This year’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) awards received by the University of Guelph [1] include research being conducted by economics professor and University of Guelph research chair in econometrics, Thanasis Stengos.

Stengos, who received a Discovery Grant, will use his funding to test the likelihood that the GDP output of different countries will converge. To do this, he will examine historical GDP output levels using a Markov-Switching model, which will help identify trends in the data over time and indicate if and/or when the GDPs will become equal. This model will also account for significant changes in GDP called “structural breaks” that can be caused by events such as regime changes and economic crises.

Stengos is among the 58 University of Guelph researchers receiving NSERC grants this year totalling $11.5 million. The awards were announced in Oshawa, Ont., earlier this week by Ed Holder, federal minister of state (science and technology). Across Canada, the government will provide $443 million to support 3,800 engineers, scientists and students.