York researchers receive federal funding for knowledge mobilization projects
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By Corey Allen, senior manager, research communications
Four York University researchers are among the latest recipients of Connection Grants from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
Richard Saunders, Johanne Jean-Pierre and Yvonne Su from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, and S. Nombuso Dlamini from the Faculty of Education, were awarded the funding for various knowledge mobilization activities related to their different research projects.
The grants fund activities like research events, workshops and community outreach, and are intended to spark new connections between academic and non-academic partners, and collaboration between the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
Saunders’ project, “Resource Nationalism and African Mining Policy Innovation: Mobilizing New Research and Engaging Key Stakeholders,” received $49,991. Saunders and his team will organize several outreach activities, including policy workshops on mining reform in Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, an international research conference at York, and a policy seminar in Ottawa for government officials, African diplomats and non-governmental organizations. Saunders, along with undergraduate and graduate students, will also produce policy briefs on mining sector reforms for distribution across multiple African and Canadian platforms.
Jean-Pierre’s project, “Symposium: Designing a flourishing future and researching with Black communities in Canada,” received $13,934. The grant supports a conference to be held at York on Nov. 20, bringing together French- and English-speaking Black interdisciplinary scholars to discuss how to conduct research with Black Canadian communities ethically and effectively. Findings from the conference will be shared in a research brief and two open-access, peer-reviewed articles to improve research methods for social scientists and health scholars who engage with Black and other historically excluded populations.
Su’s project, “Stories of Change: Listening to Global South Perspectives on Climate-Induced Migration,” received $49,945. The SSHRC funding will support a 10-episode educational podcast that will highlight Su and her colleagues’ research, while also focusing on the voices and stories of marginalized people and groups most impacted by climate change – displaced people and migrants, Indigenous communities and grassroots organizations in the Global South. Launch events for the podcast will also be held in Toronto, Nairobi and Berlin.
Dlamini’s project, “Exploring Connections between Black Youth Civic Participation & Identity,” received $40,636. The project, which also includes York’s Godfred Boateng and Tannaz Zargarian from the University of Fraser Valley, will involve a workshop and two webinars on the access and management of data on the contributions of Black people to Canada. The events will highlight existing and new Canadian research on Black youth civic participation and bring together scholars, youth and community service workers. A hands-on “DIY toolkit” on data access, collection, analysis and management will also be developed for students and service worker participants.
The four York researchers were among the 64 awardees across the country to receive the latest round of Connection Grants from the SSHRC totalling $1,910,441.
New partnership empowers businesses through applied research
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By Corey Allen, senior manager, research communications
York University is partnering with Seneca Polytechnic and the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) to boost the number of applied research opportunities for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Greater Toronto Area and York Region, fostering greater connections between academics and industry.
Jennifer MacLean
“Through innovative collaborations with our research faculty and students, companies and non-profits gain access to expertise and a talent pool that can generate impactful solutions to their organizational challenges,” said Jennifer MacLean, assistant vice-president innovation and research partnerships at York University. “We look forward to working with our partners to drive further positive change and economic growth across sectors and industries.”
By engaging in applied research, SMEs will be able to strengthen their research and development capabilities, access the expertise of applied researchers at both institutions, and leverage collaborations to grow their business, improve performance or gain a competitive advantage.
“Innovation knows no boundaries, and this collaborative partnership exemplifies our shared commitment to fuelling the growth and innovation potential of small- and medium-sized enterprises in Ontario,” said Claudia Krywiak, OCI president and CEO.
OCI is a non-profit organization that brings industry, academic institutions and government together for collective investments in research and technology development that will benefit the people of Ontario.
The new partnership establishes a new OCI position for a business development and commercialization manager, tasked with promoting the benefits of applied research to Ontario businesses and helping to enhance the province’s innovation ecosystem.
“Seneca is excited to work with York University and the Ontario Centre of Innovation to enhance applied research capacity within the innovation ecosystem of the Greater Toronto Area,” said Ben Rogers, dean, Seneca Applied Research. “This partnership will open up new possibilities for our students and faculty as they help local enterprises solve their challenges and grow their operations.”
We are happy to announce the launch of a community consultation period to help inform the renewal of York University’s Sustainability Strategy. Originally published in 2017, this strategy is critical to ensuring we meet our bold sustainability commitments and uphold our collective responsibility for environmental stewardship.
We are seeking your input to help us develop a data-driven strategy to drive our whole-institution approach to sustainability. Consultations will be led by Mike Layton, chief sustainability officer, and will be open to all students, faculty, instructors, staff and alumni. Through renewal of the strategy, we hope to build awareness, create opportunities to engage all members of our community on sustainability-related topics, promote sustainability as one of our core values, generate feedback to inform the new strategy and inspire lifelong commitment to create positive change through environmental sustainability.
We encourage all community members to review our previous strategy before providing feedback through the following channels:
Register for an in-person open house or virtual workshop here.
Please note that personal information shared throughout the consultation process will remain confidential. Feedback will be used to guide and inform strategy development in advance of the renewed strategy’s anticipated launch in 2024.
Aligned with the University’s mission of the pursuit, preservation and dissemination of knowledge, York is also releasing its own detailed emissions data and ecological footprint assessment. With its release, York becomes the first Canadian institution to compile and publicize its own comprehensive emissions data and Ecological Footprint assessment.
As the third largest university in Canada, York has an extensive history of demonstrating a commitment to sustainability that has garnered much recognition, including a spot on Canada’s Greenest Employers list for 11 consecutive years and consistent annual high scores for the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. Our commitment to sustainability touches every aspect of life on our campuses, from research to teaching and learning to how we heat our buildings and dispose of our waste. This new report from the Ecological Footprint Initiative provides us with more information than ever before to identify opportunities to reduce our emissions and develop innovative sustainability solutions.
Our plan to create positive change affects every corner of our campuses and shapes decision-making at every level of the institution. We look forward to co-creating this strategy with you to advance York’s sustainability goals across our network of campuses and ensure sustainability as our core value is embedded all aspects of university life.
Sincerely,
Carol McAulay Vice-President Finance and Administration
Amir Asif Vice-President Research and Innovation
Contribuez à la nouvelle Stratégie de développement durable de York
Chers collègues, chères collègues,
J’ai le plaisir d’annoncer le lancement d’une période de consultation afin que la communauté puisse contribuer au renouvellement de la Stratégie de développement durable de l’Université York. Publiée à l’origine en 2017, cette stratégie est essentielle pour garantir le respect de nos engagements audacieux en matière de développement durable et pour honorer notre responsabilité collective en matière de gestion responsable de l’environnement.
Nous sollicitons votre contribution pour nous aider à élaborer une stratégie fondée sur des données afin d’orienter notre approche du développement durable à l’échelle de l’Université. Les consultations seront ouvertes à tous les membres de la population étudiante, des corps professoral et enseignant, du personnel et de la communauté des diplômés. Il y aura plusieurs façons de fournir de la rétroaction. En renouvelant la stratégie, nous espérons faire de la sensibilisation, créer des occasions d’engager tous les membres de notre communauté sur des sujets liés au développement durable, promouvoir le développement durable comme l’une de nos valeurs fondamentales, générer une rétroaction pour alimenter la nouvelle stratégie et inspirer un engagement à vie pour susciter des changements positifs par le biais du développement durable.
J’encourage tous les membres de la communauté à prendre connaissance de notre stratégie précédente avant de nous faire part de leurs commentaires sur les canaux suivants :
Inscrivez-vous à une journée portes ouvertes ou à un atelier virtuel ici.
Veuillez noter que les informations personnelles partagées tout au long du processus de consultation resteront confidentielles. Les commentaires seront utilisés pour orienter et étayer le développement de la nouvelle stratégie avant son lancement prévu en 2024.
Conformément à la mission de l’Université, à savoir la recherche, la préservation et la diffusion des connaissances, York publie également ses propres données détaillées sur les émissions et l’évaluation de son empreinte écologique. Avec cette publication, York devient le premier établissement canadien à compiler et à publier ses propres données complètes sur les émissions et son évaluation de l’empreinte écologique.
En tant que troisième université du Canada en matière de taille, York démontre depuis toujours sa détermination d’agir en faveur du développement durable, ce qui lui a valu de nombreuses accolades, notamment une place sur la liste des employeurs les plus verts du Canada pendant 11 années consécutives et des résultats annuels élevés au classement Impact du Times Higher Education. Notre engagement en faveur du développement durable touche tous les aspects de la vie sur nos campus, de la recherche à l’enseignement et à l’apprentissage, en passant par la manière dont nous chauffons nos bâtiments et dont nous éliminons nos déchets. Ce nouveau rapport de l’initiative pour l’empreinte écologique nous fournit plus d’informations que jamais pour définir les possibilités de réduction de nos émissions et pour développer des solutions innovantes en matière de développement durable.
Notre volonté d’être susciter des changements positifs touche chaque recoin de nos campus et façonne la prise de décision à tous les niveaux de l’établissement. Nous nous réjouissons de créer cette stratégie avec vous afin de faire progresser les objectifs de durabilité de York sur nos campus et de garantir que la durabilité fasse partie intégrante de tous les aspects de la vie à l’Université.
Sincères salutations,
Carol McAulay Vice-présidente des finances et de l’administration
Amir Asif Vice-président de la recherche et de l’innovation
Applications open for Commercialization Fellowship
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The Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation (VPRI) will open the call for applications for the Commercialization Fellowship program that supports projects with commercial potential from across York University on Sept. 7.
The fellowship, organized by Innovation York, is open to postgraduate students and postdoctoral Fellows with approval from their academic supervisor. It provides $7,500 in funding to support commercialization of research. Applications close on Oct. 31.
The fellowships aim to support the research commercialization process by providing strategic, short-term funding to assist in the development of commercially viable projects. The goal is to prepare projects for commercial engagement with industry and/or community partners, with a view to licensing and/or co-development of the project intellectual property.
York University announces 15 new York Research Chairs
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Fifteen York University researchers have been named new York Research Chairs (YRC), an internal program that mirrors the national Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program which recognizes world-leading researchers in a variety of fields.
“The York Research Chair program is an important complement to the Canada Research Chair program to advance our efforts to strengthen research and related creative activities across the University and enhance the well-being of the communities we serve,” says President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. “My warm congratulations to the newest recipients on this achievement.”
This year’s YRCs are the 10th cohort to be appointed as of July 1 since the program was first launched by the Office of the Vice President Research and Innovation in 2015.
“These new chair appointments are the latest example of research intensification at York University, a major priority of our new Strategic Research Plan,” said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. “York Research Chairs receive institutional support that is on par with what their counterparts are provided by the national program. This internal program advances research excellence at York and enhances the research capabilities of our faculty to create positive change.”
The new YRCs will conduct research in a variety of fields that range from human and computer vision to children’s musical cultures to the impacts of climate change on lakes.
The YRC program consists of two tiers. Tier 1 is open to established research leaders at the rank of full professor. Tier 2 is aimed at emerging research leaders within 15 years of their first academic appointment. The Chairs have five-year terms.
Tier 1 York Research Chairs
Rob Allison
Robert Allison, Lassonde School of Engineering York Research Chair in Stereoscopic Vision and Depth Perception Allison’s work as a YRC will study human aspects of virtual and augmented reality. His research program asks: how do we share a common space that is partially or completely virtual? The research results will allow designers to determine whether collaborative experiences and applications are likely to be coherent, consistent and ultimately successful for users. This YRC is administered by York University’s VISTA (Vision: Science to Applications) program, first funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (2016-23).
James Elder
James Elder, Faculty of Health and Lassonde School of Engineering York Research Chair in Human and Computer Vision Elder’s YRC research program is deeply interdisciplinary, integrating studies of biological perception using behavioural and neuroscience methods, computational modelling of brain processes, statistical modelling of the visual environment, and computer vision algorithm and system design. While advancing fundamental knowledge in perception science and AI, this research has application to safer and more accessible urban mobility, social robotics and sports analytics. This YRC is administered by York University’s VISTA (Vision: Science to Applications) program.
Jimmy Huang
Jimmy Huang, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies York Research Chair in Big Data Analytics Huang’s research as a YRC will aim to overcome the limitations of the existing information retrieval (IR) methods for web search and develop a new retrieval paradigm called task-aware and context-sensitive information search for big data. This approach, similar to ChatGPT or GoogleBard, will leverage IR techniques to offer an interactive and dynamic search experience. The program’s research results are expected to provide a deeper understanding of user information needs and generate novel techniques and tools.
Lauren Sergio
Lauren Sergio, Faculty of Health York Research Chair in Brain Health and Gender in Action Sergio’s research as YRC investigates the impact of gender on brain health, for which there is little study. The research program will aim to characterize the gender-related differences in an individual’s behavioural response to impaired brain health and design appropriately tailored interventions to optimize their return to work, duty or sport. The research results will provide medically relevant and fundamental knowledge necessary to develop targeted brain health assessments and interventions that account for gender. This YRC is administered by York University’s VISTA (Vision: Science to Applications) program, first funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (2016-23).
Marie-Christine Pioffet
Marie-Christine Pioffet, Glendon College York Research Chair in Franco-Indigenous Relations in the Americas This YRC is dedicated to the study of texts from the French colonization in America with research focused on Indigenous history and cultural renaissance, European scriptural practices and Indigenous oral traditions, Franco Indigenous intercultural dialogues, and the Great Lakes region, missionary laboratory, and intercultural junction. Pioffet’s research as Chair will rethink Francophone and Indigenous identities and the cultural blending that inspired the writings of the period, while promoting a resurgence of First Nations culture and languages.
Poonam Puri
Poonam Puri, Osgoode Hall Law School York Research Chair in Corporate Governance, Investor Protection and Financial Markets Puri’s YRC explores the role of the corporation in society and the impact of legal rules, as well as market mechanisms and incentives on corporate behaviour in several key areas of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG). These include racial justice, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and climate change, as well as the role of the corporation and financial markets in times of disruptive technological change. Puri’s cutting-edge, empirical, and interdisciplinary research program charts a new course for the modern corporation, casting it not solely as a profit-maximizer for its shareholders, but as a responsible corporate citizen that genuinely considers the interests of a wider range of stakeholders and is accountable to society.
Tier 2 York Research Chairs
Jacob Beck
Jacob Beck, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies York Research Chair in Philosophy of Visual Perception Beck’s work as YRC seeks to combine philosophy and vision science, suggesting new avenues for research in both disciplines. His research explores how longstanding philosophical puzzles about perception can be resolved or recast with the help of vision science. Beck also examines how scientific discussions can be illuminated by philosophy – for example, how numerical perception can be informed by philosophical theories about what numbers are. This YRC is administered by York University’s VISTA (Vision: Science to Applications) program, first funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (2016-23).
Gene Cheung
Gene Cheung, Lassonde School of Engineering York Research Chair in Graph Signal Processing Cheung’s research as a YRC focuses on signal processing and machine learning. Cheung looks at the frequency analysis and processing of big data residing on irregular kernels described by graphs, in an emerging and fast-growing field called graph signal processing (GSP). His research program involves collaboration with both academic and industry partners to apply GSP theory to a wide range of applications including image/3D point cloud compression, denoising, super-resolution, video summarization, movie recommendation, and crop yield prediction. This YRC is administered by York University’s VISTA (Vision: Science to Applications) program, first funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (2016-23).
Andrea Emberly
Andrea Emberly, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies York Research Chair in Children’s Musical Cultures As a YRC, Emberly will take a community-led approach to the study of children’s musical cultures that explores issues around sustaining endangered musical traditions by emphasizing the connection between music and wellbeing. The research program will focus on child-led and intergenerational collaborations that amplify the voices of equity-seeking children and young people who tell their own stories, in their own voices. The work will explore how children and young people are active social agents who locate and activate unique and meaningful pathways to sustain, change and transform musical traditions.
Sapna Sharma
Sapna Sharma, Faculty of Science York Research Chair in Global Change Biology Sharma’s research as YRC will seek to gain a deeper understanding of the ecological impacts of climate change on freshwater availability and quality. Sharma’s research will capitalize on long-term climatic and ecological time series collected from thousands of lakes and apply cutting-edge statistical and machine learning analyses to forecast the impacts of global environmental change on freshwater security and help to explain macroecological patterns, drivers and impacts of worldwide lake responses to climate change. The research program will collaborate with researchers across disciplines to develop technological, natural, health and social solutions to water security.
Sue Winton
Sue Winton, Faculty of Education York Research Chair in Policy Analysis for Democracy Winton’s YRC research program will collaborate with multiple public sector organizations to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education privatization in Canada. Winton’s research will compare policy development, enactment, and effects during and after the pandemic across multiple scales. The research results will create knowledge about local, regional, national and international influences on education privatization and how this process impacts socially disadvantaged groups, teachers’ work and democracy. At York, Winton will establish and lead a cross-disciplinary Community of Practice for new and established researchers with an interest in critical policy research.
Hina Tabassum
Hina Tabassum, Lassonde School of Engineering York Research Chair in 5G/6G-enabled Wireless Mobility and Sensing Applications Leveraging tools from statistics, optimization, game theory and machine learning, this YRC focuses on developing novel network deployment planning, radio access design and dimensioning, radio resource allocation and mobility management solutions to address challenges of higher frequencies like millimeter-wave in 5G and THz in 6G. Tabassum’s research will explore the feasibility of novel multi-band network architectures where THz and optical transmissions can complement the RF transmissions optimally. The research results could form a core for Canadian research on multi-band networks with the potential to connect the unconnected in a seamless, safe and resource efficient manner.
Taien Ng-Chan
Taien Ng-Chan, School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design York Research Chair in Marginal & Emergent Media Ng-Chan’s research explores questions of how emergent media (new technologies such as VR/AR) can aid in the development of original digital and immersive storytelling techniques, foster solidarity and community amongst marginalized groups, particularly from the Asian diaspora, and lead to better representation and inclusion of these groups in culture and society. The YRC program will allow for future long-term collaborations and creative activities that will contribute to more diversity and inclusion in the emergent media industries, a greater sense of community for marginalized groups and better cultural representation in storytelling.
Denielle Elliott
Denielle Elliott, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies York Research Chair in Injured Minds Elliott’s work as YRC will explore how ethnographic experiments and transdisciplinary collaborations between arts, neuroscience and medical anthropology can contribute to a fuller understanding of conceptions of self, brain trauma and mental health. Her research program involves a multidisciplinary team that will explore the embodied experiences of people living with brain trauma and brain trauma knowledge-making practices in the clinic and laboratory, as well as their convergences. The research results will increase understandings of the effects of brain trauma, facilitate transdisciplinary collaborations between the arts, science and humanities and highlight how uniquely valuable ethnographic methods are to understanding urgent health priorities.
Cary Wu
Cary Wu, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies York Research Chair in Political Sociology of Health Wu’s YRC program will work to establish a transdisciplinary political sociology of health approach to investigate health inequalities and provide greater understanding of what forces maintain, increase and reduce health inequalities. The research includes theoretical and empirical illustrations that will focus on trust – the belief in the reliability of others and institutions. The program will seek to energize the field of political sociology by introducing a much-needed new research direction that focuses on trust and will advance a unifying theory of trust to explain health inequalities.
Faculty, administrators encouraged to complete ‘Maclean’s’ survey for university rankings
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York faculty members and senior administrators are invited to fill out a reputational survey as part of the Maclean’s University Ranking.
The Canadian news magazine’s annual rankings are considered to be one of the most influential sources for prospective university students when choosing their school, and boosts reputation in higher education.
The annual reputational survey is part of the Maclean’s ranking methodology, which aims to gather the opinions of university faculty, senior administration and businesspeople from across Canada.
The Reputational Survey is now available for York faculty and senior administrators to complete until early September 2023, when the survey closes. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.
“The Maclean’s University ranking is an important signal for prospective students. Strong rankings for York improves awareness about our leadership in higher education, attracting students as well as research funding and strategic partnerships to our academic community. It also supports the University’s efforts to recruit talented future faculty and staff,” says Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic.
“I encourage faculty colleagues and senior administrators to complete the reputational survey to highlight York’s academic excellence and the advantages of choosing York,” she says. “The University is truly a driving force for positive change.”
Maclean’s has made two major changes this year: there is no student satisfaction survey; and, they are asking universities to distribute their reputational survey to participants on their behalf, instead of sending directly to participants.
Maclean’s has advised that when completing the survey, participants should choose the job title that most closely describes their role. For example, “assistant professors” and “associate professors,” will need to choose the “professor” option. Also, any staff member who teaches at York qualifies to complete the survey as an academic.
Any eligible faculty and senior administration member who encounters issues while completing the survey is encouraged to contact the Office of Institutional Planning and Analysis at oipa@yorku.ca.
From a research perspective, York University has much to be proud of:
York leads Connected Minds, a $318.4-million, first-of-its-kind AI research initiative examining how technology is transforming society, drawing on the expertise of core researchers from the Faculty of Health, the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, the Lassonde School of Engineering, Osgoode Hall Law School and Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
York’s total sponsored research income continues to increase amounting to $112 million in 2022-23, the highest in the history of the University.
York successfully hosted 10,310 global scholars at Congress 2023, showcasing leadership on social justice and sustainability and the Faculty of Graduate Studies ensured all graduate students were supported to attend through the Academic Excellence Fund, including equity-deserving groups.
“From our historic Connected Minds initiative to accelerating research in AI and health to the transformative work of more than 30 Organized Research Units that draw on expertise from STEM, social sciences and humanities, and other various fields, York is an interdisciplinary powerhouse for research excellence,” said Amir Asif, vice-president, research and innovation. “University ranks like Maclean’s help us demonstrate the significant reach and impact of our research faculty.”
Other points of institutional pride that highlight excellence happening at York include:
The School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) and the Schulich School of Business Executive Education partnered with Cinespace Studios to create the first micro-credential program in production accounting for professionals in the film and television industry.
York ranked in the Top 40 globally out of 1,500-plus institutions participating in this year’s Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, once again demonstrating the University’s leadership on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The Faculty of Science strengthened its training and research capacity by creating a program to train the next generation of technologically advanced graduates for the pharmaceutical industry and secured major research awards including $7.25 million from the International Development Research Centre.
Glendon College launched a first-of-its-kind Certificate in Indigenous Cultural Competency and Trauma-Informed Training, in partnership with Nokiiwin Tribal Council, and funded in part by the Donner Canadian Foundation.
York University Libraries Accessibility Services have been recognized as an international leader for those requiring alternate formats of texts or access to the Libraries’ adaptive lab to conduct research, course work and studies.
Faculty of Education Professor Celia Haig-Brown was one of six York faculty members to be elected by The Royal Society of Canada (RSC) as part of the Class of 2022 and Professor Carl James was one of five recipients of the 2022 Killam Prize, honouring his research on identity, race, class, gender, immigration and creating more equitable societies.
The School of Continuing Studies opened a new state-of-the-art building and increased the number of internationally educated baccalaureate graduates by 64 per cent. These students received post-graduate certificates in programs designed in partnership with industry, focusing on in-demand skills that enable students to launch careers in Canada.
The University approved the 2023-2028 Strategic Research Plan – Knowledge for the Future: From Creation and Discovery to Application, laying out a vision for accelerating the growth and supporting the development of our research, scholarship and creative activity over the next five years.
York University releases new strategic research plan
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York University’s strategic research plan, Knowledge for the Future: From Creation and Discovery to Application, has now been finalized and is publicly available for download.
The plan was officially approved by the Senate on May 25 after a series of open forums, public consultations and faculty presentations that first began in September 2022, and engaging with over 1,500 York community members.
“As an international leader in purposeful research, York University is a modern and progressive institution ranked among the top universities in the world for its impact on advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. “York’s reputation for excellence in research and related creative activities is rooted in interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches focused on driving positive change. Our faculty work with local and international partners building cross-sector networks that enhance our efforts to build equitable, inclusive, and sustainable communities. The new research plan lays out York’s strategy for intensifying our scholarly activities over the next five years continuing to propel the University forward as one of the most influential universities in Canada and beyond.”
The plan was developed with the help of an advisory committee made up of members from across the University. It showcases the depth and breadth of research at York and will be utilized beginning this year through to 2028.
“The strategic research plan offers a comprehensive and clear vision for York to grow its global impact and excel in its high standing as a research-intensive university,” said Vice-President Research and Innovation Amir Asif. “York stands ready to further its expertise and leadership in such fields as artificial intelligence, digital cultures, global health, Indigenous futurities, sustainability and more.”
The plan identifies six areas of existing research strengths, in addition to six areas of opportunity for the University to prioritize.
The six research areas of strength include:
Advancing Fundamental, Discovery and Theoretical Research and Scholarship
Illuminating Cultures and Cultivating Creativity
Building Healthy Lives, Communities and Reimagining Futures
Reaching New Horizons in Science, Technology and Society
Pursuing Justice, Equity and Sustainability: From Urban Dynamics to Global Challenges
Elevating Entrepreneurship Through Socially Responsible Innovation
The strategic research plan brings the York community together around a shared vision and is used as a tool by senior administration and the University Secretariat to make decisions about the institution’s research investments, infrastructure and services. The plan supports the University Academic Plan (2020-2025), which outlines York’s overall strategic objectives.
“I want to thank the advisory committee for their work and their passion, as well as to the entire York community who helped to develop and contribute to this plan alongside us,” said Asif. “I am confident that this community of changemakers can take this strategic research plan and bring it to life.”
York community gathers to celebrate Connected Minds
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York community members gathered on May 15 to celebrate Connected Minds, the largest York-led research program in the University’s history.
Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society is a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary research program, funded in part by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), that will work to ensure technological progress and the future of AI is fair and equitable. For more about the program and the researchers, see this story: York University leads groundbreaking research to ensure technology revolution leaves no one behind.
Attendees had the opportunity to enter an Indigenous metaverse in an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience, test their skills behind the wheel in a driving simulator, take in a VR art installation, jumble their senses in a tumbling room that can spin 360 degrees, interact with some of the latest robots used in University research, and more.
Click here to watch the full event recap on YouTube. To see photos from the event, view the gallery below.
Celebrate the launch of largest York-led research program on May 15
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Celebrate Connected Minds, the largest York-led research program in the University’s history, and explore the world of artificial intelligence and disruptive technologies, at an official launch event and interactive showcase on Monday, May 15.
York community members are invited to attend and experience York research first-hand. Attendees will have the opportunity to enter an Indigenous metaverse in an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience, test their skills behind the wheel in a driving simulator, take in a VR art installation, jumble their senses in a tumbling room that can spin 360 degrees, interact with some of the latest robots used in University research, and more.
Connected Minds: Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society is a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary research program, funded in part by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), that will work to ensure technological progress and the future of AI is fair and equitable. For more about the program and the researchers, see this story: York University leads groundbreaking research to ensure technology revolution leaves no one behind.
Connected Minds was officially announced as a recipient of the CFREF grant on April 28. It is the largest single federal grant ever awarded to York University. Join University officials, the research team and the program’s many partners, to mark this significant milestone for York research and the beginning of Connected Minds.
Date/time: Monday, May 15 at 1 p.m. Location: Sherman Health Science Research Centre, 281 Ian MacDonald Blvd., Keele Campus
Welcome to the May 2023 issue of ‘ASPIRE’
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ASPIRE is a special edition of YFile publishing on select Fridays during the academic year. It showcases research and innovation at York University. ASPIRE offers compelling and accessible stories about the world-leading and policy-relevant work of changemakers in all Faculties and professional schools across York and encompasses both discovery and applied research.
In this issue:
Meet York University’s latest commercialization Fellows Four budding researchers completed York University’s Commercialization Fellowship program, which enables them to develop their academic research into a commercially viable product.
