Category: FIMS

International Policy Ideas Challenge 2022

The sixth edition of the International Policy Ideas Challenge call for proposals has just been launched.

Description: The objective of the program is to draw on the network of talented Canadian graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and early-career civil society researchers to identify concrete, innovative solutions to emerging international policy challenges faced by Canada.
The program offers applicants a chance to test their skills at translating academic expertise into policy language and insights.

Themes:Each proposal should outline a trend, dynamic, or research question affecting Canadian foreign policy in relation to one or more themes provided below that applicants believe needs additional study.

  1. Canada-led or- supported actions with close partners, including the G7 and NATO, and/or through Canada’s engagement with international organizations, including the UN, that aim to do 1 or more of:
    • promoting peace and security
    • responding to arbitrary detention, economic coercion or cyber-threats
    • responding to the international COVID-19 pandemic
  2. Canada-led or -supported international responses that advance support for democracy, rule of law, media freedom, inclusive governance and/or human rights, particularly those made in coordination with the G7 and NATO, which could include responding to foreign interference in democratic processes and/or egregious violations of human rights
  3. Applying lessons learned from COVID-19 response and recovery to informing and strengthening Canada’s international assistance in the areas of pandemic preparedness and recovery; you may focus on priority issues, such as:
    • strengthening health systems
    •  the One Health approach
    • education for refugees and forcibly displaced children and youth
    • prevention of gender violence
    • paid and unpaid care work
    • protections for migrant workers in the care economy
    • decent work and employment in a post-COVID-19 world
    • other social and economic considerations
  4. Ways Canada should further support developing countries in taking climate action through adaptation, mitigation and resilience, with particular emphasis on the needs and rights of women and marginalized vulnerable groups; you may focus on 1 or more priority issues, such as:
    • international climate finance, including blended finance
    • feminist approaches
    • nature-based solutions
    • biodiversity
    • small-island developing states
    • Africa-focused programming
    • Indigenous-led solutions
    • locally led climate solutions
    • climate change and security
  5. How Canada can help to build and safeguard an open and inclusive rules-based global trading system that will help raise the standard of living for all Canadians. You may focus on 1 or more priority issues, such as:
    • Strengthening and securing critical supply chains
    • Advancing Canada’s global leadership on critical minerals
    • Ensuring that Canada’s trading relationships are mutually beneficial economic relationships
    • Ensuring that Canadian businesses operating abroad do not contribute to human rights abuses
    • Combatting protectionism, unfair trade practices and economic coercion around the world
    • Positioning Canada as a top destination for global investment while balancing Canada’s national interests
  6. Ways to advance Canada’s export diversification strategy, to enable Canadian businesses to grow internationally and to create economic opportunities through increased and more diverse trade and investment. You may focus on 1 or more priority issues, such as:
    • Addressing bilateral trade issues with the United States
    • Developing a strategy for economic cooperation across Africa
    • Reinforcing economic cooperation in our hemisphere
    • Building stronger economic linkages as part of a new Indo-Pacific strategy
    • Negotiating a Canada-United Kingdom Trade Agreement
    • Advancing Canada’s inclusive free trade agenda

Eligibility: current graduate students (Master’s or PhD level) and post-doctoral fellows at a recognized Canadian post-secondary educational institution; must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada

Deadline: May 20, 2022

Amount: $3000

More information and how to apply…

Questions: contact Global Affairs Canada at: IPIC-CIPI.POR@international.gc.ca.

COVID-19 Research Update: Return to Full Capacity

Effective March 1, 2022, Western will again increase capacity in research spaces to 100 per cent, provided all personnel continue to follow PPE, vaccination, screening and cleaning requirements.

These changes include face-to-face human studies involving high ventilation rates (e.g., exercise testing or training), which still require the use of rapid tests prior to entering the research space and appropriate filtering of intake and exhaled air. All other previously permitted research models may also continue.

Western Complex Systems Conference 2022

Along with Western Research, the Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) Lab is pleased to host the inaugural Western Complex Systems Conference (WCSC) on March 30, 2022. This one-day conference highlights the application of complexity theory and systems thinking across disciplines. Across vast diversity in fields, methodologies, and domain expertise, the common thread is curiosity about the ways that nonlinear dynamics and systemic thinking invite us to understand and respond to our world.

March-30, 2022, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
via Zoom

Western Library Webinars for Research

Western Libraries is offering 2 workshops this week that may be of interest.

Finding Statistical Data Sources at Western

Date:  Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Time:  1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Location:  Zoom (register here)

This session will explore how research questions can be answered using data resources, such as secondary data collected from sources such as Statistics Canada. Resources supported by Western Libraries will be featured as will other sources.

Research Data Management: Plans, Tools, and Grants

Date: Thursday, February 17, 2022
Time: 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Location: Zoom (register here)

The Canadian Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy, released early in 2021, introduced new requirements for researchers applying for grants from CIHR, SSHRC, and NSERC. The various requirements can be intimidating, but data management doesn’t need to be a headache. This workshop will cover current and anticipated requirements, teach you about the most important elements of a data management plan, and discuss data sharing and archiving. This workshop will also introduce a new Western-customized assistant for writing Data Management Plans that will help you choose the most appropriate, locally supported technologies.

See all upcoming workshops

2022 Canadian Japanese Mennonite Scholarship – Human Rights in Canada

Every year Mennonite Central Committee Canada, in partnership with the National Association of Japanese Canadians, offers the Canadian Japanese Mennonite scholarship to a student enrolled in a graduate degree program that is engaged in research concerning human rights in Canada.

Amount: $2,000

Deadline: April 1, 2022

More information: mcccanada.ca/scholarships.

Updates to the Western Research Ethics Manager (WREM) system

Western Research has updated some of the forms within the WREM system, which will become active at 4pm on January 28, 2022. The updated forms include:

  • The HSREB & NMREB amendment forms;
  • The HSREB/NMREB Continuing Ethics Review Form;
  • The HSREB/NMREB Study Closure form; and
  • The NMREB Initial Application form.

Changes have been made to reflect ongoing feedback from users for clarity, to hopefully reduce recommendations and to assist in expeditious review.

When you log in to WREM you will notice the following message appear in the Work Area at the top of your screen in a pink bar: “Warning: The Project Owner must update your project in order to submit this form.”

The Project Owner (i.e., the user who created the project) will need to accept the update prior to a) submitting an application and/or b) completing an application the study team has been working on when the message appears.

Are there any implications to updating the form(s)?

Consider these three scenarios:

  1. The form has not been submitted, and is still unlocked
    Updating the project will have little to no effect except for any questions that have been updated in the form you are completing. It will not affect the information that has been inputted into questions that have not been updated.
  2. The form has not been submitted, but the form has been locked by a signature request
    Updating the project will break these signatures requests. Once the project has been updated, a signature will need to be requested again to submit to our office for review.
  3. The form has been signed and submitted
    Updating the project will have no effect on any submitted forms.

Registering an application with ReDA

Since WREM’s launch, ongoing confusion has been identified regarding when study teams should submit to ReDA.

If you are conducting a research study that also requires oversight from Lawson Health Research Institute (per criteria), the study team MUST first register the study with ReDA prior to exporting it from ReDA to WREM. For more specific information, please contact Lawson at lawsonapproval@lawsonresearch.com

Further information and contacts

To access WREM training material and FAQs please visit the website and WREM.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to any member of the Research Ethics team, or email ethics@uwo.ca.

Western Research – COVID-19 Update

January 4/2022

Western Research’s goal remains to support research, scholarship and creative activity, while minimizing the risk of viral transfer on Western’s campus and in the community. To these ends, they have provided the following updates, which follow guidance from the university and the Government of Ontario, and reiterate those published on December 16, 2021. They also include an additional recommendation to conduct work remotely, wherever possible:

  • Occupancy of on-campus research spaces remains at 50 per cent of capacity and researchers, trainees and participants must be doubly vaccinated, physically distanced and protected by properly fitting three-layer masks, goggles or shields.
  • Any off-campus volunteers or participants must adhere to these guidelines unless they are visiting for purposes of a clinical appointment as per Western’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy (MAPP 3.1.1).
  • As per Western’s new guidelines, announced on Jan 3, 2022, researchers, research staff and trainees will continue to have access to their research areas for purposes of data acquisition; however, they are asked to work remotely when not actively engaged in these activities.
  • As there are currently no restrictions on local travel, field research can continue. Travelers must adhere to restrictions imposed by the local community to which they are traveling.
  • Please work closely with your academic unit and Associate/Assistant Dean (Research) to discuss any questions you have about your particular needs or situations.

Updates, as they become available, will continue to be added to the Western Research COVID-19 website.

Western Research- COVID-19 Update: Precautionary Measures for Research

The risk level for COVID-19 infection is rising rapidly in our region and has forced Western Research to revisit the guidelines for mitigating risk within research spaces.

What does this mean for research at Western?

To prioritize the health and safety of our campus community, Western Research is reintroducing the following precautionary measures for research activities, effective December 18, 2021:

  • Occupancy of on-campus research spaces will be rolled back to 50 per cent.
  • Models of remote research (those requiring no face-to-face contact) may continue, and our human research ethics team remains available to provide any necessary support for modifying existing research protocols.
  • Human participant research may continue so long as it respects the 50 per cent capacity restriction and all PPE guidelines. Physical exercise and other studies with elevated ventilation rates, however, should be discontinued at this time.
  • Western Research continues to support research involving vaccinated off-campus participants under existing guidelines.
  • The Government of Canada has issued a global travel advisory to avoid all non-essential travel outside the country, effective December 15; therefore, they are similarly recommending the suspension of any international research activities involving travel.
  • As there are currently no restrictions on local travel, field research can continue. Travelers must adhere to restrictions imposed by the local community to which they are traveling.
  • There are no changes to existing guidelines for non-human research activities, with the exception of limiting capacity in research spaces to 50 per cent.

Given how fluid the situation continues to be, they will reassess the effectiveness of these measures in mid-January.

When in doubt, think safety first. Please continue to be vigilant within your research spaces and do not hesitate to address questions to your Dean, Associate/Assistant Dean (Research), and/or departmental delegate.

Please continue to work together to create the best possible outcomes in this ever-changing reality. 

Research Ethics Training – Update of TCPS-2 Course On Research Ethics (CORE)

The Secretariat on Responsible Conduct of Research (the Secretariat) wants to inform the research community that the current Tri-Council Policy Statement 2: Course on Research Ethics (TCPS 2: CORE) will soon be replaced by a new version – TCPS 2: CORE-2022. The latter will refer exclusively to the TCPS 2 and will focus on ethics guidance that is applicable to all research involving human participants, regardless of discipline or methodology.

CORE-2022 will consist of nine modules and a knowledge consolidation exercise:

  • Module A1 – Introduction
  • Module A2 – Scope of TCPS 2
  • Module A3 – Risks and Benefits
  • Module A4 – Consent
  • Module A5 – Fairness and Equity
  • Module A6 – Privacy and Confidentiality
  • Module A7 – Conflicts of Interest
  • Module A8 – Research Ethics Board Review
  • Module A9 – Research Involving Indigenous Peoples
  • Knowledge Consolidation Exercise

Each module will include 4-5 quiz questions. These questions will provide users with an opportunity to test their knowledge as they progress through the modules. In addition, the new version will include a knowledge consolidation exercise (KCE) consisting of 25 multiple-choice questions. A CORE-2022 Certificate of Completion will be issued to users following the successful completion of the KCE. The new course will be self-paced and should take approximately 4 hours to complete. It will be possible for users to complete the course over multiple sessions by saving their progress and resuming later. CORE-2022 will be compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) to ensure accessibility for all users.

Migration to CORE-2022 will take place during the week of January 10, 2022. Access to existing CORE registration and course completion information by users and institutions will continue, albeit through CORE-2022’s database. However, there will be no transition period during which both versions are available. Therefore, the Secretariat advises anyone who has started the current version of the course, but has not completed it, to do so by December 31, 2021. This is to avoid losing your progress in the current version.

Questions related to the upcoming migration to CORE-2022 should be directed to the Secretariat at secretariat@srcr-scrr.gc.ca.

International Development Research Centre – Research Awards

Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) offers research awards related to these development areas or themes: Climate-Resilient Food Systems, Democratic and Inclusive Governance, Education and Science, Ethics in Development Research, Global Health, Policy and Evaluation, and Sustainable Inclusive Economies.

If your research proposal is selected, you will join IDRC as a Research award recipient for a period of 12 months from 1 May 2022 to 30 April 2023 to undertake research on the topic you have submitted. You will receive hands-on experience in research and program management and support, grant administration, and the creation, dissemination, and use of knowledge from an international perspective.

Amount: $42,033 – $48,659 (salary)

Deadline: February 1, 2022

More information and how to apply…