INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PORTFOLIO
Promotes and develops opportunities for:
• International
research – Solicited and unsolicited; Canadian and non-
Canadian funding. Federal GC and Tri-Council funding such as SSHRC
IOF, NSERC SRO, CIHR Global Health Research Initiative, CFI
International, DFAIT, IDRC, CIDA, ISTPP, GO funding such as the MRI
OSIP; NIH, World Bank, Foundations like the Gates, Ford, Carnegie, USIP
•
• Development cooperation – Solicited and unsolicited including
consultancies (CHEG; AUCC); tied to Official Development Aid (ODA)
policies
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PORTFOLIO
•
Graduate level research training – Incoming and outgoing; Canadian and non-Canadian
funding; tied to faculty research; preference for countries of strategic interest to Western.
Canadian funding sources include DFAIT, IDRC, Tri-Council, CIDA SFD and non – Canadian
sources include The Fulbright program and Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute. In partnership
with Faculty of Grad Studies and Center for New Students and SOGS
•
International internships and student mobility- Outgoing only; Canadian and nonCanadian funding; tied to faculty research and/or countries of strategic interest to Western.
Funding sources include CIDA’s SFD program and Youth Internship Program and Shastri,
DAAD. In partnership with relevant departments at Western - such as the Faculty of Graduate
Studies and Centre for New Students, Students Development Centre
•
International faculty mobility – Outgoing and incoming; Canadian and non-Canadian
funding; tied to international engagement and preference for countries of strategic interest to
Western. Funding sources include The Fulbright Program, Irish-Canadian program, The
British Council, Shastri, Royal Society, IDRC’s Lacreg program, CIDA, DFAIT
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PORTFOLIO
Development of multidisciplinary, collaborative international
programs and projects – in collaboration with the Deans offices
and VP Research and International Relations.
•
Stimulating and fostering – initiates discussions and networking among Western faculty,
faculty from other Canadian universities and foreign collaborators, team building, forming
linkages. Examples of activities are Research network days for Africa, France, India, China,
Ukraine, the new Canada-California research group, and the new Western News International
faculty column. Examples of research teams formed as a result of this process are the
Traditional Chinese Medicine Network, Canada - Africa Ecosystem Health Research
initiative; Western Heads East, The Western-Wales-Kenya collaboration etc
•
Coordinating – issue specific research discussion meetings; country specific meetings; visits
by foreign teams including foreign missions in collaboration with office of VP Research and
International Relations
•
Facilitating – research development by the research teams and individual faculty members.
This also involves a great deal of internal and international communications and interventions
on behalf of faculty members.
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PORTFOLIO
•
Liaison
liaises with external funding and other relevant agencies and participates at the Federal and
Provincial International Liaison meetings on behalf of the University.
Western’s ILO for the AUCC and the Canada –France Research Foundation. International Contact
Person for Ontario Gov MRI and MTCU as well as the Canada –California Strategic
International Partnerships and Fulbright Programs.
Participating in Policy document inputs and reviews, policy meetings, teleconferences etc.
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PORTFOLIO
Mechanisms/instruments:
1.
International faculty database – crucial instrument – available on line
and also as access file
2.
The country specific and issue specific working groups/teams
3.
Internal international funding
4.
Perfect collaboration with relevant units at Western – FGS, Registrar’s
dept, Students Development Centre, Housing, Accounting etc
5.
Perfect collaboration with the Deans’ offices/Faculty
6.
Very enthusiastic faculty members
7.
Very good access to external agencies
8.
Research collaboration and Academic Agreement mechanism in place
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PORTFOLIO
CHALLENGES
a) Culture
• Appreciation for multidisciplinary/cross-disciplinary research – lack of, limits
success
• Appreciation for the role of students especially grad students in advancement
of the research agenda – lack of, is a missed opportunity
b) International research track record – lack of, especially as it relates to large
multi disciplinary grants limits competitiveness or altogether eliminates
eligibility
c) Recognition system for international engagement – lack of, limits
participation/willingness to participate especially if labor intensive
d) Chronic and severe shortage of funding for meaningful international
engagement
Links to funding sources for
international engagement
* International Development Research Centre
http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-54473-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
•
The Commonwealth Fund – Health related
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/programsgrants/programsgrants.htm
•
World Bank Development Market Place
http://www.applytodm.org/#
•
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)
http://www.aucc.ca/programs/intprograms/index_e.html
•
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Education and Youth
International Scholarships Programs
Canadian Studies Program
International Education Promotion
http://www.international.gc.ca/culture/education-youth/menu-en.asp
* Human Resources and Social Development Canada
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/hip/lld/lssd/iam/announcements.shtml
Links to funding sources for
international engagement
•
IRELAND CANADA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
http://www.icuf.ie/about.html
•
The Bernard van Leer Foundation funds and shares knowledge about work in early childhood development:
Care, Transitions and Diversity
http://www.bernardvanleer.org/about
•
German DAAD Funding
http://www.daad.org/
*
The Canada-US Fulbright Program
http://www.fulbright.ca/en/award.asp
•
Global Classroom initiative
http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/gci
•
Western’s Internal International Opportunities
http://international.uwo.ca/assets/Western's_Internal_International_Funding_Opportunities.pdf