Latest news with #UniversityofQuebec
CBC
2 days ago
- Science
- CBC
Research funding not keeping up with demand in Nunavut
Social Sharing Joël Bêty has been studying various bird species on Bylot Island, north of Pond Inlet, Nunavut, for more than 25 years — but this year is looking different from most. Usually, he and his team set up five camps stretched across about 500 square kilometres on Bylot Island. But increased logistical costs associated with the project will limit Bêty's work to two camps this season. His is one of several research projects in the territory to be affected by rising costs while funding remains stagnant. Bêty, a professor in the department of biology, chemistry and geography at the University of Quebec's Rimouski campus, relies on helicopters to access the remote sites, but he said higher fares have forced him to cut his travel in half. "I'll be covering a much smaller area for sampling, so that'll give me data that's not quite as good ... and it'll also cut into the longer-term tracking we're trying to do over a large area," he said. "When we're trying to understand the impacts of climate change … it's really important to do that long-term tracking." Vital logistical support Dominique Berteaux is another professor in the same department who also carries out research on Bylot Island. His work focuses on various predator species, including lemmings. Like Bêty and Berteaux, many researchers who carry out their work in Nunavut rely on Natural Resources Canada's Polar Continental Shelf Program for support. Its Arctic logistics hub, set up in Resolute Bay, helps pair researchers with specialized equipment, helicopters and twin-engine aircraft. Berteaux said the program's funding to cover the costs of helicopter flying hours is about $50,000 less than it was in 2024. While he was able to cover the gap through other funding sources, he said he's concerned that those kinds of budget restraints will affect Arctic research overall. "There's lots of research in the North that can't happen without the support from the Polar Continental Shelf Program," he said. Both researchers agree that the program's funding hasn't kept up with inflation in recent years. In an email, Maria Ladouceur, a communications adviser with Natural Resources Canada, said the federal government allocated $49 million over five years to the program in its 2024 budget, and then "$10 million of ongoing funding after 2029-2030." "Despite consistent funding, demand for the services of [the Polar Continental Shelf Program] often exceeds available resources, particularly considering the reality that operating in the North is more costly than elsewhere," reads Ladouceur's email. "The [program] remains committed to delivering safe, effective and equitable services, while also addressing essentially operational requirements to ensure the long-term sustainability of its services." More projects, less funding A 2023 report by Canada's chief science adviser, Mona Nemer, says "northern research alone could increase eightfold by 2040, requiring significant growth in logistical capacity." Bêty is concerned that will result in less funds allocated to each project. "If you increase the competition between researchers, obviously there's going to be a smaller amount for each one," Bêty said. Philippe Archambault, science director for ArcticNet, said his organization already can't fund as many projects as it used to. Of the 72 proposals it received this year, only 22 received funding, about 31 per cent. According to Archambault, 10 years ago that number would have been closer to 43 per cent. In an effort to try and spread the funding to more projects, the organization is also more stringent on what it'll put money behind, he explained. The trend, he said, is due to stagnant funding over the past few years that doesn't take into account increased costs of carrying out the research. "The fuel, any airfare — so when you take the plane, it's more expensive," he said. "When you go and stay in a community … all these prices have increased. So all the equipment, everything increased." In 2019, ArcticNet received $32.5 million over five years from the federal government through its Networks of Centres of Excellence initiative. The organization will receive that same amount — this time from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada — over 2024-29. Negative effects on relations with Inuit communities Stagnant funding is also affecting how researchers engage Inuit communities, said Archambault. "Some projects decrease the number of days in the Arctic. They also sometimes decide not to do any type of consultation, or not as long as usual," he said. "So they go to the North, do the consultation and try to do the field work right away, which is not the right way of doing it with our Indigenous partners. "The lack of funding will definitely bring us back to some extent," he added.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Research funding not keeping up with demand in Nunavut
Joël Bêty has been studying various bird species on Bylot Island, north of Pond Inlet, Nunavut, for more than 25 years — but this year is looking different from most. Usually, he and his team set up five camps stretched across about 500 square kilometres on Bylot Island. But increased logistical costs associated with the project will limit Bêty's work to two camps this season. His is one of several research projects in the territory to be affected by rising costs while funding remains stagnant. Bêty, a professor in the department of biology, chemistry and geography at the University of Quebec's Rimouski campus, relies on helicopters to access the remote sites, but he said higher fares have forced him to cut his travel in half. "I'll be covering a much smaller area for sampling, so that'll give me data that's not quite as good ... and it'll also cut into the longer term tracking we're trying to do over a large area," he said. "When we're trying to understand the impacts of climate change … it's really important to do that long-term tracking." Vital logistical support Dominique Berteaux is another professor in the same department who also carries out research on Bylot Island. His work focuses on various predator species, including lemmings. Like Bêty and Berteaux, many researchers who carry out their work in Nunavut rely on Natural Resources Canada's Polar Continental Shelf Program for support. Its Arctic logistics hub, set up in Resolute Bay, helps pair researchers with specialized equipment, helicopters and twin-engine aircraft. Berteaux said the program's funding to cover the costs of helicopter flying hours is about $50,000 less than it was in 2024. While he was able to cover the gap through other funding sources, he said he's concerned that those kinds of budget restraints will affect Arctic research overall. "There's lots of research in the North that can't happen without the support from the Polar Continental Shelf Program," he said. Both researchers agree that the program's funding hasn't kept up with inflation in recent years. In an email, Maria Ladouceur, a communications adviser with Natural Resources Canada, said the federal government allocated $49 million over five years to the program in its 2024 budget, and then "$10 million of ongoing funding after 2029-2030." "Despite consistent funding, demand for the services of [the Polar Continental Shelf Program] often exceeds available resources, particularly considering the reality that operating in the North is more costly than elsewhere," reads Ladouceur's email. "The [program] remains committed to delivering safe, effective and equitable services, while also addressing essentially operational requirements to ensure the long-term sustainability of its services." More projects, less funding A 2023 report by Canada's chief science adviser, Mona Nemer, says "northern research alone could increase eightfold by 2040, requiring significant growth in logistical capacity." Bêty is concerned that will result in less funds allocated to each project. "If you increase the competition between researchers, obviously there's going to be a smaller amount for each one," Bêty said. Philippe Archambault, science director for ArcticNet, said his organization already can't fund as many projects as it used to. Of the 72 proposals it received this year, only 22 received funding, about 31 per cent. According to Archambault, 10 years ago that number would have been closer to 43 per cent. In an effort to try and spread the funding to more projects, the organization is also more stringent on what it'll put money behind, he explained. The trend, he said, is due to stagnant funding over the past few years that doesn't take into account increased costs of carrying out the research. "The fuel, any airfare — so when you take the plane, it's more expensive," he said. "When you go and stay in a community … all these prices have increased. So all the equipment, everything increased." In 2019, ArcticNet received $32.5 million over five years from the federal government through its Networks of Centres of Excellence initiative. The organization will receive that same amount — this time from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada — over 2024-29. Negative effects on relations with Inuit communities Stagnant funding is also affecting how researchers engage Inuit communities, said Archambault. "Some projects decrease the number of days in the Arctic. They also sometimes decide not to do any type of consultation, or not as long as usual," he said. "So they go to the North, do the consultation and try to do the field work right away, which is not the right way of doing it with our Indigenous partners. "The lack of funding will definitely bring us back to some extent," he added. Archambault said funding needs to keep up with costs to ensure researchers can keep building relationships with communities and that they are involved in developing projects.
New York Post
12-05-2025
- General
- New York Post
These poly-parents say the lifestyle has made them better moms and days
For Nichole Gonzalez, giving birth to her now one-year-old daughter in late 2023 was a family affair. As she pushed, her husband, Frank, held her left leg — while their girlfriend, Sasha, held the right. 'It was important to have both of my partners in the delivery room,' Gonzalez, 29, a stay-at-home mama of two from northern New Jersey, told The Post. Advertisement As a polyamorous parent to both her little girl and a nine-year-old son, she's in the growing number of mothers and fathers exploring consensual non-monogamy (CNM). It's an unrestrictive relationship style that allows couples to pursue sexual and romantic connections beyond the confines of a two-person partnership. The avant-garde arrangement is an everyday setup for roughly one in five adults in both the U.S. and Canada, per a 2024 report from the University of Quebec, which noted, 'Among those who practice CNM, many have children.' Advertisement 12 The threesome tells The Post that their friends, family members and neighbors treat them with respect and kindness, despite their nonconformist family structure. Stefano Giovannini Investigators interviewed 18 children of polyamorous parents to find that 'these children generally appreciated their parents' partners.' 'These adults were seen by our participants as someone who contributed positively to their lives,' wrote study authors, adding that the kids enjoyed fun, fuller lives with mom and/or dad's supplemental sweetie. However, recent data via Cornell University, notes, '…Polyamorous families can exert positive and negative impacts on their children.' Advertisement 12 Gonzalez told The Post she and her partners are poly-parenting for keeps. Courtesy Nichole Gonzalez The findings indicate that pups raised in polyamorous families are susceptible to a number of disadvantages, including 'the potential loss of [an] adult partner relationships once a romantic relationship terminates and societal stigmatization.' But Gonzalez told The Post she and her partners are poly-parenting for keeps. The holistic healer, said her brood — whose names she chose to omit for privacy — even considers Sasha, 29, a third parent. Advertisement 12 Gonzalez says husband Frank welcomed the idea of adding another partner and parenting into their home, and found Sasha on the 3Fun app. Stefano Giovannini 12 The trio became an official throuple in late 2023. Stefano Giovannini 12 Gonzalez tells The Post she encouraged her son to call Sasha 'mom' after the boy expressed interest in embracing her as his third parent. Stefano Giovannini 'My son said, 'I like her name, but I'd like to call her mom,'' Gonzalez remembered. The tike was seven when she and Frank found Sasha on 3Fun, a dating app for polyamorous people. And in the two years since becoming throuple, Gonzalez's family has been made whole. 'If you're bringing the right person into your family, your kids have more love,' she said, 'that's the best thing a kid could have.' 12 Gonzalez says she's the more nurturing parent, while Frank fulfills the role of 'fun' dad and Sasha serves as the structured homemaker mom. Stefano Giovannini Gigi Engle, a certified sex and relationship psychotherapist, agreed. She told The Post, 'When raising a child inside of a polyamorous unit, you actually have more caretakers for your child.' Advertisement 'You have more hands, more guidance and more love to give the kids,' said Engle, an intimacy expert at 3Fun. 'It can really be a great thing.' 12 Gigi Engle, an intimacy expert at 3Fun, said polyamory has benefits for parents. Penske Media via Getty Images Courtney Boyers, a poly, self-described 'soccer mom' of three from Seattle, however, is happy keeping her boyfriends separate from the kiddos — and her monogamous husband, Nathan. Unless, of course, the family expresses an interest in getting to know her men. Advertisement 12 Courtney Boyers Courtesy Courtney Boyer 'None of them wanted to meet [my ex] except for my oldest and my husband,' said Courtney, 42, a relationship coach. 'It was the first time Nathan met any of my partners, and he actually really liked the guy. He was sad it didn't work out between us.' But Nathan wasn't always keen on his wife of 20 years having other men in her life. 'When Courtney came out as poly, it really made me reexamine what I wanted as a parent, partner and husband,' Nathan said, crediting therapy with helping him embrace her polyamory. Advertisement 12 Courtney and Nathan Boyers Courtesy Courtney Boyer Courtney, a once pious traditionalist, expressed her desire to date other guys during their 17th anniversary dinner. It was a hard pill for Nathan, a military man and doctor, to swallow. 'It wasn't easy, and there was a lot of hurt and pain to deal with, but we decided to stay married and to make each other better,' he said. 'I've become more supportive and loving.' Courtney, who meets most of her partners on Hinge, has become more liberated since coming out to her children in June 2023. Advertisement 12 Courtney and Nathan Boyers Courtesy Courtney Boyer 'I was terrified they'd think of me as a monster or disgusting,' said the mom, admitting she engaged in several casual 'hookups' with men who made her feel 'disposable' during her polyamory infancy — dalliances she 'really f- -king hated.' She's since refocused her sights on more meaningful relationships. And her kids couldn't be happier for her. 'They said, 'We love you. We don't care,'' a tearful Courtney recalled. 'It was the most beautiful thing.' Honesty has transformed Courtney's parenting. 'I take each of my kids out for one-on-one dates each month,' she said. 'If I can make time to go on dates with men I don't know, I can do the same with my kids — we go to a restaurant and talk about everything.' 12 Barrett and his wives tell The Post that they are all happily cohabitating, and considering adding a sixth woman into their blended home. Jam Press/@nextgenbarrett For Los Angeleno Jame Barrett, his five wives and their 11 kids, there wasn't much discussion about moving into a 5500 sq. ft., six-bedroom house as one big poly family. Barrett, 30, simply proposed the idea to his tribe of brides — Reda, 28, Cameron, 29, Gabriela, 30, Diana, 30, and Jessica, 31— in a group text. 'It was a shock when he sent the text,' said Jessica, a mother of two, who's currently expecting. 12 (From left) Reda, Gabriela, Jame Barrett, Diana, Jessica and Cameron enjoying a cowboy-themed family outing. Courtesy Jame Barrett She and Diana, the mother of the polycule's oldest kids, sons ages 13 and 11, are due to give birth on the same week in September. Cameron, Barrett's only legal wife, is also pregnant and due on June 30. 'But now, my children are living under the same roof as their dad,' Jessica continued. 'It's what I've always wanted.' All the women tell The Post they're happily monogamous to the Left Coast real estate pro, who says polyamory's made him a better father. 'I get to be there for my sons and daughters — I'm not missing out,' he said. 'I'm their first example of love.' But he's not pushing polyamory on the pack. 'I joke around with my three older sons and ask, 'How many wives are you gonna have?,' laughed Barrett. 'They're like, 'One!''
New York Times
14-03-2025
- Science
- New York Times
A Mathematical ‘Fever Dream' Hits the Road
Dr. Daubechies plans to bake pi cookies to celebrate Pi Day, which is this Friday, March 14 — 3/14. That day is also the International Day of Mathematics; the theme in 2025 is mathematics, art and creativity. For the occasion, this year Dr. Daubechies is visiting the University of Quebec in Montreal, where she will offer special tours of 'Mathemalchemy,' a traveling multimedia math-meets-art installation that has been her constant passion (some might say obsession) for the last five years. She will also give a public talk on 'Mathematics to the Rescue of Art Curators.' The exhibition — a 360-degree diorama of sorts, 20 feet long, 10 feet wide and nine and a half feet high — was created in collaboration with Dominique Ehrmann, a fiber sculptor from Quebec, and a team of 24 artistic mathematicians and mathematical artists. It debuted in 2022 at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., and has made several stops since.
