Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development
October 30, 2014
The following is being distributed at the request of the Research & Development Corporation:
Research and Development Enhancing Offshore Technologies
RDC Awards Approximately $1 Million to Ocean Science Students of Memorial University
The Research & Development Corporation (RDC) is investing approximately $1 million in support of graduate and doctoral researchers performing oceans-related research at Memorial University of Newfoundland. The Honourable Darin King, Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development, attended the Ocean Industries Student Research Awards (OISRA) ceremony today at Memorial University, where 16 selected student researchers were presented with awards.
“The Provincial Government established the RDC to improve research and development throughout our province. Through this program, and other initiatives that support oceans-related research and development we are doing just that. We are enhancing Newfoundland and Labrador’s well-deserved reputation as a global leader in ocean technology.”
- The Honourable Darin King, Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development and Minister Responsible for the Research & Development Corporation
Selection for the awards is through a competitive process based on strong academic achievement, the technical merits of proposed research plans, the relevance of the research to Newfoundland and Labrador’s ocean industries, and other considerations.
"OISRA is designed to develop highly skilled researchers with expertise and an interest in our ocean-based industries. We are committed to supporting these students and projects that could help the province enhance its leadership role in offshore technologies. I congratulate each of you and wish you every success with your future work.”
- Glenn Janes, CEO of Research & Development Corporation
This year’s program will fund 13 doctoral and masters candidates and three undergraduates. Awards range from $7,500 for Bachelor degree-level programs to up to $20,000 per year for master’s candidates and up to $30,000 per year for doctoral candidates.
“This awards program marks a significant honour, not just for student researchers who will receive this award to further their research, but also for Memorial University. I would like to thank RDC and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for their support and commitment to this program, and their role in fostering growth and success in the next generation of leaders in the oceans industries.”
- Dr. Gary Kachanoski, President and Vice-Chancellor of Memorial University
Applications for next year’s awards are now available online at www.rdc.org 
. For more information on this year’s award recipients see the backgrounder below.
RDC is a provincial Crown corporation responsible for improving Newfoundland and Labrador’s research and development performance. RDC works with research and development stakeholders including business, academia and government agencies to make strategic investments in people, R&D opportunities, and infrastructure.
QUICK FACTS
- The Research & Development Corporation is providing approximately $1 million to 16 graduate and doctoral researchers performing oceans-related research at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
- Awards range from $7,500 for Bachelor degree-level programs to up to $20,000 per year for master’s candidates and up to $30,000 per year for doctoral candidates.
- Awards are based on academic achievement, technical merits of the research plan, relevance to ocean industries, and other considerations.
- RDC are now taking applications for next year’s awards. Competition details and application are available online at www.rdc.org
.
- 30 -
Media contacts:
|
Tansy Mundon Director of Communications Department of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development 709-729-4570, 693-1865 tansymundon@gov.nl.ca |
Julie Curtis Director, Marketing & Communications Research & Development Corporation 709-758-0308, 709-730-9749 juliecurtis@rdc.org |
| Krista Davidson Communications Coordinator Office of the Vice-President (Research) Memorial University 709-864-4073, 709-687-9243 kdavidson@mun.ca |
BACKGROUNDER
Ocean Industries Student Research Awards 2014 Recipients
Luis Valencia, MSc (Geology)
Implications of the digenetic history for predicting enhance oil recovery methods performance for the Ben Nevis Formation, Hebron Field, Jeanne d’Arc Basin, Offshore Newfoundland, Canada.
Hilary Rockwood, MSc (Biology)
Southern Newfoundland waters under changing ocean conditions: diets and spatial distributions of emerging and re-emerging gadoids within NAFO division 3Ps.
Nicole Bishop, MSc (HKR)
The effects of motion environments on operator vigilance and decision-making abilities.
Ahmed Abouhussien PhD (Civil Engineering)
Development of a corrosion monitoring system for reinforced concrete offshore infrastructure.
Brent Way, PhD (Biology)
Moving from a qualitative to a quantitative paradigm for offshore risk based decision making.
Brynn Devine, PhD (Biology)
Impact of changing ocean conditions on deep water fisheries distributions.
Seyed Javad Hashemi, PhD (Oil and Gas Engineering)
Dynamic operational risk management of offshore facilities in harsh environments.
Elahe Shekari, PhD (Oil and Gas Engineering)
Risk-based fitness-for-services assessment of offshore assets attacked by corrosion under insulation.
Hossein Khorshidian, PhD (Oil and Gas Engineering)
Gas assisted gravity drainage under reservoir condition and complex porous media morphology.
Siva Prasad, PhD (Electrical Engineering)
Retrieval of sea ice parameters from fusion of remote sensing data and high resolution model.
Trung Nguyen PhD (Robotics)
Advanced control system design of quadrotor aerial vehicle from geometric viewpoint.
Jennifer Murphy, PhD (Chemistry)
Adding value to waste from the mussel aquaculture industry using clean technologies.
Hossam Al-alaily, PhD (Civil Engineering)
Service life prediction of concrete gravity base structures in severe marine environment.
Catherine Woodford, BSc (Physics & Math) Honours
Signal enhancement in sensors for oil in produced water.
Colin Ash, BSc (Earth Science & Physics) Honours
Comparison of seismic time-lapse imaging methods for monitoring reservoir change using a 2D model of the Hibernia Oil Field.
Stephen Pearcey, BSc (Earth Science) Honours
Provenance of Cape Spear member conglomerates in the Ediacaran Cuckold formation, Flatrock area, eastern Newfoundland.
2014 10 30 3:55 p.m.