About IECS

IECS is situated on the territories of the nêhiyawak, Anihšināpēk, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakoda, and the homeland of the Métis/Michif Nation, is on Treaty 4 lands with a presence in Treaty 6. It is a world-class research facility build on two decades of research by environmental scientists at University of Regina. The Institute is unique to the Canadian Prairies, and is a member of an elite series of environmental institutes in Canada (e.g., Canadian Rivers Institute at UNB, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Environmental Earth Sciences Facility at UBC, Biogeoscience Institute at University of Calgary, Institute for Watershed Science at Trent University, Institute of Environmental Sciences at UQAM). The Environmental Research Scientist position is particularly innovative, as it mandates to both conduct independent research and facilitate research of others through collaboration, education and technical support.

Purpose

Rationale

IECS represents a unique research endeavour at the University of Regina to provide infrastructure and research expertise for faculty, students and staff across campus and advance the provincial, national and international research agendas. IECS is composed of three separate research units (Integrated Numeric Analysis Facility, Cellular Impacts Facility, Stressor Quantification Facility), and two analytical preparation units (Stressor Isolation Facility, Advanced Sample-Holding Facility). Initially, IECS focuses on broadly-defined environmental issues related to sustainable use of aquatic resources, in particular the investigation of the effects of pollution with organic nitrogen compounds and other biomolecules in inland waters. Research IECS includes ecosystem experiments, decade-scale environmental monitoring, diverse laboratory and field experiments, paleolimnological analyses and related analytical studies at molecular, cellular, organismal and system levels

Comprehensive institutions such as the University of Regina provide extensive infrastructure to support research endeavours but often lack resources to compete at a global level. To address this issue, IECS was developed to provide world-class instrumentation, scientific expertise and training capabilities to enable individual researchers and multidisciplinary groups to submit highly competitive funding proposals and conduct cutting-edge scientific research at comparatively low cost. Furthermore, IECS is designed to attract outside researchers to work and collaborate with University of Regina faculty, thereby raising the reputation and research profile of the University. Finally, IECS will allow the University of Regina to facilitate and host national research networks, centres and scientific initiatives.

Goals

Funding

IECS provides up-to-date, world-class infrastructure and scientific expertise in environmental research to attract and retain researchers of national and international calibre to work in Saskatchewan. Researchers associated with IECS are dedicated to

attract and train outstanding domestic and international graduate students, who will promote IECS to future employers, and
initiate and support multidisciplinary funding initiatives that build on the unique IECS infrastructure.

IECS also provides mechanisms to host provincial, national and international research initiatives and improve collaborations among universities, government and industry

IECS was established through a $7 M grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Government of Saskatchewan, as well as financial support from the University of Regina, and instrument manufacturers. Additional funding for infrastructure was provided from the federal Knowledge Infrastructure Program ($3 M). Initial operating funds of $640,000 were provided from the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Research infrastructure is being maintained by application of instrument- and analysis-specific user fees in a 3-tiered structure:

University of Regina scientist
external academic user
government/industry