CMS Townhall Meeting
Saturday November 30, 2024 | 12:15pm - 1:30pm
Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Richmond Campus
Deadline to Register: November 17, 2024
The CMS is inviting all CMS members and meeting participants to join them at a luncheon with Dr. Marc Fortin to discuss inquiries concerning the modifications to the NSERC Discovery Grant. Unlike the AGM that focuses on what was achieved last year, this meeting focuses on what lies ahead. There will be a short presentation by Dr. Marc Fortin followed by questions and answers. This is an opportunity for participants to discuss emerging issues as well as directly voice their opinions, concerns and interests. Please register to attend as spots are limited.
Lunch will be provided - if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, please indicate this on the
registration form.
Presentation by:
Dr. Marc Fortin
Vice-President, Research Grants and Scholarships Directorate
Marc Fortin is currently Vice-President of the Research Grants and Scholarships Directorate at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), after serving as Vice-President of the Research Partnerships Directorate. In that capacity, he led the evolution of the Alliance research partnerships program as well as the College Applied Research programs.
Throughout his career, Marc has led the development of policies, strategies and programs designed to support research across organizations, countries and disciplines. He has worked extensively at
the national and international levels to leverage research to generate impact for the policy, industry, regulatory or decision-maker communities. He has provided advice to Governments in topics at the interface of science, policy and society. He has led the development of research support programs that have changed the relationships between partners in the innovation space.
Dr. Fortin is a molecular geneticist, with a B.Sc. and a M.Sc. from Université Laval and a Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology from McGill University. He did post-doctoral work in molecular genetics at the University of California and the University of Chicago. His research lab was focused on understanding the molecular interactions between picornaviruses and host cells.
Prior to joining NSERC, Dr. Fortin held senior positions leading research organizations in academia and government. He has led science and technology branches as Assistant Deputy Minister at the Department of National Defence and at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada for 12 years. He was Associate Professor at McGill University where he held leadership positions (Department Chair and Associate Dean – Research) over 17 years.