New infrastructure funding to strengthen research at UWindsor

Dr. Simon Rondeau-Gagné works in his materials chemistry lab in Essex Hall.

(SARA ELLIOTT/University of Windsor)

New research infrastructure funding for science and engineering will advance four University of Windsor research projects. 

This Ontario Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCCURES) has awarded $438,699 to UWindsor research teams through the Ontario Research Fund (ORF) – Research Infrastructure program.  

This investment is matched dollar for dollar by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) awards, bringing the total to nearly $900,000.  

A variety of projects will benefit with research teams focusing on cancer research, conservation of migratory birds, climate-resilient planning and advanced materials research. 

 “These matching investments are critical to ensure our researchers continue to have access to state-of-the-art infrastructure to drive discovery, innovation and impact,” says Dr. Shanthi Johnson, vice-president, research and innovation. 

 “University of Windsor is proud to further Ontario’s position as a centre for world-class research excellence by advancing innovation, delivering world-class training for students, and solving real-world challenges.” 

 The four recipients are: 

• Dr. Simon Rondeau-Gagné – Advanced Characterization and Development of New (Bio)Materials Through X-Ray Scattering establishes a unique world-class platform allowing for the development of innovative advanced electronic materials, drug-delivery systems, and technologies in dynamic biomolecular systems. Co-investigators: Dr. Drew Marquardt and Dr. Nick Vukotic. 
• Dr. Scott Harroun - Innovative Platform for Rapid and Cost-Effective Biomolecular Synthesis and Characterization. Three professors lead this project to acquire a DNA synthesizer and equipment for making gene libraries and biomolecular characterization. They will use it to make sensors for cancer diagnostics and to study cancer biology. Co-investigators: Dr. Phillip Karpowicz and Dr. Munir Rahim. 
• Dr. Mina Lee - Resilience and Sustainability Assessment of Geotechnical Infrastructure will develop decision-making tools to improve the resilience of Ontario road embankments, supporting climate-resilient planning and flood risk assessment. Co-investigator: Dr. Tirupati Bolisetti. 
• Dr. Daniel Mennill - Bioacoustics Infrastructure for Innovative Field Studies of Ecology and Conservation of Migratory Birds will expand research capacity using advanced acoustic monitoring technologies to study migratory birds in Canada. Co-investigators: Dr. Stephanie Doucet and Dr. Ryan Norris (University of Guelph). 

 The provincial funding complements the federal government’s $134-million national CFI investment announced in October 2025, designed to strengthen Canada’s research infrastructure and innovation capacity. 

By Sara Elliott

Courtesy: https://www.uwindsor.ca/news/2026-04-09/new-infrastructure-funding-strengthen-research-uwindsor