The NSERC Strategic Network for Smart Applications on Virtual Infrastructures is a five-year partnership between Canadian industry, universities, researchers, research and education (R&E) networks, and high performance computing centres to investigate the design of future application platforms that will deliver software applications of greater capability and intelligence.

Selective laser meting (SLM) is a promising additive manufacturing process that can be effectively utilized to manufacture structural components with complex geometries. Instead of removing the material, SLM adds the material selectively layer after layer using high power laser beam to form near net shape parts. Due to high cost associated with experimental development of the technology, the need for an accurate model to simulate the process is inevitable.

Organometallic reactions are important in organic synthesis and are versatile in creating new C-C bonds. In the past decade, late-transition-metal catalysis has gained increasing attention culminating in the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry award for three seminal palladium catalyzed reactions. However, the commodity metal nickel is more economical and desirable than the other d10 elements, such as Pd and Pt. As chemistry is a continuously evolving science, the concepts of green chemistry and atom economy have gained attention.

The Research Chair on Gambling was created at Concordia University in April 2012 (FRQ-SC 2012-2017), its first in Quebec. The Chair provides the research infrastructure on social inequities and lifestyles related to gambling, gaming, and internet use through research, training, and knowledge transfer to partners and collaborators.

There exist few technologies worldwide for the treatment of large areas of polluted salt and freshwaters. It is proposed to develop technology for in situ treatment of lakes, ponds, and rivers. The main objective is to develop a system for the in-situ restoration, management, and control of water quality to reduce incidences of cyanobacteria blooms through nutrient reduction to lower
than eutrophic levels.

Corruption is recognized as a major factor hindering the development and advancement of countries where it is prevalent. (By “corruption”, I specifically mean “political corruption”, “the use of powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain” [Wikipedia].) Even where the incidence of corruption is relatively low, corruption when exposed has had dramatic effects, including changes in government as the majority of voters indicated their strong disapproval—this has been the recent history in Canada and particularly in Quebec.

A sense of urgency has emerged in the last decade about the future of science journalism. While it is often argued as an important source of information for non-specialists, science journalism has been heavily criticized as unable to connect with citizens in ways that allow meaningful engagement with science. This critique has intensified as diverse informational environments have appeared online and contentious scientific issues (e.g GMOs, stem cells, climate change, biofuels) have moved towards the misuse of scientific evidence.

During the summer of 2015, I would like to replicate two of the intensive news-flow studies we conducted a decade ago on the Web sites of six daily newspapers, in order to assess whether any changes have occurred in the news maps these newspapers produce.