SNOLAB Receives over $40 million in funding from Canada for its Unique Scientific Research at Vale’s Creighton Mine in Sudbury

Sep 14, 2020

SNOLAB received CDN $ 40,890,089 and had the benefit renewed until 2022/23. The site has a unique capacity and offers a competitive edge for Canada as one of the few underground laboratories in the world to support current and future generations of subatomic and astroparticle physics experiments. It is located deep within Vale’s Creighton Mine in Sudbury, Ontario.

The funding was part of a CDN $230 million funding announcement by Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, Navdeep Bains. This funding will support 14 scientific initiative facilities through the Canada Foundation for Innovation. It will support innovative international research to help boost Canada’s scientific productivity and economic competitiveness, in addition to enabling these groups to take action against the COVID-19 crisis.

In addition to potential achievements in fundamental physics, the team at SNOLAB is developing projects for new radiation and photo detectors applied in medical imaging and national security. They are also conducting research on the latest mining and genomics innovations aimed at improving productivity and health.

Executive Director, Nigel Smith, says, “SNOLAB is delighted to receive continued support from the federal government through the CFI. The $40.9M secured over the next three years, with co-funding from the Province of Ontario and support from Vale, will allow SNOLAB to continue to maintain and develop a world-leading deep underground research facility and investigate some of the fundamental questions in contemporary science. These funds will allow us to continue to attract world class experiments to Sudbury, providing great opportunities for Canadian researchers and industry.”  

SNOLAB is an underground science laboratory specializing in neutrino and dark matter physics. SNOLAB is an expansion of the original facilities constructed for the Nobel Prize-winning Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) solar neutrino experiment. While particle astrophysics is the principle focus for SNOLAB, there is a growing interest in other scientific fields to exploit the deep underground space and associated infrastructure. 

The lab’s experience and knowledge in gas control and handling systems used in dark matter experiments are being applied to help design a simple and easy-to-build medical ventilator, as part of the international Mechanical Ventilator Milano* project.

“The capabilities SNOLAB has developed have allowed us to direct our research strengths to address the immediate challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic in collaboration with other Canadian national research facilities” says Smith.

The objective of the MVM collaboration is to design, develop, build and certify a safe ventilator that is powerful, yet gentle, on the lungs. It is a simple design, yet equipped with a sophisticated control system to offer the required ventilation modalities. The simplicity of the design, which is made possible by the MVM control system, allows for wide availability of parts, and rapid manufacturing in different countries. 

The MVM Ventilator Collaboration operates in an open innovation framework to enable quick progress through ventilator design and testing, and to minimize the time required to get the ventilators manufactured and distributed to hospitals and patients. The cooperation of particle and nuclear physics laboratories across Canada, Italy, and the United States will establish a common international standard for the machine, maximizing the benefits that come from the sharing of information.

Source: http://www.vale.com/brasil/EN/aboutvale/news/Pages/snolab-receives-over-40-million-in-funding-from-canada-for-its-unique-scientific-research-at-vales-creighton-mine.aspx

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Sr Engineer, Ground Control

We are currently seeking a Senior Engineer, Ground Control to join our Creighton Mine in Sudbury.

Sr Analyst, Business Planning (System 1)

We are currently seeking a Sr Analyst, Business Planning (System 1) to join our Planning & Engineering team in Sudbury. This is a permanent position.

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The successful candidate will be a member of the Vale's Ontario Operations and enrolled in a 48-month program that includes Application of Theory, Practical Experience, Management of Engineering Communication Skills, and Social Implications of Engineering which is the requirement for licensing as a Professional Engineer in Ontario.

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Surface Construction Manager

We are currently seeking a Surface Construction Manager to join our Voisey's Bay Mine Expansion Project Team for our remote mine site in Voisey's Bay, Labrador, a fly-in fly-out operation. This project term position will be working from home office with regular travel to Voisey's Bay.

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We are currently seeking a Human Resources Coordinator to join our Human Resources team in Sudbury. This is a 12 month fixed-term position.

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SNOLAB Receives over $40 million in funding from Canada for its Unique Scientific Research at Vale’s Creighton Mine in Sudbury