New upcoming Tri-Agency funding guidelines to be detailed at STAR conference, webcast

sungjimi — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 14:47:26 +0000

New upcoming Tri-Agency funding guidelines to be detailed at STAR conference, webcast sungjimi Fri, 02/07/2020 - 09:47

Behind the research and innovations by U of T’s research community are the administrators, facilitators and business or financial officers that support this work. For a number of years, the Division of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation (VPRI) has organized and sponsored the STrengthening Administration of Research (STAR) program to provide learning, development and networking opportunities to these staff members.

A highlight of the program is the annual STAR conference, which in 2020 will be held on Feb. 19 at the St. George campus, Feb. 25 at U of T Mississauga and March 11 at U of T Scarborough.

Now in its sixth year, this year’s conference theme will be “Guiding Success” and a key topic will be the updated Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration, which takes effect on April 1, establishing a ‘principles-based’ framework for the administration of Tri-Agency grant funds.

Details of this policy change pertaining not only to research administrators but also faculty members and researchers will be explained in an hour-long webcast on Feb. 19. Those who cannot attend the session in person are encouraged to register to watch the live-stream to better understand the implications of this change on Tri-Agency funded researchers and their teams.

“We are pleased to offer this live webcast to those who may not be able to attend the conference for the whole day,” says Renee Brost, VPRI’s chief administrative officer. “I invite anyone involved in Tri-Agency funded research to tune into the livestream to understand the change and how it will affect tri-agency research expense eligibility starting on April 1.”

Supporting the administrative end of U of T’s research and innovative activities is a key part of VPRI’s mandate, according to Vivek Goel, U of T’s vice-president of research, innovation and strategic initiatives.

“VPRI is committed to supporting research and innovation at every stage,” Goel says. “Staff across all three campuses are key to facilitating groundbreaking discoveries and are an integral part of our research teams.”

New upcoming Tri-Agency funding guidelines to be detailed at STAR conference, webcast

H. Bernie Kraatz, vice-principal, research, U of T Scarborough (left), Vivek Goel, vice-president, research, innovation and strategic initiatives (centre) and Kent Moore, vice-principal, research, U of T Mississauga will deliver the opening remarks at their respective campuses.

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New research support for faculty on the way

sungjimi — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 18:16:15 +0000

New research support for faculty on the way sungjimi Tue, 03/19/2019 - 14:16

When it comes to supporting research and innovation at the ��߲ݴ�ý, all roads will soon lead to CRIS, a new gateway to help faculty access the university’s rich array of resources while boosting the potential impact of their discoveries.

By creating a one-stop resource hub, including a website and physical location at the Gerstein Library, the Centre for Research and Innovation Support (CRIS) will help support successful and competitive research that attracts funding and garners public recognition.

“Supporting the success of researchers is critical to garnering research funding in an increasingly competitive landscape and ensuring this research has the impact it deserves,” said Vivek Goel, vice-president of research and innovation.

“CRIS will serve as a visible hub where faculty can learn about, and easily access, the many existing services, training, research tools and expertise offered across the university.”

Even seasoned faculty members can find it challenging to navigate the current ecosystem spread across multiple university offices and academic divisions, with more than 140 information sessions, online resources and one-on-one services at U of T supporting the work of scholars.

A joint endeavour by the Division of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation (VPRI), U of T Libraries (UTL) and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO), the centre will increase the visibility of research supports to the tri-campus community, while providing a common online registration process. CRIS will be integrated with existing services, creating a lean operational structure.

“A physical location is critical, so that CRIS can serve as a visible hub for in-person and virtual workshops and sessions,” said Chief Librarian Larry Alford.

“U of T Libraries will provide existing space in the Gerstein Library for the centre. This location will include collaborative meeting spaces, and CRIS staff will also work with the research offices at U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough so that in-person programming is available on all campuses.”

The centre will assist with navigating and co-ordinating support for faculty and divisional research offices, serve as a bridge to existing services, and connect the university with national organizations that promote excellence in research and innovation.

CRIS will also create a “researcher’s toolbox” by consolidating research and innovation tools, databases, and catalogues that U of T Libraries, VPRI and the CIO subscribe to, as well as instructions on their use.

Consultations with principals and deans have also indicated the importance of support for mentorship and leadership of research initiatives, including how to build and navigate cross-disciplinary and cross-divisional collaborations.

CRIS will collaborate with central units and academic divisions to identify gaps and develop services and resources for emerging needs, including workshops on equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as impactful research publishing, data management and high-performance computing.

The centre is slated to be up and running within the year.

New research support for faculty on the way

An exterior view of the Gerstein Science Information Centre

Peter Boisseau

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