University of Manitoba astrophysicist Samar Safi-Harb has been awarded a prestigious Canada Research Chair in recognition of her research achievements, and world-renowned mineralogist Frank Hawthorne has had his existing Canada Research Chair renewed for another five years.

The new awards bring the total number of Canada Research Chairs at the University of Manitoba to 49.

The University of Manitoba awards were part of a national announcement made on September 10 in Calgary.

“Building a larger base of scientific expertise and enhancing Canada’s international reputation for research excellence are key elements of Mobilizing Science and Technology to Canada’s Advantage, our government’s new Science and Technology Strategy,” said Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), on behalf of Jim Prentice, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Canada Research Chairs Program.

“Our Government recognizes the importance of doing more to help transform and commercialize scientific and technological innovations. This in turn will help create better jobs, increase economic growth and improve our quality of life,”  she added.

The two awards represent an investment of more than $2 million for the University of Manitoba. The Canada Research Chairs program will contribute $1.9 million, and the Canada Foundation for Innovation will provide an additional $125,000 for infrastructure support.

Joanne Keselman, vice-president (research) at the University of Manitoba, said the latest awards are further proof that University of Manitoba researchers are among the very best in the country.

“Drs. Safi-Harb and Hawthorne are both outstanding scientists, and they are addressing some incredibly complex questions,” she said. “The new award for Dr. Safi-Harb is a very significant achievement, and the renewal of Dr. Hawthorne’s chair is a clear vote of confidence in his innovative work.”

Safi-Harb, physics and astronomy, was awarded a Canada Research Chair in Supernova Astrophysics. She is an expert on Supernova Remnants (SNRs) – the parts that remain after a supernova explodes. Her research is focused on understanding how the remnants of exploding stars evolve and contribute to our galaxy’s dynamics, evolution and chemical enrichment.

Hawthorne, a Distinguished Professor of geological sciences, holds a Canada Research Chair in Crystallography and Mineralogy.  He is an expert on the crystal structures in complex rock-forming minerals, and the chemical reactions involved in a wide range of processes that have a significant impact on the environment, including the disposal of nuclear waste, and acid mine drainage.

In August 2007, Hawthorne was named by Thomson Scientific as the most-cited geoscientist in the world.