The Canada Research Chair in the Earthquake-Resistant Design and Construction of Building Structures, held by Professor Robert Tremblay of the Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering, focuses on developing innovative and cost-effective design methods and construction techniques for improving structural resistance to seismic events. The Chair's findings will help increase building safety and lessen the economic impact in the event of a major earthquake.

The Canada Research Chair in Future Photonics Systems, held by Professor Raman Kashyap of the Department of Electrical Engineering and of the Department of Engineering Physics, works with photonic band-gap materials, also known as photonic crystals, in which "artificial" structures are created to modify how light is entrapped. This is a highly desirable function for a vast number of medical, communications and data storage applications, and one that stands to augment our technological capabilities by order of magnitude.

The Canada Research Chair in High-Performance Composite Design and Manufacturing, held by Professor François Trochu of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, applies polymer matrix composites to high-performance structural applications. As lightweight structural materials, polymer matrix composites allow significant weight savings. This is the reason for their increasing use in the transportation industry, particularly in the aerospace and automotive sectors.

The Canada Research Chair in Future Intelligent Radiofrequency Metamaterials, held by Professor Christophe Caloz of the Department of Electrical Engineering, focuses on the various theoretical, computational and technological aspects of metamaterials (materials that exhibit properties not usually found in nature). The groundbreaking research conducted by Professor Caloz and his team is helping to create materials of unprecedented possibilities based on naturally available materials. Such innovations stand to have a vast array of real-world, life-enhancing applications, such as new analog signal processors that would make it possible to produce low-cost, millimetre-wave radars, high-speed communication systems, and terahertz detectors based on new types of nanostructures.

The Canada Research Chair in Fabricating Microsystems and Advanced Materials, held by Professor Daniel Thériault of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, aims to design and integrate new materials into mechanical systems through innovative micro- and nano-fabrication techniques. These mechanical microsystems are primarily used to help build safer, more efficient and more sustainable aeronautic and space vehicles.

Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs, tenable for five years and renewable only once, are awarded to outstanding emerging researchers acknowledged by their peers as having the potential to lead in their field.

Polytechnique currently has 24 Canada Research Chairs.
To find out more: www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx