2024 CFREF Symposium

4 –6:30 p.m. | MacEwan Hall Ballroom

Join your fellow CFREF Symposium delegates for our Opening Reception, which will include opening remarks from UCalgary and Tips, a keynote talk, and plenty of time to network and connect. 

Light refreshments will be provided, and symposium check-in will be available. 

9 a.m. | MacEwan Hall Ballroom

Join us to kick off symposium sessions with opening remarks from UCalgary leadership and an Indigenous blessing. 

Plenary: Parallel Paths  
Dr. Michael Hart, PhD | Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Research (Indigenous Engagement), UCalgary
9:30 a.m. | MacEwan Hall Ballroom

UCalgary’s CFREF program One Child Every Child is guided by ii’ taa’poh’to’p, the UCalgary Indigenous Strategy, and walks parallel paths with Indigenous Elders and scholars to encompass the wisdom, voices and priorities of Indigenous peoples for the betterment of all. 

This session will discuss how One Child Every Child brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, child health research institutes, education and healthcare providers, equity-deserving groups, local, national and global stakeholders to accelerate outcomes for children and their families.  

 

Workshop: Moving towards National and Global Impact 
Dr. Herman Barkema, PhD | Director, One Health at UCalgary
Dr. Andre Buret, PhD | Associate Vice-President (Research), UCalgary
10:45 a.m. | MAcEwan Hall Ballroom | Operational stream

Participants will discuss how to strategically expand the reach of their CFREF research program to the national and global scale. Expertise will be shared by researchers who have successfully contributed to national and international initiatives and policy programs. 


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Workshop: Breaking the Mould of Knowledge Mobilization (Session 1 of 2)   
Falling Walls Engage Hub Canada and the Royal Canadian Institute for Science 
10:45 a.m. | Cassio A/B | Scientific stream

Please note that this is first part of a two-part session. It is expected that participants will take part in both sessions. Part two is scheduled for May 8 at 9:15 a.m.

This two-day training will increase the understanding of knowledge mobilization by equipping participants with the tools to better communicate their research and engage with a variety of audiences across Canada and beyond. Facilitators will guide CFREF teams to become world-leading experts not only in their respective research fields, but also in how they use their work to increase engagement, build capacity, scale findings and spur innovation at home and abroad.

Day 1: Breaking the Mould of Knowledge Mobilization 

What does impactful knowledge mobilization look like in today’s world? Gone are the days of viewing knowledge as a product. Today, the most successful knowledge mobilization strategies see knowledge as a process. They empower bidirectional exchange between different communities to create new knowledge and catalyze change. But what does this mean for Canada’s top researchers and their teams?

Featuring best-in-class case studies of successful knowledge mobilization projects drawn from CFREF initiatives, this session establishes the broad range of what knowledge mobilization can look like as well as what makes it successful and sustainable. It also highlights current trends, innovative approaches and formats, strategies for mobilizing your entire research team and the importance of EDI considerations.  

 

Panel: Lessons learned from 2017 CFREFs  
Dr. Ian Gates, PhD | Director, Global Research Initiative in Sustainable Low Carbon Unconventional Resources, UCalgary  
1:30 p.m. | MacEwan Hall Ballroom 

Hear from leaders of 2017 CFREFs about the lessons that they learned throughout the process of executing their CFREF research programs. Audience members will also have the opportunity to ask questions of the panel members.  

 

Workshop: Establishing good governance 
Dr. Aleem Bharwani, MD | Director, Public Policy and Strategic Partnerships, Cumming School of Medicine, UCalgary 
Dr. Pamela Roach, PhD | Associate Scientific Director – Population Health, O’Brien Institute for Public Health, UCalgary
2:30 p.m. | MacEwan Hall Ballroom | Operational stream  

Governance is about where and how decisions are made. Facilitators will present research findings that explore how they propose to improve governance at the University of Calgary, which includes a commitment to parallel paths amongst diverse Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, as well as structural and procedural (“ways”) interventions to improve the quality and culture of decision-making. 

The facilitation team brings multiple perspectives: Indigenous, pluralism, social innovation, public administration, and legal/public institution governance. In this workshop, participants will jointly explore how to improve governance in each of our individual programmes and centres; as well as how to collaborate across centres in service of shared futures. 

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Workshop: Partnership Playground – Crafting Ethical Partnerships for Success 
Sid Gunamalai, Health & Life Sciences, Industry Engagement, UCalgary
Nishan Sharma, Manager, International Research Partnerships and Innovation, UCalgary
Stephanie Warner, Manager, Knowledge Engagement, UCalgary
2:30 p.m. | Cassio A/B | Scientific stream

Finding and working with appropriate partners is always a challenge, even when it’s going well. In this interactive session, participants will share approaches to finding appropriate partners, and how to connect in ethical, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways to maximize collaboration while achieving their stated goals. Participants will come away with fresh ideas for relationship development and partnership stewardship.

Workshop: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility  
Dr. Bukola Salami, RN, PhD | Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Black and Racialized Peoples’ Health, Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, UCalgary  
Dr. Hayford Avedzi, PhD | Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Co-Facilitator, One Child Every Child, UCalgary   
9:15 a.m. | MacEwan Hall Ballroom | Operational stream 

At the end of the 90-minute session, attendees will be able to describe the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion in research, understand and apply central ideas related to intersectionality into research design and teams, and incorporate equity, diversity and inclusion principles into research design and research teams.  

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Workshop: Breaking the Mould of Knowledge Mobilization (Session 2 of 2) 
Falling Walls Engage Hub Canada and the Royal Canadian Institute for Science   
9:15 a.m. | Cassio A/B | Scientific stream  
Please note that this is second part of a two-part session. It is expected that participants will take part in both sessions. Part one is scheduled for May 7 at 10:45 a.m.

Day 2: Broadening the Horizons of Your Knowledge Mobilization Projects

Bring your own CFREF knowledge mobilization plan or new project ideas and put the lessons from Day 1 into practice. We’ll work together in small groups to explore novel opportunities for knowledge mobilization, identify potential community partners, brainstorm innovative ways of engaging them, set objectives, troubleshoot challenges, build capacity and establish metrics for measuring success. Leave empowered to put your knowledge mobilization plan into action and bring your reimagined initiatives to life.  

 

Workshop: Financial management  
Marjorie Moreau | Director, VPR Operations, Office of the Vice-President (Research), UCalgary
Jessica Tink | Manager, Energy Research, UCalgary  
11:00 a.m. | Cassio A/B | Operational stream

This workshop will discuss financial administration and management of CFREF programs, focusing on common challenges including direct/indirect costs, salaries, TAGFA, and more.   


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Workshop: Performance Management Plans and Research Impact Assessment 
Kathryn Graham | Executive Director, Impact Action Lab, Alberta Innovates
Srijani Deb |  Institutional Research Facilitator, Global Research Initiative in Sustainable Low Carbon Unconventional Resources (GRI), UCalgary 
11:00 a.m. | MacEwan Hall Ballroom | Scientific stream

Participants will discuss different disciplinary approaches to how PMPs and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are part of an overall impact measurement and assessment strategy that help with demonstration and communicating impact across the lifecycle of the grant. Hear about practical practices on data collection and sharing, how to work with TIPS on PMPs, and study successful case studies from diverse initiatives.  

 

Panel and Q&A: Ask Me Anything with TIPS  
Valérie Laflamme, PhD | Associate Vice-President, TIPS 
Christian Chouinard, PhD | Director, CFREF, CERC and C150 programs, TIPS
Guillaume Beaulieu-Houle | Manager, CFREF, CERC and C150 programs, TIPS 
1:45 p.m. | MacEwan Hall Ballroom

TIPS will be answering audience questions on all things CFREF. The opportunity to submit questions in advance will be available.  

 

Closing Plenary: Creating Sustainability for your CFREF Program
Allison Brown | Executive Director, Medicine By Design, University of Toronto
Michael Sefton | Scientific Director, Medicine By Design, University of Toronto 
May 8, 2024 | 2:45 p.m. | MacEwan Hall Ballroom (presenting remotely)

This closing session will address sustainability planning, financial independence, leveraging of funds, research translation, and fostering long-term partnerships to ensure that your CFREF research can continue once the grant has concluded. 

All CFREF Symposium attendees are invited to attend UCalgary's Creating Tomorrow: Child Health and Wellness event, featuring members of UCalgary’s One Child Every Child CFREF program. Advance registration is required. 

Creating Tomorrow: Child Health and Wellness | 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. | Calgary Central Library

Learn more: ucalgary.ca/creating-tomorrow