Grants awarded under the FAST 2023 Announcement of Opportunity
Funding for space research and development, with a focus on training the next generation of experts
Through its Flights and Fieldwork for the Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST) funding initiative, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) supports the development of space science and technology and enables students and young researchers to gain hands-on experience in space-like missions. Grants are issued to Canadian post-secondary institutions following a competitive process.
The main objectives of the FAST Announcement of Opportunity (AO) were to:
- Develop and maintain a critical mass of researchers and highly qualified personnel in space-related fields in Canada;
- Increase the value of students for future employers in the space sector by exposing them to practical experiences that enable them to acquire space science and technology knowledge and skills sought by, among others, the industry; and
- Increase scientific knowledge and/or develop new technologies.
As of , the CSA has awarded 15 grants under the FAST AO representing $5.5 million to Canadian post-secondary institutions to advance space science and technology while training the next generation of space experts. A description of the supported projects and their respective funding amounts are presented below under two funding categories:
- Category A – End-to-end space-like mission projects
- Category B – Space-related research projects
Category A – End-to-end space-like mission projects
The institutions listed below were awarded grants of up to $500,000 for end-to-end space-like mission projects that include technology development, use of the technology during a flight or a field deployment, and data collection and analysis. These projects are expected to last up to three years.
| Institution | Grant value | Project | Principal investigator |
|---|---|---|---|
| McGill University, Quebec |
$499,977 | Development and application of an integrated surface melt probe in Icy Moon and Mars analogue sites for biosignature detection and Mars sample return planetary protection risk assessment | Dr. Lyle Whyte |
| McGill University, Quebec |
$399,948 | Space-manufactured fuels for propulsion and energy storage | Dr. Jeff Bergthorson |
| University of Calgary, Alberta |
$500,000 | Innovative Measurements of Auroral Geophysics for Education and Research (IMAGER) | Dr. Johnathan Burchill |
| University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan |
$500,000 | SHOW Balloon payload development for HAWC mission validation | Dr. Adam Bourassa |
| University of Toronto, Ontario |
$500,000 | In Situ Tissue Engineering (INSITE) | Dr. Axel Guenther |
| University of Toronto, Ontario |
$450,000 | CALASET-NXT: Evolving a payload for atmospheric laser absorption spectroscopy | Dr. Kaley Walker |
| York University, Ontario |
$449,350 | Daytime Star Tracker Design and Demonstration for Space Situational Awareness (SSA) | Dr. Regina Lee |
Category B – Space-related research projects
The institutions listed below were awarded grants of up to $300,000 for small space-related research projects. These projects are expected to last two to three years.
| Institution | Grant value | Project | Principal investigator |
|---|---|---|---|
| École Polytechnique de Montréal, Quebec |
$299,970 | Integrated Communication and Space Debris Detection via Intelligent Surfaces | Dr. Elham Baladi |
| École Polytechnique de Montréal, Quebec |
$300,000 | Portable instrumentation for tracking inflammatory biomarkers in remote regions and in space | Dr. Jean-François Masson |
| University of Alberta, Alberta |
$150,000 | Payload for Energetic Particle Precipitation Education and Research eXperiment (PEPPER‐X) | Dr. David Keith Milling |
| University of British Columbia, British Columbia |
$296,978 | Enabling multi-messenger astronomy with the LISA mission | Dr. Jess McIver |
| University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan |
$300,000 | Development of Radiation-Hardened 32 bit RSIC-V Microcontroller | Dr. Li Chen |
| Western University, Ontario |
$299,541 | Analogue Field Testing, Training and Operational Readiness for the ExoMars Rover Mission: Co-analysis of PanCam and Enfys data to determine the origin of clays on Mars | Dr. Livio Tornabene |
| York University, Ontario |
$300,000 | Simulating Microgravity in Understanding Bioprinting Optimized Process for Astronauts' Wound and Severe Burn Patients Healing: Bridging the Gap for Training the Next Generation of Engineers | Dr. Aleksander Czekanski |
| York University, Ontario |
$300,000 | Nanobubble Technology for gas-liquid enhancement in food growth applications for spaceflight environments | Dr. Marina Freire-Gormaly |