Dr. Aleksandra Bergier (she/her) is a Research Advisor, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization at Queen’s University. Her work centres guidance on how to apply EDII principles in research design and practice. As an advisor, researcher, writer and communicator she is deeply committed to generating ripple effect around self-voiced stories that (re)define meaningful futurities for culturally-diverse communities.
Alex Karabanow has extensive experience in research administration, REB operations as well as education, process and systems improvement in both in healthcare and university environments. For the past thirteen years, Alex has focused on the development of an institutional authorization model bringing innovation to human research protection. Currently, Alex is the Senior Manager of Operations in Clinical Research Services at the University Health Network (UHN). He is appointed as an Academy Scholar to The Institute for Education Research (TIER) at UHN. He is an REB Operations Expert representative on the Clinical Trials Ontario College of Reviewers (2014-Present), and has played a leadership role at the Canadian Association of Research Ethics Boards (CAREB-ACCER). Alex served as the Inaugural Chair of the Accreditation Council for Human Research Accreditation Canada (HRA Canada) from 2018 to 2023 and continues to be a member of the Technical Steering Committee for Human Research Standards Organization (HRSO).
Ann-Marie Field is a research facilitator at the Faculty of communication at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) (Canada). She focuses mostly on pre-award and research development activities for faculty members, but she is also involved in strategic planning for the development of research at the Faculty. She has a Ph.D. in Political Science (Carleton University, 2005) and has completed CARA’s Certificate in Research Administration awarded by the ATHE (Awards for Training and Higher Education, UK, 2017). Since 2023, she has been co-organizing monthly sessions of CARA's Grant Facilitator's Journal Club. She was a member of ADARUQ’s executive board (Quebec’s association of research administrators, 2018-2021) and now co-leads their mentorship program.
After my Master’s degree at McGill University, I began Grants Administration in 2013 at the University of Calgary. I initially focused on reviewing applications for the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, post-award administration of NIH prime funding and review of subgrant agreements, while administering a wide variety of Canadian grants. I then moved to administering CIHR applications, grants and sub-grants, providing a leading role in the administration of other Tri-Council funding. I currently support external award and UCalgary Killam award nominations. I provide support to the range of institutional committees that support awards initiatives and efforts at the UCalgary. I joined CARA in 2016, completed my Certificate in Research Administration through ARMA in 2020, and won the 2022 Unsung Hero Award.
Bouchra AssouliFinancial Monitoring OfficerBouchra is a financial monitoring officer at the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). She participates in the oversight activities on the use of CFI funds by recipient institutions, including contribution audits, appraisals and monitoring visits, she produces regular and ad hoc financial analysis to management to help a better alignment of payments to institutions. Bouchra joined the CFI in 2022 before the CFI, she worked in Audit at Samson and PwC. Bouchra holds a master’s degree in Audit and Management control.
Catherine McCleary joined the University of Calgary’s Research Services Legal & IP team as a Contracts Specialist in 2019. Her full-circle contracts management background in solicitation, negotiation and fulfillment of high-value corporate sponsorships in both professional sport and major festivals gives Catherine a practical understanding of how an effective legal agreement can help mitigate the challenges of relationship management, project fulfillment and reporting obligations. Catherine lives in Calgary with her husband, kids and cat, and spends most of her off-work time driving her teenagers around and practicing the piano.
Chris is a Research Analyst at UCalgary's VP Research Office, where he's driven by a passion for exploring cutting-edge metrics to shape the university's strategic direction. With a keen focus on innovation, Chris aims to develop practical tools and valuable insights to elevate UCalgary's research endeavors.
Before joining University of Calgary's Research Services Office (RSO), Chris had over 13 years at Innovate Calgary, the University’s Technology Transfer Office, facilitating commercialization of early stage research results. Chris has been with the University’s RSO Legal and IP team for over 11 years, helping to facilitate legal agreements related to research.
Clint Westgard is currently the Senior Research Grants Development Officer in the Grant Development Office of the Cumming School of Medicine. He supports and facilitates collaborative research and provides guidance in the strategic development of grant proposals. Previously he worked for Campus Alberta Neuroscience where he was involved in connecting the neuroscience research community with government, health system, industry and community stakeholders to build strategic research collaborations.
Cory Taylor served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 16 years. While employed with the Military Police, he was posted to the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service as a Major Crimes Investigator. He holds numerous specialties and qualifications, including interviewing, interrogation and statement analysis. After sustaining a psychological injury during a deployment to Afghanistan in 2013, he was diagnosed with PTSD which eventually resulted in his medical retirement. After leaving the Forces, Cory has dedicated himself to continuing his service however he can. He is the author of a free, online medical interviewing course and is a member of the research team within the Operational Stress Injury Clinic at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Center, conducting a ground-breaking study on the use of the Stellate Ganglion Block to treat anxiety symptoms in Veterans diagnosed with PTSD.
Daeniell brings over 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry, with a comprehensive background in research ethics, regulatory affairs, and compliance. Presently Daeniell is a Product Manager within the Clinical Research Support Systems team at the University Health Network (UHN), where she specializes in developing innovative features and data-centric tools, to support research operations. With an emphasis on data stewardship practices, Daeniell focuses on enhancing data quality, governance, and integration across UHN. Having recently completed her master's degree in management analytics, she is passionate about leveraging data-driven insights, to drive efficiency and innovation in the field of clinical research.
Dana is the Research Grants and Development Officer at MacEwan University, in Edmonton Alberta. Dana spent many years at the University of Alberta working in different capacities throughout the research ecosystem, including conducting research, project management and grant development. She holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Bern in Switzerland and M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees from the University of Toronto.
Dane Berry is the Associate Director of Research Intelligence at the University of Victoria (UVic), where he leads a team that analyzes research activity to inform strategic decision-making related to the research portfolio. Dane has over 15 years of experience using indicators and related tools to understand trends in scientific performance. Before joining UVic, Dane worked at the Council of Canadian Academies, where he contributed to national studies on best practices in science funding, the appropriate use of metrics in supporting research funding, and the overall state of science and technology/R&D in Canada.
Danielle Goodfellow is the Industry Liaison Officer at Saint Mary’s University, Mount Saint Vincent University and NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She has a decade of experience in this position, working with companies to understand their research needs and matching them with expertise at the university. With her Master of Science and prior experience working with companies in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, she facilitates discussions around projects and initiatives that mutually benefit all involved. Danielle has assisted with hundreds of collaborations, from short-term projects over a few days to long-term projects over multiple years.
Dr. Dawn Wallin is a Professor in the College of Education. As an alumna of our institution Dawn completed each of her Bachelor of Education (English and Mathematics), Bachelor of Arts (English), Master of Education (Educational Administration), and Doctor of Philosophy (Educational Administration) degrees at the University of Saskatchewan.Dr. Wallin possesses an impressive and extensive career in the elementary, secondary, and tertiary education sectors. Having begun her career as a teacher in the Kindersley School Division, her career has quickly grown to include several formal and informal leadership positions. For instance, Dr. Wallin has worked to design effective educational programming opportunities for students in pre-K-12 and post-secondary contexts and has also consulted or partnered with organizations that represent a variety of interests, including ministries of education, educational organizations, regional colleges and university faculties. She has also held executive positions for the Canadian Association for Educational Administration, the Canadian Association for Women in Education, and the Canadian Society for the Study of Education. Her research interests focus on rural education, educational administration and leadership, equity issues in education, and teacher education.Dr. Wallin began her career in academia in 2002. Since this time, she has held several faculty and leadership positions at the University of Texas, University of Manitoba, and University of Saskatchewan. Since joining the University of Saskatchewan as a Professor in August 2015, Dawn has held leadership positions including Associate Dean Undergraduate Programs, Research, and Partnerships, and most recently the university’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) leader.
Dr. Tim Wilson is the Associate Vice-President of Research Programs at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), where he is responsible for overseeing the Agency’s grants and scholarships programs.
Prior to coming to SSHRC, Tim held a number of executive positions at the Treasury Board Secretariat and the Public Service Commission. In addition to his career in the Public Service, Tim also teaches English Literature part-time at the University of Ottawa, specializing in Renaissance Literature and Literary Theory.
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Tim Wilson est le vice-président associé des Programmes de recherches, Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines (CRSH), responsable de la gestion des programmes de subventions et des bourses à l’agence.
Avant de se joindre au CRSH, Tim a occupé divers postes de direction au sein du Secrétariat du Conseil du Trésor ainsi qu’à la Commission de la fonction publique. En plus de sa carrière dans la fonction publique, Tim enseigne également la littérature anglaise à temps partiel à l’université d’Ottawa. Il se spécialise dans la littérature de la Renaissance et en théorie littéraire.
Drew Gyorke is the Director of Agency and Foundation Funding in the Research Services Office, in the portfolio of the Vice President, Research and Innovation at the University of Toronto. Drew has more than 20 years of experience working with research grants administration including knowledge of research funding for faculty, administrative and accountability structures, collaboration agreements, and collaborative problem solving within the University and with partners external to the University. A dedicated team leader and staff mentor for the past 15 years, Drew believes in supportive management to staff and including them in problem solving. HR responsibility includes recruitment. Drew is a past CARA board member and long-time volunteer who has served as Vice President and National Conference Chair.
Elizabeth Russell-Minda is an Institutional Research Programs Officer at Western University (London, Ontario) where she assists researchers with developing strong funding proposals and research partnerships for SSHRC, NFRF, and other federal programs. She has been an active member of the Canadian Association of Research Administrators (CARA) since 2014, and a former CARA mentor for 4 years. She has accumulated many years of experience as a writer-consultant in academic, government, business, and technical environments, in Canada and the United States. Elizabeth holds a Master of Arts degree in English Literature and professional certificates in Research Administration, Project Management, and Not-for-Profit Management.
Erika Barros holds the position of Operations Manager at SAIT's ARIS department. With a professional background in law, financial law, and contract management, Erika has been part of the SAIT team for the past seven years. Erika started working in the legal, contracts, and insurance team and has now taken over the operations management of the ARIS department. Her primary responsibilities as Operations Manager include overseeing contracts, grants, financials and reporting, health and safety, supply chain, facilities management, and records management.
Fleur has over 25 years of professional experience in research writing, editing, grant management and knowledge translation, with a focus on translating technical materials in health and science disciplines into plain language, and building and sustaining relationships between academic researchers, and government, health, and community partners. She oversees the daily operation of the SK-NEIHR.
Gen Clark is a departmental research facilitator in the Health Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan. She has also started to conduct research "on the side of her desk" to advance professional practice. She received CARA's Spirit of Kindness Award in 2022 and SRAI's Future of the Field Award in 2023. She co-chairs the Grant Facilitators' Journal Club and is NORDP's CARA Liaison.
Geneviève Truchon is senior advisor for the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) housed at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in Ottawa. In her role, she advises senior management on numerous strategic and horizontal tri-agency files. She is called upon to mobilize people and collaborate with various internal and external stakeholders on files such as program design, delivery, and governance. She is also involved in various outreach activities with the social sciences and humanities community. She has been at SSHRC since 2008, first as a program officer for the SSHRC Insight Grants and Insight Development Grants. She then moved on to become senior advisor for the Research Training Portfolio before joining TIPS in 2020. Geneviève has Masters in Conflict Studies from Saint Paul University in Ottawa. Geneviève Truchon est conseillère principale pour le Secrétariat des programmes interorganismes à l’intention des établissements (SPIIE) hébergé au Conseil de recherche en sciences humaines (CRSH) à Ottawa. Dans le cadre de ses fonctions, elle conseille la haute gestion sur de nombreux dossiers stratégiques et transversaux de nature trois-conseils. Elle est appelée à mobiliser et à collaborer avec diverses parties prenantes internes et externes sur des dossiers tels que la création, la livraison et la gouvernance de programmes. Elle est aussi impliquée dans diverses activités de rayonnement auprès de la communauté des sciences sociales et humaines.
Heather Steel is the Research Awards and Honours Facilitator at Toronto Metropolitan University where she supports the development of external research award nominations for faculty across the university. Previously, she was an awards facilitator at the University of Guelph and a Research Project Administration at York University. She is a trained historian, also worked in the non-profit sectors, and is a cross-country ski instructor.
Jennifer Boyko holds a PhD in health research methodology and a graduate diploma in health services and policy research from McMaster University. Her areas of expertise include knowledge translation and public health systems research. In her current role, she blends scientific and operational understandings of large-scale population health research projects to ensure a scientific lens is always considered with respect to operations. Prior to joining the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging in 2019, Dr. Boyko held a scientist position at the Propel Centre for Population Health at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Boyko has also held various academic appointments at Ontario universities and professional positions with health services organizations, giving her broad perspective, knowledge and understanding of health and social issues in Canada.
Jennifer Freeman, MSc.Executive Director, Office of Research ServicesOntario Tech UniversityBiographyOver the last 20 years Jennifer Freeman has established an extensive career in research administration. Jennifer’s career began as a research administrator at Brock University, where she also assisted a technology evaluation company in conducting market and technology assessments. Jennifer transitioned to Ontario Tech University in 2005 and firmly established the Office of Research Services. As Executive Director, Jennifer is responsible for overseeing a centralized research services office, which includes an outstanding team of 25 skilled individuals who facilitate the following services: grants and awards development, intellectual property and commercialization, research legal and partnership development, and research ethics, security and safety.Since joining Ontario Tech University, Jennifer has provided strategic and comprehensive leadership to the research, ethics and safety, and intellectual property and commercialization portfolios. The success of this leadership is demonstrated in Ontario Tech University being ranked as Canada’s Research University of the Year 2023 (Research InfoSource). In addition, Jennifer has been an active member of CARA, SRAI, AUTM and other organizations. She was the President of the Canadian chapter of SRAI for two years and has been on award, poster judging and conference organizing committees for CARA and SRAI and has given several presentations over the years.
Julie has worked at Carleton University for over 28 years. In her role as Assistant Director, Operations at the Accessibility Institute, she is responsible for overseeing all operational activities including human resources, finance and administration, physical space and operational needs across all portfolios. She also co-leads the Institute’s applied research activities that specialize in topics related to employment for persons with disabilities, and has an oversight role for the Canadian Accessibility Network (CAN) National Office, which is led by the Institute.Prior to assuming her leadership role at the Accessibility Institute, she managed professional graduate programs at the Sprott School of Business; held the position of university secretary; served as chief administrative and accreditation officer as well as laid the groundwork for the Business Career Management Centre at the Sprott School of Business; and occupied a variety of roles in the central career centre on campus. She also is a contract instructor teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate level at the Sprott School of Business. Julie earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management.
Kadi-Ann Hinds currently serves as a Senior Research Information Analyst in the Division of Vice-President Research & Innovation, University of Toronto with responsibility for the development and maintenance of business intelligence tools designed to facilitate research and innovation. She conducts data analyses that inform institutional initiatives, including bench-marking the University’s research and innovation performance relative to its’ peers and supports the development of University goals.Kadi-Ann holds a Master's degree in Economic Development Policy from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica.
Kakali Majumdar, MSc (Science), MSc (Botany)I am a Research Facilitator at Bow Valley College with over 16 years’ experience in leading research/grant development and management in multiple sectors, including Health, Engineering and Social Sciences. Throughout my career, I have coached and advised hundreds of faculties in ideation of research projects and achieving funding. My most recent success includes the achievement of two significant institutional grants, funded by NSERC and CFI in the amount of $1.5M. My leadership in research development and management have expanded research capacity, accomplished strategic priorities, and established diverse researcher-community partnerships in post-secondary institutions (e.g., Bow Valley College and University of Calgary) and national funding organizations (e.g., Heart and Stroke Foundation and Shastri-Indo Canadian Institute). Additionally, I have contributed to operational excellence of research portfolios up to ~25M. Currently, I am a member of Bow Valley College’s EDI Strategic Committee; and working on establishing an institutional EDI framework that will create a strong sense of belonging across the campus.
Karen E. Mosier is a Research Coordinator/Navigator for the Department of Surgery in the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. Karen has her BA in Psychology and MSc in Pharmacy. Karen has over seventeen years’ experience in research administration. Karen is also the author of the self-help book entitled Soft Skills and Professional Tips for the Office. Karen has been a CARA member since 2010. She completed her Certificate in Research Administration through ARMA in 2017. Karen is also a co-chair of CARA’s Professional Development committee and serves on the CARA Executive. She is also an instructor at Mohawk College for the Certification in Research Administration program and has taught the Funding Proposal Development course for the last 3 years. Karen was the recipient of the Dan Chase Distinguished Service Award – Priority Initiatives in 2018, the Community Builder Award in 2019, the Spirit of Kindness Award in 2020, and the Research Management Excellence Award in 2021. Karen appreciates all the professional development opportunities available through CARA and cherishes all the wonderful relationships she has made through her volunteer activities with CARA.
Karen Scott is a Contracts Administrator for the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). She works within the Business Services team, supporting the CDARI (Corporate Development, Applied Research and International) division. Karen has been working and learning in this role for nearly 15 years. As part of a wider contract support team at SAIT, she looks for ways to improve the internal and external user experience with SAIT contracts while ensuring that the institution’s requirements for risk mitigation and organized record keeping are satisfied.
Karine Duhamel is Anishinaabe-Métis and a member of Red Rock First Nation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Allison University, a Bachelor of Education from Lakehead University and a Master’s degree and PhD in History from the University of Manitoba. She was formerly Adjunct Professor at the University of Winnipeg, Director of Research for Yerch Law Corporation, and served as Curator and as Manager of Public Programs at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. In 2018, she became Director of Research for the historic National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. She is now Director of Indigenous Strategy for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, working across all three federal funding agencies to implement the Setting New Directions to Support indigenous Research and Research Training in Canada strategic plan.
Kevin is Director of Institutional Initiatives in the office of the Vice President Research & Innovation at the University of Toronto. He has a diverse experience in research administration in Canada and the UK, beginning with over a decade at the UK Economic & Social Research Council (UK equivalent of SSHRC) with portfolios in research evaluation, postgraduate training and grants. After coming to Canada in 2000 he worked as Program Officer at CFI, latterly with responsibilities for the Research Hospital Fund, the International Fund and Exceptional Opportunities. In 2007 he took the position of the Director of Strategic Research Programs at SRI, within the Sunnybrook Health Science Centre. After 13 years at SRI Kevin moved to his current position at UofT where his office handles the major institution-led programs, including those from CFI, Ontario, Genome Canada and the TIPS suite (CRCs, NFRFs and CBRF/BRIF).
I am a Research Administration and NPO administrative professional with over 25 years of leadership experience in a top-tier university and provincial and regional non-profit organisations. I specialize in building administrative capacity in new organisations, and/or in existing organisations with new administrative structures. I am also very interested in working in the space between institutions and service/new technology providers to assist with implementation and change. My previous work has largely been in the post-secondary education sector, as well as in agriculture, arts and culture, and regional business development. I have a special passion for projects and organisations that are building Research Administration as a profession programs and structures.Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Victoria.
Recovering marine ecologist. Data-driven research strategy specialist. Open Science advocate. Proud Doodle Dad. Living in Port Moody, BC.
LAURA BREDAHL is the Bibliometrics and Research Impact Librarian at the University of Waterloo. Laura’s work focuses on research intelligence and evaluation using analytical assessment of research impact and outputs within academia. She currently supports university leadership, faculties and departments and the broader community in research impact and bibliometrics analyses, services, use and governance. She has over 15 years experience in the academic setting where she has supported research, teaching and learning in the STEM fields. She supports the broader bibliometric community as a member of the ORCID-CA governing board, the international Lis-Bibliometrics committee as a blog editor, the Canadian Bibliometrics and Research Impact Community of Practice Steering Committee Co-Chair and is part of the Bibliometric and Research Impact Community Conference Planning Committee.
Leslie Cove is currently the Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in Research, International and Commercialization at the University of Waterloo and brings a decade of equality and inclusion experience to their inclusive strategic planning including working with legislation and advocating for legal changes to support human rights and government program access for women and Indigenous groups in Alberta. Trained as a social psychologist (completing her PhD at McMaster University), Leslie has worked across several sectors including sport, culture, healthcare and child and family services. She is an award-winning university teaching professor and an experienced policy development specialist. More recently, Leslie had developed her communications and campaign skills as the Head of Equality and Inclusion Advocacy and Activism in the National Health Service England (NHS) in London before heading back to Canada in 2022.
As the Senior Research Development Specialist at the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Lisa leads development, implementation and evaluation of strategies to support research capacity growth and supports scientists and clinicians in the development and submission of research funding applications. As part of this role, she provides resources and other supports to encourage meaningful engagement of people with lived and living experience in all stages of the research process. She also oversees internal grant competitions, with multi-disciplinary committees that integrate people with lived experience into peer-review processes, and strives to refine and improve the process with each successive competition. As a credentialed evaluator with the Canadian Evaluation Society, she brings a continuous learning and improvement perspective to all her work.
Dr. Malinda S. Smith is the Vice Provost and Associate Vice-President Research (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) at the UCalgary. A political scientist, she is the coauthor, editor, or coeditor of numerous articles, chapters, and books, including The Equity Myth: Racialization and Indigeneity at Canadian Universities (2017); Nuances of Blackness in the Canadian Academy (2022); and Critical Concepts: An Introduction to Politics (2023). Dr. Smith serves on several national committees, including Statistics Canada’s Immigration and Ethnocultural Statistics Advisory Committee; Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s External EDI Advisory Board; and as Vice Chair of the Scarborough Charter Steering Committee. Dr. Smith has been recognized with numerous awards and honours including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Calgary Black Chambers (2023), a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from Simon Fraser University (2021), the Susan S. Northcutt Award (2020) from the ISA’s Women’s Caucus, P.E. Trudeau Foundation Fellowship (2018), ISA-Canada Distinguished Scholar Award (2018-19), and the ‘Equity Award’ from the Canadian Association of University Teachers (2015).
Mayron is Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives and Institutional Programs in the Office of the Vice-Principal Research at Queen’s University. She has supported the broader Queen’s University Research Community for 14 years, holding a variety of research administration roles both in departmental and central offices as a CFI Project Manager, Research Finance Coordinator, and Research Project Advisor. In her current position as Associate Director Institutional Programs within the VPR portfolio, Mayron’s unit manages pre- and post-award of major institution-led initiatives, including programs funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, and TIPS administered programs including CRC, CERC, NFRF, and CFREF.
Marlon is a thought leader in the area of clinical research and frequently speaks at national and international clinical research conferences. He acts for Canadian and foreign pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, clinical research organizations, academic research organizations, academic health regions, universities, site management organizations, medical clinics and various health professionals. For these clients, Marlon helps negotiate and draft a broad range of agreements, advising on risk management issues, regulatory matters, funding requirements, and contract enforcement and interpretation. He also helps develop various operating policies and procedures for his clients and provides them with strategic advice on organizational efficiencies. Marlon holds a B.A. from the University of Calgary and a LL.B. and M.B.A. from the University of Alberta, having also successfully completing an intensive negotiation course for lawyers at Harvard Law School. Marlon works with Kingsgate Legal, a new law firm serving corporate, institutional and individual clients with a modern, innovative and cost-effective approach.
Mika brings over 10 years' experience in research and grant development, having worked in central research services offices at multiple Canadian institutions. Now at Queen's University, she is a Research Projects Advisor in the office of Strategic Initiatives and Institutional Programs. Here she supports a range of programs including CRC, CFI IF and JELF, CERC, CFREF, and NFRF Transformation. Mika contributes wide-ranging programmatic expertise and knowledge of pre- and post-award institutional processes. She has a special interest in increasing equity, diversity and inclusion in the Canadian research ecosystem and is accredited by the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI).
Nicole Bennett has over 10 years of experience as a project and program manager in research, technology, manufacturing and post-secondary organizations. With a foundation in process engineering, she enjoys developing solutions that lead to individual, team and organizational alignment as well as continuous improvement. As part of the Vice-Principal Research and Innovation Office, Nicole oversees an internal funding portfolio of 10 annual programs aimed to support the growth and development of research at UBC Okanagan.
I joined the Grant Development Office (GDO) in 2022. I completed my Masters in Science at the University of Alberta and have over 10 years of experience providing project coordination and management for health policy related research. I previously managed a large research portfolio for medical residents, involving matching residents to their research interests and funding opportunities. For 6 years, I was extensively involved in leading nation-wide, multi-centered studies involving patient-reported measure development and validation, and curriculum development for healthcare providers. My current portfolio in the GDO supports many of the NSERC funding programs, CIHR Strategic opportunities, Alberta Innovates AICE, and Genome Canada funding.
Qing Liu serves as the Bibliometrics and Research Impact Analyst at Western University, working in the Inclusive Research Excellence and Impact Team in the central research office. She is accountable for developing, advancing, and implementing a variety of services to help Western researchers assess, track, describe, and enhance their scholarly research impact. This includes resources, training, and support for use of various platforms as well as guidance around responsible use of indicators. In her role, Qing also supports the use of bibliometrics to identify and inform research areas of strength as well as areas for strategic improvement at the unit level.
Robin Gauthier is Lead, Program Development at Research and Innovation Advancement (RIA). She brings over a decade of research experience to this position. In her previous role, she led several funded research projects and authored several peer reviewed articles in the field of network analysis with applications in physical and mental health. In her current position, Robin’s goal is to increase the competitiveness and success of IWK researchers. She oversees all internal and external pre-award grant activities, develops new funding opportunities and is instrumental in integrating new industry best practices including data management, and developing resources and policies to ensure that Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Reconciliation and Accessibility (EDRIA) is integrated into internal awards at IWK.
Robyn Roscoe, a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 30 years of experience in scientific and technical project management, is the principal of Lyric Management. Her expertise spans management and leadership training, grant writing and facilitation, and coaching and mentorship. She has led the development and expansion of project teams in research, paving the way for project management as a career path for many professionals.
Robyn has been recognized for excellence in research project management with several awards from CARA. She is active in the local and national communities as a trainer, mentor, and champion of research project administration, management, and leadership.
Lyric Management delivers proposal development, grant writing, and project management services for success across scientific domains. We also provide training in project management and leadership. With decades of research management experience, we ensure excellence for individuals and companies seeking success through sound management and clear leadership. https://www.lyricmgmt.com/
Sara Anderson is currently the Senior Manager, Indigenous Research at the University of Waterloo. She comes from a mixed background of German Mennonite and Indigenous heritage. As the daughter of a 60s scoop survivor, her ongoing learning and reconnection journey inspired her to become involved in community organizing for Indigenous rights, with a particular focus on settler education and allyship. She received her MA in the School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies at Carleton University in 2016, while concurrently completing the Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Policy and Administration at Carleton’s School of Public Policy and Administration.
Sarah manages the Industry Engagement and Commercialization office at CBU where she leads commercialization and industry engagement activities, directs intellectual property activities, develops and negotiates license agreements, offers project management, and drafts and manages contracts for collaborative projects. She has extensive experience mentoring researchers and entrepreneurs, working with faculty to explore the commercializing of their research, and developing academic-industry research partnerships. She also provides outreach through developing and delivering workshops, coaching entrepreneurs, serving on several boards and committees and liaising with partnering organizations in the community. She is a co-inventor on two patents with IBM and was nominated for a World Technology Award. Sarah has a BSc and Certificate in Public Administration from CBU, a Masters of Education in IT from Memorial University and has attained Project Management Professional designation (PMP).
Shannon O’Reilly is a Lead Product Specialist for Altmetric and Dimensions at Digital Science, supporting researchers and institutions in the US, Canada, and Latin America. She has over 10 years of experience working in scholarly publishing and alongside academic institutions. Shannon is passionate about helping broaden and deepen the understanding of research's value for people and communities through the use of comprehensive tools and solutions that go beyond traditional bibliometrics. Previously, she was the Digital Publishing & Rights Manager for Georgetown University Press and served as the Senior Global Outreach Manager for ACS Publications. Shannon holds a MPS in Publishing from The George Washington University.
Sherri Kogan is a research administrator and contracts professional with 15+ years experience negotiating, reviewing, and drafting Research Contracts in academia, and the industrial distribution, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. She is currently expanding her experience on the pre-awards side, serving in the role of Strategic and Institutional Research Initiatives (SIRI) Specialist at York University. Sherri received her BA from the University of Guelph, a diploma from Seneca College in the Court and Tribunal Agent Program, then completed the Law Clerk Associate Level Program from the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario.
Shruti Patel, Director, Interprofessional Research and Knowledge Mobilization at The University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal brings expertise in working with Interprofessional clinicians, patients, families, academic and community partners in building capacity for research development as well as implementing and evaluating evidence-informed practices. She has a robust skill set in research administration enabling her to support, manage, and conduct research across the research continuum. Shruti is well versed in knowledge mobilization practices towards making an impact to improve health service delivery and patient outcomes. She strives to accelerate processes and mechanisms to turn knowledge into action as she consistently work towards supporting and producing high-quality research outputs that contribute to a deeper understanding of complex issues – all of which involves embedding the voices of people with lived and living experience with meaningful engagement throughout all aspects of the research process.
Snjezana Cekrlija is the Director of Research Finance at the University of Waterloo. She is an accounting professional with over 16 years of dedicated service in the field of research finance within the academic sector. Currently, Snjezana leads a dynamic research finance team of 24 members, overseeing financial operations critical to the university's research endeavors.
With over nine years’ experience in research administration, Stacey has expertise in
institutional program management (e.g., CRC, CFI, NFRF) and leading major collaborative
initiatives such as strategic research planning, and developing institutional equity,
diversity, and inclusion (EDI) plans. She also has a range of experience within the Canadian
funding landscape, with expertise across all three tri-agency portfolios, provincial funders
in Alberta and British Columbia, and in assisting researchers to embed the values of EDI
within the research proposals, activities, initiatives, and communities.
Stacey is
currently the Research Grants Development Coordinator within the Research Office at
Athabasca University, where alongside her research development colleagues, she provides
award winning services aimed at supporting researchers to strategically seek and secure
external funding to support their innovative research programs.
Stephanie Warner is the Manager, Knowledge Engagement in Research Services at the University of Calgary. The portfolio’s initiatives include community-engaged research, knowledge mobilization, research assessment and open science. She has held a variety of roles at UCalgary since 2014, from postdoctoral researcher to career development specialist, sessional instructor, and research officer. Stephanie has a PhD in Experimental Medicine from UBC, and loves that she now dedicates her time to supporting the research ecosystem. In her spare time, Stephanie embraces the Calgary weather by cross-country skiing, running, and cycling. P.S. Ask me for recommendations of places to go while you’re visiting Calgary!
Stewart is Director of the Office of Research and Scholarship at University Canada West. Past positions include Senior Program Manager at NSERC and Manager in the Office of the Chief Scientist at Natural Resources Canada. He holds a PhD in Geography and is an adjunct research professor at Carleton University.
Tammy Beaudoin, Director, Clinical Research Administration at The University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research at The Royal oversees the day-to-day operations of the research enterprise. With expertise in clinical research administration, regulatory compliance, and research operations, she supports a number of initiatives related to research development, research management and continuous quality improvement. As a past member of the N2 Clinical Trials Engagement and Awareness Committee, she developed a deeper understanding of the importance of lived and living expertise and continuously strives to facilitate and support patient and family engagement across all stages of the research lifecycle. Involved in the creation of The Royal’s Client and Family Oriented Research framework, she is committed to improving patient outcomes through engagement with patients and families to ensure research is impactful and relevant to the mental health landscape.
Tanna Giroux is a Specialist Advisor in the External Awards and Recognition office at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), University of Calgary. For more than 15 years, Tanna has led the coordination of nominations on behalf of the school and is passionate about ensuring faculty members are recognized for their work. Tanna has helped established nomination procedures, guidelines, and best practices within her institution. Her academic background is in health care administration and marketing but prior to this role she worked in research administration. With extensive experience in both arenas Tanna has developed a strong understanding of research grants and research awards. She is a recipient of the 2022 CSM Staff Excellence Award for Service to People/Partners to recognize her commitment and service to the school.
Tara is of mixed Moose Cree First Nation from Moose Factory and French European ancestry and grew up in Toronto, Ontario. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at the University of Victoria (UVic) and a Master of Arts in Sociology (UVic), with a research focus on facilitating Indigenous cultural safety and anti-racism training. Tara is currently completing her Ph.D. in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University under the supervision of Dr. Krista Stelkia with a research focus on Indigenous Cultural Safety in Research Environments/Structures, specifically ethics and ethical processes. Her research interests include Indigenous health and wellness, Indigenous cultural safety, anti-Indigenous racism and social theory. Currently, Tara is the Network Coordinator of the BC NEIHR residing as a guest on the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEC peoples territory.
Thane Chambers is the Research Impact Librarian at the University of Alberta Library. Her role involves helping the University of Alberta campus better understand its research and its impact, and helping to make sure that our research can be discovered and used to make changes locally, nationally, and internationally.
Tony Michel is the Senior Policy Advisor to the Vice-President of Research, at the Social Sciences and Humanities and Research Council of Canada. He has worked in strategic policy in the federal public service for 17 years, including at Global Affairs Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage, with a special focus on inclusive public policy. He has a PhD in the History of Post-Confederation Canada, an MA in history, a B.Ed and B.A. Honours in Political Science.
Tonya Hawthorn, B.Sc. (Civil Eng.), Grad.Dip., is a Contracts Administrator at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Tonya brings over 15 years of work experience in the construction and energy industry, coupled with over 10 years of experience in business and academic administration. Her research area of interest in structural engineering has honed her technical expertise. She merges deep understanding of technical aspect with administrative competence to facilitate research contracts, vital for bringing scientific and business projects to fruition. Hailing from Ukraine, she embraces a rich cultural heritage known for its courage, sensibility, and spirituality — the heritage that enriches her approach to problem-solving and collaboration, enhancing the dynamic Business Services team environment at SAIT.
Valérie Laflamme is Associate Vice-President for the Tri-Agency Institutional Programs at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). She has been at SSHRC since 2012, first as a manager, and then as a Director for the scholarships and fellowships programs and the Impact Awards. She joined the public service through the Recruitment of Policy Leaders Program. Before moving back to Canada from France, she was a maître de conférences in sociology and demography at the Université de Lille, a researcher with the Institut national d’études démographiques and a municipal councilor (Tourcoing, France).
Valérie has a PhD in demography and social sciences from the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (France), and has received fellowships from both SSHRC and the Fonds de recherche du Québec. Her own research has focused on housing, urban policies, and the social and demographic history of urban families.
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Valérie Laflamme est vice-présidente associée au Secrétariat des programmes interorganismes à l’intention des établissements au Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada (CRSH). Elle est au CRSH depuis 2012 et y a d’abord travaillé en tant que gestionnaire et directrice des programmes de bourses et des Prix Impacts. Elle a intégré la fonction publique par le Programme de recrutement des leaders politiques. Au moment de quitter la France pour revenir au Canada, elle était maître de conférences en sociologie et démographie à l’Université de Lille, chercheure à l’Institut national d’études démographiques, et conseillère municipale de la ville de Tourcoing.
Valérie a obtenu son doctorat en démographie et sciences sociales de l’École des hautes études en sciences sociales (France) en ayant reçu l’appui du CRSH et du Fonds de recherche du Québec. Ses recherches portaient sur le logement, les politiques urbaines et l’histoire sociale et démographique des familles en milieu urbain.
Yasmin Ali is Manager, Research & Innovation Advancement at the IWK Health Centre in Nova Scotia where she plays a key role facilitating the success of investigators and the reputation of research at the IWK. With 25 years of experience in research administration, she possesses a wide-ranging perspective of the field. As manager, she is responsible for providing direction to a team of individuals overseeing many facets of research administration including contracts, grants management, HR, finance, ethics and research integrity, as well as focusing on strategic and policy projects involving research.Prior to joining the IWK, Yasmin was the Research Officer for the Department of Medicine at Dalhousie University and held positions in administration, marketing and public relations. Yasmin holds a Master of Education, for which she received the Senate Award of Distinction, and degrees in Public Relations and Administration from Mount Saint Vincent University, and is certified as a Clinical Research Contract Professional. She is a member of the TGMS External Advisory Board and has served as Vice-Chair, Continuing Education Program Advisory Committee for the Research Administration Certificate Program at Mohawk College and past Co-Chair of the Chebucto West Community Health Board, which served to advocate between communities and their provincial district health authority. In 2019, Yasmin was a recipient of a CIHR Travel Award to attend the 6th World Conference on Research Integrity in Hong Kong, and in 2023 received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (NS) for her contributions to the continuance of health research during the pandemic.