Senate Research Report - September 2020

Statement from Vice-Principal Research鈥&苍产蝉辫;

During the鈥痷niversity鈥檚 response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the continuity of research activity has been a key priority. In its state of emergency declarations, the Government of Ontario indicated the importance of research and research organizations as essential activity. To this end, the鈥痷niversity deployed a strategy to prioritize鈥痶he resumption of鈥痗ritical research activity, and in some cases be mobilized to support COVID-19 research and innovations. We should all be pleased with the thoroughness鈥痑nd鈥痶houghtfulness with which the research community responded, and I extend my thanks to colleagues, students,鈥痑nd staff across the university who supported what was the first stage of re-opening for the鈥痷niversity.鈥疻hat we learned鈥痟elped to inform the start-up of other activities on campus.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

The central research planning activity has now shifted to prepare for contingencies that may require a scaling down of activity鈥痑s the year progresses. We want to avoid a鈥痳apid,鈥痗omplete shutdown,鈥痑nd鈥痶herefore鈥痑re鈥痙eveloping鈥痯rocesses to allow us鈥痶o鈥痵low鈥痑ctivity鈥痠f necessary,鈥痺hile maintaining鈥痳esearch functions鈥痑cross the鈥痷niversity. We also continue to closely monitor approvals related to human鈥痯articipant鈥痳esearch, particularly in those instances involving vulnerable populations.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

Research and Innovation Highlights 

Over the past 6 months, the Vice-Principal Research portfolio has awarded more than $1 million in internal funding to its researchers. Through unique competitions such as Wicked Ideas, Queen's Research Opportunities Fund, and national programs like the SSHRC Institutional Grant (SIG), the internal funding is supporting researchers at all stages of their careers and across all disciplines 鈥撯痜rom discovering innovative solutions, to artistic production, and knowledge mobilization. 

In addition the Vice-Principal Research announced two rounds of internal funding for 20 projects supporting medical and social coronavirus-related solutions through the SARS CoV-2/COVID-19 Rapid Response Research Opportunity. 

Queen鈥檚 University welcomed two new and two renewed Canada Research Chairs as part of the Government of Canada鈥檚 recent鈥$140 million鈥痮f Canada Research Chairs鈥痑nnouncement.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

  • Ning Lu鈥(Electrical and Computer Engineering), new CRC 
  • Amber Simpson鈥(School of Computing; Biomedical and Molecular Sciences)鈥痭ew CRC 
  • Gregoire Webber鈥(Faculty of Law), renewed CRC 
  • Dylan Robinson鈥(Faculty of Arts and Science), renewed CRC 

Four Queen鈥檚 University researchers have been elected to the Royal Society of Canada, one of the highest recognitions for Canadian academics in the arts, humanities, and the social and natural sciences.  

New Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada: 

  • Nancy van Deusen (History) 
  • Cathleen Crudden (Chemistry) 

New Members of the College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists 

  • Amy Latimer-Cheung (School of Kinesiology and Health Studies) 
  • Awet Weldemichael (History) 

The Canadian Cancer Trials Group, SNOLAB, and Canada鈥檚 National Design Network received more than $60 million in Major Science Initiatives (MSI) funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.   

  • Canadian Cancer Trials Group $3,825,000 
  • SNOLAB $40,890,089 
  • Canada鈥檚 National Design Network $18,310,000 

A total of seven Queen鈥檚 research projects are receiving funding from the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) 2019 Exploration competition, a program that fosters discovery and innovation by encouraging Canadian researchers to explore, take risks, and work with partners across disciplines and borders.  Queen鈥檚 will receive $1.7 million of the $46.3 million in funding allocated to research projects across Canada.  

The鈥疌entre for Advanced Computing鈥痠s a lead partner in the鈥痓eing established to assist researchers鈥痮f COVID-19鈥痶o鈥痝ain access to鈥痭ew data sets鈥痠mportant in decision making related to鈥痶he SARS-CoV-2 pandemic鈥痑nd Covid 19 health, economic and social鈥痵trategies. 

Dr. Steven Brooks received $1.2 million in funding鈥痶o build a鈥痯rovincial鈥痙atabase to track COVID-19鈥痯atients.鈥疕is project鈥痺ill develop a provincial registry of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients in emergency departments across Ontario, which will further contribute data to a national registry. The registry will support the development of clinical decision rules to improve screening procedures, diagnostic studies, therapeutics,鈥痑nd the selection of patients for discharge or admission.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

New programs and services, delivered under the umbrella of the鈥WE-CAN Project at Queen鈥檚 University,鈥痑re inspiring鈥痑nd empowering鈥痚xisting and aspiring women entrepreneurs by providing them with tools, resources, expert mentors, networks and community building to expand existing businesses and to launch new ventures.鈥疉mong numerous other activities,鈥疻E-CAN has鈥痩aunched鈥痶he鈥痶hat helps women-led technology companies grow;鈥痩aunched鈥痓rand via an awareness campaign targeting Indigenous entrepreneurs in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory and the City of Kingston; launched鈥痶he鈥Rural Mentorship鈥痯rogram鈥痜or rural women entrepreneurs; and completed branding and resource hiring for鈥痶he鈥痯rogram aimed at newcomer women entrepreneurs to Canada.鈥&苍产蝉辫;

  Awards and Accolades鈥&苍产蝉辫;

The Vice-Principal鈥疪esearch portfolio supports鈥痶he institutional nomination process for major national and international awards.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Since the last Board of Trustees meeting, faculty members have continued to be recognized for their accomplishments.鈥&苍产蝉辫;Such recognition contributes to their professional development can be a distinguishing feature when applying for competitive鈥痳esearch grants.鈥疧f鈥痯articular mention鈥痑re鈥痶he following:鈥&苍产蝉辫;