Many users need to draw information from hundreds of completely autonomous resources, such as online biomedical databases, clinical databases and specialized analytical Web services. IPSNP Computing Inc. is developing a technology based on Semantic Web services that facilitates ad hoc self-service querying of such distributed resources by non-technical users, such as biologists or clinical researchers. Products include a query engine HYDRA and a query composition GUI, intended initially for biomedical applications, such as drug discovery and Clinical Intelligence. The student will conduct research in collaboration with R&D staff of IPSNP and IPSNP's clients and partners on multiple data federation and self-service querying Life Sciences and Health Care related use cases. The outcomes of this research and development work will be commercialized by IPSNP and help improve the quality of its products and increase their commercialization potential. IPSNP already has formal collaborations with a large pharmaceutical company, consulting contracts with federal government agencies in Canada and healthcare providers in the USA (pending).