Skip to McMaster Navigation Skip to Site Navigation Skip to main content

McMaster researchers receive funding to pursue international partnerships

16 projects, spanning four continents and representing all six Faculties have been funded in the latest round of the International Initiatives Micro Fund (IIMF).

By Erica Balch January 31, 2017

Expert Featured In This Story

Peter Mascher
Peter Mascher

Professor

See Profile

Understanding the impact of climate change on glaciers in Peru. Altering vehicle design to protect soldiers in combat environments. Developing a new framework to help Syrian newcomers integrate and find work.

These are just a few of the 16 projects that have received funding in the most recent round of the International Initiatives Micro Fund (IIMF).

The program, administered through the Office of International Affairs, provides seed funding to kick-start international partnerships and joint international research activities.

A total of $80,000 was awarded in this round of funding, including financial contributions from the Faculties of Engineering and Social Sciences. Funds will support research activities across four continents and will help to advance research collaborations with partners at some of the world’s top universities and institutes.

“McMaster is committed to providing our researchers with opportunities to explore and develop the international partnerships that are so critical to their work,” says Peter Mascher, Associate Vice-President, International Affairs. “I’m pleased that demand for this funding continues to be strong and that through the IIMF and contributions from Engineering and Social Sciences, we can help support our talented researchers as they address the challenges that impact not only Canada, but the world.”

The funds will be used to support a range of activities including travel, research expenses, or idea exchanges such as workshops. Funding will also be used to enable researchers to visit a partner’s research site, or enhance ongoing research with international partners.

Each IIMF project was eligible for up to $5000 in funding. A total of 45 proposals have received IIMF funding over the past two years.

The complete list of funded projects can be found here.

A graphic showing two people waiting in line behind a robot to get in a door.

The AI in the line

If AI can be used to jump queues and grab high-demand products and services, what does that mean for equitable market access?
A wildfire on a mountainside near a city at night.

Engineering resilience: Expert Ramla Qureshi on mitigating the impact of wildfires 

As the threat of wildfire becomes increasingly more frequent for Canadians, the civil engineering professor is diving deep into the role of an engineer in times of crisis.
A man sitting in front of computers and monitors in a lab with a big electron microscope behind him.

Engineering postdoc wins prestigious award for nanoscale materials research 

Mehdi Mosayebi uses advanced microscopy to see the atomic structure and identify potential weakness in hydroelectric turbines.