Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) awarded the new Canada Research Chair. In March, François-Philippe Champagne, the federal minister of innovation, science, and industry, announced the creation of the Canada Research Chair in geoenvironmental engineering of mine waste in cold regions.
Vincent Boulanger-Martel, a professor at the Research Institute of Mines and Environment (RIME), will hold the chair. Peers consider Tier 2 Chairs as outstanding emerging researchers with the potential to become leaders in their field.
Technological advances and the increasing global demand for diverse natural resources have driven mining activities further into Canada’s northern and remote regions. As a result, mining projects in these areas are addressing unique challenges related to technical, environmental, and social acceptability.
Mining operations face severe seasonal freezing, thawing, and permafrost conditions in northern Canada, but few solutions exist specifically for these challenges. The Canada Research Chair’s program develops practical, climate-resilient mine waste management and reclamation solutions tailored to cold regions to minimize the environmental impacts of mining activities.
Chairholder Vincent Boulanger-Martel stated: “This program will therefore help the mining industry, government agencies, and consultants to better manage mine waste, reduce environmental impacts, and protect fragile ecosystems of these regions. I aim to undertake cutting-edge research ranging from fundamental experimentation to laboratory and field testing, as well as numerical modeling.”
Several technological advances aim to address cold region experimental geotechnics and geoenvironmental engineering, advanced numerical modeling, remote sensing, and monitoring used for mine waste management and reclamation.
This research targets practical and specific problems faced by the mining industry, governmental agencies, and consulting firms in Canada. The funding includes $600,000 from the Canada Research Chairs Program and $322,500 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, enabling Professor Vincent Boulanger-Martel to acquire new laboratory equipment.
The Research Institute of Mines and Environment (RIME) generates over $8 million in annual research funding and brings together an internationally acclaimed team of experts. The institute operates more than fifteen specialized laboratories and uses an extensive network of industrial test sites. Its projects involve several scientific groups and research chairs, promoting a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach.
RIME plays a vital role in training highly qualified professionals who address the mining sector's challenges and contribute to community sustainability. UQAT holds the top position in Canada for research intensity per professor among Canadian universities primarily active at the undergraduate level.
More information is posted on www.Uqat.ca/en/.
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