The Research & Innovation Council advises Senate on strategic research matters, plans, reports, policies, and emerging priorities. It reviews proposals for new or closing centres and instituties, recommends actions to Senate, and approves renewals on Senate's behalf. Controversial issues may be referred to Senate.
The Secretary to the Senate Research and Innovation Council is Tony Kongly.
Membership 2026-2027
Ex-Officio
| Name | Membership / Title |
|---|---|
| Ex-Officio | |
| Charmaine Dean [Chair] | Vice-President, Research |
| Anita Layton | Dean of Mathematics (designate) |
| Rob de Loë | Dean of Environment (designate) |
| Thomas Duever | Vice-President, Interim Academic & Provost |
| Ana Ferrer | Dean of Arts (designate) |
| Bill Rosehart | President and Vice-Chancellor |
| Beth Namachchivaya | University Librarian, or designate |
| Todd Holyoak | Dean of Science (designate) |
| Mathieu Doucet | Associate Vice-President, Research Oversight & Analysis |
| Jack Callaghan | Dean of Health (designate) |
| Kirsten Muller | Associate Vice-President, Research Grants and Infrastructure |
| Justin Wan | Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs |
| Hassan Baaj | Associate Vice-President, Partnerships, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization |
| To be confirmed | Dean of Engineering (designate) |
Appointed - Associate Dean
| Name | Membership/Title |
|---|---|
| Michael Beazley | Associate Dean Graduate Studies |
Appointed - Research
| Name | Membership / Title |
|---|---|
| Linda Nazar | Head of Research Centre/Institute |
| Suzanne Kearns | Head of Research Centre/Institute |
Appointed - Regular Faculty
| Name | Membership / Title |
|---|---|
| Trevor Charles | Regular Faculty |
| Richard Cook | Regular Faculty |
| Sara Hart | Regular Faculty |
| Ellen MacEachen | Regular Faculty |
Appointed - Faculty Senators
| Name | Membership / Title |
|---|---|
| Steven Bednarski | Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo (AFIW) |
| Raouf Boutaba | Faculty of Mathematics |
| Michael Barnett-Cowan | Faculty of Health |
| Sushanta Mitra | Faculty of Engineering |
| Neil Randall | Faculty of Arts |
| Jeffrey Wilson | Faculty of Environment |
| Stan Woo | Faculty of Science |
Appointed - Students
| Name | Membership/Title |
|---|---|
| Yasmeen Almomani | Graduate Student |
| Kenzy Soror | Undergraduate Student |
| Geetam Saha | Graduate Student |
Appointed - Postdoctoral Scholar
| Name | Membership / Title |
|---|---|
| Ahmed Aminzadeh | Postdoctoral Scholar |
Terms of Reference
1. Membership
The membership of this council shall consist of the following:
Ex-officio
- President and Vice-Chancellor
- Vice-President, Academic and Provost
- Vice-President, Research and International, who shall chair the council
- Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs
- Associate Vice-President, Research and International
- Associate Vice-President, Research Oversight and Analysis
- Associate Vice-President, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship
- University Librarian or designate
- The Dean of each Faculty or designate, who shall normally be an associate dean responsible for research
Appointed by Senate
- One (1) associate dean responsible for graduate studies
- Two (2) heads of a research centre/institute that is governed under Policy 44
- Up to four (4) additional members holding regular faculty appointments
- Six (6) faculty Senators, one from each Faculty
- One (1) faculty member from the Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo
- Three (3) students, two graduates and one undergraduate, who may or may not be student members of Senate
- One (1) postdoctoral scholar
For members appointed by Senate, the aim is to have broad and inclusive representation from all Faculties.
Resources
- Director(s) from the Office of the Vice-President Research and International, as appointed by the Vice-President
- University Secretary or designate
2. Responsibilities
The Council shall have the following responsibilities:
Provide advice and guidance to Senate on strategic matters relating to research at the University, including strategic research plans, annual report of the Vice-President Research and International, advancing institutional priorities related to research, and identifying emergent needs and areas for consideration related to university research.
Review and make recommendations to Senate as appropriate, on institutional policy related to university research.
Consider, study and review all proposals for new centres and institutes, and the closure of centres and institutes, and make recommendations to Senate thereon.
On behalf of Senate, consider and approve renewals for centres and institutes, and report such renewals to Senate for information. Any matter of controversy that might arise may be referred to Senate.
The Committee shall review its terms of reference on an annual basis and make recommendations to Senate thereon. A comprehensive review shall be undertaken every five years.
3. Meetings
The council shall normally hold four (4) regular meetings each year, to be scheduled in the period from September to June.
Special meetings may be called by the chair of the council.
Joint meetings of this council and the Senate Graduate Council shall normally be held at least once annually to consider strategic matters of shared interest.