For Alejandro Adem, it\u2019s all about the people.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything we do concerns people,\u201d the President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC) told a virtual Brock University consultation Tuesday, June 9.<\/p>\n
He met with University researchers and staff to discuss the federal government Agency\u2019s grant programs, process and directions. NSERC is one of Brock\u2019s major research funders.<\/p>\n
In describing NSERC\u2019s priorities, Adem stressed the importance of student research and learning, saying that \u201cmost of our research dollars\u201d goes to supporting this aspect of research.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to evaluate how you train and mentor the next generation; that\u2019s extremely important,\u201d says Adem, who is a professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of British Columbia.<\/p>\n
He and others around the table acknowledged that funding is a challenge, often falling short of enabling students to meet their living expenses, particularly in big cities.<\/p>\n
The training and situation of students is part of the larger issue of supporting those who work in the field of science and attracting candidates of excellence, says Adem.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause this involves people, for us the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are embedded and interwoven in all our programs,\u201d he told the gathering.<\/p>\n
Brock signed<\/a> the federal government\u2019s Dimensions: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Canada<\/a>\u00a0charter last year, which addresses barriers in post-secondary research, particularly faced by members of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups.<\/p>\n