PhD candidate Alice Curtin and Dr. Fengqiu (Adam) Dong are the inaugural cohort of the NRC's innovative new program
The SKA project is a global effort to deliver one of the most ambitious scientific facilities on the planet. The project is building the 2 largest radio telescope arrays in the world, which will become the SKA Observatory (SKAO). The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) represents Canada in the project.
For over 40 years, Canadian astronomers have been at the forefront of defining the fundamental science and necessary technologies for the SKA. In November 2024, our Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre launched the Canadian SKA Scientist Program.
"The program aims to help young scientists make their own exciting discoveries and to ensure that all Canadian researchers have effective and equitable access to the full potential of the SKA," explains Dr. Michael Rupen, the NRC's SKA program lead. "It will also give future scientific leaders a solid foundation in community support and engagement."
The innovative program funds top-level postdoctoral researchers at Canadian universities who will benefit from working closely with the NRC and a local mentor at the host institution.
McGill University PhD candidate Alice Curtin and Dr. Fengqiu (Adam) Dong are the first cohort of Canadian SKA Scientists. The 2 scientists will begin forming a network of SKA experts across Canada.
Alice P. Curtin, PhD candidate
Alice Curtin is currently completing her PhD at McGill University's Trottier Space Institute. Her research is primarily focused on fast radio bursts, which are highly energetic astrophysical sources characterized by brief, intense bursts of radio waves lasting only a few milliseconds.
"We're entering a transformative era in radio astronomy, with Canada at the forefront of this work. The Canadian SKA Scientist Program offers a rare opportunity to represent Canadian radio astronomy on a global stage," she says. "I'm especially excited that this program supports both scientific innovation and meaningful community engagement. I can contribute to the SKA while creating accessible, engaging content that connects people of all backgrounds to the new discoveries being made."
Alice will conduct her research at McGill University and will be mentored by Dr. Jason Hessels, the co-chair of the SKA Science Working Group on the Transient Universe and a Canada Excellence Research Chair in Transient Astrophysics.
"McGill is a world-leader in radio astronomy," says Jason. "We are extremely excited to be hosting one of the inaugural Canadian SKA Scientists because it will consolidate our leadership in radio astronomy and put us in an excellent position to develop Canada's contribution to the SKA."
Dr. Fengqiu (Adam) Dong
Adam completed his PhD at the University of British Columbia and was most recently a National Radio Astronomy Observatory Jansky Fellow at the Green Bank Observatory. His research has focused primarily on pulsars.
"I'm honoured and excited to play a role in bringing Canada to the forefront of this once-in-a-lifetime instrument. SKA is the future of radio astronomy for the next decade. It will revolutionize our understanding of the universe, much like the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes have done for optical and infrared astronomy," he says.
He will conduct his research at York University and will be mentored by Dr. Paul Scholz from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
"The Canadian SKA Scientists will be the future leaders in the revolutionary science that will come out of the SKA. It's a great opportunity to host one of the first scientists at York," Paul says. "In his role, Adam will enhance and broaden the radio astronomy expertise at York and significantly bolster our involvement in the SKA."
The Canadian SKA Scientist Program will issue a second call for applications in the fall of 2025, with further calls expected annually thereafter.