Researchers at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, have been awarded more than $3.9 million in federal grants to advance studies on climate change, machine learning, and more. The funding, announced in July 2026, comes from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada through its Discovery Grant program, along with Discovery Development Grants and Research Tools and Instruments Grants.
The grants include $3,518,500 shared among 16 researchers over five years, plus $87,500 in Discovery Launch Supplements, $132,000 in Discovery Development Grants, and $65,550 in Research Tools and Instruments Grants. The projects range from permafrost thaw and water quality to finance and supply chain management, reflecting Laurier’s growing role in national research.
Among the climate-focused work, William Quinton, a professor in the Geography and Environmental Studies department, will examine how permafrost thaw affects surface water resources in northwestern Canada. Michael Palmer, an adjunct research professor in the same department, will study how climate change disrupts the cycling of metals in northern lakes and rivers.
Jonathan Newman, Laurier’s vice-president: research, highlighted the university’s expanding research profile. Newman, an expert in climate change biology, oversees a research enterprise that includes 23 centres and institutes, such as the Cold Regions Research Centre and the Laurier Institute for Water Science.
Waterloo has long been a hub for environmental research, home to both Laurier and the University of Waterloo’s Climate Institute. The University of Waterloo also hosts North America’s first graduate program in climate change, creating a strong network for collaboration and innovation.
