May 26: Morning
8:00AM-8:45AM | Third Floor Foyer
Registration & Warm Breakfast
8:45AM-9:30AM | University Room
Welcome
Speakers:
Leah Cowen
Vice-President, Research and Innovation, and Strategic Initiatives, University of Toronto
Valérie Laflamme
Associate Vice-President, TIPS
Duke Redbird
Elder from the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Member of the Indigenous Research Council for U of T’s Acceleration Consortium
Stephannie Roy
Executive Director, Strategy & Office of the Vice-President, Division of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, University of Toronto
Judith Chadwick
(Facilitator)
Assistant Vice-President, Research Services, University of Toronto
9:30AM-10:45AM | University Room
Update from Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (TIPS) TIPS shares the latest news from the CFREF program.
Speakers:
Valérie Laflamme
Associate Vice-President, TIPS
Christian Chouinard
Director, CFREF, CERC and C150 programs, TIPS
Guillaume Beaulieu-Houle
Manager, CFREF, CERC and C150 programs, TIPS
10:45AM-11:15AM | Third Floor Foyer
Break & Refreshments
11:15AM-12PM
Breakout Sessions
Session 1 | University Room
Community of Practice: Partnership EngagementAs we look to develop intentional relationships with a range of partners, this session will explore new partnership opportunities and channels in an ever-changing world.
Facilitator:
Sean Caffrey
Executive Director, Acceleration Consortium, University of Toronto
—
Session 2 | Terrace East
Community of Practice: Financial ManagementExplore the financial administration of CFREF grants. This session will continue discussions from previous Community of Practice meetings including sub-granting, reporting, partner contributions and indirect costs.
Facilitator:
Jeremy Knight
Director, Research Development, Research Services Office, University of Toronto
—
Session 3 | Terrace West
Community of Practice: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)Presenting key findings from the CFREF 2022 initiatives survey, this session will unpack what worked well in the EDI Action Plan development process and explore the core components for implementing EDI core practices.
Facilitator:
Mami Schouten
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Research Officer, University of Victoria
12PM-1PM | University Room
LunchEnjoy the venue’s China Town buffet with a wide range of Chinese food-inspired dining options.
May 26: Afternoon
1PM-2PM | University Room
Transforming Collaboration Networks: The Role of Government Funding in the Development of a Novel FieldAcademic collaboration networks are crucial for research productivity and innovation, with the number, quality, and diversity of connections significantly influencing academic output. Funding programs often incentivize such interdisciplinary efforts, however studies reporting on their effectiveness is lacking. This presentation will explore Medicine By Design, a Round 1 CFREF initiative, as a case study on how interdisciplinary collaborations produce more innovative and diverse research.
Speaker:
Professor Paige Clayton
School of City & Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology
Judith Chadwick
(Facilitator)
Assistant Vice-President, Research Services, University of Toronto
2PM-3:30PM
Breakout Sessions
Session 1 | University Room
Industry Partnerships – Navigating a New WorldNavigating partnerships in a new world of tariffs and geo-political challenges, hear from industry and university experts on how to build on existing relationships and take advantage of new opportunities.
Facilitator:
Padraic Foley
Director, Strategy & Partnerships, Acceleration Consortium, University of Toronto
—
Session 2 | Terrace East
Distinguishing and Advancing Indigenous Engagement (in Research Processes and Across Research Teams)This session will explore Indigenous Engagement across the spectrum of research processes and areas. Learn how to ensure they differentiate from other types of engagements, such as EDI.
Speakers:
Michael Hart
Vice-Provost (Indigenous Engagement), University of Calgary
Malcolm King
Professor Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan
Jennifer Gunning
(Facilitator)
Senior Director, Brain-Heart Interconnectome (BHI), University of Ottawa
Joanne Weninger
Executive Director, One Child Every Child, University of Calgary
—
Session 3 | Terrace West
Connecting, Engaging and Training Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP)A discussion of impactful HQP training programs, sharing experiences from Future Energy Systems (University of Alberta) and other CFREF programs. Participants are encouraged to bring questions and ideas to help generate HQP best practices for future CFREF projects.
Facilitator:
Valerie Miller
Outreach and Engagement Lead, University of Alberta
Session Materials:
3:30PM-3:45PM | Third Floor Foyer
Break
3:45PM-5PM | University Room
CFREF Legacy – Don't Let Your Initiative's "Apogée" Be Now; Design It to LastExplore strategies for sustaining funded initiatives beyond initial support. Through case presentations and a panel discussion, this session shares lessons learned and best practices to ensure your initiative’s legacy endures—financially and operationally— so it continues to grow rather than go to its "Apogée" and decline.
Speakers:
Christian Sarra-Bournet
Director, Quantum Strategy, Université de Sherbrooke
Terry Fonstad
Associate Vice-President Research, University of Saskatchewan
Martha Munezhi
Executive Director, Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: Bridging Divides, Toronto Metropolitan University
Keith Lévesque
Executive Director, Sentinel North, Université Laval
Patricia Fournier
(Moderator)
Assistant VP, Research Development, Université de Sherbrooke
5PM-7PM | Terrace
ReceptionNetwork with colleagues while dining on a selection of light refreshments.
May 27: Morning
8:00AM-9:20AM | Third Floor Foyer
Registration & Warm Breakfast
9:20AM-9:30AM | University Room
Welcome
9:30AM-10:45AM | University Room
Hearing From Round 1 & 2 Initiatives: Lessons LearnedThe panel will address challenges in CFREF Round 1 and 2 initiatives, including governance evolution, leadership structure, managing large projects and key considerations for the mid-term report.
Speakers:
Caitlin Mullin
Program Director, Connected Minds, York University
Virginie Portes
Director Research Support, IVADO, Université de Montréal
Keith Lévesque
Executive Director, Sentinel North, Université Laval
Judith Chadwick
(Facilitator)
Assistant Vice-President, Research Services, University of Toronto
Kristina Ohrvall
(Moderator)
Assistant Vice-President, Research Development, McGill University
Brian Moore
(Facilitator)
Directeur des Projets Structurants /
Director, Strategic Initiatives and Institutional Programs Université de Montréal
10:45AM-11:15AM | University Room
Break & Refreshments
11:15AM-12:30PM
Breakout Sessions
Session 1 | University Room
No Stories Without Numbers and No Numbers Without Stories When Reporting On Knowledge MobilizationCFREF asks you to count stuff and tell stories about stuff when you report on your knowledge mobilization activities and the impacts they have on society. But your numbers should complement a story, and your stories should have numbers. How can you get both?
Facilitator:
David Phipps
Assistant Vice-President, Research Strategy & Impact, York University
Session Materials:
- Knowledge Mobilization Slide Deck
- Article: The Co-produced Pathway to Impact Describes Knowledge Mobilization Processes
- Research Impact Canada - Impact and Engagement Case Study Guidelines
—
Session 2 | Terrace East
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)The session will explore challenges to implementing EDI initiatives, strategies for overcoming barriers and how to prepare for the midterm review. Participants will work in groups to answer guiding questions and strategize next steps for implementing EDI initiatives.
Facilitators:
Andrew Castillo
EDI & Community Outreach Specialist, Connected Minds, York University
Andrea Gill
Manager, Inclusive Excellence & Research Development, University of Toronto
Krystle Van Hoof
Managing Director & CEO, Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives, McGill University
Caitlin Mullin
Program Director, Connected Minds, York University
—
Session 3 | Terrace West
Budget & Finance – Challenges & Solutions Managing a seven-year budget with multiple universities, researchers and partners has its challenges. This session will discuss how our institutions have worked together to manage the budgets of two CFREF awards and the challenges encountered.
Facilitators:
Michelle MacArthur
Director of Finance, Ocean Frontier Institute, Dalhousie University
Jaclyn Pitman
Manager of Operations, Ocean Frontier Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland
12:30PM-1:15PM | University Room
LunchDine on the venue’s Danforth buffet with a range of Greek-inspired meal offerings.
May 27: Afternoon
1:15PM-2PM | University Room
Research Meets World: Communicating Impact EffectivelyClearly communicating the impact of a research program is increasingly a crucial skill for success in funding competitions and developing partnerships. In this interactive session we will distinguish between outputs and impact and provide practical tools to plan and articulate the impact pathways of your CFREF programs.
Facilitators:
Stephannie Roy
Executive Director, Strategy & Office of the Vice-President, Division of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, University of Toronto
Simona Chiose
Divisional Lead, Public Affairs, Government Affairs Office
Daniel Harney
Manager, Projects and Engagement, Division of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, University of Toronto
2PM-3:30PM
Breakout Sessions
Session 1 | University Room
Executive Director / Senior Leadership Networking CommunityThis session will bring together senior leaders from CFREF projects to share insights, challenges, and strategies related to leadership in complex research environments following a case study format. Key topics will include leading large and diverse teams, managing multidisciplinary collaborations and navigating conflict resolution.
Facilitator:
Giovanna Sebastiani
Director of Administration, DNA to RNA, McGill University
Martha Munezhi
Executive Director, Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: Bridging Divides, Toronto Metropolitan University
Maggie Perzyna
Research Operations Manager, Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Century: Bridging Divides, Toronto Metropolitan University
—
Session 2 | Terrace East
Understanding Canadian Research Security
Facilitators:
Justin Nankivell
Director, Research Security, University of Waterloo
Paul Jarrett
Director, Research Security, University of Toronto
An Chi Lee
Director, Research Security, Toronto Metropolitan University
—
Session 3 | Terrace West
Why Data Management Matters in a CFREFData is the foundation of research excellence—essential for reproducibility, collaboration and innovation. For CFREF initiatives effective data governance, management and interoperability are critical for success. Explore practical tools and real-world tips to avoid pitfalls and build scalable, sustainable data infrastructure.
Facilitators:
Samir Das
Associate Director, Research Software Development, McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, McGill University
Jennifer Gunning
Senior Director, Brain Heart Interconnectome, University of Ottawa
Krystle Van Hoof
Managing Director & CEO, Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives, McGill University
3:30PM-3:45PM | University Room
Break & Refreshments
3:45PM-4:30PM | University Room
Report Back: Key ThemesReflect on the learnings and themes from the past two days.
Facilitator:
Judith Chadwick
(Facilitator)
Assistant Vice-President, Research Services, University of Toronto
4:30PM-5PM | University Room
Closing Remarks
Speakers:
Alán Aspuru-Guzik
Scientific Director, Acceleration Consortium University of Toronto
Valérie Laflamme
Associate Vice-President, TIPS
Judith Chadwick
(Facilitator)
Assistant Vice-President, Research Services, University of Toronto
