Grant: Collaborative Research and Training Experience

This training program represents a collective effort to form a strategic partnership between industry, academia, and government. We plan to capture the excitement of planetary exploration by creating the first cross-disciplinary, multi-institutional undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral training program in Technologies and Techniques for Earth and Space Exploration in the world. The transfer of the skills to perform, interpret and integrate observations made using cutting-edge analytical instrumentation and robotic technologies to the next generation of Canadian scientists is critical as we face a resource-challenged century and a renewed interest in the exploration of Earth and the solar system in general. Similarly, there is need for engineers with a scientific knowledge in order to design and build the next generation of exploration technologies. The proposed training program will ensure that Canada's growing need for Earth and planetary scientists and engineers with strong and flexible technical and interdisciplinary skills is met. This training program will train HQP in four core areas (themes) of research and technology development - these themes are all interlinked, iterative, and feed into one another: (1) Earth and planetary materials research; (2) Mechatronic tools for materials handling; (3) Imaging and analysis instrumentation, and; (4) Exploration surface systems. The overall objective of this proposal is to train teams of outstanding undergraduate and graduate students and PDFs in the technologies and techniques used in the exploration of Earth and other planetary bodies. Engineers and scientists will train and work side by side and unique opportunities for sharing expertise within and among institutions will be provided by means of short courses, interdisciplinary co-supervision of students, videoconferencing, internships, and fieldwork.