Dr. Genevieve Schroeder and Dr. Nicholas Kern join the NRC's Canadian SKA Scientist Program
Canada's investment in the SKA Observatory goes beyond building the world's largest radio telescope. It's also about building a generation of talent with the expertise and leadership to unlock the full potential of this world-leading instrument.
The SKA is a next-generation radio astronomy observatory that will transform how we understand the Universe. For more than 40 years, Canadian astronomers have helped define the science and technologies that make the SKA possible.
To ensure Canada remains at the forefront of discovery for decades to come, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) launched the Canadian SKA Scientists Program to support early-career scientists conduct cutting-edge radio astronomy research and shape Canada's role in the SKAO.
Dr. Alice Curtin, a current Canadian SKA Scientist based at McGill University.
"This program has given me the financial support to conduct independent research and the benefit of strong mentorship—locally at McGill and nationally through the NRC and other Canadian institutions," says Dr. Alice Curtin, a current Canadian SKA Scientist based at McGill University. "That support provides the scientific expertise and leadership guidance I need to grow as a researcher and to develop the next generation of radio astronomers."
Halfway through her first year of the five-year program, Alice has already conducted independent research, mentored undergraduate students and co-authored a chapter on fast radio bursts for a new book about the SKA.
This summer she will also be hosting the first edition of CRASIES, the Canadian Radio Astronomy Summer Institute and Extended School, at McGill. The program will give students a strong foundation in radio astronomy and prepare them to contribute to, and eventually lead, Canada's radio astronomy facilities.
"Without both the financial and professional support of this program, I wouldn't have the freedom to advance both my science and my leadership in radio astronomy," she says.
Dr. Genevieve Schroeder and Dr. Nicholas Kern are the newest Canadian SKA Scientists. They join Dr. Alice Curtin and Dr. Fengqiu (Adam) Dong to form a growing national network of SKA experts.
Dr. Genevieve Schroeder
Dr. Genevieve Schroeder
"The SKA will transform radio astronomy, and as a Canadian SKA scientist, I'm committed to inspiring Canadian astronomers to push the boundaries of their research. With the SKA, Canada will stay at the forefront of groundbreaking discoveries, and I'm especially excited for the transient science that the SKA will soon make possible."
Most recently a postdoctoral associate at Cornell University, Genevieve completed her PhD at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on the radio waves created by short-lived, high energy cosmic events known as energetic transients—brief flashes that reveal some of the Universe's most extreme physics.
Genevieve will conduct her research at the University of Toronto's Dunlap Institute working with Dr. Maria Drout.
Dr. Nicholas Kern
Dr. Nicholas Kern
"It is an incredibly exciting time for radio astronomy, and I am eager to see the transformative science that will be delivered in the coming years touching on open questions spanning the birth of the first stars to the structure of the universe on its largest scales."
Most recently a NASA Hubble Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nicholas completed his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley. A data-focused cosmologist, he develops advanced algorithms to detect faint radio signals from the early universe. These signals can help reveal how the first stars, galaxies and black holes in the universe formed.
Nicholas will conduct his research at the University of Waterloo, mentored by Dr. Kendrick Smith.
The Canadian SKA Scientist Program will issue its third call for applications in August 2026.