Annual Report 2023-2024

Blending hydrogen with natural gas could help fuel energy transition

Research by an internationally recognized climate scientist at U of A shows that heating homes with a blend of hydrogen and natural gas could reduce carbon emissions by up to five per cent without the need for new infrastructure.

The blended fuel, called hythane, could be a major step forward in the transition to a low-carbon economy, says Amit Kumar, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Assessment of Energy Systems and deputy director of the U of A’s Future Energy Systems. It could also boost Alberta hydrogen exports as other jurisdictions adopt the technology.

“Economies will benefit from the infrastructure scale-up through job creation, attracting investment and technology exports,” says Kumar, who is also part of the Canadian Net-Zero Energy Solutions (CANZES) initiative to drive CO2 emissions reductions and diversify Alberta’s economy. “We produce a large amount of hydrogen in Alberta, but most of it is used in the industrial sector in bitumen upgrading and fertilizer production. If we convert our infrastructure to produce blue hydrogen — and that means adding carbon capture and storage — to all of these production facilities, that's a big win for us.”

Capturing at least 42 per cent of the carbon emissions will produce an overall “well-to-combustion” reduction across the chain. The more carbon emissions are reduced, the cheaper the fuel becomes due to savings in the carbon tax, he adds, especially when carbon prices are more than $300 per tonne.

How a shift to hythane could benefit Alberta and other economies »

We need to talk: Leading researcher guides the conversation between AI and humanity

Easy access to “chattering machines” such as ChatGPT and other AI tools is an invitation to revisit the age-old tradition of teaching through dialogue, says one of the U of A’s latest Canada CIFAR AI Chairs at Amii.

“We could all rediscover the rich history and potential of this form of engagement,” says Geoffrey Rockwell, a U of A professor of philosophy and digital humanities. “At the same time, we also have to teach our students to be careful and think critically about engaging with [AI systems] and assessing the credibility of what they say.”

As a Canada CIFAR AI Chair at Amii, one of three national centres of AI excellence, Rockwell will continue his groundbreaking examinations into the effects of rapidly evolving digital culture. In the field of digital humanities, he integrates computational methods and theories with research and teaching in the liberal arts. His research explores the social, cultural, economic, and privacy implications of these new technologies and their interactions with diverse communities.

The CIFAR program was launched in 2017 to bolster the federal government’s strategy to drive AI adoption across Canada’s economy and society and recruit and retain AI talent. More than 120 chairs have been appointed at Canada’s three national AI institutes, including 34 chairs at Amii.

A conversation with Geoffrey Rockwell »

Research teams awarded $100 million to prepare for the next pandemic

A team of U of A researchers were awarded nearly $100 million in federal research grants this year to help Canada prepare for the next pandemic.

Four successful projects (including one at the University of Manitoba) will advance through the PRAIRIE Hub for Pandemic Preparedness, which is led by the University of Alberta and includes researchers from the University of Manitoba, the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Calgary, along with biomanufacturing industry partners.

“From a public health standpoint for Canada, to have vaccines mobilized and ready to go into people’s arms is an important factor to prevent catastrophic outcomes from an emerging infectious disease,” says hub executive scientific director Joanne Lemieux, professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and a member of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology.

One of the projects is led by Michael Houghton, winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, professor of medical microbiology and immunology. His team will develop, test and manufacture new vaccines against three groups of viruses with high pandemic potential using self-amplifying RNA to allow for smaller and safer doses. Other projects will ensure Canada has the capacity to conduct efficient clinical trials of new vaccines, treatments and small molecule drugs; develop a pathway for diagnostic tests; and compare methods of vaccine delivery. 

Learn how PRAIRIE Hub is discovering and making new vaccines, diagnostic tests and treatments »

New guide offers support for Indigenous language revitalization

A new U of A resource proposes a mix of formal and informal ways to support Indigenous language revitalization, from developing K-12 curriculum and policy to podcasts and political advocacy.

Towards Indigenous Language Revitalization: An Informative Resource offers learners and communities ideas to consider when tailoring their strategies for language learning and growth, says Pamela McCoy Jones, executive director of Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization. SILR, a comprehensive six-year initiative administered by the U of A, developed the guide as part of its mandate to support Indigenous and community-led projects to revitalize languages.

“People don’t always see themselves in formal learning environments,” McCoy Jones says, “so we wanted to provide an abundance of information so that anyone looking at language learning would be inspired, and able to see themselves in this resource as learners, developers and advocates.”

The guide recognizes the complexity and diversity of Indigenous languages as well as the oral traditions unique to each community. It shows how the work of revitalization requires collective effort from communities, leaders, educators, administrators and policy workers and emphasizes advocacy to raise awareness about the importance of language in sustaining Indigenous cultures and well-being.

Resource could help teachers improve language learning from preschool to post-secondary »

Gene research looks to boost canola yields, profits

New research to expand the genetic diversity of canola looks to boost seed yield for this important cash crop.

Plant scientist Habibur Rahman and his team are sifting through the genes of Brassica oleracea vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale to pinpoint the best ones to fortify seed production in canola hybrids.

Production of the oilseed crop contributes $29.9 billion per year to Canada’s economy, with annual global exports totalling $14.4 billion. Mainly in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, farmers harvest about 20 million tonnes of canola annually, with hybrid cultivars accounting for more than 95 per cent.

Working with Bayer Crop Science, a research and funding partner on the new project, Rahman will develop hundreds of new canola lines and test them in fields across the Prairies. The research will identify the genes or chromosome regions of Brassica oleracea contributing to high seed yield in canola and other desirable traits.

The project, which is also supported through a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant, builds on Rahman’s past research proving that Brassica oleracea carries favourable genes for early flowering and high oil content in canola cultivars.

Learn more about Habibur Rahman’s research »

Augustana professor works to restore African philosophy eroded by colonization

A new U of A scholar is working to help African philosophy secure a place alongside other recognized schools of thought.

“I am researching how we can do African philosophy better, such that it can become rich enough to compete with western, Chinese and other regional philosophies,” says Michael Omoge, an assistant professor at Augustana Campus.

Colonization crushed many African societies, eroding traditional thought systems, says Omoge, one of 12 tenure-track scholars hired as part of the U of A’s Black Academic Excellence Cohort Hire. By incorporating research methods of some Western philosophical findings and traditions, he plans to build a better understanding and strengthen the identity of African philosophy.

Omoge, who is Nigerian, also hopes to show that the field is not exclusive to African philosophers.

“If we can get a handle on that, it allows non-Africans to understand African philosophy, and also to perhaps become African philosophers, which would help African philosophy find its rightful place.”

African philosophers are often concerned with sociopolitical issues such as the many civil wars that dog the continent, Omoge says. “If we make African philosophy global — make it known beyond the African shores — the resolution of those kinds of problems that African philosophy champions may also become a goal in general for philosophy.”

How Michael Omoge incorporates cognitive science in his philosophy research »