Words of Welcome
Dear speakers, coordinators, trainers, guests and participants,
We are delighted to welcome you to the AESIS’s 11th annual conference on Societal Impact of Science. After touring various cities in different parts of the world, AESIS has now brought the conference to Halifax/Kjipuktuk and we are very excited for the three days of exciting discussions, networking, and fun!
The conference features experts from within and outside the science ecosystem discussing and connecting science to society. The conference has been designed to delve deeper into certain topics such as ‘Demonstrating and evaluating the societal impact of science’ or ‘Collaboration between science and society for greater impact’ but discussions during this conference will also very much focus on the Canadian scientific landscape by keeping EDIA in the centre of all discussions.
The world is advancing faster than ever. This poses a challenge and makes it all the more important to have meaningful discussions and focus on ways we can apply all the new scientific discoveries and research to make our world a better place to live in. By means of this conference, we hope to get a step closer to learning and finding out ways to connect science and society – to make it easier for those out of academia to be able to make an impact, apply and relate to these new discoveries and impact stories.
There is a lot that still needs to be done. To make an impact, all the various societal stakeholders need to understand each other, relate to one another, and work together. We believe that this conference may bring us all one step closer to each other in making an impact. We are glad to have you all be a part of this.
Kind regards,
Dr. Rohini Bannerjee, PhD (she/her/elle)
Dr. Barb Hamilton-Hinch, PhD (she/her)
"The nexus of impact scholarship practice."
"A remarkably stimulating interdisciplinary conference, two thumbs up!"
"An impact delight."
"A friendly, inspiring and nourishing experience with very interesting experts from all around the world."
The Societal Impact of Science Conference will be held on-location in Halifax, Canada over 3 days and will focus on stimulating societal impact of science by building stronger, long-term structures for knowledge and data exchange, as well as Public-Private collaboration.
The need for science to tackle challenges our world faces is not a new phenomenon, but has increasingly grown on a global scale, with the world facing pandemics, environmental changes and societal struggles. Policymakers, businesses and other societal actors are increasingly aware of the value of scientific data and knowledge to support them in overcoming challenges, but in many cases the interaction between worlds is not structured or stable enough. For the 11th time in a row AESIS will be organising their annual conference on Societal Impact of Science, to bring together stakeholders in- and outside of the science eco-system to engage with each other on the most effective approaches for implementing policies, strategies, methods and tools to optimise societal impact of science and evaluate success.
In 2023, the international conference will be hosted in Halifax, Canada. This conference will feature highly regarded and internationally recognised experts who will be discussing the contribution of research to the quality of life and well-being. The conference expects over 250 participants from more than 30 countries, bringing together experts such as R&D evaluators, university managers, research councils, policy makers, funders, and other stakeholders of impact. The goal is sharing, evaluating, and discussing best practices around the world on: policy strategies for societal impact, creating (long-term) alliances between stakeholders; regional, national, and international instruments for evaluating and achieving impact; current issues on i.e. public engagement, evidence-based policy, interdisciplinary approaches, and harmonising definitions and assumptions. We are very excited to be working with our colleagues in Canada and elsewhere in the world to create the most valuable programme and experience for all of you who would like to learn about and contribute to science transforming the world.
Selection of topics that we tackle:
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Dalhousie University - McCain Building
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3H 4R2
Canada
To make it easier for you as our participant in this conference; we have created a document that gives you some suggestions of accommodation in Halifax. If you require any more assistance please do not hesitate to contact Niranut (n.saenjang@aesisnet.com) who is the contact person regarding hotels and accommodation.
Campus Room Reservation
To make a reservation to stay on campus, please visit this website: stay.dal.ca. As a participant of the 'Societal Impact of Science' conference you can book a campus room by using the promo code: AESIS23.
If you require any assistance, please contact the Dalhousie University directly by phone: +1 (888)271-9222 or by email at: stay@dal.ca and one of their associates would be happy to help.
19 - 21 June, 2023
The conference will be held in Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada
This conference is organised by the AESIS Network.
| Description | Price (€) |
|---|---|
| Participation fee (non-members) | €695,00 (CAD 945,00) |
| Participation fee (AESIS members) | €645,00 (CAD 875,00) |
| Students (including PhD) | €395,00 (CAD 535,00) |
| One day fee | €295,00 (CAD 400,00) |
| Participants working and living in Low-Income Economies and Lower-Middle Income Economies | €200,00 (CAD 270,00) |
| Live stream the conference (no roundtable or social programme) | 125 / CAD 183 |
Register before March 1st 2023 for a discount of up to 50 euros off the registration price, and receive free admission to join our social programme activities during the conference. Don't miss out, register now as an early bird to receive the greatest discount and free social programme.
Conference dinner on Monday, 19 June 2023 (Cost is 75 euros / CAD 105 per person)
Conference dinner on Tuesday, 20 June 2023 (Cost is 75 euros / CAD 105 per person)
Social programme activities on Monday, 19 June 2023 (Cost TBD)
Social programme activities on Tuesday, 20 June 2023 (Cost TBD)
Payment of the participation fee should happen before the conference starts. You will receive an invoice together with the confirmation. Payments have to be made in Euros or Canadian Dollars at your discretion and are free of all bank and other charges. Personal or company cheques are not accepted. All amounts are excluding VAT, if applicable.
If you are unable to attend the conference it is permitted to allow someone else to participate in your stead, if the name of the replacement is communicated before the start of the conference to the organisers. Cancellation without cost is possible until May 11th 2023. If you cancel between May 12th 2023 and June 2nd 2023, we will invoice €95 administration costs. Anytime on or after June 3rd 2023, you owe us the full amount.
The event is subject to changes due to coronavirus measures imposed at the time of the celebration, so the participants must adhere to the COVID regulations set if participating in-person, as well as any measures required by the event organisers.
Photographs and/or videos may be taken at the conference. By attending this event, you acknowledge and agree that your likeness maybe included in photos and videos of the event and used by AESIS/partners or press in connection with communications about the conference or other AESIS communications and promotion. If you do not agree to this usage, please send us a written notification at least 3 days before the event.
Subeh Chowdhury - Lead Project Manager
AESIS Network
Raamweg 7
2596 HL Den Haag
+31 (0)70 217 2018
info@aesisnet.com
www.aesisnet.com
Dr. Rohini Bannerjee, whose pronouns are she/her, the daughter of immigrant Settlers from northern India, was born and raised on unceded Mi’kmaki territory, on the Dartmouth side of the great harbour of Kjipuktuk. She completed her BSc and MA at Dalhousie University and graduated from Western University in 2006 with her PhD in French Studies.
Rohini joined Saint Mary’s University in 2007 and in 2022, earned the rank of Full Professor of French, with her research primarily focusing on the literatures and culture of the Francophone Indian Ocean. She is presently Associate Vice-President, Diversity Excellence and is committed to anti-racism serving as member of both the EDIA committee for Universities Canada and of the Education Committee for the Black North Initiative. Rohini is a representative for the Atlantic Provinces for the Senior Women’s Academic Administrators of Canada, is a member of the Canadian Executive Committee for Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute and most recently, is a member the NS Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Her love of teaching earned her two Saint Mary's University Student Association teaching awards and visiting teaching fellowships at the University of Mumbai, Universidad de Oviedo and the Universidad de Salamanca. Rohini’s short stories and poetry, both in French and in English, have been published with Cambridge Scholars, Caitlin Press, Inanna Publications and Canadian Scholars and Women's Press.
Dr. Barb Hamilton-Hinch is the Assistant Vice Provost of Equity and Inclusion and an Associate Professor in the in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University teaching in the Recreation and Leisure Studies Division as well as the Health Promotion Division. Her work examines the impact of structural, systemic, and institutional racism on diverse populations, particularly people of African descent.
Euan Adie is the CEO of overton.io and previously of Altmetric, the alternative metrics company. Originally an academic researcher, his interest and experience is in bibliometrics and altmetrics, especially in relation to research impact and to science communication. His focus at overton.io is on measuring and evidencing the impact of research and researchers on government policy, and on exploring what this evidence tells us about our models of academic policy engagement.
Dr. Alice Aiken is the Vice President – Research & Innovation at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, she was formerly the Dean of the Faculty of Health at Dalhousie. She is a full Professor in the Faculty of Health. Her research focuses on health systems transformation and evidence-informed policy-making with a concentration on military and Veteran health. Dr. Aiken is the Vice Chair of the Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). She holds her ICD.D designation from the Institute for Corporate Directors.
Matias Barberis Rami is a researcher at EFIS Centre, a policy research lab. He has a doctoral degree in Social Sciences and more than 10 years of experience in the fields of sustainability, resilience and innovation policies. He contributed to several European policy and programme evaluations and is currently coordinating the EU-funded project FUTURESILIENCE. With a strong focus on qualitative and social analysis, Matias has contributed to several projects in the field of research infrastructures: he analysed the R&I ecosystem by charting pathways of impacts in specific cases such as CERN, CESSDA, EATRIS and Global Bio-Imaging, as part of RI-PATHS project. He also codeveloped EATRIS impact assessment framework, coordinated a foresight report on technology trends for DESY PETRA IV facility in Germany and is working on a project that analyses policy impacts of European Social Survey (ESS).
Dr. Claire Brown is an experienced researcher with nearly three decades of expertise in the field of quantitative bioimaging. Her primary focus lies in the application of biophysical techniques to investigate the molecular-level regulation of cell adhesion and migration in both healthy and diseased cellular systems.
Dr. Brown's contributions extend beyond cellular research as she has dedicated efforts to optimize live cell imaging techniques and the establishment of international quality control measures and standards for quantitative light microscopy to ensure the acquisition of high-quality, artifact-free bioimage data.
Under her exemplary leadership, the Advanced BioImaging Facility (ABIF) at McGill University has emerged as the preeminent imaging center in Canada. The facility serves as a hub for her initiatives, including the development and implementation of interactive learning courses, training programs and workshops on fundamental and advanced light microscopy. The ABIF serves upwards of 120 reach labs and trains hundreds of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in a one-on-one setting on an annual abasis.
Dr. Brown holds prominent roles within the imaging community, serving as the Canadian representative for Global BioImaging, the Founder of Canada BioImaging, and a Co-Chair of BioImaging North America (BINA). Through these initiatives, she fosters the development and sustainability of a collaborative international community and spearheads initiatives focused on technology training, education and professional development.
Dr. Brown's involvement with Global BioImaging has yielded significant outcomes, including the publication of an international recommendation that outlines the measurement of imaging facilities' impact on research success and a publication about the added value of open access imaging facilities.
Overall, Dr. Brown's extensive research, leadership, and scientific contributions have positioned her as a respected figure in the scientific community, facilitating advancements in bioimaging techniques, knowledge dissemination, and building communities of practice.
David Budtz Pedersen is Professor of Science Communication and Impact Studies at Aalborg University, and Director of the Humanomics Research Centre in Copenhagen. His research covers frameworks, processes, and tools for communicating and evaluating the impact of science and technology. He frequently acts as speaker and adviser to international governments and funding agencies. Prof. Pedersen has about 150 entries on his list of publications ranging from research papers, research monographs, edited volumes, policy reports, op-ed columns and essays. In 2019, he became Chair of the EU COST High Level Expert Group on Science Communication. Prof. David Budtz Pedersen acts as Knowledge Broker on Algorithms, Data and Democracy for a coalition of Danish universities and foundations (2021-2030).
David Campbell, formerly Chief Scientist at Science-Metrix, is Head of Elsevier’s Analytical and Data Services for North America. He uses his quantitative and data mining expertise to develop bibliometric and other S&T indicators, as well as original analysis methods, in the conduct of studies aiming to support evidence-based policymaking in research and innovation. Mr. Campbell has contributed to approximately 150 studies, including program evaluations using mixed methods, for numerous national and international institutions including the European Commission. In performing such studies, he has worked in partnerships with various groups including ICF International, Trinomics, Cambridge Econometrics, PRA Inc., Fraunhofer ISI, and Technopolis. Mr. Campbell has also contributed to the implementation of rigorous protocols to guarantee the highest quality and integrity of quantitative data in his field. One such example is provided by the 'She Figures Handbook' which was produced by Science-Metrix to guide the production and quality testing of the nearly 70 indicators it covers.
Mr. Campbell is a lifetime member of the International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics (ISSI), and he regularly contributes to the research evaluation and bibliometric community through conference presentations and scientific publications.
At Oxentia, Irene leads the impact strategy activities. Her work focuses on three strands:
So far, Irene has been managing projects for clients in the HEI and Government sectors, funded by World Bank, FCDO, the British Council, European Structural Fund, and private foundations. Beyond the UK, these programmes have been delivered in Indonesia, China, South Africa, East-Africa, France, Spain, Paraguay.
Irene is also involved in the activities of the Oxentia Foundation, which aims to support innovators and entrepreneurs from all over the world by redressing the uneven distribution of human, financial and infrastructural assets.
Before joining Oxentia, Irene was an Early Career Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study at the University of Warwick. Prior to that, she worked for a government agency specialising in project development aligned with EU policies, and for an NGO focusing on open data analysis. Irene has lived and worked in Italy, France, Belgium, Australia and the UK. She holds a joint PhD in Philosophy from Monash University and the University of Warwick.
Iha Diwan is a Senior Strategy Manager at the University of Tasmania, responsible for driving institutional impact, strategic planning, and insights. She works across the institution to implement a place-based, impact led approach to strategy development to achieve better outcomes for Tasmania, from Tasmania. This year in The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, her university ranked #1 in SDG13 Climate Action and #5 in the world for overall impact which speaks to her team’s hard earned results. Iha manages a cross-functional team between strategy and analytics to ensure, through comprehensive performance and market analysis, great rigor within the institution’s strategic planning is enabled by data-driven decision-making.
With a decade’s work in consulting and market/social research, Iha has extensive experience working with diverse stakeholders, and connecting people with ideas to bring them to life. Her love for turning insights into action coupled with her curious nature, means she loves to hear new ideas, fresh perspectives and is passionate about empowering individuals to solve complex problems.
Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden (she/her/hers), a Black queer femme and associate professor, is the James R Johnston Endowed Research Chair in Black Canadian Studies, Faculty of Medicine; Interim Director of the newly established Black Studies in STEMM Research Institute at Dalhousie University, and the co-lead of the national organization – The Black Health Education Collaborative. Dr. Dryden engages in interdisciplinary scholarship and research that focuses on Black LGBTQI communities, blood donation systems in Canada, anti-Black racism in health care, medical education, and Black health curricular content development.
Dr. Dryden has published in peer-reviewed journals and book collections and has an edited collection (with Dr. Suzanne Lenon): Disrupting Queer Inclusion: Canadian Homonationalisms and the Politics of Belonging (UBC Press, 2015); and the co-authored Commentary (with Dr. Onye Nnorom), Time to Dismantle Systemic anti-Black Racism in Medicine in Canada” (2021) in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), and the article titled, Who Gets To Do Medicine: Black Canadian Studies and Medical Education in the “Special Forum on Black Studies in Canada” in the academic journal, Topia: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies (2022).
As Director of the international AESIS Organisation (for Advancing and Evaluating Societal Impact of Science) Anika brings together stakeholders in academia, government, industry and civil society to exchange experiences and good practices on demonstrating and optimising the impact of science (including AHSS) on well-being, economy, culture and more. In addition to developing conferences, courses and expert-meetings on several aspects within this spectrum, such as impact assessment, research strategy, science policy and many more, she also frequently performs as speaker on mapping stakeholders in the science impact eco-system, advising on integrating impact in an institutional strategy, and teaching skills for project management and engagement with non-academic players.
Anika received her Research Master’s degree in Political Science and Public Administration from Leiden University, the Netherlands, where she continued working on research projects and teaching programmes for two years. Her project management skills were gained through her work at Médecins du Monde, TEDx and the film production industry. With a Musical Theatre degree from AMDA - New York in her back pocket Anika still manages to write and perform whenever she is not busy trying to help increase the utilisation of scientific knowledge and data for the wellbeing of people and the world they live in.
Katy Elliott is a Senior Account Executive at Interfolio UK, where she works with research funders and institutes to track, understand, and demonstrate the impact of research on society. Her role involves leveraging intelligent technology developed by Interfolio UK to identify and connect various impact and outcome types to specific programs and grants, providing a comprehensive evaluation of research impact.
With a decade of experience in the technology industry, including seven years working within the research community, Katy has gained an in-depth understanding of the common challenges associated with measuring research impact. She is passionate about the opportunities technology offers to help us articulate and illustrate the ways in which research contributes to societal advancement.
Britta Fiander is the Director of Innovation Programs at Genome Atlantic, a not-for-profit organization that guides organizations in leveraging genomics and biotechnology to improve sustainability, productivity, and competitiveness across Atlantic Canada. In this role she is responsible for the management of a $20M translational research portfolio which is centred on collaborative, multidisciplinary projects that strive to build connections between industry, government, and academia.
Britta also played a founding role and continues to serve on the board of the Atlantic Tree Improvement Council, a member funded organization created to reduce barriers to collaboration in tree improvement activities across the region. This model serves to facilitate the sharing of resources (knowledge, infrastructure, data) and fosters problem solving dialogue amongst provincial departments, industry, and university researchers.
Britta is a Professional Engineer, licensed in the Province of Nova Scotia and has worked in a myriad of innovation focused environments throughout her 20-year career. Prior to joining Genome Atlantic, she worked as a research funding specialist with KPMG and Grant Thornton, an operations director with a biotech start-up, and as a research investigator at a steelmaking facility.
Julie Francis is a Mi’kmaw Registered Nurse and Chair of L’nu Health at Cape Breton University’s Unama’ki College. With a passion for Indigenous health and improving outcomes for Indigenous communities, Francis strives to bridge gaps in knowledge, services and programs to benefit community members of all ages. After graduating from St. Francis Xavier University in 2010, Francis served as a community health nurse in Eskasoni, First Nation. In 2011, Francis became involved in projects with the IWK Centre for Paediatric Pain Research, and has been part of the Aboriginal Children’s Hurt and Healing Initiative since its inception in 2013.
Francis is currently a Master of Science, Nursing student at Dalhousie University where she continues to mentor, encourage and support her fellow students. Her thesis research focuses on early childhood development and the experiences of First Nation families accessing programs.
Kate Geddie is Senior Director of Research at CIFAR where she supports the development and evolution of CIFAR's research portfolio and works directly with a number of CIFAR’s interdisciplinary research programs. She also leads CIFAR’s performance monitoring and evaluation activities, and has a particular interest in assessing the interdisciplinary and long-term nature of CIFAR’s work.
Kate holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Toronto, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Lausanne and École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. Prior to joining CIFAR, she directed public policy research and analysis on a wide range of issues related to higher education, research and innovation in Canada and Europe. She has worked for the University of Toronto, the European University Association in Brussels, Universities Canada (AUCC) in Ottawa, and her research has been funded by SSHRC, the European Commission, and the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Gagan Gill leads the AI & Society portfolio at CIFAR, a globally renowned research organization dedicated to driving breakthroughs in science and technology. In this role, Gagan oversees programs and initiatives focused on exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on society, including its ethical, social, and economic implications. Gagan is passionate about ensuring that the development and deployment of AI is done in a responsible, ethical, and equitable way that benefits all members of society. Prior to this role, Gagan was a Knowledge Mobilization Officer at CIFAR where she developed societal impact strategies for CIFAR research programs. Before CIFAR, Gagan held a number of positions in program and policy development and knowledge mobilization. Gagan holds an MSc in Neurophysiology, with a secondary field of study in Neuroscience from the University of Guelph.
Ursula Gobel was appointed vice-president, Stakeholder Engagement and Advancement of Society, at SSHRC in November 2019. In her role, Ursula provides strategic leadership to advance and mobilize social sciences and humanities research. Ursula guides the work of a dynamic team that is responsible for communications, strategic foresight, knowledge mobilization, partnership development and engagement with communities across academic, government, business and community sectors.
Ursula joined SSHRC in 2007 as director of communications. She led the development and implementation of strategic communications for SSHRC, as well as for several international programs, including the Canada Research Chairs and Canada Excellence Research Chairs programs, on behalf of Canada’s three federal research granting agencies. In 2014, Ursula was appointed associate vice-president, Future Challenges, and led strategic initiatives to advance the social sciences and humanities contributions toward meeting future, long-term societal challenges.
Since 2018, her work in engaging with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples has contributed to the co-development and implementation of the Setting New Directions to Support Indigenous Research and Research Training in Canada strategy– the first tri-agency strategy created to strengthen the capacity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities to lead their own research and partner with the broader research community.
Ursula holds executive leadership training from Queen’s University, as well as business and economics diplomas from Algonquin College and John Abbott College.
Dr. Ahsan Habib is a transportation professor in the School of Planning and Department of Civil and Resource Engineering (cross) at Dalhousie University. He is the founder of the Dalhousie Transportation Collaboratory (DalTRAC), a CFI-sponsored multidisciplinary research unit. Currently, Dr. Habib is the Director of the School of Planning at Dalhousie. He received his PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2009. His research interests include travel behavior analysis, travel demand forecasting, urban system microsimulation, and planning for the future of mobility. He believes multi-modal options are the key to ensuring Canadian cities build sustainable transportation networks.
Melissa Helwig (She/Her) is the Associate Dean (AD) of Research and Scholarly Communications for the Dalhousie University Libraries, as well as the Head of the W.K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library, which is one of Dalhousie Libraries' five libraries. In her AD role, she leads a portfolio that supports researchers, faculty, students, and staff through the research lifecycle, including services and systems that enable scholarly communications, open science, data management and research analytics.
As Head of the W. K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library, Melissa provides leadership in the development and provision of knowledgeable and flexible library services and scholarly resources at the local level for the two spaces under the Kellogg banner: the Kellogg Library Learning Commons in the Collaborative Health Education Building and the Kellogg Health Sciences Library in the Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building.
Melissa is a Maritime Health Libraries Association member, the Aligning Health Needs and Evidence for Transformative Change: A JBI Centre of Excellence at Dalhousie University, and the AFMC Network on Libraries. She is a member and the Continuing Education Director for the Canadian Health Libraries Association.
Rachel Herbert is a Senior Research Evaluation Manager at the International Center for the Study of Research (ICSR) at Elsevier. She has worked in scholarly publishing for over 10 years and has an active interest in the evaluation of research. Her work focuses on developing analytical approaches to derive insights about the world of research using bibliometric and scientometric tools, brought about through collaborative research studies conducted by ICSR and partners from within the research and bibliometric community. Her current projects delve into contributions of co-authors to research publications, and expanding our understanding of knowledge transfer through academic and industry collaboration and the role of trade journals. Rachel is also interested in the inclusivity of research, particularly from a gender and geographic perspective. Rachel is chair of the ICSR’s Advisory Board.
Dr. Bev Holmes (President & CEO, Michael Smith Health Research BC) is a health research system leader with experience in practice and academia and a commitment to their integration. She has more than two decades of experience in the funding, production and use of research evidence to improve health.
Working in the field of health and risk communication, Bev championed stakeholder involvement and sees it as key to bringing evidence into practice. She is an advisor to funders interested in embracing their role as change agents to ensure citizens get maximum benefit from research investments.
Bev publishes on and speaks about the importance of research systems, and the need for all stakeholder groups to play their part in the generation and use of knowledge to improve health and health care. In all this work, her intent is to be respectfully – but insistently – provocative.
Rolf Hvidtfeldt is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy of Science, Science Communication, and Research Evaluation at Aalborg University in Copenhagen, where he co-heads the Humanomics Research Group together with Professor David Budtz Pedersen.
Rolf Hvidtfeldt’s research is mainly focused on philosophy, facilitation, and evaluation of interdisciplinary science as well as assessment of the societal impact and value of research. In recent years, he has also worked on issues related to philosophy of computer science, philosophy of psychology and psychopathology, transdisciplinary co-creation, and science advice for policy makers.
In 2018, Rolf Hvidtfeldt published the monograph The Structure of Interdisciplinary Science at Palgrave/MacMillan about which renowned philosophy professor Stephen French wrote: “this book offers perhaps the first clear analysis of interdisciplinarity from the perspective of the philosophy of science and as a result, not only advances this particular debate but also sets out an entirely new direction for the field."
In a course, co-developed and co-taught with David Budtz Pedersen, Rolf Hvidtfeldt teaches interdisciplinary research leadership at Aalborg University. He has given numerous talks across the globe on the topics of impact assessment, interdisciplinary research, collaborative excellence, and interdisciplinary collaboration among practitioners.
Chris James is Senior Product Manager for SciVal, part of the team responsible for the design and development of new features, to help their global customer base meet their research strategy challenges. He was responsible for the launch of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) in SciVal and is currently working with his customers to deliver new data and metrics, to help provide evidence of societal impact.
Chris joined Elsevier in Amsterdam in 2004, where he has also held roles in the company’s sales and product marketing teams.
Dr. Jude Kong is a professor in the Mathematics & Statistics Department at York University and the founding Executive Director of the Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium (ACADIC). Additionally, he is the Executive Director of the Global South Artificial Intelligence for Pandemic and Epidermic Preparedness and Response Network (AI4PEP). He obtained his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Alberta (with a certificate in artificial intelligence), and his MSc. in Engineering mathematics from the University of Hamburg-Germany and the University of L'Aquila-Italy. His B.Sc. in Computer Science and Mathematics was acquired at the University of Buea-Cameroon and his Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree in Mathematics was earned at the University of Yaounde-Cameroon. Before joining York University, he did a postdoc at Princeton University.
Dr. Kong is an expert in artificial intelligence, data science, mathematical modelling, infectious disease modelling and mathematics education. His principal research program focuses on the use of artificial intelligence, data science, mathematical models and system thinking to improve decision-making in the field of Global Health and Clinical Public Health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has been leading an interdisciplinary team of more than 52 researchers from key academic and government institutions in nine African countries that have been using Artificial intelligence to help government and local communities to contain and manage the spread of COVID-19.
In 2020, he won a York Research Leader Award. In 2021 he was spotlighted among Canadian Innovation Research Leaders 2021 for his work with ACADIC. In 2022, he was spotlighted as a Change Maker by "People of YU" for his work in helping others learn mathematical concepts and encouraging them to find their passion and achieve more than they thought was possible. In addition, he was equally spotlighted by York University magazine for enumerating positive change and inspiring Black students to aspire. He was awarded the York University 2022 Faculty of Science Early Career Researcher Award. In 2023, he won a York Research Leader Award for the second time. He is an Area Editor of the Data & Policy Journal where I focus on Data Technologies and Analytics for Policy and Governance.
Dr Sandra Lapointe is Professor of Philosophy at McMaster University. She is a Commonwealth alumna, a Fellow of the Humboldt Foundation and an award winning scholar. She is a past President of the Canadian Philosophical Association and a past member of the Board of Directors of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. Her contribution to philosophy focuses on the history of logic, mind and knowledge. Her current research agenda revolves around bringing a Social Sciences and Humanities perspective on issue connected to knowledge mobilisation, skills development and policy for innovation in the social sectors.
Dr Lapointe is the Director of The/La Collaborative, a pan Canadian partnership funded by SSHRC, Mitacs and the Future Skills Centre. The/La Collaborative’s mission is to foster better collaborative cultures for social science and humanities education, talent and impact.
Dr. Margot Latimer is a settler Canadian with Scottish ancestry. She lives and works on the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq. She is a Professor in the Faculty of Health and is cross appointed in the Department of Medicine at Dalhousie University. Margot is the CIHR Research Chair in Indigenous Health Nursing in Nova Scotia. She holds a scientific appointment at IWK Health and she is affiliated with the IWK Centre for Pediatric Pain Research. Since 2008 she has been working closely with First Nation communities to mobilize Indigenous knowledge to improve health care experiences. Margot co-leads several CIHR funded projects with community researchers, including the “Aboriginal Children’s Hurt and Healing” Initiative, the Chronic Pain Network, and the Wabanaki-Labrador Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research.
Stefan Leslie is the Chief Executive Officer of Research Nova Scotia (RNS), the province's research support organization mandated to invest in research that solves Nova Scotia's greatest challenges. He is interested in rethinking how research is supported.
Research Nova Scotia is dedicated to finding new ways to realize public benefit through the research endeavour. Under Stefan’s leadership, RNS has adopted a missions-based outcomes framework addressing societal, economic, health and environmental challenges. Working closely with government, industry, communities and the research sector, RNS emphasizes partnership and co-creation throughout the research process.
Prior to joining RNS, Stefan was the executive director of the Marine Environmental Observation, Predication and Response Network, a national oceans research network, where he led the development of innovative community-driven funding approaches for marine research projects. He previously held fisheries management positions in the Canadian and New Zealand governments.
Stefan holds a bachelor’s degree in international development and a master’s degree in marine management.
Hamish McAlpine has over a decade of experience in knowledge exchange and commercialisation. He works with our HE, research organisation and government clients, delivering consultancy, strategy development and training on knowledge exchange and commercialisation (KEC) as well as innovation management.
As a Principal Consultant at Oxentia, Hamish leads on maximising effective delivery of projects for HE and Government clients, delivering training for KEC professionals and entrepreneurs, and supporting KEC and innovation strategy and delivery
Before joining Oxentia in 2021, Hamish was the Head of Data & Evidence at Research England, part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI). He was responsible for creating England’s first Knowledge Exchange Framework, as well as managing £250m per annum of KE funding, and being involved in government policy development related to knowledge exchange and commercialisation.
Prior to that Hamish managed large, industrially-engaged research projects at the Universities of Bath and Bristol, with a particular focus on their pathways to impact and commercial opportunities arising from them.
He has particular expertise in:
Hamish holds a PhD in Engineering information management and an MEng (first class Hons) in Manufacturing Engineering, both from the University of Bath. He is a PRINCE2 practitioner and Lean/Six Sigma black belt.
Shawn McGuirk (he/him) is Deputy Director of Research Security in the Office of the Vice-President, Research Partnerships at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). He joined NSERC in 2018, through the Mitacs Canadian Science Policy Fellowship program and the Recruitment of Policy Leaders program of the Public Service Commission of Canada. During his PhD in Biochemistry at the Goodman Cancer Institute of McGill University, he conducted research on the role of metabolism in cancer progression and co-launched a biomedical start-up that won the inaugural Breast Cancer Start-up Challenge of the US Center for Advancing Innovation. As a long-standing director and past president of the student-led non-profit organization Science & Policy Exchange, Shawn is committed to capacity building and to amplifying the voices of the next generation of researchers in science policy. He is also member of the board of directors of Acfas, a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of science in Quebec, in the broader francophone community in Canada, and internationally.
Angela McGuire is Senior Product Manager – Research Evaluation and Associate of Elsevier’s International Center for the Study of Research responsible for driving projects centered around driving insights and methods around societal impact and planning. She works with higher education institutions to facilitate development of tools and methods with a view to achieve better outcomes for the research evaluation community.
Angela has come to Elsevier after 20 years in the higher education sector including her PhD at Flinders University and most recently her role in research evaluation at the University of Tasmania. Angela’s interests lie in developing new ways to measure and demonstrate the societal impact of research and evaluating fair and equitable ways of assessing academic performance.
She loves to see insights turn into action, is always open to hearing new perspectives and is keen to collaborate to find innovative solutions to tackle the problems of our future.
Stéphane Mercure is Director, Performance, Analytics and Evaluation at the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). Stephane first joined the CFI as Senior Evaluation Analyst in April 2010. In that position he participated or lead a wide range of projects aimed at measuring the impact of research infrastructure on the capacity of post-secondary institutions to conduct research and support innovation. Prior to joining the CFI, Stéphane spent 4 years at Science-Metrix where he contributed to program evaluations and assessments of research performance using bibliometric indicators. Stéphane holds a PhD in microbiology from Université de Montréal and a MBA from HEC Montréal. He gained practical knowledge of research processes and outcomes by spending several years as a researcher and business development specialist in the private sector.
Áine Mhic Thaidhg is the Research Impact Officer at University of Galway and leads the development and implementation of the University’s strategy to begin to embed a culture of research impact across the academic schools and research units. This includes providing guidance, training, and support on all aspects of research impact to academic and research staff. Áine also coordinates and supports the development of research impact case studies for the Institutional Review of Research Performance (IRRP) at University of Galway. She is a member of the National Research Impact Working Group, bringing together representatives from across Ireland’s research community to share ideas, perspectives, and existing good practice around research impact. As a member, she supported the development of a research impact toolkit to enable the research community to plan, capture, communicate and monitor research impact. An ENLIGHT Impact Team Member, she supports ENLIGHT RISE WP 8 – Impact Assessment and Frontiers of the Common R&I Agenda, in which University of Galway is co-leading. ENLIGHT is a European University formed by nine comprehensive, research-intensive universities.
Áine has a B.A. Honours Bachelor’s degree from University of Galway and a Master’s in International Relations from Dublin City University. She has over 7 years of experience in higher education research support. Prior to this, she worked as Project Manager for a leading international development consultancy, Galway Development Services International, delivering sustainable solutions for economic, social, and institutional problems in developing and emerging economies.
Chafic Mokbel, is a professor at the University of Balamand and was the Secretary General of the University Research Council for about two decades. Formerly, he headed the speech research group in the Swiss Research Institution IDIAP and was the voice technology expert at the research center of France Telecom. He has been a Tempus and Erasmus+ expert in Lebanon and chaired the Lebanese team of experts. Chafic Mokbel has participated and led many research and academic projects, including two major European projects aiming at supporting the establishment of a higher education quality assurance agency. He has also supervised and co-supervised several PhD projects all in fields related to machine learning and artificial intelligence applied to speech, handwriting, image, and languages.
In the recent years, Chafic Mokbel has engaged in many projects supporting the policy making in research, innovation, and higher education. Within a UNESCO project he supported the definition of the adopted five-year policy plan for the Lebanese Higher Education sector and is currently supporting the sector in its development. As member of the national IRALEB administrative committee working on bridging academia to industry in Lebanon, he has recently conducted a gap analysis and co-authored a study about the academic industrial innovation ecosystem in Lebanon. He has also had the chance to provide to the platform “Expert Voices” his perspective on the recent scientific developments in a note entitled “A two-level transformative decade for higher education”.
Rhonda Moore, Executive Director, Science and Innovation, at the Institute of Governance, has 20 years of experience at the intersection of science and research communications, research and policy analysis, and policy development. Rhonda has worked for a variety of public, private, and not-for-profit organizations, including the Canadian Association of Research Libraries, the University of Ottawa, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (now Universities Canada), and the Public Policy Forum.
At IOG, Rhonda co-designed and co-delivers the Leadership Development Program in Science and Innovation (LDPSI) and co-leads a research program, the Government Science and Innovation in the New Normal. In October 2021, Rhonda became the President of the Board of Directors for the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada. She is also a part-time instructor at Carleton University.
Rhonda has a Bachelor of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University and a Master’s degree in Science, Technology and Innovation Studies from the University of Edinburgh, with distinction. Rhonda received the University of Edinburgh’s David Edge prize for her dissertation.
Renira Narrandes is the Knowledge Translation Program Manager at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Canada’s most research-intensive hospital and the largest centre dedicated to improving children’s health in the country. In her role, Renira co-facilitates knowledge translation (KT) courses and provides hospital-wide KT consultation to internal stakeholders, including clinicians, researchers, and educators.
Prior to joining SickKids, Renira was a KT Specialist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), where she coordinated the KT program at two research centers and developed organization-level KT and evaluation strategies.
Renira holds three master’s degrees in journalism, occupational therapy, and public health.
She is also a storyteller and spoken word artist who has performed in North America, Europe, on TV, in podcasts, and at academic conferences and events. Renira runs storytelling workshops for people and organizations specialized in health, science, and KT. She is excited to bring these workshops to SickKids this year, and happy to share a preview with you at the AESIS conference!
If you’ve come to the end and are wondering what KT is, check out Renira’s spoken word poem.
With over 15 years experience in developing, analyzing and evaluating research systems, Eddy Nason brings provincial, national and international expertise to his role as Director, Strategic Impact and Evaluation at Genome Canada. He has advised numerous government departments on research system development and analysis, as well as providing science foresight exercises for the UK government. He is an acknowledged international expert in Research Impact, having authored numerous influential reports, tools and frameworks to assess impact and train others in research impact assessment. Eddy was part of a three-person expert advisory panel on evaluation, impact analysis and data capabilities for CIHR, and has advised research funders across Canada and internationally on health research strategies and ecosystem management. Prior to working for Genome Canada, Eddy was Assistant Director at the Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit (OSSU) and worked with a number of think-tanks in Canada and the UK. Eddy is part of the Advisory Board for the CIHR Institute Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis, a lead on research impact narratives for the Canadian Health Services and Policy Research Alliance, and an advisor to the Ontario HIV Treatment Network. He has an MPhil from Cambridge University in molecular genomics and a BSc from Edinburgh University in developmental biology.
Wendy Naus became the fourth Executive Director of the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) in 2014 following a decade of advocacy and lobbying for the research and policy interests of U.S.-based scientific societies and universities. Over her career, she has worked to shape federal legislation, programs, and regulations important to the research community and has advocated for increased research funding across U.S. government agencies. In her role at COSSA, Wendy serves as the lead advocate for funding and policy that positively impact social and behavioral science research across the federal government, representing the breadth of the social science research enterprise. She is also responsible for the day-to-day operations of COSSA and engagement of its member organizations. A native of Buffalo, New York, Wendy holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and urban studies from Canisius College, graduating magna cum laude from the All-College Honors Program. Wendy was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2022.
Sean Newell is the Senior Director of Strategic Business Development at Elsevier, where he focuses on the broader subject of research impact, working with funders and institutions globally. Prior to joining Elsevier, he was the CEO of Researchfish, the research tracking platform, which is used by more than 100,000 Principal Investigators worldwide and tracks over 4 million research outputs. With an international career that has taken him to the UK, USA, Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, and Denmark, Sean has managed business operations for a variety of organizations.
He joined Researchfish in 2015 and grew the business from start-up phase through to acquisition by Interfolio in 2019. At Interfolio Sean was part of the executive team that sold the business to Elsevier in 2022. Sean has established strong links with research funders, research organizations, and institutions around the world to help them track and understand the impact of their research. He is also the author of the book “Research Impact: The Interconnectivity of Stuff.”
Ken Paul is a member of the Wolastoqey First Nation in the community of Neqotkuk, whose traditional territory is located on the North Atlantic coast spanning the Canada/US border between Maine, New Brunswick and Quebec.
Over the past decade, Ken has held positions as National Fisheries Director with the Assembly of First Nations and Regional Fisheries Director for Atlantic First Nations In Canada, and has advocated for First Nations regionally.
Previously, Ken worked for 10 years in ocean mapping with the Canadian Hydrographic Service and for 10 years with Parks Canada as a Senior Policy Advisor in Atlantic Canada and Field Unit Superintendent in the Northwest Territories.
Ken has worked regionally, nationally and internationally on all aspects relating to fisheries, aquaculture, oceans governance and aquatic resources as they relate to inherent and treaty rights, negotiations, legislation, and policy. His work includes Indigenous Knowledge Systems, economic prosperity, community engagement and resource management.
Ken has an MBA with St Mary’s University and a BSc from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and is a proud and dedicated father of two.
Dr. Phipps is the administrative lead for all research programs and their impacts on local and global communities at York University (Toronto, Canada). He has received honours and awards from the Canadian Association of Research Administrators, Institute for Knowledge Mobilization, International Network of Research Management Societies and the EU based Knowledge Economy Network. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his work in knowledge mobilization and was named the most influential knowledge mobilizer in Canada. He sits on knowledge mobilization committees around the world and is Network Director for Research Impact Canada.
Dr. B. Mario Pinto joined the University of Manitoba as Vice President (Research & International) in October 2022 after having served as Griffith University’s Deputy Vice Chancellor Research (DVCR) and Director of the Gold Coast Health & Knowledge Precinct in Queensland, Australia (2020-2022). Prior to this he served as President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Chair of the Global Research Council, Co-chair of the Canada-India Joint Science and Technology Committee, and Vice President Research and Chair of Chemistry at Simon Fraser University, Canada.
Dr. Pinto holds a Fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada. He has established partnerships between several academic disciplines, and with many industry and commercial leaders, such as the Bombay Stock Exchange and Indian Oil Corporation. He has also shared best research practices with Sri Lanka’s National Science Foundation. Dr. Pinto has a breadth of experience in research commercialisation, as one of the founding members of the Centre for Drug Research and Development, Zone Start-Ups India, VentureLabs® and Venture Connection.
Receiving his undergraduate degree and doctorate from Queen’s University in Ontario, Dr. Pinto has published more than 250 papers in chemical biology.
Professor Rémi Quirion is the inaugural Chief Scientist of Quebec since July 2011 (reappointed twice by different governments; longest serving Chief Scientist in the world). Elected President of the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA) in 2021 (over 6,000 members from 130 countries). McGill Full Professor in Psychiatry since the 1980s and Scientific Director at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute from 1995-2011. He also served as Vice-Dean, Faculty of Medicine at McGill University, as well as Senior University Advisor (Health Sciences Research) to the Principal. Prof Quirion was the inaugural Scientific Director of the Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA; 2001-2009). As Chief Scientist, he chairs the Board of Directors of the three Fonds de recherche du Québec. In 2020, the Quebec government asked him to chair a major committee on the future of universities with recommendations currently being implemented. Also directly involved in multiple government strategies focusing on science & innovation as well as the sustainable development goals of the UN.
He has served on multiple national & international boards. During in active career as scientist, he trained over 80 scientists from all over the world; served on editorial boards of more than 15 international journals in Psychiatry, Neuroscience & Pharmacology; and published 5 books & over 750 publications cited over 50,000 times.
He received many awards and recognitions including the Order of Canada (OC); l’Ordre National du Québec (CQ); la Médaille de l’Assemblée nationale du Québec; le Prix Wilder Penfield du Québec; Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Pléiade ; Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada; Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences; Membre de l’Académie de Médecine de France; Membre de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques de France; Membre du Conseil International des Sciences; Membre du Temple de la Renommée Médicale du Canada & few honorary doctorates.
Gavin Reddick is the Chief Analyst at Researchfish. His background is quantitative and behaviourally focussed, covering a range of non-parametric models. Current and recent research evaluation projects include investigating the proximity and strength of links between funding and drug therapies, connections between research funding and Research Excellence Framework (REF) case studies, modelling the probability of inclusion in REF case studies, understanding collaborative research networks, and institutional assessments for a number of organisations including, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Gavin serves as co-chair of the Research, Technology and Development section of the American Evaluation Association, and member of the Technical Committee for Interoperability and Standards (TCIS) for EuroCRIS. Recent areas of interest include Open Access, Bibliometrics, Economic Leverage, Interdisciplinary Research and the publication/interoperability of collected data.
Tatiana Rincón is President of Gender, Social Promotion and Livelihoods at Fundación capital. She has over 20 years of experience in social protection, and poverty reduction policies (graduation program) and gender. She holds an MA in International Relations from Carleton University in Canada and a degree in Finance and International Relations from the Universidad Externado in Colombia. She is currently completing a Master's Degree in Gender and Public Policy at FLACSO (Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales).
Prior to joining Fundación Capital, she worked for the Carter Center and as a consultant for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). She was formerly the coordinator for the National Project on Economic Development and Commerce for the Delegation to the European Union and the Ministry of Commerce in Colombia, and also served as Colombia's Director for International Cooperation for the Justice and Interior Ministry. Ms. Rincón has worked as a professor and graduate program director at the Universidad Externado in Colombia.
Dr. Marlies Rise is the Assistant Vice-President, Research Services (AVPRS) at Dalhousie University. Reporting to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Dr. Rise provides overall strategic leadership and direction for the Office of Research Services (ORS) as a whole and is responsible for setting and maintaining service standards to meet the needs of the research community. Dalhousie University is a member of the U15 research-intensive universities in Canada. As the only member of the U15 in Atlantic Canada, Dalhousie is a leader in the region and a respected partner nationally on research programming and innovation. As AVPRS, Dr. Rise is responsible for implementing and/or reviewing processes and policies to ensure the effective delivery of research services to both internal and external communities. This includes ORS operational management, strategic leadership, outreach activities, and the oversight of research application services and award support.
Dr. Rise holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in science from St. Francis Xavier University, and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Victoria.
Having gained experience with Public Private Partnerships at the Dutch Research Council and similar organizations, Michiel Roelse was appointed Operational Director for the PPP Topsector Horticulture more than ten years ago. His strengths are management of complex, multi-stakeholder partnerships, corporate governance, and innovation. Over the last decade, the Topsector research portfolio of approximately € 350 mln. has been instrumental in maintaining the leading position of the Dutch horticultural sector. In addition to maintaining operational excellence, Michiel focusses on valorisation and impact.
Kennan Salinero is lead founder of ReImagine Science, where the mission is to catalyze fundamental change in the way scientists work together to ‘do’ science.
ReImagine Science uses a systems-based approach to change, posing questions of how science and technology might evolve to effectively address current societal challenges in education, health, and the environment.
Through a wide variety of sources - u.lab learning journeys, Third Space® events, work with regional government/education/innovation leadership groups, and a strong network within scientific government foundations, NGOs, academia and social change entrepreneurs – ReImagine Science has gathered many inputs into questions of what currently works and what is needed for a more productive, thriving interaction between the scientific establishment and society, to address the pressing needs of the times.
Dr. Salinero has held research positions at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Labs, and Åbo Akademi in Finland. She is a former faculty of the Chemistry Department at Georgetown University and was a scientific specialist at Celera Genomics during completion of the Human Genome project. At the University of California, Berkeley and the Joint Genome Institute she completed and annotated the genome of the soil microbe Dechloromonas aromatica.
Dr. Malinda Smith is the Vice Provost and Associate Vice President Research (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) and a Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary. She is the coauthor, editor, or coeditor of 7 books, numerous articles, book chapters and reports and has given dozens of keynotes and public lectures in the areas of international and comparative politics, and equity, diversity, human rights, and decolonization in higher education. Dr. Smith is the coauthor of The Equity Myth: Racialization and Indigenity at Canadian Universities (2017). She is the coeditor of Critical Concepts: An Introduction to Politics (OUP 2023); editor of the Nuances of Blackness in the Canadian Academy (UofT Press, 2022); three books on Africa, including Securing Africa: Post-9/11 Discourses on Terrorism (2010), and coeditor of States of Race: Critical Race Feminism for the 21st Century (BTL 2010).
Dr. Smith serves on several national committees, including SSHRC Governing Council and Executive, Statistics Canada’s Immigration and Ethnocultural Statistics Committee, and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s External EDI Advisory Board. Dr. Smith is a 2018 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Fellow and the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including Compelling Calgarians (2021), the Susan S. Northcutt Award from the International Studies Association (2020), 100 Accomplished Black Women Honouree (2020), the ISA-Canada Distinguished Scholar Award (2018-19), the HSBC Community Contributor of the Year Award (2016); and the Equity Award from the Canadian Association of University Teachers (2015)
Cagla Stevenson is a senior analyst in the science and emerging technology team at RAND Europe. Her focus is on research evaluation and policy, and she has experience analysing diverse aspects of research and innovation systems including the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in the UK. She has previously worked on an evaluation to understand perceptions of the REF 2021 exercise amongst researchers and is currently undertaking a study to analyse the impact component of the REF 2021.
Dr. Cameron Stockdale is a leader, researcher, and change-maker recognized for his contributions to the fields of law, innovation, technology, leadership and organizational behavior. Drawing on his background as a former paramedic, Dr. Stockdale brings a unique perspective to his work. With an academic background and a passion for making a positive impact, Dr. Stockdale’s work seeks to be a driving force transforming organization and progress in multiple domains.
Armed with a Master of Laws related to Innovation and Technology (Edinburgh), a Master of Arts in Leadership (Guelph), a Post-Graduate Certificate in Organizational Behavior (Harvard Ext.), and a Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership (Creighton), Dr. Stockdale possesses a unique and diverse skill set that positions him at the forefront of innovation and change.
As the CEO of the Work Wellness Institute, Dr. Stockdale spearheads groundbreaking research endeavors in workplace health and wellness. Through his leadership, he bridges the gap between academia and industry, harnessing cutting-edge research findings to develop free resources that empower employers in fostering healthy and thriving work environments.
Dr. Stockdale's research focus on leadership, change management, and conflict resolution has yielded invaluable insights that resonate with organizations worldwide. He holds an academic appointment as Senior Associate Professor at City University of Seattle and is sought-after speaker because of his thought-provoking guidance to practitioners seeking to navigate complex challenges and actionable strategies for effecting meaningful change.
Vanessa Sung is the interim Executive Director of Evidence for Democracy, a national non-partisan, non-profit organization promoting the transparent use of evidence in government decision-making in Canada. Prior to this role, she served as a policy advisor to the Chief Science Advisor of Canada, where much of her efforts were focused on strengthening connections between the science, policy, and political communities. Vanessa holds a PhD in Biochemistry from McGill University. While she was a graduate student, she was a Co-President of Science & Policy Exchange, a student-led non-profit that empowers the student voice in diverse science policy issues. She was also previously part of the leadership team at Communitas, a community-based restorative justice organization in Montreal. Vanessa is an enthusiastic advocate for increased community and civic engagement from scientists, and is dedicated to creating positive impact at the intersection of science, public policy, and social justice.
Dr. Ole Henning Sørensen is a senior consultant and senior researcher at the National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NFA) in Denmark. His leads NFA’s effort to become a thought leader in societal impact research. He was the main architect in NFA’s strategic project to develop an instrument to measure institution-level societal impact conducted in 2020-22. He was also the responsible developing a method for documenting NFA’s societal impact through high-level decision makers conducted in 2022. He leads an intervention study of knowledge transfer and exchange between research, knowledge brokers and practitioners. His occupational health and safety research expertise includes workplace design, industrial relations, and occupational health and safety. He has conducted empirical studies of several work settings: industry, waste collection, engineering consultancy, call centres, public administration, and pre-schools. He has facilitated workplace development in more than 100 workplaces in the municipal and regional sector on a consultancy basis. This work included transforming research knowledge to practice as an explicit component.
David Sweeney is Professor of Research Policy at the University of Birmingham. From 2017 to 2022 he was the founding Executive Chair of Research England, the largest research funder in the UK and the agency responsible for creating and sustaining the conditions for a healthy and dynamic research and knowledge exchange system in English universities.
After gaining First Class Honours in Statistics at the University of Aberdeen, David worked at two BBSRC research institute as a consultant statistician, and then developing mathematical models of plant growth. His work on the computational aspects of this led into broader applications of IT in education and research and he was Director of Information Services at Royal Holloway, University of London before moving into university leadership as Vice-Principal (Communications, Enterprise and Research) in 2004. In this role he was responsible for research strategy and for developing Royal Holloway’s research-led commercial and consultancy activities.
He joined the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 2008 as Director (Research, Innovation and Skills) and led the development and implementation of the first Research Excellence Framework including the new impact agenda element. At HEFCE was responsible for research policy and funding, knowledge exchange and university/business relations. David has been invited to visit many countries to advise on open access and on research assessment and funding, particularly with respect to research impact. He is a member of the member of the AESIS Advisory Board and has contributed to many AESIS conferences.
David was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Aberdeen in 2012, was Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Newcastle, NSW in 2015 and is a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society.
Dr. Tricco holds a MSc in Epidemiology and a PhD in Population Health. She is a Scientist and Director of the Knowledge Synthesis Team in the Knowledge Translation Program, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital. She is an Associate Professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health & Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. She is also a Co-Director and Adjunct Associate Professor of the Queen’s Collaboration for Health Care Quality JBI (formerly the Joanna Briggs Institute) Centre of Excellence at Queen’s University and Nominated Principal Investigator of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Evidence Alliance.
Her research interests are related to responding to decision-makers (including policy-makers, healthcare providers, and patients) through knowledge synthesis. Her research focuses on advancing the science of knowledge synthesis and she is leading research projects related to rapid reviews, network meta-analysis, and scoping reviews.
Dr. Tricco holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Knowledge Synthesis and has over 300 peer-reviewed publications. She has conducted knowledge synthesis at the international (e.g. World Health Organization), national (e.g. Health Canada), provincial (e.g. Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care), and local (e.g. Toronto Central Local Health Integrated Network) levels.
Kelly Ulcuango is an Ecuadorian kichwa Kayambi researcher and Director of the Agroecology and Food Sovereignty Program at the Amawtay Wasi University. As an agricultural Engineer, she holds a PhD in Agro-environmental Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. She has experience in scientific research and teaching in edaphology, soil conservation and cover crops, and also in development of agro-productive projects and academic management. She currently leads a project on valuing indigenous knowledge and practice funded by IDRC. Her immense love and respect for ancestral knowledge and wisdom motivate her to seek environments that promote the endogenous development of indigenous peoples from academic and productive aspects.
Michael Vandenburg (he/him) is Dean of Libraries at Dalhousie University, where he collaborates with a team of more than 120 staff to provide leadership for the development and implementation of strategic priorities, plans and policies for the university’s five libraries, two learning commons, and their extensive collections and services.
Most recently, Michael was seconded from Queen’s University as Interim Executive Director of the Ontario Council of University Libraries, leading the consortium in providing high quality services equitably across the province. Prior to joining OCUL, Michael served as Interim Vice-Provost & University Librarian at Queen’s University from 2019–2021, leading the library through the first year of the COVID pandemic and serving as a member of the university’s senior leadership team. In his earlier positions at Queen’s Michael had responsibility for the library’s information services, scholarly communications, and discovery platforms.
In these roles, Michael has been involved in a number of initiatives to develop Canadian research infrastructure supporting open access to scholarship, such as the creation of a distributed petabyte scale cloud storage network, and a national research data management platform and services.
Stephanie Warner (she/her) is the Manager of the Knowledge Engagement unit in Research Services at the University of Calgary (Canada), where she provides strategic planning for the portfolio’s initiatives including community-engaged research, knowledge mobilization, and research assessment. One of her team’s key roles is supporting the University’s commitment to the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), including embedding research impact and its assessment into policy and practice.
Stephanie holds a BSc in Biochemistry and a PhD in Experimental Medicine from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver), and certificates in Career Development and Academic Advising (University of Calgary) and Knowledge Mobilization (Guelph). With over 15 years of experience in research, teaching, graduate student advising, and strategic research support, Stephanie seeks creative, meaningful and inclusive ways to support and expand knowledge engagement, research assessment and societal impact across the University of Calgary.
Frank Zwetsloot is the founder and CEO of ScienceWorks, an intermediary which creates connections between science and market parties. In the past twenty years he founded more than ten organisations to structure the exchange of scientific knowledge, including the European leading organisation on knowledge transfer, ASTP and the network of regional innovation systems, Technopolicy. In 2015 he founded the Network for Advancing and Evaluating Societal Impact of Science (AESIS) and in 2021, the STEPPS society on evidence-based policy. He also created co-innovation Programs between regions such as Shanghai Pudong and the Province of South Holland. At ScienceWorks he created a measurement system for ranking the Dutch universities on societal impact (together with Elsevier Magazine). Furthermore, Frank has published a historical novel about the origins of christianity. He has a degree in both history and law from Leiden University. Since a few years, Frank fully works as a consultant on connecting science and society.
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