Nine McMaster research projects have received more than $1 million in the latest round of the Canada Foundation for Innovation's New Opportunities Fund (NOF).

The funding will allow new and talented researchers to conduct their research in world-class facilities.

To date, 85 McMaster projects have received a total $14,477,113 from the NOF.

Thirty-three Canadian institutions across the country received $29.9 million under this program to help them attract and retain 164 high-caliber researchers in 145 projects.

NOF enables eligible universities to provide research infrastructure for newly-recruited faculty members, in their first full-time academic appointment in Canadian degree-granting institutions, so that these researchers can undertake leading-edge research. The fund also enables institutions to recruit new faculty members in the areas of research identified as priorities in their strategic research plans.

McMaster's projects are:

• Analysis of Localized Interactions and Gene Regulation in Fibrogenic Processes — $140,000 (researcher: Peter Margetts, assistant professor medicine)
• Computational Biology at Multiple Hierarchical Levels, with a Special Emphasis on Skeleton Development and Evolution — $139,398 (researcher: Jonathon Stone, assistant professor biology)
• Genes and Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Eye Development and Disease — $104,602 (researcher: Judith West-Mays, assistant professor pathology and molecular medicine)
• High-frequency Device Characterization and Modeling for Radio frequency Integrated Circuit Design — $100,000 (researcher: Chih-Hung Chen, assistant professor electrical and computer engineering)
• Laboratory for Human Aggression Research — $150,000 (researcher: Tracy Vaillancourt, assistant professor psychology)
• Palaeomics: Genomics and Proteomics from the Past — $120,000 (researcher: Hendrik Poinar, assistant professor anthropology)
• Robotics Innovation Laboratory — $80,000 (researcher: Mohammad Reza Sirouspour, assistant professor electrical and computer engineering)
• Silicon and Silicon Germanium Front End Processing and Process Modeling — $100,000 (researcher: Yaser Haddara, assistant professor electrical and computer engineering)
• Terrestrial Biogeochemistry Laboratory: Understanding Ancient Climates, Environments & Greenhouse Gases — $200,000 (researcher: Darren Grvcke, assistant professor geography and geology)

The projects were selected on the recommendation of experts who thoroughly assessed each project against the three CFI criteria: Quality of research and the need for infrastructure; Contribution to strengthening the capacity for innovation; Potential benefits of the research to Canada.

The $29.9 million investment has been awarded through two funds: $23 million under the New Opportunities Fund; and $6.9 million under the Infrastructure Operating Fund which assists universities with the incremental operating and maintenance costs associated with new infrastructure projects.

A list of the projects approved by the CFI to date and a list of the approved funding for this announcement, are available here.