Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development
March 7, 2016

The following is being distributed at the request of the Research & Development Corporation:

Investing in Ocean Industry Research

Students Receive Ocean Industry Awards

Nineteen students at Memorial University were presented with Ocean Industries Student Research Awards (OISRA) at a ceremony today at Memorial University. The awards program, delivered through the Research & Development Corporation (RDC), supports the development of highly qualified researchers exploring areas relevant to Newfoundland and Labrador�s ocean industries including offshore petroleum engineering, ocean technology, marine transportation, and fisheries and aquaculture.

�Our government is committed to advancing ocean technology to drive economic growth in Newfoundland and Labrador. Through investments in programs such as the Ocean Industries Student Research Awards, we are creating opportunities for researchers to build knowledge and capacity, and as a result enhancing our position as a global leader in ocean resources.�
- The Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore, Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development and Minister Responsible for the Research & Development Corporation

The program is funding 15 doctoral and master�s candidates and four undergraduate students. Awards range from $7,500 for bachelor degree-level programs, up to $20,000 per year for master�s candidates, and up to $30,000 per year for doctoral candidates.

�The OISRA awards are designed to nurture the development of highly skilled students with expertise and interest in oceans industries-related research in Newfoundland and Labrador and continue growth in these industries. RDC is proud to support these young innovators and invest in the researchers of our future. I congratulate each of you and wish you every success with your research.�
- Mark Ploughman, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Research & Development Corporation

Awards recipients are selected through a competitive process based on relevance of the research to Newfoundland and Labrador�s ocean industries, strong academic achievement, technical merits of proposed research plans, industry collaboration and other considerations.

�Today�s investment provides critical support to Memorial University undergraduate and graduate students, as well as their supervisors, conducting important industry-relevant research. Through the ongoing support of RDC and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Memorial remains at the forefront of ocean-related research required to sustain and grow this vital sector in our province. I look forward to the research outcomes of our newest award recipients.�
- Dr. Gary Kachanoski, President and Vice-Chancellor, Memorial University

Guidelines, competition details and applications can be found online at www.rdc.org . For more information about this year�s award recipients see the backgrounder below.

QUICK FACTS

• The Research & Development Corporation is providing Ocean Industry Student Awards to 19 students at Memorial University.
• Awards range from $7,500 for bachelor degree-level programs, 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, industry collaboration, and other considerations.

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Media contacts:

Tansy Mundon Director of Communications Department of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development 709-729-4570, 693-1865 tansymundon@gov.nl.ca	Ronalda Walsh Director, Marketing and Communications Research & Development Corporation 709-758-1021, 691-1009 ronaldawalsh@rdc.org
Jeff Green Communications Co-ordinator Office of the Vice-President (Research) Memorial University of Newfoundland 709-864-4073, 687-9243 jeffg@mun.ca

BACKGROUNDER
Recipients of Research & Development Corporation�s Ocean Industries Student Research Awards

The following is a list of recipients, their research area, and project titles. Recipients are identified as bachelor, master or doctoral candidates in their areas of study.

Fisheries and Aquaculture

• Bruno Gianasi, PhD (Ocean Sciences), exploring the potential of the commercial sea cucumber.
• Cheng Zhaohai, PhD (Environmental Science/Interdisciplinary), Trawl technology for the Newfoundland shrimp industry.
• Cole Walsh, B.Sc. (Mathematics and Statistics/Physics and Physical Oceanography), Examining pathological otoliths in Atlantic Cod near Newfoundland.
• Jonathan Bergshoeff, M.Sc. (Ocean Sciences), developing an optimal removal program for the invasive European green crab in Newfoundland.
• Melissa Cook, M.Sc. (Environmental Science), Biological effects of contamination on aquatic species with a focus on oil and gas contaminants.
• Nicola Zargarpour, M.Sc. (Ocean Sciences), Using underwater video to investigate the impact of invasive European green crab (Carcinus Maenas) on lobster catch, and inform mitigation strategies.
• Phillip Meintzer, M.Sc. (Ocean Sciences), improving the efficiency of cod pots for fisheries in Newfoundland and Labrador,

Marine Transportation

• Doug Smith, PhD (Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering), Probabilistic accident modeling for arctic shipping

Ocean Technology

• Michaela Ryan, B.Sc. (Chemistry/Biochemistry), The use of porous metal-organic frameworks for the sensing and sequestration of the environmental pollutant HONO (AKA Nitrous Acid).
• Mohamed Ismail, PhD (Civil Engineering), Use of rubberized concrete in offshore structures

Offshore Petroleum

• Alex Brubacher, B.Sc. (Earth Sciences), Structural analysis of the Flat Rock Thrust Zone: Tectonic implications for onshore and offshore regions of Eastern Newfoundland.
• Alireza Dehghani Sanij, PhD (Mechanical Engineering), Theoretical and numerical modeling of heat loss and ice accretion on marine vessels and offshore structure.
• Daniel Jose Sivira Ortega, M.Sc. (Earth Sciences), Alteration of the wetting character of the composite rock through enhanced oil recovery methods for the Ben Nevis formation, Hebron Field, Jeanne d'Arc Basin, offshore Newfoundland, Canada.
• Fan Jiang, PhD (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Joint data detection and channel estimation in underwater acoustic communications.
• Ladan Khaksar, PhD (Mechanical Engineering), A prediction model for internal corrosion due to hydrogen sulfide in Terra Nova oilfield pipelines
• Mashrura Musharraf, PhD (Oil and Gas Engineering), offshore emergency response team training with artificial team members.
• Qinhong Cai, PhD (Civil Engineering), Hyperproduction of bio-dispersants by genetically engineered species and their applications for offshore and deep sea oil spill response in harsh environments.
• Sean Murphy, B.Sc. (Earth Sciences), Three dimensional ichnology of the trace fossil parahaentzschelinia and its relationship to fracturing in unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs.
• Tristan Strong, M.Sc. (Oil and Gas Engineering), Offshore huff 'n' puff for injector well improved oil recovery.

2016 03 07                             10:25 a.m.