Category: Music

Reminder – Mandatory Training for Human Participant Research

Reminder: All study team members, including faculty, librarians, archivists, students, postdoctoral scholars and staff listed on a human participant research project submitted to one of Western’s Research Ethics Boards (REBs), or up for annual renewal, must complete human participant research training.
 
For NEW submissions: No study-related activities can take place until all study team members have completed training, even if a Research Ethics Board approval notice has been issued for your study.

Step 1: Complete training using ONE of the following training options outlined below and save a PDF of your certificate.
 
If you have already completed training using one of the options outlined below, move to Step 2 to submit your certificate. 

Step 2: If you have a .uwo email account, upload your certificate here. (You must be logged into OWL before clicking this link.)

For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit the human research ethics Workshops and Seminars page: Mandatory Training for Human Research.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Grace Kelly, Manager, Research Compliance Programs and Education, 519-661-2111 ext. 84692.

Western Postdoctoral Fellowships Program

The Western Postdoctoral Fellowships Program is administered by Western Research.

Deadlines:
ROLA: November 5 (completed by faculty supervisor)
Western Research: November 9

Description: Western’s Postdoctoral Fellowships Program provides funding to the very best postdoctoral applicants who will contribute positively to research excellence at the university and help advance Western’s strategic research plan.   The Postdoctoral Fellowships Program’s objectives are to:

  • Attract top-tier postdoctoral talent, nationally and internationally;
  • Develop their leadership potential; and
  • Position them for success as tomorrow’s research leaders.

Applicants to the Postdoctoral Fellowships Program must make their application paired with a supervising faculty member.  

Up to 11 Fellowships are available for the 2021 competition. Each faculty and school will be allocated a minimum of one Fellowship.

Amount: Fellowships will provide a minimum stipend of $45,000/year plus benefits for two years. Western Research will contribute up to 50 per cent of the Fellowship costs. The host faculty and/or supervising faculty member are responsible for securing the remaining 50 per cent of costs. For further details, see program guidelines. 

Through a partnership with the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, and in support of the goals of Western’s Indigenous Strategic Plan, at least one of the Fellowships awarded will be an Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellowship. Eligible applicants for the Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellowship are those who self-identify as Indigenous, who will be supervised by an Indigenous faculty member, or who will conduct Indigenous Research during the Fellowship.

Matching funds for an Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellowship will not be required from the faculty or supervisor and will be provided by the Office of the Provost & Vice-President Academic. Details are provided in the program guidelines.

Eligibility: See the program guidelines for Postdoctoral Fellow eligibility.
Supervisors must hold a research-eligible position at Western. Applicants must secure written commitment of a qualified faculty member at Western who has the expertise, experience, and capacity to act as the Principal Supervisor of the Postdoctoral Fellow and their proposed project (see instructions for the “Supervisor’s Statement” attachment on the application form).

More Information and Applications: The application form and program guidelines, including further information around eligibility, matching funds, and the application process, are available on the Western Postdoctoral Fellowships Program page.

Questions: contact intgrant@uwo.ca

Human Research Ethics: Video Resources

The Office of Human Research Ethics has a new recorded video and handout for education around human ethics:

Conducting ethical human research: The ABCs

Are you a student conducting research with human participants (incl. their data and/or biological material)? Are you interested in conducting research with humans (incl. the use of human data and/or biological material) in the future? If so, learn about the principles of research ethics and a few practical tips that will help you.

Resources (requires Office365 login)

Western Research Update: Research and Step 1 of Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen

The Province of Ontario has indicated it will move to Step 1 of its Roadmap to Reopen as part of its third-wave recovery plan on Friday, June 11, 2021 at 12:01 a.m.

What does this mean for research at Western?

  • On-campus research requires approval of the Dean or delegate, such as the Associate Dean (Research). Please contact your Associate/Assistant Dean (Research) to re-initiate studies.
  • In-person, face-to-face research that engages on-campus personnel (e.g., registered students, staff and faculty) as research participants may resume, effective June 11, 2021.
  • Indoor face-to-face human studies involving moderate-to-high ventilation rates (e.g., exercise testing or training) remain paused for the time being.
  • Off-campus field and community-based research must receive permission from both Western and destination sites.
  • Occupancy of on-campus research spaces is limited to 30 per cent.

As reminders, members of Western’s community are required to complete the return-to-campus questionnaire and to wear three-ply masks at all times in buildings on campus—including on lunch breaks—and near others outside. Supervisors may recommend face shields if goggles cannot be accommodated. It is recommended that all breaks occur outside where PPE can be removed when physically distanced from others.

When in doubt, think safety first.

The university continues to provide campus-wide updates and Western Research maintains additional research-related notices. Please direct any additional questions to your Associate/Assistant Dean (Research).

Tips for Editing Your Own Work

In this blog post from Congress 2021, University of Alberta JD Candidate Valerie Leowto draws on advice from Letitia Henville and Glen Ashworth for tips and apps that can aid in editing your own work. “Many of you are likely familiar with the difficulties of editing your own writing. When reading over your own work, your brain has a tendency to make sense of what you think is on the page, rather than what is actually there…” See the full post.

Computer Stock photos by Vecteezy

Western’s Inspiring Minds Initiative

Inspiring Minds seeks to broaden awareness and impact of graduate student research, while enhancing transferrable skills.

Inspiring Minds has one rule:  graduate students (master’s and doctoral) are asked to describe their research, scholarship, or creative activity in any language in no more than 150 written words.  They can also include supplementary digital files to support their work including music, images, or video clips.

Some reasons to participate:

  1. It’s great written communications practice (which is the key goal of the exercise)
  2. It’s not a competition – 26 randomly selected submissions will receive some extra coaching and be turned into digital artwork
  3. You’ll be contributing to a first-of-its-kind, multi-disciplinary collection of the research being done at Western

More information: https://grad.uwo.ca/academics/inspiringminds.html

Submissions will be accepted until June 11, 2021.

Research Impact – Workshop

Attendees are welcome to join this interactive, hands-on workshop to learn how they can use both InCites and Web of Science to find indicators to describe their research impact.

The workshop will introduce productivity, uptake and spread indicators that can be used to demonstrate their research expertise, team expertise and scholarly contributions in grant applications, promotion and tenure applications, award nominations and many more!

Open to interested postdoctoral scholars and graduate students, this workshop will be held virtually on May 5, 2021.

More information and registration…

Publishing Fees Workshop – Western Libraries

Western Libraries is offering two workshops on publishing fees:  

Ins and Outs of Publishing Fees  

Have you been asked to pay an article processing charge or other fee to publish your work in a journal? Learn why these fees exist, how you can publish without a fee, and what discounts and fee waivers are available to you as a researcher at Western, including new waiver programs with PLOS and SAGE publishers.

This workshop will be of particular interest to faculty, but staff, undergraduate, and graduate students are also welcome to attend.  

Leave knowing:

  • Types of journals that charge publishing fees
  • Options for paying publishing fees
  • Options for publishing without a fee

Western Humanitarian Award

This award recognizes faculty, staff, and students at Western who are engaged in a range of efforts directed towards improving the quality of life for individuals and communities around the world. Preference will be given to the recognition of activities undertaken by the candidate that have current or potential international impact.

Amount: $5,000 (must be used in support of humanitarian efforts as chosen by the recipient)

Deadline: extended to July 20, 2021

More information and applications…

Contact: Interested parties are encouraged to consult with Julaine Hall (rwprizes@uwo.ca) at Western Research regarding this award and the nomination processes.

Western Research Update (Covid-19 Stay at Home)

MEMORANDUM
Date: April 15, 2021
From: Kevin Shoemaker, Acting Associate Vice-President (Research)
Subject: Continued Vigilance For Research During Stay-at-Home Order.

As we enter the second week of a province-wide stay-at-home order, I want to provide some reminders to ensure the safety of our research community.

Research continues at a reduced rate on campus. Your continued vigilance is appreciated and critically important to our efforts to protect peers, friends and families. Thank you.

We are all keen to return to some sense of normalcy. To successfully do so, we must not let down our guard at this pivotal juncture.

As a reminder, when working on campus, please:

  • Complete your return-to-work questionnaire on a daily basis.
  • Complete your own research space’s checklist and entry protocols for tracking purposes.
  • Wear three-ply masks provided by the university when inside or near others.
  • Wear safety goggles—and potentially face shields, as recommended by supervisors—when it is necessary to work within two metres of another person.
  • Eat and rest only in designated areas, while maintaining guidelines for physical distancing and mask use (masks are only to be removed to take a bite/sip).
  • No face-to-face participant research, exercise-based activities or field studies are permitted, unless approved by the Dean’s office and the office of the Vice-President (Research).
  • Ensure occupancy in Western’s research spaces remains at 30 per cent or below.

When in doubt, think safety first. Spot checks may be conducted by members of our community or by the Middlesex-London Health Unit.

Additional resources are available through ongoing university-wide notices and research-related updates from Western Research. Please also direct any additional questions to your Associate Dean (Research) and/or departmental delegate.