Led by Dr. Feiyue Wang, UCTEL was funded primarily by Canada Foundation for Innovation (2001, 2006, 2017), with contributions from the Canada Research Chairs program and the Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC) program. It has been involved in numerous major research networks and projects including the ArcticNet Network of Centers of Excellence, GEOTRACES, the Circumpolar Flaw Lead System Study (CFL), the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP), the Collaborative Mercury Research Network (COMERN), the Metals in the Environment Research Network (MITE-RN), and the Metals in the Human Environment Research Network (MITHE-RN).
Major research activities include biogeochemistry of mercury and other trace elements, Arctic marine cryospheric chemistry; and the interplay between chemical contamination and climate change.
