Grant: Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Atmospheric aerosols and their relationship to climate, air quality and health constitute a challenge that requires both research and training in a multi-disciplinary approach. Yet, students studying atmospheric aerosols are currently being trained in traditional disciplines (such as chemistry, physics or engineering), with very little interdisciplinary training or exposure. Students do not receive the broadly-based training or exposure that is necessary for these new challenges, and hence they are not well prepared to answer some of the most important environmental and health challenges we are currently facing. To address this problem, we will establish a unified training program and collaborative research environment on atmospheric aerosols and their effects on climate, air quality and heath. This program will fall within NSERC's first designated priority area (environmental science and technologies) and will make contributions to two of the other three priority areas (health sciences and technologies; natural resources and energy). UBC has many outstanding researchers investigating various aspects of atmospheric aerosols and their effects on climate, air quality and health as well as outstanding infrastructure to carry out atmospheric aerosol research. This group of researchers and educators will be brought together to offer this unified training program (CREATE-AAP) on atmospheric aerosols. This program will include new course offerings, a bi-weekly seminar series and a series of internal and external internships. Ten graduate students, five undergraduate students and one postdoctoral fellow will be funded annually by CREATE-AAP. Another 40-55 graduate students, funded by other sources, will also take advantage of CREATE-AAP. In addition, trainees will be engaged in research of high importance to Canada. Examples of research projects will include: Population Exposure to Aerosols in Western Canada, Health Impacts of Aerosol Particles, Aerosol/Cloud/Climate Interactions, and Effect of Transportation Fuel on Climate-Relevant Properties of Aerosols.