Mario Pinto

Mario Pinto has resigned as president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), more than a year before the typical five-year term expires. In a special announcement released Sept. 10 by NSERC, Pinto said he’s resigning, effective September 21, 2018, with “mixed feelings” to pursue other possibilities in academia. Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, tweeted the same day that she has accepted Pinto’s resignation. Duncan thanked Pinto for his commitment to NSERC over the past four years and wished him continued success in his future endeavours. Pinto, a chemical biologist, joined NSERC as president in November 2014. He is credited with augmenting the agency’s dual expertise as an investor in discovery-based research and brokering successful R&D partnerships with technology-driven enterprises to de-risk promising research, according to NSERC’s website. A seasoned innovator, he established VentureLabs®, Venture Connection®, and Zone Start-Ups India, an international joint venture.