Alberta Ingenuity and iCORE to Collaborate on Graduate Study Awards

(18 November 2002) – Two major Alberta research funding agencies will be working together to increase the appeal of Alberta universities for the top students in computer science and engineering.

Alberta Ingenuity and the Alberta Informatics Circle of Research Excellence will offer complementary awards in the area of informatics, concentrated in areas of computer science, and electrical and computer engineering. The new award agreement will be effective January 2003.

All new computer science and electrical and computer engineering students entering or transferring to an Alberta university with an Alberta Ingenuity award will receive an additional iCORE award. Up until now, iCORE awards have only been granted to students with prestigious Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council awards. This new agreement recognizes the outstanding quality of recipients of Alberta Ingenuity Studentships.

The complementary programs will allow total compensation of up to $30,000 for master’s students and $35,000 for doctoral students.

“At this point in Alberta’s development, the creation of strong research teams in information science and engineering warrants special attention,” iCORE President Dr Brian Unger says. “By working with Alberta Ingenuity, we can make Alberta universities a very attractive option for the top students in informatics from across the country.”

“The competition is tough for the top students in any area. By pooling our efforts, we can make Alberta that much more compelling in the highly competitive area of computer science and engineering,” Alberta Ingenuity President Dr Bill Bridger says.

Alberta Ingenuity is an endowment fund that supports excellent research teams in science and engineering. The Alberta Informatics Circle of Research Excellence is a government-funded organization that focuses specifically on supporting excellent research teams in informatics.