research is not included in this target area; however, research designed to better prepare the environment and ecosystems to adapt to common scenarios for future climate change is encouraged.

Sustainable Energy Systems (Production, Distribution and Utilization)

To a great extent, our standard of living depends on reliable, low-cost, and high-quality energy available as electricity and hydrocarbon fuels. However, we now face pressures that could affect the supply, quality and reliability of these traditional forms of energy. More research is required if Canada is to develop sustainable and affordable energy sources. To receive funding through this target area, researchers should focus on emerging technologies that can be applied to the development of sustainable energy systems.

Sustainable energy systems are best approached from a systems-engineering perspective/a holistic approach that addresses technical issues (e.g., efficiency in energy conversion and use) as well as political and societal concerns (e.g., safety, cost, and environmental impact). In devising this holistic approach, applicants are encouraged to incorporate co-applicants and aspects outside the natural sciences and engineering into their proposals.