Professor François Légaré from the National Institute for Scientific Research (INRS), based on his scientific and academic experience, will launch an ambitious project to create a sustainable training ecosystem in the field of ultrafast laser science and technology.
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has just awarded the TrUST (Training in Ultrafast Science and Technology) team a grant of CA$1,650,000 over 6 years.
The project, awarded as part of the training program focused on novelty, collaboration and experience in research (FONCER), brings together about sixty people from universities, government and industry.
“This project is the result of the work of a whole team that is very dedicated and passionate about science. Obviously, this is excellent news for this promising project for Canada and its international impact. We thank NSERC for supporting this training project related to the needs of Canadian industry,” said François Légaré, Professor and Director of the Center Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications at INRS.
Professor Légaré also directs the Femtosecond Sources Laboratory (ALLS), which has led to significant international collaborations, including with LaserNetUS established by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES). This laboratory, unique in the world, is a research infrastructure focused on the implementation of a new type of laser with revolutionary applications. It is a national service center accessible to users from research or industry.
In August 2022, the ALLS infrastructure received nearly $3.4 million from the federal government through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Major Science Initiatives Fund (MSIF). Since then, the lab has benefited from new lasers, including the most powerful in Canada, and a modern clean room for high average power lasers. This state-of-the-art infrastructure is already home to exploration-stage companies that do not have the very expensive lasers to develop new technologies.
Research in the service of society and economy
Ultrafast lasers and technologies are widely used in academic research across Canada. Areas such as spectroscopy, nonlinear and quantum optics, and biomedical imaging are some examples. Many of these advances are quickly being adopted by the photonics industry in various sectors. Examples are automotive, aerospace, health, environmental monitoring, safety, public health, and security and defense.
Canadian companies, whether established or start-ups, are using ultra-fast lasers to create advanced instruments in this highly specialized industry. A good example of this is little-cycle Inc. at our premises in Varennes.
Sometimes founded by members of the INRS community, these companies develop new ultra-fast lasers for manufacturing devices. The common point they all share to ensure their growth is access to a highly skilled workforce. Companies whose business plan envisages the transfer of new technologies to a larger market are particularly affected.
“By working closely with the industry community, we, the members of the research community, can better meet these needs and provide grist to the mill not only for the education of the next generation, but also for the development of Canada,” states the researcher at the helm of the project.
A barrier-free training offer
The project brings together 11 researchers from eight universities from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and also benefits from the support of 16 companies and 10 socio-economic partners. TrUST’s most positive impact will be to break down geographic barriers by connecting university researchers. High-level education will therefore be accessible to a wider circle of members of the student community or early in their careers.
This accessibility will be all the more beneficial when trainees have access to scholars of diverse backgrounds and expertise, as well as companies from across Canada.
Based on this combined expertise, the project will rapidly offer a portfolio of accessible seminars and virtual courses on the technical aspects and technologies of ultra-fast science and technology. A wide range of professional skills including EDI, communications, leadership and management, sustainability, intellectual property protection and commercialization of innovations are also on the curriculum.
Trainees will also be offered activities to encourage interaction between the TrUST student community and industry partners. Finally, start-up support is offered.
A strong and diverse team for sustainable economic development
While the excellence of the members of the coaching team was a key criterion, Professor Légaré and the co-applicants also emphasized taking action in favor of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). “To make Canada a leader in the development and commercialization of science-based technologies and ultra-fast technologies, it is necessary to provide an inclusive and accessible research environment to educate the next generation that our knowledge-based economy needs,” concludes François Légaré.
A Quantum Strategy for Canada
The grant is awarded as part of the first National Quantum Strategy recently adopted by the government to maintain the country’s leadership as a world leader in the field. In particular, the CREATE program will train, attract and retain the best quantum talent in Canada.
Three other INRS faculty members also receive funding under the Quantum Grants of the Alliance program, international component. The EMT Center’s teams of professors, Fabio Boschini, Kenneth Beyerlein and Sharif Sadaf, received $25,000 for their respective projects. This funding will help them establish and develop international collaborations and research projects in quantum science and technology.
More broadly, these fellowship programs will provide state-of-the-art education for more than 900 PhD and post-doctoral students. They will also allow Canada’s top quantum researchers to participate in national and international research collaborations.
It was Canada’s Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry, François Philippe Champagne, who announced the award of grants totaling nearly $51 million to 75 researchers. These funds are disbursed through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alliance Grant Program and the Training for Novelty, Collaborative and Experience in Research (CRETE) program.
Source:
Communication and Public Relations Department
INRS, April 18, 2023