NCE 2009 Award: Graphics, Animation and New Media Canada (GRAND)

posted: december 15. 2009

The NCE GRAND is guided by a vision of world-class, multidisciplinary research that is solution-driven and focused on complex questions in New Media, Animation, and Games where significant impact can be achieved. GRAND will undertake a comprehensive
research program whose goal is to understand the underlying technologies and to make selective advances in a coordinated, multidisciplinary setting that lead to social, legal, economic, and cultural benefits for Canadians.

This brings significant challenges because the ability to access, manipulate, and disseminate information in its various media forms radically changes on almost a daily basis. The research program will meet these challenges through a dynamic set of interconnected projects built on a conceptual framework of five themes. Three themes focus on the technology clusters identified by the science, Technology and innovation Council: (1) New Media Challenges and Opportunities, (2) Games and interactive simulation, and (3) Animation, Graphics and imaging. The other two cross-cut the first: (4) Social, Legal, Economic and Cultural perspectives, and (5) enabling Technologies and Methodologies. Thirty projects each explore a different aspect of selected problems. Fifty Network investigators lead projects, with Collaborating Researchers and Partners from the public and private sectors participating as domain experts and receptors to exploit the resulting new knowledge and technologies.

Leadership from BC
Kelly Booth, originator & Scientific Director, UBC
Gerri Sinclair, Network Manager
Rob Woodbury, Director of Art & Design Practice, SFU Block Captain
DIane Gromala, Theme co-Leader, New Media

SFU/SIAT Network Investigators:
Diane Gromala
Magy Seif El-Nasr
Ron Wakkary
Rob Woodbury

SFU/SIAT Participants:

Alissa Antle
Lyn Bartram
Jim Bizzocchi
Tom Calvert
Steve diPaola
Halil Erhan
Marek Hatala
Phillippe Pasqiuer
Bernhart Riecke
Thecla Schiphorst
Chris Shaw
Ben Youssef

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Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE)

Over the last two decades, the NCE Secretariat has challenged universities, industry, government and non-governmental organizations to build expertise in areas of strategic importance to Canada and the world. Through the development of knowledge, transfer of technology, and leveraging of private sector investment, the NCE is a highly-revered model of multidisciplinary, cross-sector collaboration practices. The NCE Secretariat Competitions ensure that granting agency funding supports the collaboration of researchers, industry and other organizations from a variety of disciplines, and that these collaborations result in products and ideas that contribute to a bright economic and social future for Canada.

OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT OF CANADA PRESS RELEASE

http://www.nce-rce.gc.ca/Media-Medias/news-communiques/News-Communiques_eng.asp

OTTAWA, December 1, 2009—Researching effective treatments to help children with developmental brain disorders, finding ways to lessen the impact of fossil fuels on the environment, and using social media to improve education and skills development are the goals of three new centres of excellence launched today by the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology).

“Our government supports science, research and technology to create jobs, improve the quality of life of Canadians and strengthen the economy,” said Minister of State Goodyear. “Creating partnerships between researchers and industry will bring innovations from the lab to the marketplace so that Canadians and people around the world can benefit.”

The government is investing $125 million in Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) as well as Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) to help researchers develop their findings into new practical, applied and marketable solutions and will also facilitate and advance the commercialization of technologies, products and services for the benefit of all Canadians.

Speaking at the 20th anniversary celebration of the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE), the minister also launched the third competition for up to four new CECRs.

“The NCE program is a valuable asset to Canada's society, encouraging discovery, innovation and application in a wide variety of science and technology sectors,” said Dr. Suzanne Fortier, Chair of the NCE Steering Committee and President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. “The CECR program addresses the growing commercialization gap between ideas and application. By bringing together researchers, industry and innovation, the CECR program funds the establishment and operation of world-class centres which turn research into business opportunities.”

The NCE program brings together Canadian scientists and researchers in the natural, social, health and engineering sciences, as well as others in Canada's academic, corporate, public and non-profit sectors, to focus on issues critical to Canadian industry, society and economy. The three new NCEs include:

the GRAND Network, led by Dr. Kellogg Booth from the University of British Columbia, which will explore novel social media, e-learning and edutainment environments that enhance learning and skill development;
the NeuroDevNet Network, led by Dr. Daniel Goldowitz, also from the University of British Columbia, which will study ways to reduce the long-term costs to the health care system through early intervention and effective treatment of children with developmental brain disorders; and
the CMC Network, led by Dr. Stephen Larter from the University of Calgary, which will develop technologies necessary to “decarbonise” fossil fuel production and utilization.
The CECR program enhances collaborations among Canada's research community to mobilize research excellence and commercialization. It was established in 2007 throught he Government of Canada's Science and Technology (S&T) Strategy.

The new Centres that will receive funding under today's announcement for the CECR program will be chosen through a national competition. As in previous competitions, the Centres selected will be based in the sub-priorities established in 2008 by the Science, Technology and Innovation Council and aligned with the priority areas of the Government of Canada's S&T Strategy. Application information is available at: http://www.nce-rce.gc.ca/Index_eng.asp.
For further information, please contact:

Gary Toft
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
Minister of State (Science and Technology)
613-947-2956

Media Relations
Industry Canada

Tel. 613-943-2502