  The origin of many elements of the periodic table remains an unsolved
problem. While many nucleosynthetic channels are broadly understood,
significant uncertainties remain regarding certain groups of elements such as
the intermediate and rapid neutron-capture processes, the p-process, or the
origin of odd-Z elements in the most metal-poor stars. Canada has a long
tradition of leadership in nuclear astrophysics, dating back to the work of
Alastair Cameron in the 1950s. Recent faculty hires have further boosted
activity in the field, including transient observation and theory, survey
science on galactic nucleosynthesis, and nuclear experiments. This white paper
contains a brief overview of recent activity in the community, highlighting
strengths in each sub-field, and provides recommendations to improve
interdisciplinary collaboration. Sustaining Canadian leadership in the next
decade will require, on the observational side, access to transient and
non-transient surveys like LSST, SKA, or MSE, support for target-of-opportunity
observing in current and future Canadian telescopes, and participation in
next-generation X-ray telescopes such as ATHENA. State-of-the-art theoretical
predictions will require an ambitious succession plan for the Niagara
supercomputer to support large parallel jobs. We propose a funding instrument
for postdoctoral training that reflects the interdisciplinary nature of nuclear
astrophysics research, and the creation of a national collaborative funding
program that allows for joint projects and workshop organization.
