Dr. Darren Brouwer, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, has been awarded additional funding “to support [his] outstanding research in the natural sciences and engineering fields.” This $5,000 award is a supplement to the Discovery Grant that Dr. Brouwer received in 2010 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). That grant, worth $150,000 over a five-year period, is through NSERC’s Discovery Grant program and is designed to promote and maintain a diversified base of high-quality research capability in the natural sciences and engineering in Canadian universities, to foster research excellence, and to provide a stimulating environment for research training. Dr. Brouwer’s grant proposal is entitled “New Methods for Structure Determination of Materials by Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy” and his research program involves developing new methods for determining the structures of materials at the atomic and molecular level. “An important aspect of chemistry and materials science is understanding the relationship between the function of a molecule or a material and its structure at the molecular level,” notes Dr. Brouwer. “Such knowledge not only satisfies the curiosity of scientists by understanding how and why things work, but allows for the design of molecules and materials that can be used for specific purposes, often to great benefit to the wider society.” The aim of this research program is to develop an integrated approach to structure determination of solid materials using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The research money will be used to provide Redeemer undergraduate students who are studying chemistry as a major or a minor with cutting-edge scientific research experience during the summer months, providing the training that will make Redeemer science students excellent candidates for graduate school and employment. The research money will allow the chemistry department to expand its research and teaching capabilities by purchasing new scientific equipment, and allow Dr. Brouwer and his research students to access world-class research facilities at other Canadian institutions such as McMaster University and the National Research Council in Ottawa. The grant will also enable Dr. Brouwer and his research students to attend national and international scientific conferences to present the results of their research. Dr. Brouwer’s success in obtaining this research grant continues a tradition of strong emphasis on research in the Sciences Division at Redeemer. Several of his colleagues – Edward Berkelaar in Environmental Science, Kyle Spyksma in Physics, Kevin Vandermeulen in Mathematics, Derek Schuurman in Computer Sciences, Wytse van Dijk in Physics, and Gary Chiang in Biology – have received significant research grants from NSERC and other sources over the years, providing many Redeemer science students with outstanding experience and training beyond what is taught during the regular academic year.