Western gets $20 million to fund science research

Western University scientists got a cash infusion this morning from the federal government to fund their research.

London North Centre MP Peter Fragiskatos and London West MP Kate Young announced $20 million in funding for science research at Western.

They also announced four recipients of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships, worth $600,000 in total.

"To the researchers who are making sacrifices, you have a government that stands behind you and recognizes those sacrifices," Fragiskatos said.

"As a society we cannot succeed unless young researchers are give. The support they need to carry out their vital work."

Among the researchers who were given cash was Beth MacDougall-Shackleton, a biologist who studies songbird migration patterns the how parasites and climate change affect the birds.

"With this money, I can attract the best graduate students to my lab, I can send my students to conferences so they can be exposed to the newest and best ideas in the world, I can send my students to world-class research facilities," McDougall-Shackleton said.

The $20.6 million in funding will support research through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) competition for Discovery Grants.

"Western University has always been home to a vibrant community of researchers and this continues," said Fragiskatos. "The funding support for fundamental research announced today will help recipients push the boundaries of knowledge. It will also open the door to new and exciting discoveries that can help form the building blocks of future economic growth."