In an effort to bring faculty together, University Research Services (URS) is hosting the second annual Research Development Day (RDD), an event designed to engage the community on timely research-based topics. Faculty members from all disciplines, and at any career stage, are encouraged to attend the event, which will be held Thursday, May 2.

This year, in partnership with the Human Rights and Equity Office, URS will launch a new workshop addressing the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in practice. Increasingly, faculty members are required to include an EDI framework in research and training activities for grant proposals. Yet, faculty continue to ask questions about how best to incorporate these values into everyday research practices.

“Researchers have realized that leveraging the diversity of backgrounds and talents present in their research environments only makes their work stronger. However, understanding the best way to do this is still a work in progress,” says Vanessa Yzaguirre, Special Projects Officer, Human Rights and Equity Office. “What we wanted to do was create a set of guiding equity principles for researchers to feel confident when applying an equity and intersectional lens to their work, and to feel supported by our office when challenges arise.”

In this morning workshop, Yzaguirre, Human Rights Advisor Heidi Penning, and Erin Clow, Education and Communication Advisor of the Human Rights and Equity Office, will guide faculty members in the exploration of strategies that foster inclusive and enriched research collaborations and training environments. The session is open to all faculty members, whether or not they are familiar with EDI principles.

After lunch, David Phipps, Executive Director of Research and Innovation Services at York University, will lead an innovative keynote workshop on increasing research impact. Dr. Phipps currently heads the award-winning Knowledge Mobilization Unit at York, which provides services to researchers, community organizations, and government agencies aiming to maximize the economic, social, and environmental impacts of academic research. This hands-on workshop will provide researchers across disciplines with tools for developing effective research impact, be it commercialization or knowledge mobilization strategies and practices. 

New this year is a spotlight series on resources for research hosted by the Library, URS-Grants, and University Relations. These short sessions highlight the services, tools, and initiatives available at Queen’s to help strengthen and distinguish faculty research, and will be led by Rosarie Coughlan, Scholarly Publishing Librarian, Stauffer Library, Kirstin Sprong, Queen’s Mitacs, and Melinda Knox, Associate Director, Research Profile and Initiatives.

Research Development Day will take place from 9 am to 4 pm in the technology-enabled, active learning classroom, Room 225, in the newly-built Mitchell Hall. Lunch is provided to registrants.

For more information and to register, visit the Research Development Day website.