Tuesday, August 29, 2023

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• Building Inclusive Research Capacity (BIRC) program for faculty
• Department-branded orange t-shirts now available
• Engineering Professor awarded prestigious award for women in STEM

Building Inclusive Research Capacity (BIRC) program for faculty

A message from the Office of Research.

This Fall, the Inclusive Research Team in the OVPRI is launching a “Building Inclusive Research Capacity (BIRC) Program,” to create opportunities for faculty and researchers to build knowledge and capacity on ways to embed equitable and inclusive practices in their research programs. The BIRC Program will include monthly webinars, interactive workshops, and highlights from the Inclusive Research Resource Hub. The hub is a repository of curated resources to support continued learning on best practices in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion in research and in Indigenous research. 

BIRC webinars will be grouped into two focus areas:  

1. Inclusive Research Practice (IRP) – focused on building inclusive teams and training programs
2. Inclusive Research Design (IRD) – focused on inclusive research design and knowledge mobilization. 

The webinars will be held virtually via Zoom, though they will be recorded and added to the Inclusive Research Resource Hub.  We hope you can attend, and we welcome suggestions for future sessions at research.equity@uwaterloo.ca. Please find registration links for these upcoming events below.

September

Overview and Introduction: Inclusive Research Resources (Introductory session) 

Dr. Sharlee Cranston-Reimer, Research Equity Advisor; Utamika Cummings, MSW, RSW, Research Equity Advisor; and Benny Skinner, MA, Indigenous Research Advisor 

• September 28, 3:00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. 

The Inclusive Research Team is dedicated to supporting faculty to build equitable and inclusive research practices for rigorous research. This presentation is focused on an introduction to the resources and supports provided by the Inclusive Research Team within the Offices of the Vice-President Research and International, including how to navigate the Inclusive Research Resource Hub, how we support embedding EDI in grant applications, and advising on wise practices in Indigenous research. 

Please register hereto receive the Zoom link to participate.

October

First Nations Principles of OCAP® Virtual Webinar (IRD)

• October 24, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 

As part of our work to understand and implement practices supporting Indigenous Data Sovereignty, the Inclusive Research team alongside the Research Data Management Institutional Strategy Working Group will be hosting a webinar on the OCAP® principles, facilitated by Leslie MacGregor from the First Nations Information Governance Centre. The First Nations principles of OCAP® establish how First Nations’ data and information will be collected, protected, used, or shared. Standing for ownership, control, access, and possession, OCAP® is a tool to support strong information governance on the path to First Nations data sovereignty. Given the diversity within and across Nations, the principles will be expressed and asserted in line with a Nation’s respective world view, traditional knowledge, and protocols. For more information, please visit: https://fnigc.ca/ocap-training/. 

Please register hereto receive the Zoom link to participate. 

November 

The Foundation: Building Inclusive Teams (IRP) Virtual Presentation 

Dr. Sharlee Cranston-Reimer, Research Equity Advisor 

• November 23, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 

Research shows that building inclusive research teams promotes research excellence. This presentation will take researchers through the necessary steps to identify systemic barriers to EDI on their teams, make a plan to address these barriers, and to review the outcomes of the actions they have taken and plan for the future. 

Please register hereto receive the Zoom link to participate. 

December 

What is GBA+ Anyway? (IRD) Virtual Presentation 

Adrianna Tassone, MA, Inclusive Research Coordinator 

• December 11, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) is an important tool for embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in every stage of research, from design to sharing results and other outputs. But what is it, and how is it done? This presentation will cover the basics of GBA+, including examples that highlight its usefulness, steps researchers can take, and questions they can ask themselves to start the GBA+ analysis of their research. 

Please register hereto receive the Zoom link to participate. 

Department-branded orange t-shirts now available

A message from the W Store.

In preparation for this year’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, W Store is pleased to provide departmental and custom branding on Orange Shirts that feature the unique design from Alanah Astehtsi Otsistohkwa (Morningstar) Jewell of Morningstar Designs, from the exclusive collection developed in partnership with the Office of Indigenous Relations.

For an additional $2 per shirt, custom-branded orange t-shirts will be available to order until September 8. Custom branding is available in one colour on one sleeve. Please email wstore@uwaterloo.ca to place your orders. A minimum order of 12 shirts is required for customization.

A significant portion of the proceeds from the sale of these Orange Shirts will be directed to support the Indigenous Student Success Fund on campus, established to provide financial assistance to those Indigenous students who are most at risk of abandoning their education due to financial hardship.

Non-customized orange t-shirts are available for purchase in W Store and online at wstore.ca at any time, while quantities last.

Engineering Professor awarded prestigious award for women in STEM

A message from the Faculty of Engineering.

An electrical and computer engineering (ECE) professor has won an international prize for women that recognizes excellence in science, technology, engineering, math, manufacturing and design.

Dr. Mahla Poudineh, who serves as director for ECE’s IDEATION lab, is one of six recipients of the Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM2D Scholars Award for Science. All six diverse, international female recipients were selected out of a competitive global applicant pool that garnered 650 entries from 40 countries.

Poudineh’s research interests include developing biosensing approaches for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, continuous health meriting and translating biomedical devices to the clinic and market. Her research has been selected as Science Translational Medicine Editor’s choice article and highlighted in the Nature News & Views. She has also been selected as an inaugural contributor to the Advanced Materials “Rising Stars” series and to the Nanoscale emerging investigators themed collection.

As an award winner, Poudineh receives $150,000 in research funding and three years of mentorship from Johnson & Johnson.