Office of the Vice-President (Research and International)

The Vice-President (Research and International) supports the university’s current areas of established and emerging research strength by ensuring that faculty, students, post-doctoral fellows and research technicians have access to specialized programs, training, funding and services.

Vice-President (Research and International)

  • Dr. Digvir S. Jayas

    Distinguished Professor Dr. Digvir S. Jayas was educated at the G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar, India; the University of Manitoba; and the University of Saskatchewan. Since 2011, he has served as Vice-President (Research and International) at the University of Manitoba. Before assuming the position of Vice-President (Research and International), he was Vice-President (Research) for two years, and Associate Vice-President (Research) for eight years. Prior to this, he was Associate Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Head of the Department of Biosystems Engineering, and Interim Director of the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals.  He has also served as Interim President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC). He is a Registered Professional Engineer and a Registered Professional Agrologist.

  • Distinguished Professor Dr. Digvir S. Jayas.

Dr. Jayas is a former Tier I (Senior) Canada Research Chair in Stored-Grain Ecosystems. He conducts research related to the drying, handling and storing of grains and oilseeds and the digital image processing for grading and processing operations in the Agri-Food industry. He has collaborated with researchers in several countries and has had significant impact on the development of efficient grain storage, handling and drying systems in Canada, China, India, Ukraine and the United States. He has authored or co-authored over 900 technical articles in scientific journals, conference proceedings and books about the storing, drying, handling and quality monitoring of grains.

Awards and recognition

Dr. Jayas has received awards in recognition of his research and professional contributions from the Agriculture Institute of Canada, the Applied Zoologists Research Association (India), the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Canadian Society for Bioengineering, Engineers Canada (formerly the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers), Engineers and Geoscientists Manitoba (formerly the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba), the Engineering Institute of Canada, the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers, the Manitoba Institute of Agrologists, the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (India), the National Academy of Sciences (India), and Sigma Xi. He was the recipient of the 2017 Sukup Global Food Security Award from ASABE, and the 2008 Brockhouse Canada Prize from NSERC.  In 2009, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and in 2018, he was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Boards and committees

Dr. Jayas serves on the boards or committees of many organizations including: ArcticNet, the Cancer Care Manitoba Projects Grants and Awards Committee, the Churchill Marine Observatory (CMO), the Composite Innovation Centre, the Centre for Innovative Sensing of Structures (SIMTReC), Genome Prairie, GlycoNet, the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, the National Coordinating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID), the North Forge Technology Exchange, NSERC Council, Oceans Research in Canada Alliance Council, Research Manitoba, the Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, the RITHIM Steering Committee, and TRIUMF.  He has served as the President of the Agriculture Institute of Canada, the Canadian Institute of Food Science and Technology, the Canadian Society for Bioengineering, Engineers Canada, Engineers and Geoscientists Manitoba, and the Manitoba Institute of Agrologists. He currently chairs NSERC Council and the board of directors of TRIUMF and RESOLVE, a prairie research network on family violence. He also chairs the Smartpark Advisory Committee.

Digvir Jayas CV (PDF)

Organizational chart (PDF)

Priorities

Contact us

Office of the Vice-President (Research and International)
202 Administration Bldg.
66 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

research.communications@umanitoba.ca
204-474-6915
204-261-1318