Associate Faculty member Niayesh Afshordi has been awarded a Discovery Accelerator Supplement (DAS) from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), for his research program on “Astrophysical windows into fundamental physics.” Only eight Accelerator awards were given across Canada in Physics in 2010.
Dr. Afshordi’s research focuses on finding and using clues in astrophysical observations that could help us address outstanding problems in both theoretical physics and in cosmology. He has recently proposed a novel theory of gravity that can surprisingly relate the formation of astrophysical black holes to today’s acceleration of cosmic expansion. This research has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of gravity at a fundamental level.
Discovery Accelerator Supplements are awarded to a small number of outstanding scientists who show strong potential to become international leaders in their fields in order to accelerate their progress and maximize the impact of outstanding research programs. Dr. Afshordi's Discovery Accelerator Supplement is worth $120,000. The Supplements are given in conjunction with NSERC’s Discovery Grants program, which provides core funding for scientific research in Canada.
Dr. Afshordi was recently the subject of a profile in The Waterloo Region Record.
