York University has been invited to submit a full proposal to the second round of competition for the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF). The proposal to develop a multi-million dollar, seven-year initiative will be focused on how visual systems extract and process information and the application of this research to human health and technological development.
The proposed “VISTA: Vision Science to Applications” is a collaborative project involving the Faculty of Health, the Lassonde School of Engineering, the School of Arts, Media Performance & Design, the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies as the major contributors to the project, which builds on the University’s strengths in vision research in the Centre for Vision Research.
As part of the second round of the competition, York has been invited to submit detailed initiative proposals by March 29, which include implementation plans, budgets and full scientific strategies. The University is competing for a share of up to $900 million with 30 other institutions.
“We are delighted to have been included in the second round of the competition and look forward to developing the full proposal,” said Robert Haché, York’s vice-president research and innovation. “We look forward to building on our strengths in vision research and the development of vision-based technologies.”
York University was included in a shortlist following an adjudication process by independent experts based on Letters of Intent (LOIs) submitted by interested institutions last November. The LOIs were judged on the institution’s existing scientific capacity in the proposed research area and against the goal of advancing Canada’s capacities in research excellence.
CFREF grants will be awarded on the basis of scientific merit, strategic relevance to Canada (including the potential for the research area to create long-term advantages for Canada) and the quality of the implementation plan.
CFREF is administered by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) on behalf of the three granting agencies: SSHRC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
For more University news, photos and videos, visit the YFile homepage.