CSPC 2018

Panel Organizer: Friends of Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Keynote:  Dr. David Naylor (2018 Friesen Prizewinner) – “Inter-Jurisdictional Synergy in the Canadian Research Realm: Time for Action”

The 2017 report of the Fundamental Science Review primarily addressed the funding, organization, and oversight of federal support for extramural research.  However, a number of observations were made about the interplay of federal and provincial/territorial support for research, innovation, and talent development:  

• Very limited Federal Provincial Territorial (FPT) interaction and shared strategizing among senior officials on the science and innovation files 
• Obvious imbalance of financial support for research across Ottawa, the provinces, and institutions
• Specific friction points: e.g. sharing of F&A (indirect) costs,  federal programs requiring for PT match funding without collaborative adjudication 
• Weak alignment on shared challenges such as research infrastructure/infostructure 
• Absence of a shared vision and national action plan for developing research-intensive talent
  
  

The panel will discuss FPT collaboration in research, and consider how improvements could be effected not only by governments, but also by institutions, non-government funders, advocacy groups, and industry partners.  

Organized by: Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Alyssa Daku

Setting risk tolerance is considered essential for governmental departments, agencies and private sector entities facing resource constraints. Without an ability to eliminate every risk, organizations must, so the argument runs, distinguish levels of risk that cannot be tolerated from those that can be. Yet, regulators with mandates to protect public health and safety have often struggled to concretely define levels of risk they would be willing to tolerate, as several reports from the Auditor General of Canada have highlighted. Establishing a specific risk tolerance sets a benchmark against which an organization’s own performance can be judged, increasing transparency and helping to make risk management more targeted and deliberate. At the same time, declaring a risk tolerance level may create legal liabilities or implicate trade obligations. Moreover, many public health risks are inherently dynamic and complex, and keeping risks to tolerable levels may become difficult as the internal and external risk environments evolve. Finally, admitting a level of risk is tolerable may clash with a public expectation that no risks to human health are tolerable.

In light of these difficulties, risk tolerances are often left vague or undefined. But should they be? Should regulators declare their tolerable levels of risk? Or are the concerns with defining risk tolerance simply too great to make defining risk tolerance worthwhile? Speaking directly to this question, the proposed debate centers on the following motion: “Be it resolved that regulators can and must set concrete, measurable risk tolerances.” Moderated by Alyssa Daku, Chief Data and Risk Executive at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the panel will bring together a diverse array of panelists from Canadian federal agencies, departments, academia and risk management consulting – who will vigorously argue for both sides of the issue.

Organized by:  LitScientist, Alan Shapiro 

Adapting the message to the audience is the single most important skill in communicating science effectively. Typically, scientists and researchers are trained to prepare presentations for colleagues; using the same approach for wider audiences including policymakers, funders, and the public can significantly limit the effectiveness of knowledge mobilization and community engagement efforts. Improvisation offers a wealth of tools and strategies for enhancing presentations and promoting audience engagement. Unlike traditional public speaking approaches, improvisation also supports researchers in responding to unexpected factors, such as challenging questions and unpredictable audiences. In this workshop, participants will work through interactive exercises to develop their communication skills. The workshop centres on individual and group work, and is designed to bring value to participants from both science and policy organizations. The workshop is geared to push participants outside their comfort zones and share concrete strategies that participants can apply for themselves and share within their institutions.

Organized by: Colleges and Institutes Canada, Anna Toneguzzo

Indigenous ways of knowing – how First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples relate to the world around them, through community practices, ritual and relations – have traditionally not been integrated into academic research. This valuable expertise is often overlooked. Recognising this gap, colleges and institutes across Canada are developing partnerships with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities to advance applied research on some of the most scientifically pressing issues of our time, which results in social innovation in sectors as diverse as food security, climate change and governance. Applied research undertaken by colleges and institutes is demand- driven, based on local and regional community needs. This is important in urban areas, but particularly in rural, remote and northern areas where colleges are key providers of training, work- integrated learning opportunities and applied research. A key characteristic of applied research is to partner with communities to understand and define the problem that needs to be solved and to then design adequate, applicable and relevant solutions. Colleges and institutes, with their expertise in applied research, training and strong employer connections, are able to draw upon their resources, infrastructure and laboratories to support innovation by, for and with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. This panel will focus on their experience, lessons learned and the way forward on applied research with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, while also taking into account how these communities can develop and engage in their own research initiatives.

Organized by: Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Peter Severinson

Rapid development of transformative new technologies – such as social media, artificial intelligence, and new health technologies – is creating important opportunities and challenges for governments, businesses, the research community and society at large. Too often, however, the social implications of such developments are overlooked.

Emerging technologies bring with them important new challenges. In recent years we have learned that our reliance on social media has created new risks to our democracies, with partisans and foreign actors able to rapidly spread falsehoods that exploit social divisions and erode public trust. The rapid development of artificial intelligence is raising questions about whether a new wave of automation threatens to dramatically reduce human jobs and accelerate inequality. Development in the medical sciences continually challenge historic social conventions and ethical norms.

We need to better understand how society is affected by emerging technologies in part to address the risks but also to help us unlock the potential benefits: to train workers able to make the best use of new capabilities, to make smart decision about how to employ new technology to address society’s most pressing problems, and to ensure the benefits of new technologies are effectively shared throughout our diverse society.

In this session we will explore whether the Canadian policy and research community is doing enough to understand and address the social implications of new technologies. We will consider how multidisciplinary approaches can help us address multiple dimensions of technological change and better understand the roles of diverse actors, including the natural scientist, the philosopher, the engineer, the behavioural scientist, the historian and the policy maker.

We will also explore the skills and knowledge needed to achieve the full potential of new technologies and to avoid the dangers, including scientific literacy, digital competency, creativity, openness, cultural awareness and sound ethical foundations. Finally, this event will engage the audience in a discussion about which new emerging technologies demand increased attention from the research and policy community and how we can work together to addressing their social implications.

Organized by: The Centre for Drug Research and Development, Barry Gee

Canada has a proud history of international leadership in health research, and in supporting innovation in the global life sciences industry. Despite constituting less than 0.5% of the world population, Canadians produce 5% of the world’s research publications, with a citation rate that ranks amongst the top 6 nations worldwide. However, Canada doesn’t full take advantage of this competitive advantage by translating it into a leading life sciences industry: The winners of the Canadian federal government’s 2018 ‘Supercluster’ funding initiative represented a multitude of industries encompassing digital technologies, oceans, mining, artificial intelligence, smart agri-food, and advanced manufacturing. Jarringly, no life sciences proposals were ultimately supported.

This session will debate the government's decision, and discuss how we can tap into the life sciences sector’s potential to contribute immensely to Canada’s economy and transform into the next Canadian supercluster. Our panelists will share perspectives on two salient topics: (i) the means by which the public and private sectors can best come together to support the growth of Canada's health sciences ecosystem, and (ii) strategies for the federal government to establish comprehensive public policy and work with the private sector to support basic research, build a robust translational and commercialization pathway, and ultimately attract increased venture capital investment to Canada such that we can scale Canadian SMEs, and establish global Canadian anchors.

The AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence is leading the way in developing technologies, services, policies and practices that improve the lives of older adults and caregivers. Building on its successes to date, AGE-WELL has launched a major renewal initiative that will set the research and innovation agenda in the technology and aging field in Canada from 2020-2025. AGE-WELL has identified eight key “Challenge Areas” through which it will drive innovation in the sector, influence policy and practice and invest in R&D. The Challenge Areas were generated through a review of Canadian and international policy priorities related to older adults and validated through an extensive stakeholder review process. Join us to learn how we can tackle these important challenges together in order to improve the lives of older Canadians and their caregivers, today and in the future.

Organized by: Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, Eleanor Fast

Canada’s aging population and the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias pose a significant challenge for Canadian families and their caregivers, and more broadly, for the health care system.

Recognizing the importance of developing and implementing an effective strategy to address this challenge, the Minister of Health of Canada, through the Public Health Agency of Canada, asked the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) to provide an evidence-informed and authoritative assessment on the state of knowledge to help advance federal priorities under the National Strategy for Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias Act.

To address the charge, the CAHS assembled a multidisciplinary, multi-sectoral panel with a range of expertise, experience, and demonstrated leadership in this domain. The panel’s report will assess the evidence‐based and emerging practices, actions, and programs in jurisdictions within Canada and internationally that improve the care and the lives of people living with dementia and their caregivers.

This session at CSPC will provide attendees with an overview of the panel’s approach to providing meaningful input in a complex multi-jurisdictional policy environment.

Organized by: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Chantal Barton

A dynamic multi-sectoral panel organized by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) that illustrates innovative approaches to inform evidence-based decision-making in policy development. Two successfully implemented models of collaboration between researchers and graduate students and other federal departments/agencies will be showcased. These models are set in the context of SSHRC’s Imagining Canada’s Future initiative, which positions the social sciences and humanities as essential to addressing complex societal challenges facing Canadians, to the greater benefit of Canada and the world.

The first model features the International Policy Ideas Challenge (IPIC) - a special initiative developed in partnership between SSHRC and Global Affairs Canada (GAC), which taps into the talent base in post-secondary institutions across Canada, with graduate students and emerging scholars poised to inform policy development on key priority areas identified by GAC. In 2017, IPIC included key themes such as promoting democracy in a digital age; implications of climate change for Canadian trade and investment; and identifying best ways for Canada to support fragile and conflict-affected states.  Speakers will include Ioanna Sahas Martin, Director, International Assistance Research and Knowledge, GAC and Maïka Sondarjee, a SSHRC doctoral candidate, University of Toronto, and 2017 IPIC winner for her policy brief on the topic of, “Inclusive Gender-Based Analysis (GBA)+ in public participation processes”.

The second model will be illustrated by the work of Dr. Bipasha Baruah, Canada Research Chair in Global Women’s Issues, Western University and Ian Clark, Acting Chief, Economic Research, Science Integration and Outreach, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).  Following a knowledge synthesis report produced by Dr. Baruah, as part of SSHRC’s Imagining Canada’s Future initiative, NRCan commissioned Dr. Baruah to produce a dedicated report on “Women in Natural Resources Sectors”, which examines current participation rates of women in natural resources industries and formulates recommendations for governments and industry to increase recruitment, retention and advancement of women in the sector.
Both models foster effective collaboration between the academic and public sectors, and  will provide a good foundation on which to engage the audience in a discussion about these and other new ways of informing policy through scientific knowledge.

Organized by: Carleton School of Journalism and Communication

Canadian scientists want to engage with non scientists to ensure that policy makers use scientific evidence to form public policy. This rationale for engagement was given top priority in a recent survey of NSERC Discovery grantees when asked about their communication objectives. The survey was carried out in 2017-18.

Ensuring continued research funding came in second, and in third place, but sill with a strong showing was the desire to ensure Canadian culture values science.

Mindful of these priorities, this panel will look at ways and means of how these goals might be realized in practice. How important is communications training?  Just over half the survey respondents had some media training. Is it working?

At one time, academics believed that transferring knowledge to non-scientists was adequate and advisable. No longer.

Scientists are taught to use techniques like storytelling, active listening, empathy in the expanding number of workshops and sessions offered by research-informed science communicators in training organizations across North America and Europe.

The panelists all have relevant academic and practical approaches to help scientists communicate more effectively when talking to media, policy makers or interested audiences. The questions about what works best relies on articulating how we measure successful outcomes with the methods used to achieve desired goals. In other words, injecting some science into science communication.

The moderator will expand on the expertise of the panel by eliciting audience experiences. The session will explore the communication issues and best practices for those who want to ensure that scientific evidence is a vital part of the body politic and an appreciation of science is a fundamental aspect of Canadian culture. 

Organized by: Gordon McBean 

The Global Agenda 2030 covers a wide range of international scientific policy and societal issues pertinent to global economic development. This complex and intersectional Agenda encompasses the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Across these coalitions and programs, there is a great need for scientific work to be effectively coordinated internationally as well as within each country. Presently, international scientific research and development are coordinated through global programs such as the World Climate Research Programme, Global Framework for Climate Services, Future Earth, World Data System, and global observational programs. In parallel, within Canada, our world-class research communities are effectively coordinated through the Networks of Centres of Excellence, CIFAR, government laboratories, and other Canadian research organizations.

This session will present and discuss international and national scientific programs, with a focus on how the scientific community can work together effectively to address critical policy issues and coordinate interdisciplinary research within Canada and internationally. One of the highlights of our session is elucidating Canada's role in the new International Science Council – a merger of the International Council for Science and the International Social Sciences Council – whose vision is to advance all sciences as a global public good.

Organized by: STEM Fellowship, Mohammad Asadi Lari

Current class and curriculum structures don’t answer a data-native generation’s knowledge acquisition needs and practices. This generation has honed its skills through the years of using information technology, the Internet, and yes, gaming. Modern students come to school with already developed learning techniques, which some of them may hide, keeping teachers happy within the current model; however, some cannot and end up getting into trouble by not meeting the curriculum expectations.

Following the paths of social media and open access culture, academic publishers consciously or unconsciously invited a new generation of learners to scholarly communication. Modern scholarly publication formats like Open Access or even Facebook academic journals have a far-reaching effect triggering students’ curiosity and challenging them with real scientific findings. Introduction of electronic impact factor indicators like Altmetric went even further, allowing a new generation to become participants of the public “peer-review” process.

The new generation of science learners often start with derivatives of research that they pick up in the form of social network reflections on scholarly publications and academic findings. They grasp the concepts from blogs, news stories and even Youtubes and Facebook posts that lead them directly to abstracts and manuscripts. The last often present information far beyond their ability to comprehend, which results in two new science learning phenomena. On one hand, they skim through publications and extract facts and theories within the scope of their understanding. On another, these elements serve as a new motivation for science studies and often leads them to generate unorthodox interdisciplinary ideas and theories. In order to bridge their knowledge gaps they form groups, which are fertile ground for non-institutionalized scholarship. Within these groups, it is possible to observe very interesting forms of scholarly interaction. These are collective presentations and Q&As where presenters complement and change each other without formal moderation.

STEM Fellowship (SF) is a unique example of a largely youth-led initiative to bridge these gaps. As a Canada-wide community, we focus on bridging gaps in data science (with our acclaimed Big Data Challenges), scientific communication (through challenges, workshops and the Canadian Science Publishing sponsored STEM Fellowship Journal) and community (through a network of high schools and university campuses dotted all across Canada. This panel would not only focus on our experience on the data-native generation’s approach to science, but also that of our numerous partners, which also shows how important cross-sector collaborations and discussions are in generating multi-dimensional solutions.

Organized by: Baycrest Health Sciences/Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, Allison Sekuler

Canada, and many other countries, are aging faster than at any time in history. There now are more Canadians over 65 than under 15, and by 2030, nearly 1 in 4 Canadians will be 65 or older. This demographic shift will impact every aspect of our lives: from the workforce to recreation, from transportation to healthcare. The so-called silver tsunami brings with it a looming public health crisis: growing numbers of individuals with dementia and complex chronic medical issues, but a shortage of long-term care beds and other care options. It is estimated that 50 million people worldwide already live with dementia, with that number reaching 75 million by 2030. And, although the cost of dementia is immeasurable for those who suffer from the disease and their loved ones and caregivers, economists estimate the worldwide cost at US$1 trillion, rising to US$2 trillion by 2030.

But is that future inevitable, or is there a path to sustainable aging? A path to a society in which people can age in place and thrive throughout their lifetimes; a society in which aging is a process rather than an endpoint; a society in which our demographic changes lead to enhanced cultural, social, and economic prosperity for Canada. The convergence of precision medicine, technology, big data, and artificial intelligence could chart that path. Fully 70% of our economy is driven by baby-boomers, making age-related innovation a critical and growing field.  Virtual and augmented reality, assistive bots, social robots, driverless cars, connected homes, smart cities, and personalized and predictive medicine promise to transform a silver tsunami into a silver economy. However, given the size and diversity of Canada, that promise face many challenges, including concerns about data sharing and privacy; inter-regional jurisdiction of health information; cultural differences in healthcare practices; adoption, procurement, and funding of novel technologies; stigmas associated with aging; and the critical need to create a culture of longevity-innovation.

This panel brings together a diverse group of experts in aging, science and technology, innovation, healthcare practice, and policy to explore the challenges, promises, and opportunities for innovation, and to chart a path for sustainable aging in Canada.

Organized by: Ryerson University, Wendy Cukier

In recent years, Canadian employers, economists and industry analysts have lamented a shortage of qualified personnel to drive science and technology innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth (CME/CSTEC, 2017; ICTC, 2017). Leading organizations in Canada’s professional, scientific and technical services (PST) sector still struggle to create equitable and inclusive environments for members of diverse groups (Coe & Hariri, 2017). Despite extensive policy and organizational changes, limited progress has been made in addressing barriers to diverse groups in Canada’s PST sector (Coe & Hariri, 2017). Many racialized minorities face unconscious bias and limited career opportunities within small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (Access Alliance, 2011). The “chilly climate” and pay differentials persist for women in STEM (Caranci et al., 2017; Cukier, 2007; ICTC, 2017). Indigenous youth, one of Canada’s fastest growing segments (Statistics Canada, 2011), comprise merely 1.2% of ICT workers (ICTC, 2017). Immigrant and female technology entrepreneurs continue to confront gender- related industry barriers (Orser, 2009; Orser et al., 2012; Orser & Riding, 2016; Cukier, 2017). Even though entrepreneurship is a desirable pathway to economic integration for members of diverse groups, particularly immigrants, recent reviews of Ontario’s incubator and innovation ecosystem suggest that the governance, processes, and resources do not support those from diverse groups (Canada-US Council for Advancement of Women, 2018). In this complex ecosystem, there is an acute need to leverage diversity to drive change.

This panel will concurrently examine the ways in which diversity produces the innovations that galvanize economic growth and the role of leading-edge tools, applications and approaches in fostering innovation for inclusion in Canada’s science and technical sector. Informed by an awareness of the skills gap and applying an ecological approach to diversity, this panel of leading technology and entrepreneurship scholars and industry experts will generate a practical alignment and reciprocal engagement between inclusion and innovation. They will identify and assess the potential of technology-enabled applications and tools that promote inclusion and examine how diversity can generating access to top talent and creative imaginations, expanding reach, and improving firm performance through inclusion and engagement. The panel will consider ways to replicate and share innovative tools and build capacity for evidence-based approaches to diversity policy. Finally, it will unpack how policies, practices and tools can advance inclusion by matching diverse job seekers to employers. Overall, this panel will emphasize how employers and policy makers can harness innovation and inclusion to create productive science and technology industries.

Organized by: Pixels and Plans, Julia Krolik 

Effective and timely science communication is the very vessel that informs decision makers, thereby having a direct effect on the way science policies are generated. Indeed there have been challenges with science communication, as evidenced by the creation of Evidence for Democracy, a not-for-profit organization promoting the transparent use of evidence in government decision-making in Canada. Currently, the landscape of science communication is shifting with many diverse communication avenues becoming more readily available across all sectors including academia, governments and the public. Our panel on Innovating Science Communication consists of a diverse group of panelists that practice different forms of science communication in Canada.
 
The group will discuss five different science communication approaches and the milestones achieved. The panel moderator, Julia Krolik of Pixels and Plans, an agency practicing and teaching the art of good data, will present from-the-field case studies of how fusing data science and creative direction to tackle science communication problems helps organizations reach and engage their intended audiences. Dr. Chantal Barriault, Director of the Science Communication Program at Laurentian University will discuss how the
curriculum has evolved and what a Science Communication degree means for educating and inspiring future generations of communicators and policy makers. Jonathan Provost, an Environmental Scientist at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, will cover science communication initiatives in the public sector and the complications of speaking to the general public. Catherine Lau, Program Evaluation Officer at Art the Science, an nonprofit organization that facilitates artist residencies in science laboratories will present recent residency evaluation findings and discuss the value of including art as a science communication platform. Finally, Samantha Yammine, a PhD Candidate in Neuroscience and Stem Cell Biology at the University of Toronto will discuss her successful use of social media platforms to communicate science and engage diverse audiences as well as incorporate social media metrics on Canadian science policy discussions.

Panel attendees will be presented with an overview of novel and traditional approaches to
Science Communication. These methods provide insights to overcoming challenges of communicating science to diverse audiences. Since science communication plays an important role in science policy decision making, the diverse topics covered in this panel are a valuable resource to a Canadian Science Policy audience.

Organized by: Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

In 2016, an estimated 747,000 Canadians were living with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and related dementias. It is estimated that by 2030, 1.4 million Canadians will have AD or related dementias, an increase of 66 percent. By 2050, that number will increase to 2.8 million. As in other major markets, this rapidly increasing prevalence of people with AD and dementia is a significant concern to policymakers who are exploring how they can best support patients with AD and related dementia and their loved ones.
Recognizing the significant need and their commitment to improving the lives of Canadians with dementia, the Government of Canada announced in May 2018 that it was moving forward with a National Dementia Strategy. The Strategy will consider the experience of those living with dementia and will build on existing working being undertaken across Canada in this area. The Strategy poses a unique opportunity to define what is required from a healthcare system readiness perspective. 

The objective of the panel will be to explore the current work being undertaken by the Government of Canada to improve the regulatory and healthcare environment in order to bring innovative therapies into the hands of patients. The panel discussion is meant to ignite public policy discourse related to:

• Current state of affairs in Canada and what is required from a healthcare readiness perspective in order to positive impact the lives of patient living with AD and their caregivers
• Understand the current regulatory and market access decision making process and the gaps that exist in bringing innovative diagnostics and therapies to market in the area of Alzheimer’s Disease
• Existing healthcare system gaps and existing opportunities to bridge those gaps

Organized by: Fonds de recherche du Québec, Fanny Eugène

Progress has been slow in increasing diversity in the scientific community. A recent report from the Canadian Association of University Teachers shows that while the representation of women among university professors has improved over the past decade, they are still highly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and their proportion still decreases in all sectors as we move up the academic ranks. Indigenous peoples and some racialized groups are also underrepresented. This panel will present case studies that illustrate how we can improve policies to help increase equity, diversity and inclusion in science. It will bring together perspectives from a university, provincial and federal funding agencies, an international non-profit organization, as well as from the younger generation.

At the institution level, Ryerson University has shown great leadership by intentionally prioritizing equity and inclusion values, as the first university in Canada to create a vice-president post in charge of equity and community inclusion with the mandate of identifying and addressing systemic barriers. At the provincial level, the Fonds de recherche du Québec and the ministry of Economy, Science and Innovation are currently working on UNESCO’s SAGA (STEM and Gender Advancement) project, which will help identify gaps and improve Québec’s science policies to improve gender equality in STEM. At the federal level, the three granting agencies, including the Tri-Agency Institutional Programs Secretariat are currently putting in place equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) action plans to embed EDI in every aspect of the research they support. At the international level, the American Association for the Advancement of Science is currently conducting a pilot project called SEA (STEM Equality Advancement) Change, which encourages and recognizes institutions’ efforts toward equity, diversity and inclusion, through an award system based on the United Kingdom’s Athena SWAN model.

A student perspective will be included on this panel, as students can play an important role in shaping science policy, through initiatives such as #Students4theReport, a social media campaign that encouraged the Canadian government to follow recommendations from the Fundamental Science Review committee, including the development of policies aimed at improving equity and diversity in science.

Organized by: Ontario Science Centre, Maurice Bitran

The level of science literacy and the attitudes of the population towards science and technology are important to the future of technology-based societies like ours. Not only because our economy is dependent on technology, but also because many social issues are affected by science and technology, effectively making science literacy a requirement for meaningful participation in the public policy dialogue. What do Canadians think about science and technology? Do they trust scientists and scientific results?What do they think about science and technology related issues such as climate change or artificial intelligence?

For the third consecutive year, the Ontario Science Centre has conducted an on-line survey on science literacy and attitudes towards science across Canada. A review of its main results will serve as the background for this discussion in which each panel member will also discuss what their organizations are doing to increase public literacy and public trust in science.

Organized by: The National Alliance of Provincial Health Research Organizations

It has been said that the greatest purpose of scientific inquiry is in its potential, and therefore unpredictable, contribution to the benefit of all people. Various approaches have been at play to enable cross-sectoral decisions, collaborations, investments, and networking that aim to harness that potential and increase the likelihood of moving the value of research towards innovations with broad organizational and societal scope and benefit. To make these approaches effective, on the one hand, decision makers need to understand the ins and outs of the autonomous research process and how best to enable it over the entire timeline from discovery to impact. On the other hand, decision makers can also put challenges to the research community to stimulate research, collaborations, and innovation activities in areas where there are known knowledge gaps.

Policy and science have and have to continue to interact on various levels. Our panel will present pan Canadian perspectives on how this process occurs to establish cross sectoral culture, to identify and respond to regional and local needs, and to facilitate effective dialogue.

Organized by: OCAD University, Robert Luke

What is inclusive innovation? How do we achieve it?
These are important questions to ask as we continue to pivot into a knowledge based global economy. Inclusive innovation is a worthy outcome to strive for. But in order to achieve it, we need to ensure that the inputs are inclusive. We can usefully plot this into a logic model, which provides a way for understanding the relationships between the various inputs, activities and outputs that will help us achieve the outcome(s) commensurate with the focus on inclusive innovation.

When we look at innovation through this lens and work back from the goal of inclusive innovation we can see that there are gaps in the material conditions that would support the outcome of inclusive innovation. Innovation inputs usefully include the pipeline of science and technology and research and development (S&T and R&D), funding, people, culture, activities: those conditions and material supports that are put into play against any innovation effort.

Inclusive innovation means focusing not just on simple to count measures such as patents and publications, but on the full spectrum of innovation outputs.

• We need to ask: whose perspective has been left out of innovation?
• What activities and disciplines are needed to facilitate innovation?
• What outputs result from these inputs?

When we look at innovation through this lens and work back from the goal of inclusive innovation we can see that there are gaps in the material conditions that would support the outcome of inclusive innovation.

The authors in this series offer helpful advice, expertise and perspectives on inclusive innovation.

• Dori Tunstall, Dean of Design, OCAD University, on BIPOC entrepreneurship (and Black Panther!)
• Malavika Kumaran, Senior Associate, Research, MaRS Data Catalyst, on women in tech
• Ken Doyle, Executive Director of TechAccess Canada on later-stage applied R&D and experimental development in support of diversity of activity
• Dominique Bérubé, Vice-President, Research Programs, SSHRC will address the role of humanities and social sciences in addressing grand challenges and multidisciplinary research.

Inclusive innovation is a worthy outcome to strive for. In order to achieve it, we need to ensure that the inputs, activities and outputs are inclusive. When we do so, we leverage the full spectrum of capacity from across society, and help to build more resilient social, cultural and economic outcomes.

Artificial intelligence...Blockchain...CRISPR-cas9... these are just the ABCs of a broad array of emerging technologies confronting federal decision-makers, who must weigh how to foster these technologies in the interests of Canada’s economic competitiveness but also regulate them in the public interest. Similarly, new ideas such as inclusive innovation, open science, digital governance, collaborative research infrastructures, and the inclusion of traditional Indigenous knowledge present both opportunities and challenges to government departments. Meanwhile the broader context is characterized by rising populism, changing citizen expectations, and a post-truth decline of deference to experts. In this context, timely science advice remains a critical input to agile public policy. As part of the Government of Canada’s new vision for science, federal departments and agencies are identifying Departmental Science Advisors (DSAs) to support effective decision-making informed by the  scientific evidence. Join us for a dialogue with three DSAs on the new directions for science advice in the federal government.

Policy-making is a complex process involving multiple considerations and competing priorities. Ensuring that science and evidence underpin policy-making can be a challenge both for those seeking to influence policy, and for those making policy decisions. What are the skills and competencies needed to navigate this process? What steps can be taken to enhance the capacity of an organization to integrate science in policy-making processes? Join Mitacs, and a panel of experts to explore Canada’s approach to building science policy capacity.  

Organized by: Fonds de recherche du Québec, Fanny Magini

Canadian granting agencies are increasingly interested in strengthening the link between science and society. This link can take various forms, including that of participatory science, in which non-expert citizens are involved in the research process. The Chief Scientist of Québec would like to organize a panel to discuss the role of granting agencies in the funding of participatory science in Canada and the role of citizens in the research process. Panelists will answer questions such as: Do granting agencies already support this type of research? Are there specific research programs to promote and recognize participatory science? Beyond research programming, should citizens have a place on evaluation committees, boards of directors of granting agencies, or other official bodies?

Organized by: Let's Talk Science, Bonnie Schmidt

The panel will discuss key recommendations and lessons learned through Canada 2067, a unique and ambitious national initiative to forge a “made in Canada” action plan for the future of youth science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

Canada’s complex education ecosystem demands creative solutions to catalyze large-scale change that can benefit all students.  Canada 2067 responded to this need for creativity through the convening of: five summits with high school students; seven Global Shapers’ roundtables with young adults; a national leadership conference that included federal and provincial governments and diverse stakeholders; and a social media campaign that resulted in input from hundreds of thousands of Canadians.

Through this process, Canada 2067’s collaborative vision and five-year goals reflect the varied perspectives of students, millennials, educators, parents and the general public as well as policy makers, industry, community organizations and global education researchers.  The vision and goals address six areas that were found to align in global research into STEM education policy initiatives published over the past ten years.  

Having successfully positioned Canada as a world leader in education at the start of the 21st century, our schools are now working to ensure that this advantage is maintained, not only in the near future, but in decades to come. Increasingly, this means graduating students with a diverse set of skills that go beyond disciplinary knowledge to include those related to critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and communication.  What types of supports and partnerships do our schools need to ensure that they are successful in this endeavour? How supportive is the public of a new vision for education that emphasizes critical thinking over rote learning and a multi-disciplinary approach over traditional subjects?  This panel will explore these questions and more by outlining the rationale for Canada 2067, summarizing key recommendations, and ultimately addressing the issue of how schools can help to fuel Canada’s innovation agenda.

Organzied by: MITACS Science Policy Fellowships, April Killikelly

The connection between policymakers, scientists and the public is an essential bond that allows scientific innovation to translate into tangible benefit in the life of ordinary Canadians. And yet, we are increasingly seeing different perceptions over the nature, extent and capacity to mitigate potential risk and this is translating into protracted controversies that may actually put the public at risk – think nuclear waste management, climate change or artificial intelligence.

Organized by: The University of Waterloo, Tatjana Milojevic and Nancy Goucher

Optimum management of water resources is one of the most crucial challenges for Canada in the 21st Century. Safe and adequate water supply is central to sustainable ecosystems, healthy communities and strong economic growth. However, a widening gap between current management practices and increasing scientific knowledge is testing the adequacy of the current regulatory framework in addressing threats to water, such as those posed by nonpoint source contamination. As climate change increases the uncertainty and complexity for the management of water resources, water managers and researchers will need to understand more about the science-policy interface to improve the response to water threats. These threats demand a new approach to regulation for water protection and water management activities, which require adaptive responses. There is considerable variation in our current knowledge of the changing demands on water resources and in the different stages of adaptive management strategies, which might be improved by implementing water monitoring policies and plans.

This panel examines the perceptions of researchers and water managers working at the science–policy interface across Canada and discusses the implications of their role for addressing nonpoint source contamination in the face of climate change. Our discussion themes include: vulnerability and uncertainty, time lag issues, the need for different skill sets throughout the process, and what can be done to enable scientists and policymakers to work together more effectively to address current and  future water threats.

Organized by: Stem Cell Network, Lisa Willemse

Stem cell research is an exciting field of science and holds much promise for the treatment of chronic illnesses and diseases. However, stem cell research is complex and there is much to learn before stem cell-based treatments will be ready for routine clinical use. Today, there are very few stem cell therapies offered by medical professionals as the standard care of practice. Despite this, private clinics worldwide – and increasingly here in Canada – market stem cell-based therapies to people who are vulnerable and seeking relief for a variety of conditions, from arthritis to stroke.  Regulatory loopholes have allowed these clinics to expand in many jurisdictions.  Recent studies show that the global market for unproven therapies is $2.4B, with 60,000 patients purchasing treatments each year. Nearly 800 clinics are operating in the United States alone, it is unclear how many are operating in Canada.

These treatments come with high financial costs, little to no medical follow-up, and the risk of adverse outcomes. None have been proven to be effective through clinical trials, the medical gold standard required to determine both safety and efficacy. Nor do these clinics publish their methods or outcomes in peer-reviewed journals, relying instead on anecdotal evidence and patient testimonials to support their claims. By preying upon the hopes of desperate patients, unregulated stem cell clinics are making very tidy profits.

Led by the Stem Cell Network, the stem cell research community has been working nationally and alongside international partners to better understand the issue and provide guidance that fit social, legal and political frameworks. With limited resources dedicated to the massive effort required to effectively debunk existing myths and communicate the risks to the public, scientists are facing a losing battle. Action is needed and Canada is well positioned to become a leader for the world in responding to this growing industry and its unethical practices.  However, to meet the challenge head-on a coordinated effort is required; one that sees the science community, patient groups, health care providers, media and government all playing their respective part to increase awareness of fake or risky therapies.
With reference to a paper detailing the outcomes of a 2017 workshop (publication expected summer/fall 2018), this panel will explore the current state of the issue in Canada and provide insights on what they believe is needed to mitigate the proliferation of a new market that is offering unproven and risky treatments to the general public.

Organized by: Council of Canadian Academies, Weronika Zych 

For more than 100 years, successive Canadian governments have bemoaned the country’s inability to grow firms into large, globally successful industry leaders. While much effort has been expended to address this issue, the results have been middling by most informed accounts. Indeed, over the last decade, several large-scale tech companies that Canada has grown have failed to thrive. That said, Canadians have become expert at describing the host of explanations behind the phenomenon: technical and management skills gaps, weak IP policies, inadequate venture capital, too much (or not enough) tax support, small domestic markets, and other factors. But we have not been equally proficient at identifying the causes and consequences of this failure to grow robust domestic tech companies in Canada. Perhaps a different approach is needed, with a different set of questions: Does it matter that Canada does not grow firms into large industry leaders? Do Canadians really want to scale companies? Or are we content attracting foreign subsidiaries with world leading research capacity and infrastructure, and exporting ideas and innovations to be developed in other markets? The panel includes industry and policy leaders, who will draw on current evidence and their own experiences to debate the causes and consequences of Canada’s failure to thrive and what steps (if any) should be taken.

Organized by: Polar Knowledge Canada, Jennifer Sokol

The planet is changing rapidly and nowhere more so than in the Arctic, where a warming climate is already bringing a multitude of environmental, social and economic consequences. This is raising a lot of questions about what the future is going to look like, how to prepare and the type of research and knowledge necessary to address these changes.   This panel will discuss opportunities to grow the base of northern scientists, including Indigenous researchers, across the North. Too often, northerners are participants within Arctic science but not recognized as knowledge holders and researchers themselves. Despite a renewed focus on Indigenous Knowledge systems, few Indigenous researchers are being acknowledged and accredited for their contributions. Northern-based educational institutions and universities that use pedagogical approaches in line with the cultural contexts of the north could help increase the number of northern researchers. During this panel, we will hear from a diverse range of voices including educators, northern youth, and institutions; all working to engage northern Indigenous communities in research.
Hosted by Polar Knowledge Canada, the panel will discuss questions including the following: what tools and support systems are needed to encourage northern youth towards research careers? How can we better reflect Indigenous knowledge and approaches in research? What barriers do northern students face in entering a science career and higher education? What kinds of policy, programming, and coordination are needed to address these barriers, improve northern self- determination in research, and northern research capacity?

Polar Knowledge Canada's mission is to advance Canada’s knowledge of the Arctic and other circumpolar regions including the Antarctic, and strengthen Canadian leadership in polar science and technology, while promoting the development and distribution of knowledge, across the north.

Organized by: Deborah Currie, Director, SHAD Fellow Network

Everybody’s talking about inclusion – and ensuring that Canadians from every sector have opportunities to excel in STEM or now STEAM. That's a good thing. But if inclusion is going to be about more than photo-ops and catchphrases, we have to have real discussions about the challenges of genuine, deep inclusion. Meaningful gender, economic, regional, and philosophical diversity are easy to talk about but tough to achieve in any organization – even in entrepreneurial settings where diversity is widely known to be an engine for creativity. SHAD, Canada’s premier entrepreneurship program empowering high school aged youth to become change-makers, was established in 1980 and is based in Waterloo, Ontario. For this panel discussion SHAD will present four young SHAD Fellows from diverse backgrounds who will address diversity and inclusion from their own perspectives and experiences, and whose stories show why it’s critical to get it right.

Organized by: NIVA Inc. - Sean Young-Steinberg

Hi there Ms. Scientist, that looks like some interesting work you are doing there - but please help me
understand: what does it really mean, who is implicated, and why should Canadians care? So, Mr.
Researcher, you say those are some important results, but how can this information be put into use if
it is just sitting there, buried in a journal article that policy makers or other stakeholders won’t read,
nor comprehend? How do we put this in an accessible form that will motivate audiences to act on it?

The billions of dollars spent each year in Canada on scientific research and development generates a
tremendous volume of critical new knowledge and information. This includes gaining a better understanding of the world we live in, innovative new technologies that improve our quality of life, and ways to reduce the impact humans are having on the planet. While these efforts all have great merit on their own, without the capacity to effectively transmit this knowledge to the people who are in a position to make decisions or change their behaviours, little to no action will ever come of it.
Mobilizing scientific knowledge, whether from discovery to decision making, findings to funding, or from research to regulation, is no easy task. A key element for engaging, informing, and motivating target audiences is developing high-impact messaging that is clear, simple, and relevant. This approach also includes “knowledge brokering” as a means to bridge these two worlds to ensure that the right information is available to the right people.

More broadly, science communication is essentially distilling complex information into to its key
elements, and translating them into accessible plain language and visual representations that are tailored to specific audiences, to ensure they understand the message you are trying to deliver. These communications must be developed with a deep appreciation of the needs and motivations of a given audience. The use of narratives and storytelling are also key tools to engage and bring an emotional connection to your readers, and for communicating complex subjects to policy-makers and the general public.

With all this being said, there can be significant barriers and challenges that prevent knowledge mobilization and science communication activities from effectively delivering information to the right people at the right time so it can have an impact. What are those barriers, and how can they be overcome? What are some examples of success and failure in this regard? This session will explore how knowledge can be better mobilized and communicated to move people (including policy makers) to action, enable well-informed decisions, and bring it into active use. Successfully making the connections between research/expertise and policy/practice is critical to achieving desired outcomes and this includes building relationships, trust, and understanding between knowledge creators and users.

Organized by: Natural Resources Canada’s Office of the Chief Scientist 

Today’s issues are multi-facetted and complex. Drawing on various sources of evidence can enhance our ability to identify sensible and practical solutions.  Success stories that draw on both science and Indigenous Knowledge systems are often undocumented. Much remains to be done, and discussions of experiences and examples are important for sharing experiential knowledge of the panelists such as lessons learned and best practices.

Moderated by Natural Resources Canada’s Chief Scientist and for the benefit of the Government of Canada’s Science and Policy Integration community, this panel will provide an opportunity for practitioners in various disciplines to present their experiences including both challenges and enablers. Panelists will discuss the results of their work in bridging science and Indigenous knowledge systems for a common purpose such as sustainable environmental and natural resource management. Case studies presented by the panelists will provide participants with examples of successful integration and partnership practices established between governmental organizations and local/regional and Indigenous groups.

This "Case Study" panel would follow the Short Talk-type panel on the same subject, delving deeper by providing ‘grassroots’ perspectives.

Organized by: Genome Canada, Rob Annan

Disruptive technologies are double-edged swords. Social media, artificial intelligence (AI), gene editing—all promise enormous economic and social potential. At the same time, they challenge important social norms, policies, and institutions and create unintended and unpredicted consequences.

Society invests significant public resources to support the science and technology that drive these innovations, but invests relatively little to investigate their potential benefits, risks and consequences. Indeed, these are incommensurable – there are no commonly accepted metrics that allow us to evaluate and compare the benefits and risks. Policy makers and the public, faced with rapidly developing technologies, often succumb to reflexive and emotive policy responses.

Since its establishment, Genome Canada has promoted a globally-innovative program (“GE3LS”) to research the ethical, environmental, economic, legal and social issues involved in genomics research. Each large-scale genomics project funded at Genome Canada must integrate a GE3LS research component, promoting a deeper understanding of the broader impact of the research. Dr. Eric Meslin, President of the Council of Canadian Academies and expert on bioethics and science policy, recently led an extensive review of the GE3LS program which identified key lessons for integrating social sciences research into technology development.

Dr. Meslin will chair a session that will explore this topic through two case studies that illustrate how GE3LS works in practice. Each will be co-presented by the project’s genomic and social science researchers who will explain:
- Why it was important to integrate social research into the project;
- The challenges and opportunities this integration presented;
- Expected—and unexpected—benefits observed.

The case studies represent disruptive technological research in genomics. The first describes the development of novel diagnostic technology for breast cancer, the challenges created in supporting informed decision-making by doctors and patients, and the importance of  evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the new technology. The second project focuses on forestry genomics and climate change and integrates research into understanding the ecological, socio-economic and institutional factors that affect the adoption of new technologies in forest management. Both projects are led by internationally-recognized and celebrated Canadian researchers.

Following the case study presentations, Dr. Meslin will moderate a brief discussion between panelists and members of the audience to explore how these case studies might inform the larger context of disruptive technology research, with lessons for ongoing work in artificial intelligence and machine learning, automation and robotics, and beyond.

Organized by: Ontario Centres of Excellence, Dr. Claudia Krywiak 

Commercializing Innovation in Canada: Retaining human and financial capital north of the border

As host of the second-largest ICT cluster in North America outside Silicon Valley and home to
world-class academic and research institutions focused on innovative technologies, Canada has
a unique opportunity to be a global leader in innovation. Yet some industry and financial experts
have argued there has been a recent trend of investment capital “exodus” to the U.S. that could
result in a cascading loss of talent, intellectual property and the next generation of innovators.
Through a collaborative lens, this diverse panel of research and industry experts will discuss
strategies to link supply with demand to move the best ideas from the lab to the marketplace,
while bringing international visibility to these initiatives that drive economic growth, create high-
quality jobs and enhance Canada’s global competitiveness.

Topics to be discussed:
 Highlights of interconnected, game-changing technology projects already underway,
driving the digital economy
 Moving innovative technologies out of the research lab and into the marketplace
 Attraction and retention of talent
 Connecting supply with demand
 Retention of IP by commercializing in Canada and bringing tech to global markets

Organized by: College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada , Steven Cooke

The concept of interdisciplinarity is used to frame education, scholarship, research, and interactions within and outside the academy.  Moreover, given the complexity of problems facing the world today, interdisciplinarity thinking is often considered as "essential" for developing effective solutions.  In principle, the premise of interdisciplinarity is a good one; yet, the extent to which this concept is embraced by the current generation of learners and thinkers, the benefits and risks for doing so, and the barriers and facilitators to achieving interdisciplinarity are rarely considered.  

We contend that emerging scholars, artists and scientists including students, post docs, and early career professionals have much to contribute to discussions about the ways in which interdisciplinarity can be enabled to equip and empower the next generation with the skills and knowledge to work across and among traditional disciplines. Relatedly, there is a need to identify successful examples/case studies of where interdisciplinarity has been achieved with meaningful results.  In this panel session organized by the College of the Royal Society of Canada, we will seek to generate a "Manifesto for Enabling Insterdisciplinarity". To generate the "manifesto" we will collate thoughts from the panel as well as the audience and twitter.  To engage the audience we will distribute cards during the event and collect ideas.  

We will do the same on Twitter for the 24 hrs preceding the session in an attempt to engage the broader community.  

Organized by: Bird Studies Canada

Scientific knowledge is not easily accessible to policymakers and scientists often do not have a clear understanding of the needs of policymakers. The importance of bridging this gap between science and policy was one of the key topics at the Canadian Science Policy Conference in November 2017. This panel will draw from the insights of experts on the science-policy interface and discuss the following questions:

1. Government policymaker: what avenues does s/he take to obtain scientific advice?

2. NGOs that work towards improving federal science policy (Future Earth and Ecofiscal Commission): how do they connect with policymakers and how do they access scientific information?

3. Scientists who have built successful relationships with policymakers: what was their path to success?

4. Research administrators: what are some options to incorporate time spent on the science-policy interface towards the departmental service component of academics?

5. Office of the Chief Science Advisor, Canada: how do they source scientific information, and what avenues are open to you to influence federal policy? Is there an opportunity for scientists to engage in the process?

This panel is of interest to all of those who are interested in practical guidance for bridging the gap between science and policy. Increasing the role of science in public debates will ultimately improve evidence-based decision-making at the provincial and federal level in Canada. 

Organized by: WWF-Canada, Elizabeth Hendriks

What’s the biggest threat to Canada’s freshwater?  It’s a myth. The one that tells us our water wealth will last forever. The one that says: water, that’s someone else’s problem. The truth is, there is nothing Canadians should take more personally than the health of our waters. Engaged communities ask questions, they seek information, they pay attention to changes in their local, and they hold decision-makers accountable.

For decades, Canada has failed to collect real-information on a regional or national scale about the health of our freshwater ecosystems. The good news is that Canada’s commitment to freshwater stewardship, conservation, and science-based decision-making is now a national priority. There is a growing awareness that safeguarding our freshwater ecosystems is critical to the future of our economies, our communities and our quality of life. In other words, the people empowered to implement freshwater solutions are now asking for them.   The window is wide open.
 
Trusted water data underpins the goal of abundant, clean freshwater. Communities, governments, citizens and NGOs require the information to make decisions that protect Canada’s fresh water supply. Yet, water data deficiencies are widespread. One of the key findings of World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) 2017 Watershed Report was data deficiencies on key water health metrics.
 
To address this challenge, RBC, WWF-Canada, Gordon Foundation and local community groups have been forging conservation partnerships with river communities, closing knowledge gaps around freshwater health, building capacity behind local water stewards and with the groundswell of regional commitment we are poised to help drive the most important era in Canada’s history for freshwater conservation.  Here is how: By creating a local network of users at a regional scale we are creating a true tool for evidence-based decision-making. Here’s how:

We are pairing the security of blockchain technology (decentralized ledger system) and the nimble nature of open data.  We’re making comprehensive analysis accessible and available to everyone—watershed advocates, scientists, governments, and everyday citizens—and keeping it updated through Atlantic Datastream, an online data sharing platform.  But we’re not counting on the data to speak for itself, we’re distilling and communicating our findings powerfully through WWF’s Watershed Reports.
 
Together, we’ll measure our progress in the adoption of smarter, evidence-based water conservation policies across the country. But the real measure of success will be Canada’s ability to bend the curve on our freshwater health on a national scale.

Organized by: David Johnson Research + Technology Park, University of Waterloo

Whether its climate change skepticism, falling vaccination rates, or the public pressure to shape policy that contravenes research findings, scientific information in all arenas struggles against waves of misinformation and disinformation that confirm our biases and reinforce the stories we want to tell ourselves about the world and how it works. As journalist Elfa Ýr Gylfadóttir noted in 2017, “It has even been said that, despite the easy access to knowledge, we as a human kind, are now living in the era of misinformation or disinformation.” (https://njc.dk/article/the-challenge-in-an-era-of-misinformation-and-disinformation/)

This isn't a new phenomenon – indeed the communication challenges facing science have deep historical roots – however, the rapid acceleration of digital technologies has given rise to a plurality of powerful, non-traditional voices who handily circumvent the gatekeeping and agenda setting functions of traditional institutions and outlets, planting the seeds of skepticism, mistrust and confusion. Meanwhile traditional information outlets continue to find themselves increasingly short on the time and resources necessary to fully investigate these stories, widening the gap between the general public and trusted, evidence-based information. This panel brings together experts from industry, academia, and media to discuss the historical challenges of communication and story-telling facing science and to explore how we can work together to create a stronger public discourse built on sound, evidence-based information to re-establish public trust and develop better policies. We’ll explore the historical challenges of scientific communications and how those are rapidly evolving in the digital era; how institutions, government, and industry and respond and leverage these emerging technologies to share information; and attempt to examine how we can work together to approach science communication at a broader policy level.

Organized by: Compute Ontario 

High Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have emerged as fundamental tools for 21st Century research. The Federal government announced as part of its 2018 Budget, a commitment of $572.5 million over five years with $52 million per year ongoing to implement a national Digital Research Infrastructure Strategy; reinforcing this point.

Using points of evidence from Compute Ontario’s Highly Qualified Personnel and Technology Investment Studies, this panel will examine how the process of conducting collaborative evidence-based planning with others in the digital research space:

• Led to the creation of a converged high-performance computing & artificial intelligence platform which will facilitate new tools, skills development and opportunities for researchers and industry partners
• Identified a significant gap and need for a robust academic-industry collaboration strategy in high performance computing and some of the anticipated challenges 
• Reinforced the need to change how we measure value and evaluate return on in digital research infrastructure investments to policy makers
• And considers ways in which regional organization can collaborate to improve coordination and investments in digital research infrastructure to accelerate national planning strategies

This panel will draw on the expertise skill and experience of senior executives from Compute Ontario, Calcul Quebec and Vector Institute.

Organized by: Fonds de recherche du Québec, Madison Rilling

Science’s next generation of researchers, embodied by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, generates a significant share of scientific output in Canada and contributes to its growth and democratization. More and more, these emerging scientists are getting involved and mobilizing themselves to influence the decision-making processes within the various spheres of the research ecosystem. Taking into account the perspectives of the next generation of scientists ensures that the decisions made reflect their needs and values, and fosters the involvement of student researchers in decision-making and institutional governance. In Canada, this involvement can take many forms, e.g., advisory committees, advocacy groups or representation positions in governance structures. The proposed panel aims to present the various forms of involvement or influence that students can have, namely by putting the spotlight on three concrete examples and their impact: 1) The intersectoral student committee (Comité intersectoriel étudiant - CIÉ) of the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ); 2) Science & Policy Exchange (SPE) and; 3) Science Outside the Lab North (SOtL). These examples will be complemented by the presence of an experienced researcher now working in a federal department. This generational junction aims to highlight the positive repercussions of the involvement of the next generation, for both organizations and students.

The CIÉ advises the Quebec’s Chief Scientist and is mandated to identify strategies to promote access to funding for graduate studies, foster excellence of student research, and contribute to the local and international promotion of research stemming from Quebec. Since 2014, the CIÉ has been actively contributing to integrating student researchers within the governance structure of the FRQ. Based in Montreal, SPE is a non-profit organization whose mission is to bridge the gap between academia, industry and government to inspire evidence-based policymaking. SPE led the #Students4theReport campaign to support the Naylor Report's recommendations for federal reinvestment in fundamental research. The SOtL North organization aims to provide immersion training to students related to issues that affect science, politics and society. In addition to the representatives of these three organizations, the panel will be supplemented by Donna Kirkwood, Chief Scientist at Natural Resources Canada, having herself been involved in and a witness to the training of students during graduate studies. Her experience in both academia and government will provide discussions on the importance of the contribution of the next generation in the development of research in Canada.

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La relève en recherche, incarnée par les étudiant.es de cycles supérieurs et les postdoctorant.es, génère une part importante de la production scientifique au Canada en plus de contribuer à son rayonnement et à sa démocratisation. De plus en plus, la relève s’implique et se mobilise pour influencer les processus décisionnels dans les différentes sphères de l’écosystème de la recherche. La prise en compte des points de vue de la prochaine génération de scientifiques assure que les décisions prises reflètent leurs besoins et les valeurs en plus de favoriser le développement de l’expérience des jeunes quant aux mécanismes décisionnels et à la gouvernance des institutions. Au Canada, l’engagement de la relève scientifique peut prendre plusieurs formes, notamments celles de comités consultatifs, groupes de pression ou représentation étudiante dans les instances. Le panel proposé vise à présenter la diversité des modèles d’engagement ou d’influence de la relève et à exposer par trois exemples concrets les impacts positifs et multiples de leur implication active : 1) Le Comité intersectoriel étudiant (CIÉ) des Fonds de recherche du Québec; 2) Dialogue Sciences et Politique - Science & Policy Exchange (SPE) et; 3) Science Outside the Lab North (SOtL). Ces exemples seront complémentés par la présence d’une chercheuse d’expérience oeuvrant maintenant au sein d’un ministère fédéral. Cette jonction générationnelle vise à mettre en valeur les retombées positives de l’implication de la relève, tant pour les organismes que pour les étudiant.es.
 
Le CIÉ conseille le scientifique en chef du Québec et a pour mandat d’identifier des stratégies afin de promouvoir l’accessibilité au financement aux études supérieures, de favoriser l’excellence de la relève de et contribuer au rayonnement de la recherche. Depuis 2014, le CIÉ contribue activement à l’intégration des considérations de la relève dans la gouvernance de la recherche au Québec. Basée à Montréal, SPE est une organisation à but non lucratif dont la mission est de combler le fossé entre le milieu universitaire, l’industrie et le gouvernement pour inspirer l’élaboration de politiques fondées sur des données probantes. SPE a mené la campagne #Students4theReport qui visait à appuyer les recommandations du rapport Naylor pour un réinvestissement fédéral en recherche fondamentale. L’organisation SOtL North vise à offrir une formation d’immersion aux étudiantes et étudiants en lien avec des enjeux qui touchent la science, les politiques et la société. En plus de la présence des représentants de ces trois organisations, le panel sera complété par Donna Kirkwood, scientifique en chef à Ressources naturelles Canada, qui témoignera de l’importance de la contribution de la relève dans le développement de la recherche au Canada, ayant elle-même été témoin de premier plan dans la formation en recherche d’étudiantes-chercheuses et étudiants-chercheurs.

Organized by: University of Toronto, Emina Veletanlic and Creso Sá, PhD 

Canada’s research enterprise crosses federal-provincial borders. Provincial and federal agencies together fund over 30% of R&D activities in higher education across the country (Statistics Canada, 2017). However, federal-provincial coordination in this area has been largely a “reactive” and “ad hoc activity without a clear organizational structure or mechanism to support it” (M. Tamtik in Science and Public Policy, 2016). This panel will clarify areas of stress as well as opportunities for improvement in policy coordination.

BACKGROUND:
Historically, the federal and provincial governments have both wielded significant influence on research and innovation funding, but intergovernmental cooperation has been described as weak. This has resulted in a patchwork of programs and co-matching requirements at different levels of governments targeting the same communities with incentives that have conceptual and structural similarities. Researchers navigate a complex system of funding streams, seeking opportunities to help shoulder the costs of research.  

These issues are at the forefront in current policy debates. The 2016 Fundamental Science Review recognized that research supports are “an area where close cooperation and shared planning would make sense, but that is not what the Panel found” (p. 67).  A recent Council of Canadian Academies report highlighted this coordination gap as “both a risk and opportunity”, particularly for provincial governments (Science Policy: Considerations for Subnational Governments, 2017). Although the expert committee cautions against the risks associated with weak policy implementation, there are significant benefits to be derived from a closer connection between provincial and federal programs—if successfully translated into practice.

In light of the creation of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) to harmonize activities horizontally across the main federal agencies, mechanisms for vertical coordination with the provinces and territories must also be examined.

FORMAT:
Our proposed panel will spark new thinking about the coordination challenge and means to overcome the vertical coordination gap that has been endemic in Canada. Our Panel will harness the collective thinking of our expert panel and the CSPC participants to address questions such as:

• How can past examples of federal-provincial initiatives inform the present? 
• What are potential models for intergovernmental coordination? 
• How can the federal research councils work with their provincial/territorial counterparts to avoid policy duplication and inconsistencies in research support programs?
• What could be some short- and long-term coordination targets? What is success?

The following Green Paper will be discussed: https://www.impactcentre.ca/research/a-delicate-balance/  

Organized by:  University of Guleph,  Malcolm Campbell

Canadian food systems are likely to look a lot different in the not-too-distant future. Insect-based flour, ingredients from food waste, foodstuffs from tailored crops and livestock, in vitro meat, novel fruits and vegetables, antibiotic-free meats, and cage-free eggs are poised to factor in Canadian diets. In some instances, science-based policy is in place to support the regulation and promotion of next-generation value chains and the uptake of these foods into our kitchens. In other instances, science-based policy is lagging, or is being thwarted by factors other than science. This panel will consider emerging food system trends, and whether policy is prepared to deal with these trends. Gaps in science or policy to address food trends will be considered, and suggestions made to address these gaps.

The panel will consider how innovations in the agri-food sector can enable Canada to lead as a producer of safe, healthy, nutritious, and sustainable food - and the policy challenges associated with this immense opportunity. The panel will be moderated by Professor Malcolm Campbell, Vice-President Research from the University of Guelph, who will open the session with a short, high-level overview. Four panelists will follow with more detailed examination of the opportunities and challenges ahead: (1)  Professor Mary Buhr, Dean of University of Saskatchewan's College of Agriculture and Bioresources will discuss the role of emerging on-farm trends and technologies that are impacting global food supply chains; (2) Professor of Food Science Maria Corradini, from the University of Massachusetts, will talk about how novel packaging and other food science innovations can reduce waste and improve health and sustainability; (3) Dr. Bettina Hamelin, President and CEO of Ontario Genomics will discuss emerging new genome-based technologies such as genomic selection and synthetic biology; and (4) Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute board member, and former Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Deputy Minister, Dr. Deb Stark will provide insights into policy hurdles and opportunities that could hinder or promote adoption of innovation into our food systems. The panel will then participate in an open discussion with the audience on this subject.

Innovation has been a driving force at the University of Waterloo and has been an integral part of the university’s success in research, entrepreneurship and experiential learning. The University of Waterloo was recently named as Canada’s most innovative university by Maclean’s magazine – recognition awarded to UW for the 27th year running.

Waterloo’s unique innovation ecosystem is distinguished by its inventor-owned IP policy, entrepreneurship programs, business incubators and robust industry partnerships.  From research to product idea to creation to commercialization, the University of Waterloo ecosystem provides the knowledge, tools, space and network to support start-ups and entrepreneurs on their road to commercial success.

Organized by: Space Advisory Board, Michelle Mendes

Canada is known for its high-quality talent in space science and technology and has made many contributions to international initiatives past and present, such as James Webb Telescope, MOST, RADARSAT, the Canada Arm and many more. In order to continue Canada's national space legacy and to participate in future international space projects, a policy must be developed to tolerate a highly competitive, dynamic and changing global environment.

The Canadian Space sector is at a crossroads. Without immediate action, the consequences are dire. At minimum the status quo will lead to a reduction on ability to translate innovation and science into economic development, the exit of highly trained Canadians, loss of access to space activities with international partners, and limited information and data needed to sustain the activities of many Canadians sectors, such as agriculture, environmental management, health and others.

The moderator and the panellists will discuss Canadian space policy to provide a baseline for understanding the existing environment. The panel will then review and analyze recent national directives, made by other nations such as the United Kingdom, the USA, India and others. They will then demonstrate how relatively minor changes can make a significant impact on the future of Canadian space. Furthermore, a discussion about making space a national strategic asset is critical to a long-term plan for the national space sector.

The 'Short Talks' series will include seven, 10-minute presentations, including:

1. Conspiring Together for Good: Institutional Science and Religion - Milton Friesen, Social Cities - Cardus
2. From Artificial Intelligence to Policy-Making: Changing how we make maps to make better decisions - Karen Bronsard, Centre of Expertise in Geomatics at Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation, Natural Resources Canada
3. Amplify: Managing Microaggressions and Countering Stereotypes Against Women and Girls in STEM - Ana Sofia Barrows, Ryerson University and Ontario Science Centre
4. Putting our Minds Together: Research and Knowledge Management Strategy - Dr. Nicolette McGuire, BC Ministry of Health
5. From crisis to confidence: Building science and policy “bridges” in Canada’s national blood system - Dr. Dana Devine, Canadian Blood Services
6. How a new model of journalism is connecting science and the public - Lisa Varano
7. Mapping the science writing and communication landscape in Canada using new media and traditional survey research tools - Tim Lougheed, Science Writers and Communicators of Canada and Alexandre Schiele, UQAM Interuniversity Research Center on Science and Technology (IRCST)

Great research ecosystems support public outreach.
- INVESTING IN CANADA’S FUTURE Strengthening the Foundations of Canadian Research.
In this one sentence lies an entire field of research and practice that is key to moving science forward in Canada. But most science outreach programs in this country are, by their very design, only reaching youth or “science-aware” adults.

Many of us used to be merely concerned about the large group of public who turned away from science early in their lives and now lack any inclination to engage with it. Now, flat Earthers, anti-vaxxers and climate change deniers demonstrate that a public not just disengaged from, but actively skeptical of established science, can become a political force.

Even in the face of this, we have not changed how we engage with adults to try and reach beyond our traditional, science-aware base.

This panel explores ideas and best practices to engage adults from many backgrounds and interests with science, and what these require to be sustainable. The session moves from discussion to practice with a Freestyle Social, an innovative vehicle for public consultation and engagement with current science-related issues. The ultimate goal is to answer the question, who speaks for science in Canada?

Organized by: Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars, Joseph S. Sparling, PhD

This panel aims to examine the real life impact of current postdoctoral policies in Canada and to discuss potential policy reforms that could provide solutions to many of the challenges facing Canadian postdoctoral scholars today. The panel will open with two presentations by current/former postdocs affiliated with CAPS/ACSP. The first of those presentations will review the major challenges facing Canadian postdocs based on survey data and front-line stories from postdocs across the country, including issues related to employment status, compensation and benefits, immigration, career development, and personal support. The second presentation will focus on identifying the policies that contribute to those challenges and discussing potential policy-based solutions for improving the status quo for postdocs in Canada. Following the presentations a representative from the Tri-Agency and a postdoctoral administrator from a large Canadian research university will be asked to weigh in on the proposed policy reforms, identify potential barriers to those proposed changes in the current Canadian research landscape, and discuss possible ways to overcome those barriers. The panel will close following questions from the audience and a brief summary statement from the moderator. 

Organized by: Research Impact Canada, the Conference Board and The Collaboration, SSHRC

Research Impact Canada, the Conference Board have partnered with The Collaborative, a SSHRC funded network dedicated to helping educators foster a better culture around SSH knowledge and skills to offer a new collaborative platform for educators in K12 through PSE. The premise of the project is that students, graduates, researchers, and educators in SSH disciplines benefit from applied skills training, cross-sectoral collaborations, and knowledge sharing. Likewise, collaboration and knowledge sharing skills help extend the reach, engagement, and impact of SSH research and activities. But the models of impact available do not do justice to the nature and diversity of activities in which engagement and knowledge mobilization objectives can be achieved. This panel will offer draw upon the expertise of the speakers and to identify best practices, resources, and next steps for improving our understanding of impact in the social sciences.

Organized by: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Eloisa Martinez

An interactive and forward-looking series of four lightning talks, organized by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), will highlight several key opportunities and challenges presented by the pervasive role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other technologies in the daily lives of Canadian citizens within a globalized context. Speakers from across academic, public, community/not-for-profit and business sectors will explore with the audience the transformative impacts of technology related to digital threats to democracy. Following these presentations, a number of possible storylines will emerge based on the key digital trends under discussion. Audience members will be called upon to examine possible societal outcomes for a number of potential futures.

These lightening talks will frame a discussion on digital threats to democracy and the role of evidence- based policy making to address the associated risks and opportunities to democratic processes in the digital age. This session provides an excellent opportunity for cross-sectoral dialogue and insights related to policy implications on these critical issues with a view to imagining our digital futures.

Recognizing the central role that science plays in many aspects of Canadian society, the federal government has developed a vision to foster a culture of evidence-based policy- and decision-making. This new vision will lead to enhanced science outcomes for Canadians through greater collaboration and improved infrastructure that will benefit the wider Canadian science ecosystem. Areas of focus include strengthened equity and diversity in science, support for the next generation of scholars, scientists being equipped with the tools and resources they need to succeed, and active engagement in the rapidly evolving global science landscape.

The panel discussion will focus on how scientific research can address today’s emerging challenges through new collaboration, supported by innovative and world class science infrastructure. Members will highlight successes with respect to collaboration across jurisdictions to address important scientific questions, how the pace of discovery and innovation is shaping their workplaces and influencing the tools they need, and how they are keeping pace with transformative changes in the global scientific landscape.

Organized by: Pacific Water Research Centre and Ryerson University Water, Nick Reid and Zafar Adeel

Co-led by the Pacific Water Research Centre and Ryerson Urban Water
Emerging water challenges in Canada can be tied to climate-change impacts on water availability, urbanization and population growth, water pollution, and threats to aquatic ecosystems. A 2017 report from the World Wildlife Fund in Canada (WWF-Canada) indicated that most of the watersheds in Canada are showing significant disruptions from human activities such as hydropower dams, discharges from agricultural and industrial activities, rapid urbanization, extensive application of road salt, and incidents involving natural resources extraction. At the same time, Canada has an unmatched, century-long history of peacefully managing shared water resources with the United States. In recent years, landmark water-sharing agreements have emerged, which engage Indigenous communities as important stakeholders. Canadian companies have developed advanced technologies for water treatment and monitoring.

Public perceptions play an important role in this respect. In a recent survey conducted by RBC, 45% of Canadians believe water is Canada’s most important natural resource and 50% believe water is an important part of Canada’s national identity. However, only 6% of Canadians say they put extra effort into saving water and only 50% of Canadians say they have an adequate understanding of the impact of climate change on water availability and quality. These findings reveal some contradictory perceptions held by the Canadian public, which value water an important natural resource, and yet demonstrate inattention to water resources under the presumption that it is an abundant resource.

One major stumbling block for Canada is that it does not have a common, ambitious and visionary national strategy to manage its water resources, unlike almost all developed countries in the world including those with similar federated constitutions. This means, for example, that no federally enforceable standards exist for safety and environmental/economic sustainability for drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and ground water extraction. Further, the absence of a national water vision has led to varied, and sometimes chequered, approaches for addressing the water management challenges in Canada, including disproportionately disadvantaged indigenous communities, an increasing water infrastructure deficit and failing to declare water as a human right. Development of a common national vision that is jointly developed through engagement of stakeholders at various jurisdictional levels is an important first step in addressing Canada’s water challenges.

In this respect, a new comprehensive framework can be used to address these interconnected water challenges in one fell swoop: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed by the United Nations that aim to achieve significant and ambitious improvements by the year 2030. Countries across the globe, including Canada, are re-tooling their national development strategies to meet these global targets. Another pertinent development is the designation of 2018-2028 as the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development.” A pan-Canadian alliance of universities, civil society organizations, private sector leaders, and environmental groups – called the International Water Decade Alliance (IWDA) – brings together the SDG implementation with the new water decade.

This symposium will highlight the need for a national water vision in Canada and bring together experts from across Canada to begin a discussion on the opportunities and obstacles of achieving a common vision. This symposium will foster ideas, leading to actionable strategies, and steps necessary for making this visioning process a success.

The added value to Canadian science of embracing equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is increasingly being identified by policy-makers, funding organizations, the post-secondary education sector and other parts of the scientific research & development eco-system as an economic imperative. Fully leveraging the talent pool, the human capital and the diversity opportunity that exists in Canada is also a key element in developing and maintaining a stronger innovation ecosystem. Strategies designed to promote and embrace EDI in all aspects of Canadian science currently exist or are in development at various levels. For instance, the federal government, through the tri-councils, has created explicit criteria relating to EDI
expectations and requirements (particularly relating to the four designated groups under the Employment Equity Act) for a number of programs including, but not limited to, the Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) and Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERCs) (see http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/equity-equite/index-eng.aspx).

Canadian universities, through Universities Canada, have made explicit commitments to implementing principles of EDI (https://www.univcan.ca/priorities/equity-diversity-inclusion/) although details are vague. Moreover, in the recent federal budget  (https://www.budget.gc.ca/2018/home-accueil-en.html) significant new investments in science were framed by expectations for the development of programming (e.g. AthenaSWAN, ADVANCE) that would support the implementation of policies and processes to increase and improve EDI within Canadian science. While these initiatives all speak to a commitment to embracing EDI in science, the reality is that moving from policy to implementation is currently challenged by the low levels of awareness and education around EDI theory and practice within the scientific community. There are limited interactions between the scientific community and academic EDI experts and a general lack of understanding of best practices, which, when combined with inertia and pushback from some parts of the community may limit the effective integration of EDI into Canadian science. Therefore, it is imperative that the scientific community and all stakeholders are actively engaged in the development and implementation of well-designed, data-driven, evidence-informed approaches that raise awareness, drive education, define actions and achieve measurable outcomes that integrate EDI into the scientific enterprise in Canada.

This interactive symposium will bring together experts and practitioners to lead a dialogue on the current state of our understanding of EDI in science in Canada and to provide specific actionable approaches which will help individuals, departments, divisions, faculties, research institutes, scientific societies and conferences, and others, move from policy to implementation of EDI principles.

Organized by: University of Toronto, Helen Lasthiokis

Doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows (PDFs) are intrinsic to the postsecondary research that results in benefits for our economy and society. The Fundamental Science Review highlighted this point but also found that, despite significant increases in graduate enrolments, the number of core graduate awards and PDF stipends as well as the amount of the awards, has not changed in more than a decade. In responding to the Review as part of Budget 2018, the federal Government noted that it would undertake work to determine how to better support this next generation of researchers through scholarships and fellowships.

An international keynote speaker and a diverse panel will discuss policy models and opportunities to reinvigorate scholarships and fellowships for graduate students and PDFs, and how the use of these awards can attract diverse talent from Canada and internationally.

Organized by: Canadian Science Policy Centre, Jeff Kinder and Silke Nebel 

Curious about science policy? Whether trying to make a difference or demonstrating impact to funders, the
need to engage effectively with policy- makers is increasingly part of the research endeavor. But even many of the most experienced research faculty balk at the barriers to bringing their research to the decision-table. For early career researchers and graduate students, the barriers are even higher – as are the rewards.

This workshop will provide a gateway into the world of science policy. You will gain an understanding of what science policy is and how it works through an afternoon of interactive exercises and discussion. We welcome active participants from all backgrounds, whether in the sciences, engineering, public policy and
administration, business, communications, arts or something else entirely. With an interest in science policy, this workshop is the place to share and expand knowledge, develop skills, and start building a network of interesting people in the world of science policy.

Organized by: Queen's University

For our prosperity and well-being, Canada must build a low-carbon energy future. The pathway to this future requires political leadership informed by collaboration with various partners – including government, Indigenous peoples, researchers, and industry.

Science and innovation will be key to driving this low-carbon future. Expertise in energy sources (e.g. petroleum, natural gas, renewables, and nuclear) and policy will be critical to informing the technologies, materials, and processes that facilitate this transition.  Before this research can inform government processes and policies – and before emerging technologies can be commercialized and mobilized – efforts must be made to translate and effectively bridge the research-industry-government gap.  This is not an easy journey, filled with barriers (e.g. regulatory hurdles, training, financial resources), and much promising research gets “lost” along the way.  

Building on Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Generation Energy initiative and the successful workshop (Envisioning a Competitive Low-Carbon Energy Future: The Role of Nuclear and Renewables) hosted by Queen’s University and NRCan in 2017, this symposium will explore how we can facilitate and accelerate knowledge translation and exchange (KTE) to help realize our low-carbon economy. What are the tools for KTE between these various bodies? What role can the various partners play in accelerating KTE?