The federal Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) announced today that Trent University has been awarded $725,250 to aid in purchasing new equipment and constructing laboratory facilities for the Trent Water Quality Centre. The funds will be used to support a research proposal entitled, "Mass spectrometric and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of environmental contaminants", which was submitted to CFI by Professor Chris Metcalfe of the Environmental and Resource Studies Program, and his colleagues Professor Ray March (Chemistry), Professor Holger Hintelmann (Chemistry/Environmental and Resource Studies) and Professor Steven Rafferty (Chemistry).

"These awards recognize the outstanding contribution of researchers whose work will be of direct benefit to Canadians in a wide range of fields," said Dr. David W. Strangway, CFI President and CEO. "These projects were selected following a highly competitive process and will help ensure that researchers and students at Trent University have access to a world-class research and training environment."

The funds will contribute 40% towards the total projected costs of the project, which are $2.2 million. The funds will aid in constructing laboratories for the Water Quality Centre in the new science building to be constructed on the Symons Campus, and will allow the researchers to purchase state-of-the-art equipment for analysis of contaminants in water and aquatic organisms. Particularly exciting, is the opportunity to purchase a magnetic resonance analysis instrument which can be used to identify contaminants that are detected in fish, but cannot be initially identified.

Professor Chris Metcalfe adds, "The acquisition of this equipment will put Trent solidly at the forefront of universities in Canada, and arguably, North America in our ability to analyze contaminants in the aquatic environment."