CBU Researchers Awarded More Than $1.2 Million in NSERC Discovery Grant Funding

Six researchers at Cape Breton University have secured more than $1.2 million in funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants program. The funding supports long-term research in mathematics, geology, biology and chemistry, strengthening CBU’s contributions to foundational science and the development of highly qualified personnel

The NSERC Discovery program funds ongoing research programs that advance knowledge across the natural sciences and engineering. Several CBU researchers also received Discovery Launch Supplements, which provide additional support to early-career researchers who are establishing their labs and programs.

Funded Research Projects

Dr. Ken Oakes, Biology – Sustainable antibiofouling coatings for aquaculture
Dr. Oakes has been awarded $240,000 to develop environmentally friendly alternatives to copper-based antifouling coatings currently used in aquaculture. Biofouling, the build-up of marine life such as mussels, barnacles and sea squirts on submerged surfaces, is a centuries-old challenge that increases fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and the spread of invasive species. Current antifouling solutions often rely on toxic compounds that can harm a wide range of marine organisms. Biofouling costs the global shipping industry an estimated $30–150 billion each year in added fuel consumption and contributes to invasive species spread, causing a further $23 billion in ecological damage annually.

Dr. Oakes’ research explores more benign, naturally inspired compounds that could deter biofouling without the unintended ecological damage seen from the use of traditional methods. “This Discovery Grant provides longer-term, stable funding to help address a recalcitrant environmental issue that has persisted across millennia,” says Dr. Oakes. “While there is no single ‘silver bullet’ to solve global biofouling challenges, each solution contributed by researchers around the globe is one more arrow in the quiver of those working to mitigate this global challenge.”

Dr. Ryan Gibara, Mathematics – Nonlocal operators and function spaces on metric measure spaces.
Awarded $187,500 over five years, Dr. Gibara’s research explores “nonlocal” mathematics, looking at how things influence each other across distances rather than just at a single point. He studies how these relationships work in complex spaces that don’t follow traditional geometric rules. This type of math can help scientists in many fields, like fluid dynamics, data science and neuroscience, better understand systems where long-range interactions are important.

Dr. Ted Matheson, Geology – Reconstructing the genesis and resource significance of Canadian salt giants.
With $207,500 in funding, Dr. Matheson’s project explores how large salt formations, called “salt giants,” formed under different geological and climatic conditions. Dr. Matheson is examining two salt giants in Canada, one in Saskatchewan’s Elk Point Basin and the other in Atlantic Canada’s Windsor Group. The research aims to offer new insights into ancient Earth environments and support resource exploration.

Dr. Adango Miadonye, Chemistry – Recovery of rare earth elements from Nova Scotia coal ash deposits
Dr. Miadonye has been awarded $190,000 to investigate the recovery of critical rare earth elements (REEs) from coal ash produced by Nova Scotia power plants. REEs are essential for technologies such as renewable energy systems, medical imaging and advanced electronics, but their global supply is dominated by a few countries, with China leading production.

His research will create Canada’s first dataset on REE potential in coal ash, using state-of-the-art hydrometallurgical techniques to assess concentrations and recovery methods. “Rare earth elements have a broad spectrum of technological applications spanning defence, medical imaging, fluorescence, catalysis and renewable systems,” says Dr. Miadonye. “This NSERC Discovery Grant will support two major areas of my research: first, advancing the study of Nova Scotia’s coal fly ash, and second, strengthening our efforts to determine the concentrations and recovery potential of REEs from coal ash produced here and in other provinces.”

Dr. Martin Mkandawire, Chemistry – Advanced tunable materials with low dielectric loss
Awarded $190,000, Dr. Mkandawire’s research focuses on developing the next generation of tunable dielectric materials for wireless communications and sensor technologies. He is working to create materials that can store and manage electrical energy more efficiently, an important step for advancing technologies like wireless communication systems and quantum sensors. His research aims to reduce energy loss and improve performance in materials used for high-speed, high-frequency electronics, while also lowering production costs and improving accessibility.

Dr. Xu Zhang (Shine), Chemistry – Modulation of muscle protein oxidation by food additives during meat processing
Dr. Zhang has been awarded $195,000 over five years to investigate how common food additives affect a chemical process known as protein oxidation in processed meats. Protein oxidation can reduce the nutritional value, digestibility, and flavour of meat, while also producing harmful byproducts linked to chronic disease. By studying how additives interact with meat components during processing and storage, Dr. Zhang aims to better understand how to slow this process, preserve food quality and reduce the formation of unhealthy compounds. The results could help inform safer, more effective preservation techniques that benefit both producers and consumers.

Supporting Excellence in Discovery Science

The funded projects span five-year terms and contribute to national and international research priorities. They also reflect CBU’s ongoing commitment to discovery-based learning and community-engaged scholarship.

For more information about research at Cape Breton University, visit: www.cbu.ca/research