Federal money out of this world for Western

The unusual research conducted by the Western University will continue to monitor the stars through a federal money injection.

The School's Planetary Science and Exploration Center announced Thursday that its researchers had discovered a new exoplanet, called Kepler 159d.

This discovery was made possible by a federally funded Discovery Grant and the work can continue. In addition, Ottawa announced Thursday that $ 23 million would be shared between Western and more than 90 science and research projects of the school.

"These grants are the result of research in science and engineering. It supports ongoing work, "said John Capone, vice president of research at Western University.

"He has already funded one of our investigations, discovering a new exoplanet, part of the university's mission being discovery. This research is hard-hitting. His conclusions are significant. "

Although space exploration may be the last example of what these grants can afford, funding will cover all disciplines such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, biology, health sciences, technology computer science, artificial intelligence – literally "the nine engineering and scientific research," said Capone.

"At the university, knowledge and discovery go hand in hand," he added. "It gives us information about the world around us."

Funding is part of more than $ 558 million announced earlier this week by the federal government, which is helping nearly 4,300 researchers and students. It has been awarded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

"We are committed to taking research seriously, to investing, and to recognizing that research brings benefits to society," said Peter Fragiskatos, MPP for London North Center.

"Discovery has value. We talk about innovation. New ideas must be supported. That's what this investment does. "

Smartphone technology was initially put forward with federal funding. This is an example of how it can also stimulate economic growth, he added.

Grants are distributed by a group of scientists and are not political, said Kate Young, MP for London West and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Science and Sport.

"It really helps early-stage researchers make important discoveries that will impact Canadians and the world for years," said Young.

"Research in universities takes time. This really highlights the importance of the West in the world of research. "

As for the discovery of the exoplanet, it was conducted by Chris Fox, a graduate student, who teamed up with Paul Wiegert, graduate program director of Western's Center for Global Science and Exploration.

Fox discovered the exoplanet by studying the gravitational effects on two other exoplanets, says a statement from the West.

"I'm a space buff since I was little. I've watched all the old science fiction shows and have always wanted to go on another planet, "Fox said. "We can not go on planets yet, so it's as good as it is right now."

Kepler 159d has a mass comparable to that of Saturn, the second largest planet in our solar system. It is probably composed mainly of gas with no distinct solid surface, announced the Western statement.

This year, Donna Strickland, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics from the University of Waterloo, is among the recipients of Discovery Grants: she receives support for her work on the use of lasers to better understand matter at the molecular level .

The conclusion on Kepler 159d was published in the scientific journal, Monthly Opinion of the Royal Astronomical Society.