Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

The X-ray diffractometer (XRD) is a key facility for the Ryerson research community. Ryerson, a relatively new University, is one of the fastest-growing universities in Canada, with currently 33 graduate programs and about 2,020 graduate students (6 Ph.D. programs and 12 master's programs in engineering and applied science). The XRD is vital for the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) and research in the materials-related areas, which involves 8 departments: Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biology, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Nutrition, and Physics, as no such equipment is available within Ryerson. The lack of an XRD at Ryerson University is a major handicap to our HQP training and research, and a major cause for the rejection of some of our journal manuscript submissions due to the lack of proper phase identification and texture analysis. Faculty members and graduate students have been forced to use XRDs at other universities, either having to travel long distances or paying high rates, with some critical XRD examinations frequently delayed or detailed information missed due to the heavy demand by other university's own researchers and graduate students. This results in a waste of time and frustration for our graduate students. Therefore, a request is being made to NSERC for a grant of $149,958 to purchase an XRD for the Ryerson research community. The operation and maintenance of the XRD are available by one of current technical officers and the University has agreed to provide an appropriate space for housing the XRD system. The requested XRD will significantly enhance our quality and productivity in both research and HQP training, and redirect time and money from travel to research activities.