For Students and Fellows – Overview – Postdoctoral – Visiting Fellowships in Canadian Government Laboratories

Environment Canada

Environment Canada's mandate is to improve the quality of life of Canadians through the preservation and enhancement of the natural environment, including water, air, and soil quality, renewable resources, migratory birds, and other wildlife, as well as weather forecasting and warnings.

Environment Canada's mission is to make sustainable development a reality in Canada by helping Canadians live and prosper in an environment that needs to be respected, protected, and conserved.

To this end, Environment Canada undertakes and promotes programs to:

• protect Canadians from domestic and global sources of pollution;
• conserve biodiversity in healthy ecosystems; and
• enable Canadians to adapt to weather and related environmental influences and impacts on human health and safety, economic prosperity, and environmental quality.

The evolving mission of Environment Canada is to provide leadership and play an advocacy role in making sustainable development a reality in Canada.

There is no specific funding allocated to this program.

Environment Canada's Science and Technology

Environment Canada's research and development is conducted principally in seven research institutes with a wide range of partners.

The Science and Technology Branch conducts research in many areas, specifically atmospheric and hydrological sciences related to climate, meteorology, water quantity, air quality, and associated environmental impacts and adaptation. The Science and Technology branch also conducts research in the aquatic and ecosystem sciences related to water quality, ecotoxicology, and wildlife ecology, including endangered species and conservation. There is also research related to the development of technologies for measuring air pollution and toxic chemicals, for managing industrial and municipal wastes, including wastewater treatment, and for preventing and managing pollution emergencies.

As environmental issues continue to evolve, the department's capacity to understand, interpret, and forecast on the basis of scientific knowledge will remain of central importance to its work in policy, regulation, and services. Science and technology (S&T) makes it possible to develop environmental technologies that can remediate the problems of the past, forecast the problems of the future, and offer ways to prevent, mitigate, or adapt to the environment of the future.

Departmental Web site: http://www.msc.ec.gc.ca/contents_e.html

Atmospheric Science and Technology Directorate

Climate Research Division

Fields of Research

Climate processes and earth observation – The focus of this research is cold-climate processes in the climate system. The research aims to improve our capability to observe, model, and validate components of the energy and water cycles in cold climates through field and modelling studies and knowledge and effective use of conventional and remotely sensed information. Areas of research include energy and water cycles, placing particular emphasis on the link to surface processes; land surface process modelling and the coupling to the Canadian Global Climate Model and Regional Climate Model (Canadian Land Surface Scheme model); development and validation of climate processes in hydrological and atmospheric models; climate/cryosphere interactions and processes; remote sensing of climate variables, especially passive microwave remote sensing of the cryosphere; and assessment of errors in in-situ measurements and their compatibility over time.

Key projects include the Canadian Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Program and associated investigations of the energy and water cycles; use of the Cryospheric System to Monitor Global Change in Canada (CRYSYS); and analysis of Boreal Ecosystem Research and Monitoring Sites (BERMS) data.

Climate system modelling – The focus of this research is to develop an improved understanding of climate systems, including the general circulation of the atmosphere and ocean and its interaction with the cryosphere, land surface and biosphere. The goal is to provide a physical and biogeochemical basis for the treatment of climatic problems, including the assessment of natural and man-made perturbations to the climate system, and to develop climatic prediction techniques to the extent possible. The methods employed include numerical modelling of the general circulation of the atmosphere, ocean, land surface, cryosphere, and climatically important biogeochemical cycles; statistical-dynamical modelling of the climate system; and diagnostic studies of observed data and model output. Special interests include parameterization of "sub-grid scale" processes, the middle atmosphere, modelling the ocean circulation, regional-scale climate systems and oceanic and terrestrial biogeochemical cycles. The modelling work makes extensive use of the Meteorological Service’s super computing facility.

Climate monitoring, analysis and prediction – The goal is to characterize and understand natural climate variability so the severity and impact of both natural and anthropogenic climate change can be placed in their proper context. This research is conducted with both observed data (including extensive archives of instrumental and analysed climate data and less extensive proxy data for past climates) and climate models of present, past and future climates. A related goal is to investigate the relationship between atmospheric circulation and weather, and develop a predictive capability on climatic time scales, based on statistical and statistical-dynamical models of climate. Particular attention is given to monitoring and assessing trends in the Canadian and global climate with respect to extreme events, and investigation and explanation of climate anomalies, especially those experienced in Canada. Expertise is also applied to the design of optimal system observing networks in Canada. Specific activities include study of trends and cycles of extreme rainfall, investigation of variability and trends in surface marine wind fields and storms, use of borehole ground temperatures as indicators of surface air temperature, and use of canonical correlation analysis for seasonal climate prediction.

Contact

Dr. D.M. Whelpdale
Tel.: 416-739-4869
Fax: 416-739-5700
E-mail: douglas.whelpdale@ec.gc.ca

Climate Research Division
Environment Canada
4905 Dufferin Street
Downsview, Ontario
M3H 5T4

Web site: http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/acsd/index_e.html

Meteorological Research Division

Fields of Research

Numerical weather prediction research – Research in numerical modelling of the atmosphere for the purpose of predicting atmospheric circulation and related weather, including extreme events. The work includes formulation and numerical solution of equations of all those physical processes that can be explicitly treated or parameterized; development of accurate and efficient numerical algorithms; improvement of short-range forecasts (less than 24 hours) through improved mesoscale modelling techniques; improvement of medium-range forecasts (one to ten days) through the reduction of systematic errors, particularly those linked with surface parameterizations (water and heat fluxes), stratospheric dynamics, turbulence closures, clouds, precipitation and radiative forcing; use of ensemble methods to develop an extended-range forecast (ten to 90 days) capability by investigating appropriate techniques and effects of sea surface temperature anomalies; and development of new forecast techniques and improvement of existing ones for direct numerical weather element prediction. Also included is research in coupled numerical modelling for comprehensive environmental prediction, conducted in collaboration with other government, industry, and academic partners in order to produce new and/or improved operational environmental prediction models and products, especially for the protection of life and property with respect to extreme weather events and improved economical competitiveness.

The work in this division makes extensive use of the MSC NEC SX-5 computer and, in the near future an IBM Cluster of 800 Power 4CPUs of the Canadian Meteorological Centre.

Data assimilation and satellite meteorology – The program focuses on the development of techniques for quantitative application of operational satellite data to weather forecasting and on the development of techniques for making use of new satellite data. Included are the development of systems for atmospheric sounding, automated merging of weather radar and satellite data to produce short-range precipitation forecasts, and the application of remotely sensed microwave data. The work also includes research and development on data assimilation techniques. The emphasis is on techniques, such as Kalman filtering and four-dimensional variational assimilation, and meso-scale or regional data assimilation using Doppler radars and wind profilers.

Cloud physics and severe weather – The main thrust of research in this area consists of studies of the mechanisms responsible for severe weather and the improved understanding of cloud physics processes. Severe weather process studies have the objective of improving very short-term forecasts (nowcasts) of hazardous phenomena, such as tornadoes, snow and icing. This involves the development of integrated, highly automated, very short-range severe weather forecasting tools. Cloud physics process studies typically have the objective of developing parameterizations for use in NWP and GCM models. The majority of research is oriented towards the application of observing instruments, such as satellites, radar and aircraft. As part of this research, the Meteorological Service of Canada operates a 5-cm Doppler weather radar at King City, Ontario, for both research and operational purposes, and works closely with the research group at the Marshall Radar Observatory (polarized 10-cm radar) at McGill University in Montréal. A research facility with ground-based and aircraft-based instrumentation for measurements of cloud physics, severe weather and air quality phenomena supports major field experiments, such as the Aircraft Icing Research Study (AIRS).

Contact

Dr. Gilbert Brunet
Tel.: 514-421-4771
Fax: 514-421-2106
E-mail: gilbert.brunet@ec.gc.ca

Meteorological Research Division
Environment Canada
2121 Trans-Canada Highway
Dorval, Quebec
H9P 1J3

Web site: http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/acsd/index_e.html

Air Quality Research Division

Fields of Research

Air quality research – Research is aimed at improving the understanding of the changing chemistry of the atmosphere. Pollutant transport, dispersion, chemical transformations, and deposition are all under active study. The work is directed towards the priority issues of acid rain, toxic chemicals, photochemical smog, stratospheric ozone, and greenhouse gases and aerosols. Activities include monitoring and the development of measurement techniques, modelling, and field and laboratory experimental studies.

Acid rain – An operational network across Canada permits daily monitoring of the acid rain problem. Analysis of the data is undertaken in conjunction with meteorological data and data from other media such as lakes and rivers. Such analysis develops the understanding necessary to define inter-environmental interactions leading to acid rain impacts.

Many individual processes are studied. For example, dry and wet deposition processes (including fog) are currently under study. In addition to the physical processes, gas-phase and heterogeneous chemical transformations are investigated in order to better understand the mechanisms of acid rain production and its impact on human health, biodiversity, and visibility.

Photochemical smog and aerosol research – Research is carried out to increase the understanding of the atmospheric processes that lead to the formation of photochemical smog and aerosols. In addition to anthropogenic sources, investigations of natural sources of ozone, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds are undertaken as well as studies of the transformations, transport and deposition of these compounds. The research includes the source apportionment of chemicals, their correlation with health effects, and the transboundary flux of these pollutants. An active program of national air quality forecasting, using models and chemical data assimilation (for meteorological and chemical observations of the atmosphere) has also been underway since 2001.

Toxic chemicals – This includes consideration of the significance of atmospheric transport in the delivery of toxic chemicals to the Great Lakes and to the Arctic.

A variety of models, from simple trajectory through Eulerian types, is used to describe and assess atmospheric transport of toxic pollutants such as toxaphene and heavy metals. A variety of measurement techniques have been developed for such pollutants as mercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Atmospheric surveys of toxic chemicals are under way around the Great Lakes, and regular monitoring has begun at Alert in the High Arctic. In addition, monitoring networks have been initiated to assess atmospheric levels of currently used pesticides and emerging chemicals (e.g., PFOS-Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and PBDE – polybrominated diphenyl ethers).

Process research is also carried out, including air/sea and air/water transfer of toxics. Chemical reactions of toxics in the atmosphere and the gas/particulate partitioning of toxics are also of interest.

Greenhouse gases – A continuing program of monitoring carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and other greenhouse gases is carried out at Alert, the world's most northerly monitoring station. Flask samples are also collected for radiatively active analyses at the coastal sites of Estevan Point and Sable Island. Other studies contribute to a better understanding of the global biogeochemical cycle of carbon.

Stratospheric pollution research – Stratospheric pollution studies are conducted in support of regulations on the use of chlorofluorcarbons. Field measurements of ozone and stratospheric trace constituents are undertaken using ground-based remote-sensing techniques and balloon-borne equipment sampling stratospheric air in-situ. Measurement techniques from the Space Shuttle and aircraft are also being investigated. The results are used to study the photochemistry of ozone in the stratosphere, especially during the Arctic spring, as well as for correlative studies with stratospheric measurements from satellites. Ground-based observing technology for ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and the ultraviolet ground-level solar spectrum is being developed with the Brewer spectrophotometer.

Solar radiation studies – Solar and terrestrial radiation studies focus on the measurement science associated with the calibration and development of improved instrumentation for the study of the changing surface radiation balance, including the influence of clouds and aerosols. The research is associated with the World Climate Research Program Baseline Surface Radiation Network and the World Radiation Centre.

Contact

Dr. Keith Puckett
Tel.: 416-739-4836
Fax: 416-739-4224
E-mail: keith.puckett@ec.gc.ca

Air Quality Research Division
Environment Canada
4905 Dufferin Street
Downsview, Ontario
M3H 5T4

Web site: http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/contents_e.html

Adaptation and Impacts Research Group
(formerly Environmental Adaptation Research Group)

Fields of Research

Research activities are designed to make available scientifically sound information on the environmental, social, and economic risks and impacts caused by vulnerabilities to atmospheric change, variability, and extremes, and on the viability of adaptive responses (stakeholder and scientific focus to defining viability).

Providing scientific expertise and leadership within the Canadian impacts and adaptation research community: supporting the development of the Canadian scenarios service facility for impacts and adaptation research; providing continuity and guidance in overcoming knowledge and capacity gaps; and promoting and facilitating stakeholder participation in impacts and adaptation research.

Publishing and transferring knowledge as a result of research undertaken to identify, for key Canadian interests, impacts and adaptation responses thereto: water quantity, with a primary focus on international and multi-regional national waters; human health and safety, with a focus on those impacts associated with atmospheric change and extremes, urban areas and infrastructure; weather and climate extremes; and integrated assessments, including costing of impacts and adaptation options.

Identifying the "value" of weather and climate services and products as an adaptation in the context of extremes: contributing to the development of a Canadian Weather Research program and develop the capacity to deliver on its socio-economic component; conducting a weather radar assessment research project; and developing a capacity and undertaking a number of case studies toward identifying socio-economic impacts of specific extreme weather events, building on work undertaken for the 1998 ice storm and the Vancouver and Toronto snow storms.

Contact

Dr. Don MacIver
Tel.: 416-739-4271
Fax: 416-739-4297
E-mail: don.maciver@ec.gc.ca

Adaptation and Impacts Research Group
Environment Canada
4905 Dufferin Street
Downsview, Ontario
M3H 5T4

National Water Research Institute

Fields of Research

Ecosystem science; contaminant properties, fate and effects of toxic substances including endocrine disrupting substances (EDSs); exchange of toxic contaminants between air, water, sediment and biota; acid/toxic rain effects; cumulative impacts, groundwater contamination and remediation, sediment contamination and remediation, and lake rehabilitation; toxic algae/taste and smell; application of genomics and molecular tools such as DNA microarrays for detecting waterborne pathogens; ecotoxicology; large basin studies and modelling; climate change effects/UVB impacts on aquatic ecosystems; analytical methods development; quality assurance and quality control; potential ecosystem effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs); assess the extent and effects of pharmaceuticals and personal care products; waste water treatment technologies; and developing efficient processes for treatment of combined sewer overflows and stormwater.

Hydrologic modelling; remote sensing of hydrologic data; hydrology and ecology of cold regions; ice studies; groundwater and contaminants; biotechnological remediation techniques; river, wetlands, and lake ecology, including nutrients, dissolved oxygen, and contaminant interactions; development and validation of ecological indicators of ecosystem integrity; aquatic cotoxicology; impacts of land use on aquatic resources.

Note: There is no specific funding allocated to this program.

Contact

Science Liaison Branch
Tel.: 905-336-4675
Fax: 905-336-6444
E-mail: scienceliaison@ec.gc.ca

National Water Research Institute
867 Lakeshore Road
Burlington, Ontario
L7R 4A6

Web site: http://www.nwri.ca/nwri-e.html

Wildlife Research Centre

Fields of Research

Wildlife ecology and conservation, especially habitat selection and population dynamics of prairie waterfowl and Arctic-nesting geese, shorebirds and songbirds; ecology of, and impacts of forestry on, birds of the boreal forest; impacts of pesticides and other chemical contaminants on wildlife; ecology of prairie wetlands and their wildlife.

Contact

Dr. Robert Clark
Tel.: 306-975-4087
Fax: 306-975-4089

Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre
Canadian Wildlife Service
115 Perimeter Road
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7N 0X4

St. Lawrence Centre

Fields of Research

Ecosystem functioning of the St. Lawrence River in terms of its biological, physical/chemical and socio-economic components and development of new scientific techniques and methods. Approximately 60 specialists in aquatic and plant biology, inorganic chemistry, ecology of river ecosystems, ecotoxicology, hydrology, earth sciences (geography, geology, land-use planning) and socio-economics manage more than 20 scientific projects pertaining to the following issues: impacts of climate change and water levels on plant and animal life; loss and modification of wetlands; contamination of water and sediment and impacts on fauna; introduction of exotic species; impact of biotechnology; and impact of atmospheric pollutants. An accredited laboratory provides analytic services, develops methods and applications in ecotoxicology, and issues scientific opinions. Geomatics and digital mapping techniques are also integrated into the research work.

Contact

Jacinthe Leclerc
Tel.: 514-283-5869
Fax: 514-283-1719

St. Lawrence Centre
105 McGill Street, 7th Floor
Montréal, Quebec
H2Y 2E7

Web site: http://www.qc.ec.gc.ca/csl/acc/csl001_e.html

Environmental Technology Centre (ETC)

Fields of Research

• Measurement of ambient air pollution
• Environmental analytical chemistry
• Measurement of emissions from stationary and mobile sources
• Air pollution prevention and control technologies
• Behaviour and effects of oil and chemical spills
• Remote sensing, field and laboratory techniques for measuring and tracking oil and chemical spills
• Chemical, biological, and physical countermeasures for oil and chemical spills and for cleaning up contaminated sites
• Biological testing methods

Contact

Dr. Ewa Dabek
Tel.: 613-990-3201
Fax: 613-990-8568
E-mail: ewa.dabek@ec.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.etcentre.org/etchome_e.html

Green Technologies Division

Fields of Research

The application of microwaves and radio frequency to enhance biological, chemical and physical processes. Applications are selected for their potential to reduce the release of toxic chemicals or the emission of greenhouse gases, or a combination of both (e.g., development and optimization of low-emission industrial extraction processes, optimization of catalyst-free chemical reactions in solventless conditions or in benign solvents, and microwave-induced single- or multi-phase stereochemical reactions).

Investigation of non-conventional thermodynamic systems with potential for low-energy-consuming industrial applications (e.g., solventless or solid-support chemical reactions under controlled high energy density conditions, use of physical means to induce or block substrates in chemical reactions carried out under controlled high electrical fields).

Design, testing and validation of instrumentation and apparatus to perform these processes and methods.

Contact

Dr. J. R. Jocelyn Paré
Tel.: 613-990-9122
Fax: 613-990-2855
E-mail: jocelyn.pare@ec.gc.ca

Green Technologies Division
335 River Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H3

Web site: http://www.ec.gc.ca/etad/default.asp?lang=En&n;=510541DD-1