YCAR launches lecture series on climate change

Heavily industrialized area with clouds of pollution looming in the sky at sunset, pollution, haze, smog

The York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR) is launching a new lecture series, titled “Climate Dystopias in Asia,” set to begin Nov. 22 and explore the relationship between climate change challenge and societal impact throughout Asia.

The “Climate Dystopias in Asia” series will feature scholars presenting their research and findings on the complex relationship between environmental shifts and societal impacts in Asia, focusing on the various adaptations that communities and organizations are undertaking in response to these challenges.

“Asia, as we know, is warming faster than the global average. It increasingly faces extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heat waves that significantly impact lives and livelihoods. To put the spotlight on climate challenges that cities, coasts and hinterlands face in different parts of Asia, we will invite scholars from interdisciplinary backgrounds to offer grounded analyses of the complexities and limitations of climate adaptation strategies,” says Professor Shubhra Gururani, the director of YCAR.

Kasia Paprocki
Kasia Paprocki

The inaugural lecture of the series will feature Professor Kasia Paprocki from the Department of Geography & Environment at the London School of Economics & Political Science. The in-person talk, titled “Threatening Dystopias: Development, Scientific Knowledge and Adaptation to Climate Change,” will draw on Paprocki’s book, also named Threatening Dystopias, that examines the politics of climate change adaptation in Bangladesh.

By situating climate change in a longer history of growth and development, Paprocki will explore the oversimplified crisis narratives that define Bangladesh’s approach towards climate change. In global climate change policy and media circles, Bangladesh is the poster child for climate disasters related to rising sea levels and is often portrayed as “the world’s most vulnerable country to climate change.” Paprocki will critically evaluate these narratives and offer an analysis that digs deeper and shows how the prevailing storyline may overlook the political and economic forces that contour Bangladesh’s climate geography.

The talk will draw on Paprocki’s research and publications’ focus on climate change adaptation in South Asia, specifically in Bangladesh. Forging a conversation between political ecology, agrarian studies, climate change and risk narratives, Paprocki will examine the narrative of climate change as it circulates in Bangladesh and situate the responses to climatic change in the deeper histories of colonial policies and agrarian politics of land and underdevelopment.

“With this event and the series more generally, we hope to offer a platform for a deeper understanding of the nuanced interactions between environmental challenges and societal change in Asia,” says Gururani.

Read more about the speaker here at kasiapaprocki.com.

More information about the series can be accessed here.

New, free services enhance IP protection, commercialization for researchers

research patent innovation

York University’s Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation (VPRI) is partnering with the IP Innovation Clinic, a legal clinic at Osgoode Hall Law School focused on intellectual property (IP), to offer new streamlined services to enhance IP protection and the commercialization efforts of the University’s research community.

Backed by a recent investment from the provincial agency Intellectual Property Ontario, the two York units have increased resources, including new staff, to drive innovation at York and support researchers strategically to transform, protect and leverage their research outcomes via patents, trademarks, other IP strategies and business ventures.

“VPRI is committed to optimizing the impact, outcomes and the commercial potential of university research,” said Jennifer MacLean, assistant vice-president innovation and research partnerships. “Our partnership with the IP Innovation Clinic will help York researchers excel in a competitive environment and turn their great ideas into reality, advancing the University’s mission to drive positive change.”

The range of free services available to York researchers include: IP discussions and strategic information, prior art and patent searches, trademark searches, business development knowledge, IP management and entrepreneurial supports, among others.

“The launch of our new integrated approach will provide York researchers a stronger and clearer pathway to bring their invention, product or service to market,” said Joseph Turcotte, assistant director of the IP Innovation Clinic. “We aim to be a key part of York’s innovation ecosystem and help researchers transition their work from the lab to society.”

Working with VPRI’s Technology Transfer Office and its commercialization managers, the clinic will develop a customized plan tailored to reach researchers’ unique needs, goals and stages of development. By leveraging this internal expertise, York researchers can save on the time and costs associated with finding and hiring external IP practitioners, commercializing their research faster and more efficiently.

“Our aim is to not only provide researchers the peace of mind that their IP is protected, but help simplify a complicated process and avoid errors that can delay the journey to market,” said Courtney Cole, business development manager with VPRI. “We can help York researchers build partnerships and connect them with opportunities that will maximize their innovation impact.”

Founded by the clinic’s director, Professor Giuseppina (Pina) D’Agostino, in 2010, the IP Innovation Clinic has completed over 300 consultations, 169 prior art searches, 115 trademark searches and created 20 IP agreements. It estimates that it has saved clients over $2 million in legal fees.

“Thanks to this partnership with VPRI, we are able to serve many more clients and better scale our reach across York,” said D’Agostino. “We can also provide more hands-on training to our law students, making them more IP and business savvy and better skilled to protect key assets in our disruptive tech economy.”

Researchers looking to advance their inventions or research projects into the market can schedule one-on-one consultations with the clinic by emailing ipinnovationclinic@osgoode.yorku.ca.

Opportunities are also available for IP and commercialization information and education sessions to be hosted on campus, including training sessions and workshops on how to harness IP effectively. Those interested in having their department, program, lab or research unit host a session should reach out to ipinnovationclinic@osgoode.yorku.ca.

Milestones, funding and collaboration highlight research success at York

Header banner for ASPIRE

Welcome to the October issue of Aspire, a special issue of YFile highlighting research and innovation at York University, and the first for the 2023-24 academic year.

Aspire is produced by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation in partnership with Communications & Public Affairs.

Amir Asif
Amir Asif

This month, we celebrate a milestone anniversary for VISTA (Vision: Science to Applications), one of the largest and most interdisciplinary research programs at York to date, in addition to new federal funds for several collaborative faculty research and knowledge mobilization projects.   

This issue also highlights recent research by Dr. Gordon Flett, a professor of psychology in the Faculty of Health. A long-serving faculty member, Dr. Flett’s scholarly work on perfectionism is world-leading.    

For those interested the University’s global engagement, this month’s newsletter features a story about Dr. Amrita Daftary, an associate professor in the School of Global Health and the School of Health Policy & Management, whose work studying tuberculosis stigma in India illustrates the global impact of York’s research partnerships.  

Also featured is one of the latest examples of how the University continues to drive innovation in the province of Ontario, with a new tri-party agreement. This agreement between York, Seneca Polytechnic and the Ontario Centre for Innovation facilitates new partnerships between our applied researchers and small- and medium-sized enterprises, with the goal of spurring business growth and expansion.  

I am also pleased to announce the appointment of the University’s first associate director research security, Rebecca Irwin. Ms. Irwin joins York after working with the Government of Canada on national security priorities for the last 16 years. I invite you to learn about her new role in more detail here.  

Research and innovation at York is constantly evolving and expanding. I hope this month’s Aspire provides an enticing glimpse into the wealth of activity taking place at York, and amongst our community of changemakers. 

Happy reading.

Sincerely,

Amir Asif
Vice-President Research & Innovation


In this issue:

York’s world-leading vision research program looks towards the future 
VISTA: Vision Science to Application has played a significant role in growing York University’s reputation in the field of vision science, and will continue to create positive change operating as part of the Centre for Vision Research.

Overbearing dads fuel perfectionism in daughters, moms influence sons: York-UBC study
York University’s Gordon Flett continues to delve into what drives perfectionism in a new research collaboration with UBC.

Collaborative research projects exploring international justice, creative tech earn grants
Two researchers in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies are among the latest recipients of the Partnership Engage Grant awarded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada.

York U health researcher tackles TB stigma through partnership in India 
As a leading international teaching and research university, a key focus at York is global health research, particularly on pressing issues facing the Global South. Associate Professor Amrita Daftary is investigating social determinants of tuberculosis (TB).

York researchers receive federal funding for knowledge mobilization projects
Four York University researchers are among the latest recipients of Connection Grants from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada for various knowledge mobilization activities related to their work.

New partnership empowers businesses through applied research
York University partners with Seneca Polytechnic and the Ontario Centre of Innovation to enhance applied research opportunities for Ontario businesses.

York’s world-leading vision research program looks towards the future 

Doug Crawford with members of VISTA team


By Corey Allen, senior manager, research communications

VISTA: Vision Science to Applications, York University’s first large-scale research program to receive support from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), will enter a new phase in 2024 after marking its seven-year milestone.     

The novel program was first awarded $33.4 million from CFREF, the country’s top federal research grant, back in 2016. Since then, the VISTA program has established itself as an international leader in vision research across a wide range of real-world applications – from basic visual function to 3D imaging to computer vision and object recognition – and played a significant role in growing York University’s standout reputation in the field of vision science.

Doug Crawford speaking at VISTA event
Doug Crawford speaking at the VISTA celebration.

“VISTA has been a labour of love and it’s taken vision research at York to the next level,” said Doug Crawford, the program’s inaugural scientific director, who now heads up York’s second CFREF program, Connected Minds. “I believe that over these last seven years, VISTA has become the best vision research program in the world.”  

With over 500 international co-authored publications, over 100 research awards, dozens of patent filings and invention disclosures, several startups, among other achievements, the VISTA program has experienced great success.  

VISTA funded 18 new faculty hires and 148 postgraduate trainees, working across five Faculties, including the Lassonde School of Engineering, the Faculty of Health, the Faculty of Science, the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.  

The program’s partnership and affiliate programs resulted in more than 300 external collaborations across multiple sectors, leading to new applications in law enforcement, clinical diagnosis, art exhibits and space research.  

James Elder with his research demo
James Elder, VISTA member and York Research Chair in Human and Computer Vision, demonstrates his research on an attentive robot.

Altogether, the program’s distinguished membership, including 16 Canada Research Chairs, brought in more than $89 million of external research income, including research grants and partner contributions.  

Now that the CFREF grant is coming to the end of its seven-year term, VISTA will continue to operate as part of the Centre for Vision Research (CVR) at York, where an interdisciplinary team gathers to advance fundamental research that merges techniques in human psychophysics, visual neuroscience, computer vision and computational theory. 

In addition to the historic CFREF grant, contributions from the University and other external partners, the VISTA program received more than $120 million in total funding over its first seven years. 

Guests at the VISTA celebration trying a research demo
Guests at the VISTA celebration event test out some of the research program’s technology applications.

“VISTA forged strong and sustained links between vision science at York and industry partners, nationally and internationally,” said Laurie Wilcox, an esteemed vision researcher and VISTA’s new scientific director. “The program has fostered close collaborations, invested in state-of-the-art equipment and laid the foundation for a continued focus on applied vision with the Centre for Vision Research. I am excited to work with the CVR to establish this new phase of the VISTA program.”

To mark the program’s milestone seventh year and its transition, the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation hosted a celebration event earlier this month.  

“With many of the world’s top experts conducting cutting-edge research and innovation, training highly qualified personnel, and offering academic programs in the field of biological and computer vision right here at York, the VISTA program is a crowning achievement of their research excellence, and an incredible source of pride for the entire University community,” said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation, speaking at the event.

Overbearing dads fuel perfectionism in daughters, moms influence sons: York-UBC study 

mother and child discipline perfectionism


By Corey Allen, senior manager, research communications

Women are more likely to be perfectionists when raised by an overbearing father whereas men are more likely to exhibit perfectionism when raised by an overbearing mother, according to a joint study from York University and the University of British Columbia (UBC).  

It’s the first study of its kind to investigate how the way mothers and fathers bond with their sons and daughters – and how their cold or controlling behaviour – can act as a potential predictor of perfectionist tendencies in young adults.

Gordon Flett
Gordon Flett

“Our research underscores the influence gender-specific parental behaviours can have in the psychological development of children and their risk of perfectionism as they grow older,” said Gordon Flett, the study’s co-author and a professor of psychology in the Faculty of Health at York University. “Perfectionists experience higher levels of depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies. The pressure children feel to be perfect is more likely to come from the expectations of one parent, with gender as a key factor.” 

Using psychological questionnaires, the researchers surveyed over 400 men and women undergraduate students at UBC. While their analysis revealed this pattern of perfectionism in father-daughter and mother-son relationships, Flett points out there are always exceptions.  

“Perfectionism runs in the family, but further research is needed to fully understand its origins, how it can be fostered differently in boys and girls based on parental bonding behaviours and the gender dynamics at play in child rearing,” he said.  

The study supports previous research by Flett and his longtime collaborator, UBC’s Paul Hewitt, among others, that theorizes an individual can develop perfectionistic traits to compensate for unmet emotional needs from harsh parenting.  

It’s also the latest research contribution for Flett in a career that has spanned over three decades studying perfectionism. Flett’s expert advice to parents is they should strive for excellence – and never perfection – in their kids.  

“There is a subtle, but tremendous difference,” he explains. “Even successful perfectionists never seemed to be satisfied and always focus on what they could have done better. Striving for excellence means parents can model healthy reactions to mistakes that their child can then mimic or imitate.”   

The study, “Father-daughter and mother-son relationships: Parental bonding behaviours and socially prescribed perfectionism in young adults,” was published earlier this year in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. Flett’s co-authors are Sabrina Ge (first author), Chang Chen, and Hewitt at UBC’s Perfectionism & Psychotherapy Lab.    

Flett and Hewitt recently co-wrote a book, Perfectionism in Childhood and Adolescence: A Developmental Analysis, which considers the issues addressed in this study in more detail. The book was a finalist for the 2023 PROSE Awards.

Collaborative research projects exploring international justice, creative tech earn grants 

Ideas grant research innovation partnerships


By Corey Allen, senior manager, research communications

Two researchers in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies are among the latest recipients of the Partnership Engage Grant awarded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada.  

Annie Bunting, a professor of law and society, and Farshid Shams, an associate professor of strategy and organization studies, have each received nearly $25,000 in support of collaborative research projects conducted with a non-academic partner

Farshid Shams
Farshid Shams
Annie Bunting
Annie Bunting

Bunting’s project, “Transitional Gender Justice in North East Nigeria,” partners with the Explore Humanitarian Aid Initiative. The not-for-profit organization was established in response to the humanitarian crisis brought on by the Boko Haram, a militant extremist group that took over the Borno State region in 2009. Since then, thousands of women and girls have endured sexual assault and abuse at the hands of the insurgents.  

The collaborative work will investigate the barriers faced by survivors of conflict-related sexual violence to obtain legal justice and reparations for crimes committed against them. The project’s findings will help develop policies, support services and programs that centre the needs of survivors. In addition, the project will help the Explore Humanitarian Aid Initiative build capacity in research design, data analysis and report writing, which can be used to enhance their future work in promoting gender equality.   

“Research can help ensure the voices of vulnerable and marginalized groups are heard and taken into account in transitional justice policy and program development,” said Bunting.  

Shams’ project, “The matter of creativity in the high-tech sector: exploring the creativity-productivity paradox in managers’ and employees’ everyday work,” partners with a leading company in the medical technology sector.    

The joint project will explore how Canadian tech companies leverage staff creativity for organizational success, with the partnering company as a case study. The project will advance the understanding of how managers can tap into the creative potential of their staff while simultaneously guiding them to adhere to standardized procedures that may restrict creativity. The project will also consider the tensions between creativity and conformity from the employees’ perspective and assess how resources like office space, virtual tools and templates impact creativity.  

“We expect our project’s results to help improve organizational work practices for our partner, but also be of use in the future for other tech sector employers looking to drive innovation in their company and culture,” said Shams.  

York researchers receive federal funding for knowledge mobilization projects 

Lightbulb with orbs over an open book


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 

partnership collaboration agreement business


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
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.” 

For more about the partnership, click here: New Partnership to Connect GTA Businesses with Applied Research Opportunities, Fueling Innovation and Growth – Ontario Centre of Innovation (oc-innovation.ca).  

Contribute to York’s new Sustainability Strategy

Keele campus bikes trees Lassonde

La version française suit la version anglaise. 

Dear colleagues,

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:

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 :

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

lightbulb idea innovation

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.

Visit the Commercialization Fellowship website to review program details and eligibility, and for more details on how to apply.