National Science Foundation Global Centers addressing global challenges through the bioeconomy

Program newsProfessorsStudentsAlliance

October 2, 2024

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Council (SSHRC) are pleased to announce that, as part of the National Science Foundation Global Centers initiative, four Canadian research teams have recently been selected to work with international partners to address global challenges through the bioeconomy. These projects will receive $9.95M CAD over five years.

The Bioeconomy is the share of the economy based on products, services, and processes derived from living systems. Involving the natural sciences and engineering, the bioeconomy includes contributions from fields such as chemistry, materials science, mathematics, data sciences, the humanities and the social sciences.

NSF Global Centers is a collaborative effort among the United States, Canada, Finland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom. Partner agencies include NSERC, SSHRC, the National Science Foundation of the United States of America (NSF), the National Endowment for the Humanities of the United States of America (NEH), the Research Council Finland (RCF), the Innovation Funding Agency Business Finland (BF), the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), the Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technology of the Republic of Korea (MSIT), and the United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

This year's competition provides an opportunity for international, multi- and inter-disciplinary teams involving the natural sciences and engineering and the social sciences to use knowledge and research on the bioeconomy to address a global challenge facing humanity. Research investments in the bioeconomy can help us understand the social and economic impacts of these innovations as well as accelerate scientific discovery to create goods and services that contribute to the agriculture, health, security, manufacturing, energy and environmental sectors of the global economy. Learn more about this initiative and funded projects by visiting the NSF website.

Today's global challenges demand unprecedented collaboration and innovation. The NSF Global Centers initiative is transforming how we address these challenges by supporting international, interdisciplinary research centers that harness the power of the bioeconomy. We are very excited to connect Canada's talented research community with partners around the world to develop major advancements in food security, plastics and waste management, and the circular economy.

NSF Global Centers stand as beacons of collaboration and excellence, empowering researchers to address complex challenges with transformative results. The dedication of these researchers to advance interdisciplinary knowledge is truly inspiring. SSHRC is proud to participate in this NSF-led global initiative. With our partners, we can better work together to address the challenges of climate change, and find solutions to societal issues that will help create a more sustainable future for society.