Dr. Mumtaz Cheema, AVP Research & Graduation Studies

In stark contrast to the challenges of 2020 and the pandemic, 2021 was a year of success and accomplishments for the research and graduate studies portfolio at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University.

Grenfell's faculty, postdoctoral fellows and student researchers demonstrated excellence in research and creative activities including many engaged research relationships with governments, community, industry and Universities in Canadian and at global landscape.

Our committed team at the Office of Research and Graduate Studies is thrilled to share exciting news about 2021 research projects and accomplishments. This annual research report presents examples of the excellent work of our researchers from Grenfell Campus's schools and our colleagues at Western Regional School of Nursing.

Our research funding profile increased significantly last year, with the announcement of the Centre for Research and Innovation (CRI), and the Marine Biomass Innovation project (MBI).

The CRI is a joint collaborative effort between Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland, the College of the North Atlantic, and Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited. The centre aims to support local and regional economic growth through innovation, cutting edge research, and training of highly qualified personals. A total of $8.9 million was invested by three levels of government and Emera to support the development of all three components of the project. Additionally, the Mitacs and Agricultural Clean Tech program provided $1.3 million internships for Grenfell students to support the research component of the project.

The MBI project involves Memorial University and a consortium of national and International universities and community-affiliated researchers from local Mi'kmaw communities across Newfoundland, who were awarded nearly $15 million through the federal New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF-T) program to investigate repurposing marine and fish waste biomass to develop high value products and create a more sustainable future for Newfoundland and Labrador's coastal communities.

In addition, Grenfell researchers continued to build Grenfell Campus profile through research funding from external and internal sources, as well as increase the presence of post-doctoral fellows working as part of our research team and contributing their invaluable skills, knowledge and expertise.

There were also exciting advances in graduate studies, with the development of the master of applied literary studies and the master of applied geomatics. There are few others in the pipeline: a master of fine arts (theatre), master of sustainable rural communities and a PhD in sustainable rural and island communities.

The growing research and graduate studies portfolio at Grenfell are supported by Grenfell's Research Committee, the Graduate Studies Working Group and the Research Ethics Board — I thank faculty for their great contribution and a valuable work on these committees. As well, the Office of Research and Graduate Studies team has worked tirelessly over the past year to support faculty and graduate students, and I thank them for their efforts and continuous support. I hope as you read the stories and information contained in this report, you will gain a sense of the strides we were able to make in strengthening our record of research excellence.

Please do not hesitate to contact the office with your ideas or feedback. And congratulations and thanks to all of our faculty, staff and students who have enabled us to share their, and in turn our, collective successes.

Dr. Mumtaz Cheema
AVP (Grenfell Campus) Research and Graduate Studies, acting