Research News 
Institutional Strategic Research Committee (ISRC) Competition Strategy
The Institutional Strategic Research Committee (ISRC) advises the Principal and the Vice-Principal Research on programs of strategic significance to Queen’s where a limited number of applications are permitted. The ISRC consists of the Principal, the Vice-Principal Research, six Deans and the senior branches of central services (Provost, Advancement, and Finance and Administration). In recent months, this group has advised on the allocation of the Canada Foundation for Innovation – Infrastructure Fund, the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and most recently the Canada Excellence Research Chairs.
Created in fall 2020, the ISRC has been instrumental in their capacity to encourage applications in strategically significant areas for Queen’s. The ISRC is directly engaged in the early stages of proposal development, improving institutional decision-making and outcomes, and creating a pipeline of large research infrastructure ideas that can be further developed for future competitions and funding opportunities.
Competition Updates:
- Major Science Initiatives (MSI) site visits have been conducted recently for our two MSI projects: SNOLAB and CCTG. The three-stage merit-review process displays our facilities to experts from across Canada and around the world to ensure our proposals meet the competition objectives of Excellence, Expertise & Partnerships, Innovation and Benefits to Canadians. The process is currently in adjudication and results are forthcoming.
- CFREF (Canada First Research Excellence Fund) Competition. With the opportunity to submit only one, after lengthy discussion, the CFREF proposal is being advanced in Astroparticle Physics to support a bold new vision in theoretical and experimental physics.
- CERC (Canada Excellence Research Chairs) process is underway. Queen’s has a $2M envelope to apply towards the CERC competition. The internal process for the selection of the areas through the ISRC includes various areas of strength, which will be communicated in due course.
Prize for Excellence in Research
Recently, the VPR re-launched the Prizes for Excellence in Research – the highest form of research recognition at Queen’s since 1980 – this year with a particular emphasis on Outstanding Emerging Researchers. This focus will help position early career scholars for further success with discipline-specific, national, and international prizes.
Application deadline is April 1, 2022
Post-Doctoral Fund
The deadline for the Post-Doctoral Fund is fast approaching. The objective of the fund is to attract outstanding post-doctoral fellows to Queen’s. The fund provides two years of salary support for up to ten post-doctoral fellows who will hold the post-doctoral fellowship at Queen’s University.
Post-doctoral fellows are encouraged to apply by April 1, 2022
CIHR Funding Success
Researchers at Queen’s have received over $2M in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to advance programs accessing a series of public health challenges. The Project Grant program aims to identify ideas with great potential to advance basic and applied health research.
- David Reed (Medicine) received $918,000 for a five-year program aiming to find new treatments for chronic abdominal pain, such as that experienced by people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other conditions.
- Mark Ormiston (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences) received $750,275 to study the molecular processes involved in pulmonary arterial hypertension.
- Chris McGlory (School of Kinesiology and Health Studies) received $535,500 to understand why people lose muscle during periods of inactivity, such as those experienced by hospital patients when immobile after surgery.
- Imaan Bayoumi (Family Medicine) has been granted $100,000 to develop a one-year research program on poverty and child health.
Recent Honours and Awards
- Cathleen Crudden (Chemistry) has received the Alfred Bader Award sponsored by CSC Organic Chemistry Division
- Mngoma Nomusa (School of Rehabilitation Therapy) was honoured with the BE-STEMM 2022 Award for Research Excellence in Epidemiology & Population Health
- Gregory Jerkiewicz (Chemistry) received the Rio Tinto Award from the Canadian Institute of Chemistry
Visualizing impact with the Art of Research
The Queen’s Art of Research photo contest is returning for its sixth year with a new focus. Led by University Relations, the 2022 contest has been reimagined through the lens of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a universal call to action and framework for social impact. This change also aligns with the mission and vision of the new Queen’s Strategy and its participation in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings , which measure an institution's impact on society based on their success in delivering on strategies that advance the SDGs. Photo submissions will be accepted until April 6, 2022.
View the categories for 2022
Helping Queen’s researchers bridge the gap between academia and the public
Two upcoming workshops with will highlight how Queen’s researchers can help bridge the gap between academia and the public. On March 9 and 22, Queen’s will welcome Scott White, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Conversation Canada, for two workshops targeted to faculty and graduate students interested in writing for the platform. Led by University Relations, the virtual, hour-long program will highlight the changing media landscape, the role of The Conversation and researchers as credible news sources, and how to craft the perfect pitch. Participants can bring pitch ideas to the workshops to receive real-time editorial feedback.
Queen’s is always looking to add to its roster of authors taking part in The Conversation. Researchers interested in learning more about the platform are encouraged to register for the March workshops or contact researchcommunications@queensu.ca.
Partnerships and Innovation
February was pitch month!
Queen’s Partnerships and Innovation provided several Queen’s researchers and Queen’s affiliated companies with opportunities to present their technologies and compete for investment.
- Chris Mueller (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences) pitched his mDetect technology and emerging spin-off company to investors at the , and also provided support to Mohsen Omrani and Nazanin Alavi (Psychiatry) to present their spin-off company and pitch for investment during the .
- Karen Yeates (Medicine) pitched her spin-off company at the
- Yan-Fei Liu (Electrical and Computer Engineering) presented his spin-off company DigiQ Power Ltd. to potential customers and investors during Spark Centre’s event, and to pitch the company for investment to the Southeastern Ontario Angel Network.
New program exclusive to Queen’s
Queen’s Partnerships and Innovation has established a partnership between the university and to pilot a new program exclusive to Queen’s that will enable Queen’s PhD students and postdoctoral fellows in STEM gain valuable entrepreneurial training and real-world exposure to the entrepreneurial journey.
Learn more about the new program .