Daily Bulletin

Budget boosts research funds

"We are pleased that the federal government has made knowledge and innovation a key priority for the future," said Robert Giroux, president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, following the release of the budget.

Giroux cited, in particular, new funding for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and the Networks of Centres of Excellence, as providing "a real boost for university researchers" and helping "to revitalize university research infrastructure."

While UW applied health sciences (AHS) dean Mike Sharratt concurs that increases in research funding are "very good news, a move in the right direction," he's disappointed that more health resources were not allocated in the area of prevention. "After what's been taken out over the past few years...a more substantial amount should have been put into prevention," he added, noting that spending in that area "falls far short of what's necessary."

However, Sharratt expects the additional research dollars will provide opportunities for AHS to benefit, both from the perspective of individual researchers and through networks of research.

The actual dollars include an additional $200 million in 1998-99 to the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Based on awards in 1998, it is expected that about $100 million will support research in the areas of environment, science and engineering. The budget also provides $176 million in additional funding over the remainder of this year and the next three years to NSERC, SSHRC, and the National Research Council, and provides support for biotechnology related research and development.

The process of re-investing in health care through increases to the Canada Health and Social Transfer, Giroux added, sets "an important precedent for future investments in support of postsecondary education, which we believe must be one of the government's key priorities in the coming years."

UW athletes share "lessons in living" --by Patricia Bow

Watsa and 14 other top UW athletes began visiting area elementary and secondary schools in the 1997-98 season to talk about positive lifestyle values as part of Team-Up, an outreach program for schools and sports clubs in Waterloo Region. The program is a joint effort by the UW department of athletics and The Record.

The athletes talk to the younger students about some of the ten principles which the program calls "Keys to Success." These include setting goals, having character and "class," working hard and making sacrifices, and committing themselves to excellence.

"I like to share my ideas about setting goals," Watsa says, "both the goals I have reached and the ones I haven't." A goal that keeps eluding him, for example, is making the Canada Basketball Team. When students ask him how he deals with being cut, he tells them he tries to keep his eyes on the goal, to persevere and stay positive.

Perseverance also had a lot to do with achieving another cherished goal: playing university basketball. "I tell them the big dream is like the top of a staircase. All through high school I set myself smaller goals as a player, and achieving each small goal was like taking another step up the staircase."

Nineteen schools and clubs took part in the program in its first year. Their response was very positive, says Bob Copeland, marketing manager for UW Athletics. So positive that this year, by the half-way point of the second season, 20 schools have already taken part. The number of visits in 1998-99 is projected to be twice last year's total. "We expect to reach in excess of 7,000 students this season," Copeland says.

The program also provides an opportunity for Waterloo's athletes to get involved with their community. "It provides excellent visibility for UW student athletes in the community and provides a constructive learning experience for them as well as the students they speak to," Copeland says.

Watsa admits he enjoys speaking to groups. He likes to get his audience involved, and often calls up volunteers to help him demonstrate his points. The best reward? "Knowing I may have been able to make a small difference in one young person's life."

Events on an Ash Wednesday

The joint health and safety committee meets today from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Needles Hall room 3001.

Tuition tax receipts will be mailed before the end of February, the registrar's office reports. Students who do not receive their receipts by March 1 should contact the cashier's office at ext. 5583. Duplicate tuition tax receipts cost $5 plus GST.

Design Issues in Fractional Factorial Split-Plot Experiments is the subject of a talk today at 3:30 p.m. by Derek Bingham of Simon Fraser University/University of Michigan. Sponsored by the department of statistics and actuarial science, the lecture will be held in Math and Computer room 5158.

Also at 3:30 today, Timothy F. Havel, of the biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology department at Harvard Medical School, will speak on "Biological and Quantum Information Processing". Havel is a candidate for a biophysics faculty position at UW. The talk will be held in Physics room P308.

An Ash Wednesday service will be held this evening at 7 in the Chapel of St. Bede, Renison College.

Registrations are now being accepted for the 29th Hagey Funspiel on March 20 at the Ayr Curling Club. To learn more, contact Pat Cunningham at ext. 5413.

Plans for some early morning copying on Thursday may have to be delayed due to a copy centre staff meeting from 8 to 8:45 a.m. Locations of copy centres to be closed at that time are Math and Computer room 5182, Davis Centre room 1501, Engineering 2 room 2353, Dana Porter room 218, Environmental Studies 2 room 277, and Hagey Hall room 370.

Mature students are invited to take a break from reading to attend a study week luncheon tomorrow at noon at the Ali Baba Steak House. To reserve, phone mature student services at ext. 2429.

Starting at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow, human resources staff will be taking part in a training program, leaving the office "minimally staffed" for the remainder of the afternoon. Staff will be available again on Friday morning, says pension and benefits director David Dietrich, who asks for patience in the interim.

Barbara Elve
bmelve@uwaterloo.ca

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca | (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
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