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SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, RESEARCH S.00-75

Memorandum

To: Members of Senate ?

FROM: Bruce P. Clayman

Vice-President, Research

SuB.mcr: CRC Strategic Plan ?

DATE: August 4, 2000

I am pleased to enclose a copy of the year 2000 Strategic Research Plan (SRP) that was devel-

oped as a required component of our applications for Canada Research Chairs (CRC) through the

process described below. The SRP and its summary will be posted on SFTYs website; the sum-

mary will also be posted on the website of the CRC program, along with the summaries of the

SRP's of all other Canadian universities that receive Chairs under the program. We will have the

opportunity to update the SRP annually.

As stated in the

SRP, SF0

developed a comprehensive, bottom-up academic planning process in

1997/1998. Each Department and each School (at SF0, Schools and Departments are equivalent

administrative units) prepared a three-year plan highlighting, among other things, research direc-

tions, staff requirements and infrastructure needs. These plans informed the three-year plans of

SFLYs five academic Faculties, which in turn were incorporated into a single planning document

for the University. The (then) most senior academic planning body, the Senate Committee on

. ?

Academic Planning, reviewed this document. The year 2000/01 will mark the second iteration of

this three-year academic planning process.

On the basis of these earlier planning documents, the CRC Strategic Research Plan was collabo-

ratively developed over the last several months by the Faculty Deans (in consultation with their

Departments and Schools), the Vice Presidents, Academic and Research and the President. It was

presented for comments to the Chairs of all Departments/Schools, and the final version was ap-

proved on July 12, 2000 by the newly-created Senate Committee on University Priorities, the

university's senior planning body, which approval is specified by the CRC program.

It is presented to Senate for informationand advic..-,

Attachment

NOTE: SCAR

suggests that in the future, the updated plan should come to

Senate for consideration prior to submission.

C8PUoamzO2.&c 9.Mg.00

CANADA RESEARCH CHAIRS - STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

21 July 2000

L INTRODUCTION

The Canada Research Chairs (CRC) program will, in combination with the Canada Foundation

for Innovation (CFI) and the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF),

significantly enhance the contribution Simon Fraser University (SFU)

will

make to society in

its essential role as a primary centre for learning, discovery, innovation, and scholarly inquiry.

Faculty renewal and retention over the next decade comprise both a significant opportunity

and a challenge for SFU. Nearly one-third of the faculty complement will retire during this

period. An equal number may leave the University for new opportunities at other institutions

across the country and elsewhere in the world - principally in the United States. The

University will use the vacancies arising from faculty turnover to change its disciplinary mix,

increase support in high-priority areas, and create new programming initiatives that meet the

needs of the emergent knowledge-based society and economy.

The CRC program is of vital importance to SFU

t s success in meeting the faculty renewal and

retention challenge of the next decade. Tier I Chairs provide the University with the

opportunity to appoint distinguished researchers with exceptional research records and

provide competitive research support to help retain the world-class personnel we have already

at our institution. This will ensure that our leading research programs continue uninterrupted

and with additional resources.

In recent years, SFU has attracted a number of outstanding young faculty members. Their

research programs are starting to take root, forming the basis of exciting new research

directions. Recruitment over the next decade, aided by the appointment of Tier

II Chairs, will

seek to further support these new research directions, building cross-disciplinary research

bridges wherever possible.

SFU has forged significant synergistic research alliances with other universities in the province

as well as innovative collaborations with a wide range of community partners. Several

prominent examples are:

• SFU was one of TRIUMF's four founding universities and is a member of the consortium of

universities that manages TRJIJMF as a joint venture.

• SFU was a founding member of the Western Canadian Universities Marine Biological

Society (WCUMBS) in 1972 and has been one of the primary users of the Bamfield Marine

Station (BMS) since that time.

• SFTJ is one of the major partners for a new collaborative initiative involving BC's

universities, industry, NRC, TRLabs and others to develop the New Media Innovation

Centre (NewMIC) in Vancouver. NewMIC will be an application-driven collaborative

research centre for the design, creation and dissemination of new media tools and

• ?

resources for educational, telecommunication, entertainment and cultural archival

applications.

• SF13 is the host institution for the TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (TL*RN).

• SFU is the host institution for the McDonnell Project in Philosophy and the Neurosciences.

• SF13 is one of four Canadian universities participating in a major SSHRC/MRCI funded

project to document the History of the Book in Canada.

• The Cooperative Resource Management Institute (CRM1) at SF13 was established to

coordinate multidisciplinary, collaborative research programs involving experts from SFU,

research scientists from the Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans and other resource

management agencies.

• SFU is a partner in the Georgia Basin Futures Project based at the Sustainable Development

Research Institute at UBC. This $2.5 M SSHRC-funded project will examine possible

models to enhance human well-being while protecting ecological health in the Georgia

Basin of BC over the next 40 years.

• SF13 also has major association with the following other Centres of Excellence: Mathematics

of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS), Institute for Robotics and

Intelligent Systems (IRIS), Canadian Institute for Telecommunications Research (CITR),

Canadian Bacterial Disease Network (CBDN), Microelectronic Devices, Circuits and

Systems (MICRONET), and Geomatics for Informed Decisions (GEOIDE). The University

will also participate in the newly created AquaNet Finally, SF13 co-hosts Research on

Immigration and Integration in the Metropolis (RUM) - a SSHRC Centre of Excellence.

IL STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN COMPONENTS

1. Objectives of the Plan

SFU's Strategic Research Plan is designed to meet the following five objectives:

• build upon our existing strengths and research excellence and maintain our reputation as

the best comprehensive university in Canada;

• support and create opportunities for the pursuit of new knowledge, discovery and

innovation;

• promote strategic alliances and cross-disciplinary research within the University and seek

new collaborations with

all our communities to foster intellectual, social, cultural, and

economic development in the province of BC;

• recruit and retain outstanding faculty to enhance research capacity and provide leadership

for new initiatives and key research programs; and

• enrich the learning experience of our students through participation in, and exposure to,

the ground-breaking research and new knowledge being generated by our outstanding

researchers so they can fully participate in the knowledge society of the

21st

Century.

2. Major Research Thrusts

SFU recognizes the outstanding contributions of all researchers at and associated with, the

University. The 10 research areas listed below have been singled out for inclusion in this

Strategic Research Plan on the basis of their current level of, or potential for, research

excellence; their ability to foster the development of innovative research programs elsewhere

in the University; their ability to encourage collaboration

among

SFIJ researchers and external

partners; their potential to establish research niches within the province of BC; and their ability

to contribute to the objectives of the Strategic Research Plan. The order presented is

alphabetical and does not convey any prioritization.

Behaviour, Culture, and Social Relations

Chemical and Structural Biology and Biological Physics

Language, Communication and Information

Dissemination

Materials Science

Policy, Management and Leadership

I Technology

CFI Infrastructure Requirements

The support for infrastructure offered by CFI in support of the CRC

program and the

flexibility of

CRC funding is critically important to the success of SFTYs

research strategy. To

continue as one of the best comprehensive universities in Canada and to support and increase

its research potential and excellence,

SFU must invest in the most advanced infrastructure for

its researchers. Universities in British Columbia have been severely challenged to provide

state-of-the-art research facilities and equipment to enable their faculty to engage in leading

edge research. The creative ways in which BC universities have provided advanced

infrastructure to their researchers is testimony to the commitment of the universities to their

research missions.

Specific requests for infrastructure to CFI will be identified at the time of each Chair

nomination. These requests will be developed in consideration of priorities for CFI funding

outlined

brief

the

Institutional

Research and Training Development Plan

submitted

earlier this year and updated annually; the CFI Plan will ultimately be integrated with this

CRC Plan. While details of specific requests for infrastructure cannot be made prior to

completion of Chair nominations, experience has demonstrated that Chairs associated with the

Health, Chemical and Structural Biology and Biological Physics, Materials Science, and

Technology research thrusts will have more substantial infrastructure requirements than

Chairs in the other areas of the SFU Strategic Research Plan.

4. Assessment Strategy

The overall effectiveness of the Strategic Research Plan for SFU will depend in large part on

the comprehensiveness of, and internal commitment to, a clearly defined assessment strategy.

The assessment strategy envisioned for SFU incorporates both short-term and long-term

stewardship to ensure that the objectives of the Plan are being met and significant progress is

being made.

The committee of academic Deans, together with the Vice Presidents, Academic and Research

will annually assess SFU's success in meeting the objectives outlined in the Strategic Research

Plan. The assessment will occur at two levels: a detailed review of the specific objectives

defined for the Chairs nominated for each research thrust and a global review of how well the

Plan meets its five major objectives. The annual review

will

also assess the degree to which the

Plan has been integrated with other initiatives at the University and whether opportunities for

inter-institutional and inter-sectoral collaborations have been explored and pursued. In

addition, the assessment

will

evaluate the extent to which the research environment at the

University is being stimulated by the Plan and whether the new initiatives undertaken have

taken root.

On the basis of the annual review, an updated Strategic Research Plan will be considered by

the University's most senior academic planning body, the Senate Committee on University

Priorities. An updated Plan will then be forwarded to the CRC Secretariat

5. Expected Outcomes and Indications of Success

At an institutional level, the University will evaluate the overall successfulness of the Plan

according to the goals and suggested indicators outlined below for each of the Plan's five

objectives. Additional milestones and outcomes may be identified as part of a specific Chair

nomination if appropriate.

(1)

Existing research programs within each strategic research cluster should demonstrate clear

evidence of enhancement Major research discoveries, successful application of new

technologies, increased publication activity in leading peer-reviewed journals and books

from recognized scholarly presses, recognition of research by the academic and non-

academic community, heightened success in obtaining external research funding from

national granting agencies and other funding sources,

will

all be taken as such evidence.

(2)

Innovative new research programs should have begun and, where possible, there should

be indications of early successes. The ability to discern new initiatives and show how they

are contributing to new research directions for the University will be considered a sign of

achievement of the Plan's second objective.

(3)

Research that brings together members from across traditional disciplines and which

promotes strategic alliances across the University should be on the rise. Similarly, research

programs that extend beyond the University

through

partnerships and collaborations with

the community should involve strengthening existing partnerships and collaborations and

initiating new relationships. The adoption of cross-disciplinary research approaches to

provide enhanced learning environments for students should also be in evidence.

(4)

Outstanding scholars will be leading each of the major research thrusts. An increasing

• ?

faculty complement, expanding research productivity, and the attraction to the University

of both senior and junior researchers who seek to participate in the research programs will

be viewed by the University as a clear sign of success of the Strategic Research Plan.

(5) The learning experience of our students through participation in, and exposure to, ground-

breaking research should be enriched by the recruitment and retention of leading scholars

across the University. Enhanced incorporation of research into graduate and

undergraduate programming, expansion of student participation in research programs,

increased student understanding of diverse research approaches, paradigms, and

perspectives, and heightened satisfaction by graduates in their educational experiences,

will all be seen as indications of the University's success in meeting this final objective of

the Strategic Research Plan.

6. Institutional Planning and Approval Process

SFU developed a comprehensive,

bottom-up academic planning process in 1997/1998. Each

Department and each School (at

SFU, Schools and Departments are equivalent administrative

units) prepared a three-year plan, highlighting among other things research directions, staff

requirements and infrastructure needs. These plans informed the three-year plans of SFU's five

academic Faculties, which in turn were incorporated into a single planning document for the

University. The (then) most senior academic planning body, the Senate Committee on

Academic Planning, reviewed this document The year 2000/01 will mark the second iteration

of this three-year academic planning process.

On the basis of these earlier planning documents the current Plan has been collaboratively

developed by the academic Deans (in consultation with their Departments and Schools), the

Vice Presidents, Academic and Research and the President It was presented for comments to

the Chairs of all academic Departments/Schools, and has been approved by the newly created

Senate Committee on University Priorities.

ilL A FOCUSED VIEW OF SFU's RESEARCH THRUSTS

1. Behaviour, Culture, and Social Relations

SFU has a tradition of research excellence in Social Science and Humanities disciplines across

its broad-based Departments, Schools and programs in the Faculty of Arts, in the School of

Communication in the Faculty of Applied Sciences, and in the Faculty of Education. Over time,

diversification has produced both specialized interdisciplinary programs and an increasing

emphasis on applied professional programs. Today, SFU is renowned nationally and

internationally for basic and applied research in the Social Sciences and Humanities.

Each of the three areas - Behaviour, Culture and Social Relations - has a unique purpose, focus

and research strength at the University. Nonetheless, we grouped them together in our

Strategic Research Plan because of their underlying common anchor to the Social Sciences and

Humanities. Positions sought through the CRC program will enhance our current strengths

across these areas and offer the potential for multi-perspective approaches to research

questions that cross their borders. ?

Behaviour

There are two prominent streams of behavioural research at SFU. The first stream is focused in

Psychology and Criminology. Researchers are examining such topics as the role of cognitive

biases in irrational thinking, biopsychological analysis of behaviour, the geo-spatial

distribution of criminal behaviours, victimization of the elderly, the utility of restorative justice

and the determinants of interpersonal violence.

This research is complemented and extended by several important Centres and Institutes that

are either the products of joint initiatives with other universities and/or community partners

or which have been developed at the sole initiative of SF13 researchers. An example is the

Mental Health, Law and Policy Institute which was established in 1991 to promote

interdisciplinary collaboration in research and training in these areas. The primary

participating academic units are the Department of Psychology and the School of Criminology.

There are also formal ties with the BC Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission, BC

Corrections Branch, Ministry of the Attorney General, and the Faculty of Law at UBC.

The second research stream spans a number of Social Science and Humanities disciplines -

including Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Humanities, Philosophy,

Women's

Studies, English, Education and the Contemporary Arts - and are described here under the

general term "behavioural difference." Examples of current research in this area include the

investigation

of differences in voting behaviour, the study of differences between elite and

popular social behaviours and the examination of gender differences in behaviour. These

research programs bring social cultural, historical and population-based approaches, methods

of inquiry, levels of analysis and research perspectives to the study and understanding of

issues in contemporary society.

Culture

As the Canadian population becomes increasingly heterogeneous, as the western world

increases its impact on cultures around the globe, and as borders become increasingly

permeable to human migration, culture as an area of study and understanding is increasingly

important The impact of the western world on cultures around the globe has been, and

continues to be, a critical area of research for SF13 faculty members within such disciplines as

post-colonial studies, cultural studies and history, gender studies, and francophone and native

studies, who are interested in exploring, questioning, and challenging this impact SF13 has a

well-earned reputation for research excellence in this area. Faculty members in the

Departments of English, Humanities, French, History, Contemporary Arts, Archaeology,

Philosophy, School of Resource and Environmental Management and the Faculty of Education

are engaged in research that includes: assessment of cultural policies, practices and products

within and beyond Canada, research and discovery of our cultural past, expansion of cultural

resource management for First Nations, and application of cultural studies in the areas of

immigration and integration as part of the Vancouver Centre for Research on Immigration and

Integration in the Metropolis (RIIM). REM is one of four Canadian research centres dedicated

to studying the impact of immigrants to Canada on local economics, the family, educational

systems and the physical infrastructure of cities.

Soda/ Relations

While many researchers in the Social Sciences and Humanities at SFU study social relations in

one form or another, the challenges confronting an increasingly diverse and urban-oriented

multi-cultural society is an important unifying theme. As the world population increasingly

gravitates towards cities, the role for research into urban areas and urban issues becomes more

urgent SFU is well positioned to provide critical insight into these areas as a critical mass of

researchers are already recognized for their contributions in these areas. For example, within

the Faculty of Education an international research project is being conducted which examines

how teachers can be more ably prepared for the challenges of teaching in inner-city urban

centres. The Institute for Canadian Urban Research Studies housed within SFU's School of

Criminology complements individual research programs by bringing together researchers

from across disciplines to more fully explore urban issues.

Researchers at SFU have also gained national and international prominence for their research

into the routines and organizations that emerge from social relationships, and for research into

the changing social relations occurring within the context of the mediating roles of science,

technology and innovation.

2. Chemical and Structural Biology and Biological Physics

Faculty members in the Departments of Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and

the School of Kinesiology have been very active in establishing infrastructure and securing

substantial research funding that has enabled them to achieve an international reputation in

the area of Chemical and Structural Biology. The

group uses a broad range of techniques such

as (glyco)peptide synthesis and purification, microcalorimetry, kinetic analysis of ligand-

receptor binding,

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, high-field NMR spectroscopy, kinetic

analysis on different time scales, combinatorial molecular biology techniques, and

spectroscopic analysis by ORD, CD, UV-visible, and fluorimetry. Future growth in this area is

expected to contribute to our understanding of interfacial structures such as those that are

membrane-bound, phage-bound, resin-bound, or on cell-surfaces.

This research ties in well with initiatives in Physics. Over the past decade the Department of

Physics has built a strong group of researchers in soft condensed matter Physics whose

interests fall into the general category of Biophysics. The areas of overlap include the

mechanical and dynamical properties of DNA and chromosomes, enzyme mechanisms,

protein-membrane interactions, and the regulation and control in an RNA world. The

Chemical and Structural Biology group have received CFI funding for a facility for automated

solution and solid phase synthesis that will also have the capabilities for combinatorial

chemical synthesis. An application for additional funding from the BCKDF is pending.

Combinatorial libraries are used to solve problems in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology,

Evolution and primordial Chemistry, Pharmacology, and the Biomedical Sciences.

•

The combination of approaches being pursued by these Biochemists, Chemists, Molecular

Biologists, and Physicists will contribute to our fundamental understanding of the world

around us and will lead to collaborations with biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms who

rely on these methods for drug design. Dedicating chairs from the CRC program to the

Chemical and Structural Biology and Biological Physics research thrust will enable SFU to

build upon its acknowledged strengths that cross both Departmental and Faculty lines. The

research programs of these Chairs will have considerable spin-off benefits for the research

programs being developed under the Health research thrust, as well (see below).

3. Economy

SFU researchers have made significant contributions to societal understanding of economic

systems, exchange relations, world markets, economic development and the ways in which

policy, governance and internalization influence them. This expertise has been applied at the

local, national, and international levels.

At the local level, SFU initiated the Community Economic Development (CED) Centre in 1990.

The CED Centre engages in collaboration with communities in BC and with individuals,

institutions and organizations working in CED. One example of such a collaboration is a 2 year

research project funded by Forest Renewal BC which seeks to help communities strengthen

local economic capacity by identifying and developing the most promising and appropriate

CED strategies.

Economic policy, analysis and development are strong research areas at SFU. Other important

strengths within the economy area include the analysis of state and market interactions in

regulatory systems, alternative forms of economic development, the effect of judicial systems

on economic behaviour of producers and consumers, the cost and delivery of health care, the

impact of globalization on economic activity and more generally, the role of public policy in an

era of internationalization.

Economy research at SFU is housed primarily in the Departments of Economics and

Geography and in the Faculty of Business Administration. The linkages between these units

are well developed. A collaboration between the Department of Economics and the School of

Resource and Environmental Management on the economics of common property resources

and sustainable resource development has also been initiated. Economics research questions

are also being addressed by faculty with interest in fisheries research. For example,

researchers across a variety of academic areas (Archaeology, Biological Sciences, Business

Administration, Economics, Geography, Law, Mathematics, Resources and Environmental

Management, Sociology, and Anthropology) have joined the Institute for Fisheries Analysis

(FIA) to study issues that include the basic biology, ecology and population dynamics of

exploitable fish stocks, the bio-economic and socio-political framework of fisheries regulation

•

and management, the socio-economic well-being of fishing communities, industrial and

commercial developments related to fisheries, and the political economy of the fishing

industry.

Simon Fraser University also has important research strength in the area of Political Economy

within its Department of Political Science. The

sub-field of Political Economy has given the

Department's Ph.D. program a unique profile in Western Canada and has led to

SFU becoming

an increasingly important centre for the study of Political Science in Canada. The strengths of

existing faculty members combined with the research being undertaken by doctoral students

results in a very strong research program within the Department

The appointment of CRC Chairs will facilitate the expansion of existing research programs in

the Economy area. They will also be strategically identified to enhance the cross-Faculty links

already forged.

4. Education

The knowledge-based society of the

21st

Century requires that universities expend

considerable energy investigating means to improve access to, quality of, and delivery of

knowledge and learning. Education as a research area addresses the fundamental practical and

philosophical questions concerning what it is to be human, to be cultured, to be educated.

Within this context researchers in the Faculty of Education have particular strength in the

areas of applied cognitive psychology, curriculum development, teacher education, child

development, persons and society leadership, cultural studies, and philosophical foundations.

Building on these strengths, the Faculty of Education will focus over the next three to five

years on the exploration of the foundational questions concerning education and related work

in disciplines associated with the Humanities and Social Sciences. Related to these questions

are others more directly concerned with the coherence, viability, and sensibility of major

programs of research and scholarly inquiry that have influenced and continue to influence

educational theory and practice. Directly linked to these overall goals will be research into

question of means to educational ends, and, in turn, more immediate questions of, e.g.

contemporary curriculum demands, school organization, teaching methods, and the

meaningful integration of emerging learning technologies. More specific research will pursue

the following areas of inquiry: the nature of individual development and its relation to

curriculum design and content; the nature of educational theory, in particular questions to do

with the differing types of research appropriate to different questions; epistemological issues,

especially regarding the adjudication of knowledge claims and research findings related to

learning, development and other key educational concepts; moral and social education

including issues of diversity and difference; and issues of leadership and administration.

The designation of CRC Chairs to the Education research thrust will build on the excellence of

existing faculty (SF0 has two of a very few Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada in the field

of education) and ensure the Faculty of Education achieves its strategic research goals.

Environment

SEnvironmental issues will continue to engage public policy in the 21

' Century. SFU has great

strength and vibrant cross-Faculty collaborations in this area. Chairs from the CRC

program

will be used to develop new understandings of environmental issues in society and to expand

already well-developed partnerships with our external communities. Given the existing

excellence of faculty already at SFU in this area, the CRC program may also be used for the

purpose of retaining distinguished researchers.

Environmental Biology is an area of significant interest and teaching emphasis in the

Department of Biological Sciences. The Centre for Environmental Biology is home to two

graduate programs, the Masters in Pest Management and the Masters in Environmental

Toxicology. These programs combine research, practical training and a solid theoretical

foundation. Related faculty research strength is found in Behavioural, Chemical, and Applied

Ecology, as well as Environmental Physiology and Toxicology. Through two NSERC industrial

Research Chairs, strong research groups in forest insect ecology and in wildlife ecology were

established. Moreover, several faculty research groups focus on behavioural and physiological

studies in aquatic ecosystems. These projects are linked to external partners such as BC Hydro,

Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada, the Bamfield Marine Station, and

industrial partners.

SFU

has substantial research expertise in Geography and the Earth

Sciences. The collaboration

between these two areas, across two Faculties, is a model for successful strategic alliances.

Within the Department of Geography in the Faculty of Arts, Physical Geographers are

engaged in the study of climatology, geomorphology, hydrology, terrain, and soil research.

This research is extended by the Institute for Quaternary Research, established in 1984, whose

goal is to serve Western Canada as a centre for paleo-environmental, surficial geological and

related archaeological investigations. Researchers across a number of Departments at SFTJ

participate in this Institute.

Complementing expertise in Geography, the Department of Earth

Sciences in the Faculty of

Science offers considerable research strength in surface processes relating to earthquake

hazards, slope stability, terrain analysis, applied Geomorphology and groundwater

Hydrology. The CRC program offers the opportunity to build upon the leadership and

research excellence already at SFU in these areas and potentially extend the model of

collaboration to other units on campus. The Department of Earth Sciences is also home to two

research chairs (Shrum and Forest Renewal B.C.) and several other faculty members with

research programs in Environmental Geology.

The School of Resource and Environmental Management makes an important contribution to

the University's Environment research thrust. There are currently active research groups

within the School studying such areas as aboriginal issues, co-management, energy,

environmental economics, environmental toxicology, forest ecology, tourism and recreation

resource management, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). As with many other areas

within the School, research in fisheries science and management enjoys international

recognition for its research SFU research in the area of conservation and management of fish

populations is strengthened by its Cooperative Resource Management Institute (CRMI) which

expand the research programs currently underway. Researchers in the School are also working

on fisheries topics such as economic valuation of habitat for producing fish, co-management

arrangements to foster sustainable fisheries, and decision support systems that help managers

and users make more informed decisions in the face of complex tradeoffs.

GIS research has a strong presence at SFU in both the Faculty of Arts in the Department of

Geography and in the School of Resource and Environmental Management within the Faculty

of Applied Sciences. The Department of Geography hosts leading research in Spatial

Information Systems (SIS) and remote sensing. Further, it is the only University in Canada to

be equipped with its own remote sensing aircraft Regarded as one of the best universities in

GIS and SIS research in the country, SFU offers undergraduate and graduate training in GIS

within the Department of Geography and graduate work in GIS within the School of Resource

and Environmental Management

Considerable strength in environmental research exists in other Departments at SFU as well.

The area of the "built environment" has research leaders working from within the Gerontology

Research Centre (GRC) and has connections to the School of Resource and Environmental

Management in the area of sustainable urban development and the built form. Environmental

Economics is also an active part of research programs within the Department of Economics

with particular focus on the potential of tax schemes, economic policy issues, and

environmentally rooted economic incentives.

Environmental research is also being conducted in less obvious locations such as in the School

for the Contemporary Arts where a research program in landscape aesthetics has been

initiated; in the Department of English where a new area of environmental literature is

emerging; and in the Department of History where research into environmental change is

adding to our understanding of our impact on nature and the environment.

6. Health

SFU has a long history of health research and education. With over 10% of our current faculty

complement actively involved in health research, SFU

has moved to consolidate health

programming at the University.

The Institute for Health Research and Education (IHRE) win

enhance and support the excellent research programs currently underway by existing faculty.

The Institute

will

also be the vehicle for SFU to embark on ambitious new research programs

and recruit ten new faculty members who complement and expand our current base of

expertise.

CRC Chairs will be used to build strategically upon existing health-related research (now

attracting funding in excess of $3 M annually), to strengthen research across sectoral

boundaries, to broaden graduate programming, and to position the University to take full

advantage of expanded C]HR funding. Within the Humanities and Social Sciences, it is

•

envisioned that four clusters of health-related research could be enhanced by the addition of

Canada Research Chairs: the social roots of disease, the organization and social dynamics of

clinical practice, factors structuring health-related institutions, systems and policies, and

Mental Health. In the Sciences and Applied Sciences, Chairs are likely to be positioned in

Biomedical Engineering; Cellular Biology and Physiology; Genetics, Genomics and

Bioinformatics; and, Health Information Technology. Two further areas that round out SFU's

health research expertise are Neuropsychology and Neurophysiology, and Health Education

and Management

Social Roots of Disease

The deep social roots of many forms of disease and physical suffering remain untouched by

remedies directed at the individual's body alone. People in different social positions and/or of

varied cultural backgrounds respond to medical knowledge, practices, and technologies in

diverse ways, as they come to terms with their own health. Social, historical, economic,

pedagogical and ethical perspectives brought to these issues by the Social Sciences and

Humanities address concrete problems at many levels, from the large-scale processes that

structure the social determinants of health to the context-specific shape of various health-

related beliefs and behaviours, and from policy formation to interpersonal and subjective

interactions in health-care delivery.

Researchers at SFU in the School of Criminology, Departments of Psychology, Sociology,

Anthropology, History and the Faculty of Education are actively engaged in studying the

social roots of disease in the following areas: patterns of social inequality and their relation to

disease, interactions between social location and health/illness, health-related beliefs and

behaviours, interpersonal relationships and their relation to health and disease, historical and

political context of personal suffering and ideals of health, individual and group experiences of

illness and health care, and relations between cognition and physical health.

Orgarnzation and Social D

namics of Clinical Practice

This area of health research will be vital to helping citizens of the

21st

Century interact with

their health care systems and understand their own health. As economic questions continue to

drive investigations into new models of health care and as alternative treatments become more

prevalent, individuals will increasingly want and need knowledge about their options and

seek better understanding of their experiences.

SFU researchers across a number of Departments in the Faculty of Arts (Humanities,

Psychology, Women's Studies, English), in the School of Communication in the Faculty of

Applied Sciences, and in the Faculty of Education are well positioned to assist in developing

this knowledge and understanding. At present, strong research programs are examining issues

such as the relationship between technology and the management of illness, communication

and reflective practice in clinical settings, the ethical dimension of clinical decision-making, the

subjective experience of illness and of treatment, changing social meanings of disease

categories and clinical work, and the relation between biomedicine and other therapeutic

systems. The Lifestrains Project (a collaboration between SFU researchers and the Pomelo

Project) is one example of the results of research in this area. This Project brought attention to

the global politics of new biotechnologies, including the mapping of the human genome, the

patenting of life forms, and the introduction of new reproductive technologies.

Factors Structuthi Health-related Institutions, S

stems and Policies

Medical knowledge and clinical practice are mediated by social, political, economic, and

cultural processes that have profound effects on health-care delivery. Rapid social change and

technological innovation pose significant new dilemmas about the place and transmission of

health care in modern society.

SFU has research strength in five key areas within this health research stream: economics of

health-care delivery; historical transformation of medical systems, knowledge, and clinical

practice; political, social, and cultural constraints on policies and programs; effects and

implications of policy on the health of population; and the role of public advocacy and

knowledge outside the medical establishment These research strengths have particular

importance for several other areas of SFU's Strategic Research Plan (namely Economy and

Policy, Management and Leadership) and represent the degree to which the Plan has been

developed to derive a coherent vision for the University's future.

Mental Health

A number of researchers across the Faculty of Arts, particularly in the Departments of

Gerontology, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Psychology and the School of

Criminology are engaged in research programs contributing to the Mental Health area. The

Mental Health, Law and Policy Institute, established in 1991, extends this research, promoting

interdisciplinary collaboration across its three subject areas. Research in the Mental Health

area is also expanded by faculty members in the School of Kinesiology who are advancing

understanding and treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Biomedical Engineethig

Population aging will generate a growing need for assistive and health-monitoring devices.

Recruitment of CRC Chairs with expertise in human structure and function and their relation

to health and movement will be sought to expand on the research expertise in the Faculty of

Applied Sciences which covers movement and its control, regulation and adaptation of

physiological systems, and growth, development and aging. Current research programs span

both basic research and applied outcomes research in the areas of health promotion,

prevention of injury and disease, functional evaluation and rehabilitation, ergonomics/

human factors, and environmental, exercise and work physiology.

SFU has already begun to expand its research capacity in this area. A new Centre of Injury

Prevention, Mobility and Aging

will

complement the GRC and its Dr. Tong Lowe Living

Laboratory (developed jointly with BC1T with the assistance of CFI and BCKDF funding). This

•

important initiative is the locus of novel research and development projects in the design and

testing of living environments for the elderly.

Developmental Disabilities

For the past five years, researchers in Kinesiology at SFU, in conjunction with the Canadian

Down Syndrome Research Foundation (DSRF), and co-investigators have been working to

develop the Down Syndrome and Developmental Disabilities Research Centre.

This unique

research centre flows from an already dynamic

partnership among the DSRF,

SF1.1 and

Children's & Women's Health Centre. The new Centre will bring together researchers from

around the world with expertise in Down syndrome, brain mapping and plasticity. The

research generated from this centre will have a significant impact on researchers in a variety of

disciplines including Kinesiology, Psychology, Gerontology, Medical Physics, Cognitive

Science, Childhood Education, Biomedical Engineering and Health Policy. Once the centre has

been completed (construction will commence in 2000), SFU will be positioned at the forefront

of health research on development disabilities. A CRC Chair in this area will enable SFU to

build upon existing strength and ensure the full realization of the potential of this new

research facility.

Cellular Biology and Physiology

In addition to SFU's research strength at the molecular level, there is a growing emphasis on

basic biomedical studies at the cellular, organ, and organismal level. Research in these areas is

often directly related to specific diseases, and current expertise includes diabetes, cancer,

cardiovascular and neurobiological research. Expertise with the chemistry and biochemistry of

the different cell constituents, e.g. carbohydrates, peptides, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids,

is available. Kinesiologists and Biologists provide valuable insight into the physiological

processes; structural and mechanistic chemists provide a molecular basis for biological

recognition events; and, biochemists and molecular biologists provide the bridge that connect

the two areas. This strength allows the team to investigate problems of an interdisciplinary

nature and provides a research base for the study of diseases and drug, diagnostic, and

vaccine design.

While research strength at the molecular and cellular level is an essential prerequisite for

clinical advances, more expertise will be needed to bridge these fields, especially in

physiology. Key appointments in emerging fields such as molecular physiology will provide

crucial links between molecular and cellular biologists and physiologists, and enhance the

clinical relevance of current research.

Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics

The early

21st

Century will be devoted to understanding the sequences of genomes that have

begun to emerge from international consortia such as the Human Genome Project. Genome BC

will provide the provincial infrastructure to carry out large scale sequencing projects, mapping

initiatives, and studies of gene expression.

We will build upon this strength by taking the information that is produced at these large

centres and interpreting it through methods involving Developmental Genetics at the

molecular level and by considering evolutionary implications and patterns. Understanding

how genomes evolve and how genes are regulated requires new approaches. These he in the

areas of Computer Science, Information Technology, and pattern recognition, and require

novel algorithms produced by Mathematicians and Statisticians. This combination of expertise

in Molecular Biology and Computation is producing a new breed of scientist -

Bioinformatidans.

Health Information Technology

As suggested above, the human genome project has resulted in an explosion in bioinformation

and bioinformatics research (comprising computational molecular biology, biological

databases and genome bioinformatics). SFU has a core group of excellent faculty members

working within the School of Computing Science, and the Departments of Mathematics,

Statistics, and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and this research area is well positioned to

become a leading centre of bioinformatic research in Canada.

SFU also has significant research strength in the Medical Visualization area. This research has

a wide range of potential applications and is useful to health care professionals for the

purposes of diagnosis, surgery, research and telemedicine. Research at SFU is focused in the

areas of computer-aided diagnosis, image and volume display and compression, and

workstation design for radiologists and involves researchers from a number of Applied

Sciences and Science disciplines (Computing Science, Communication, Engineering Science,

Kinesiology, and Mathematics). A number of well-developed and important partnerships have

been developed with several Vancouver hospitals and

local industrial partners such as ALl

Technologies, and

MTL This research is being supported by the Science Council of BC, the BC

Cancer Agency, and charitable health foundations.

Neuropsychology and Neurophvsiologv

SFU has significant research strength in the Faculties of Arts, Science and Applied Sciences in

Neuropsychology and Neurophysiology. In the Department of Psychology, researchers are

investigating such areas as neural mechanisms of circadian rhythms,

adult neuropsychological

assessment, neurocognitive disorders in medical and

psychiatric patients, neuropsychology of

memory, molecular neurobiology of reproductive behaviour, and human neuropsychology. In

the Faculty of Science, several Biologists are working in the areas of neuroethology, neural

control of behaviour in simple organisms, neurophysiology of synaptic release and

modulation, calcium imaging, and voltage-sensitive dye recording of neural activity. In the

Faculty of Applied Sciences, Kinesiologists are engaged in research in neuroscience, neural

control of movement, and neuroprosthetic rehabilitation.

Health Education and Management

Health care in the 21 s

' Century will be revolutionized by new delivery models, technological

innovation and alternative approaches to health and wellness, with concomitant cost

implications. Researchers in SFU's Faculties of Business Administration and Education can

make significant contributions in the areas of Technology Management, Ethics, Policy

Analysis, Organizational Management, and Health Education. Health-care Management

research is rapidly expanding as demand for new management models and training within the

health care system accelerates. In conjunction with community partners, SFU seeks to expand

in this area, taking a leading role in both research and programming.

7. Language, Communication and Information Dissemination

SFU has made significant research contributions in the area of language, communication and

information dissemination. Researchers are involved in the study of language (with expertise

ranging from Phonology through Comparative Semantics to Artificial Intelligence), in the

development of understanding of Epistemology and Ontology, and in the study of French

language, literature, culture and the intersection of the three. One important focal point for

researchers in this area is the attention to native languages whose continued existence is

increasingly threatened. Another is the attention to the learning of English-as-a-Second-

Language that is so much a part of the Canadian urban setting. Research on the creation and

dissemination of the printed word from both historical and contemporary perspectives rounds

out Language research undertaken at the University.

Another contribution to research in this area arises from a more technologically-based

exploration into Language and Communication. The explosion of global Internet activity

makes it crucial that we gain a better understanding of language. Researchers in the fields of

Cognitive Science, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, Computing Science and Education are

engaged in answering research questions that surround this area.

The Department of Linguistics at SFU is a showcase for the study of second language

acquisition. Home to the Intelligent Language Tutor, located in the Institute for Language

Training within the Department, SFU researchers have obtained significant funding from the

Greek Government and the European Union to study the difficulties in acquiring a second

language. Initially starting with the Greek language, the methodologies developed will be

transferable to other languages in the future.

Telematics, which is the convergence of telecommunications, networks, and computer

applications, is a multidisciplinary research area. At SFU, researchers in this field are

predominantly housed in the School of Communication, but are also in the Schools of

Engineering and Computing Science, the Departments of Mathematics, Statistics and

Geography, and the Faculty of Education. At one level, Telematics addresses computer

applications for wireless telecommunications and GIS; at another it addresses policy issues for

implementation of computer-assisted learning and distance education. This latter application

is of particular significance for the Education and a Knowledge-Based Society research thrust

described earlier in this Plan.

8. Materials Science

In 1996, a prominent group of Materials Scientists at SRI and UBC formed the Pacific Centre

for Advanced Materials and Microstructures (PCAMM) to serve as a focal point of expertise

and research facilities in advanced electronic and optical materials and microfabrication.

Building on a solid local base of research in surface science and thin film growth, PCAMM

currently comprises over 20 researchers who address materials problems relevant to advanced,

electronic materials and process technologies. PCAMM has a CFI application pending that will

greatly enhance the infrastructure at both institutions.

Faculty members in the Departments of Chemistry and Physics and in the School of

Engineering Science share a common interest in Materials Science. The Chemists work on

piezoelectric and ferroelectric devices, conducting polymers, proton-exchange membranes for

fuel cells, photolithography, molecular magnetic materials, and artificial noses, while the

Physicists complement this by creating and studying electronic and magnetic materials with

nanometer-size components. Examples of the latter include ultratbin magnetic films, quantum

wires and dots, molecular wires and nanoscale magnetic particles. These systems are of great

fundamental as well as practical importance since advanced electronic devices of the future

will be based on these technologies. The Engineering Scientists are an integral part of this

network. In order to advance the emerging collaborative program in modern Materials Science

and reinforce our position as the Canadian leader in this area we intend to recruit CRC Chairs

with expertise that includes magnetic nanostructures or aspects of surface science.

Although TRIUMF-related research is very diverse, many aspects complement research in

Materials Science and therefore justifies inclusion within this section of the Plan. TRIUMF is a

unique particle beam facility, the only one of its kind in the world. Research carried out at

TRIUMF includes nuclear astrophysics, atomic physics, condensed matter physics and

material science, radiopharmaceutical chemistry, physical chemistry and applied sciences.

Currently SF13 faculty affiliated with TRIUMF are engaged in research in one of 7 areas: Solid-

state Physics: Magnetism and High Temperature Superconductors; Muomum Chemistry:

Hydrogen Atom Kinetics and Organic Free Radicals; Nuclear Astrophysics; Fundamental

Symmetries; Particle Physics; Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry; and Nuclear Structure Studies.

TRIUMF has achieved international recognition for the development and application of the

muon spin rotation (muSR technique). SFU researchers have played key roles in the

development and current building program at TRIIJMF. The new ISAC facility and the

recently funded ISAC-2, currently under development, provide radioactive heavy ion beams

unparalleled in the world. A new detection facility called DRAGON, which measures the rates

of reactions that occur in explosive nucleosynthesis events in the universe and which involve

radioactive reactants, is an example of the cutting-edge science being undertaken by TRIUMF

researchers. The appointment of a CRC Chair to this area

will

ensure that SFU researchers

continue to play a prominent role in the continuation of this world-class facility.

Policy, Management and Leadership

ISFU has research strengths across four of its five Faculties in the area of Policy, Management

and Leadership. In the Faculty of Arts, policy questions are addressed in a number of diverse

contexts, particularly by faculty members in the Departments of Criminology, Economics and

Political Science. Within the Faculty of Applied Sciences (most notably in the School of

Communication), policy questions are being addressed primarily in connection with

technology and the management of technological change. Within the Faculty of Education,

policy questions are being addressed in terms of how they may or may not encourage ideas-

based innovative leadership.

Existing Business Administration faculty have considerable expertise in the areas of policy

analysis (particularly in the areas of Canadian merger policies, cognitive errors in decision-

making, corporate strategy on organization survival and efficiency in public enterprise),

applied ethics, the impact of organizations on the environment and knowledge management

Research excellence in diverse types of "Knowledge Management' are being developed,

particularly with regard to applied technology and its impact upon knowledge retention,

diffusion and creation. Innovative programs are also being initiated. For example, the new

MBA in Management of Technology (MOT) promotes joint research and education in

technology and innovation. It is also an important example within the Faculty of Business

Administration of collaboration with industry as the program is directed by a Business

Council including the Faculty and nine high-tech industry partners.

The identification of CRC Chairs in the Policy, Management and Leadership area will

capitalize upon existing strengths and enable the university to move in new directions.

Further, it will present an opportunity for the University to strengthen bridges between

researchers in the Faculties of Business Administration and Education with those in the

Departments of Political Science, Economics and Communication.

The University-wide Health Initiative, when combined with the significant research expertise

in Policy, Management and Leadership across disciplinary boundaries, also represents an

exciting opportunity for the development of new research programs into the areas of

Biotechnology and Health-Care Administration. Regional Health Boards within the province

have already expressed a desire to collaborate with the University in these areas and the time

ripe for attracting new funding to the University from CIHR to engage in such new research

initiatives.

10. Technology

Although Technology could be viewed solely as a research tool or methodological approach to

other research, at SFU considerable research excellence is evident across Faculties in the

discovery, development and application of new information technology, computational

science, high technology, and learning technologies. The appointment of CRC Chairs in the

Technology area will extend our present expertise in these areas.

Hfrh Performance ComDutihe and the Sciences

SFU is home to faculty members from several different disciplines who come together as part

of M1TACS (Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems), PIMS (Pacific

Institute of Mathematics), and CECM (Centre for Experimental and Constructive

Mathematics). These groups link computing science, industrial and applied Mathematics, Pure

Mathematics, and Statistics. Research in the Faculty of Arts is also connected through such

ventures as electronic publishing. An application to CFI and BCKDF for a regional high

performance computing facility will increase the interactions among these groups and bring in

faculty members from Chemistry, Communication, Physics, and Engineering Science.

Currently, there is a large number of faculty members at SFU engaging in ground-breaking

research in the Computational Science area. They have strong ties to industry; together they

bring in more than $1M annually in funding through partnerships with Ballard Power, IBM,

and Maple Software.

With the changing face of computation and demand for high performance computing across

the economy, it is crucial that SFU establish a competitive environment in parallel computing

and integrate it into research and research training throughout the University. While the

addition of this infrastructure is in the CFI application mentioned above, SFIJ will require

several new faculty members to lead the integration of computation into research. The

addition of new expertise in this area will also enable SFU to develop new technology

initiatives (e.g. high performance networking, multimedia, teleleaming, telecommunications,

biotechnology, the Centre for Dialogue, the TIME Centre, and the on-going Directorships of

two IT-related Networks of Centres of Excellence) and will make significant contributions to

research programs envisioned under the Health research thrust above.

Computing Science

SFU has significant strength to offer across a wide range of research areas in Computing

Science; specifically in the areas of Information Technology, Health (elaborated upon in the

research thrust above), Intelligent Decision Making and Cognitive Science. These areas build

upon existing research excellence and provide opportunities for increased collaboration within

the university and across the research thrusts identified in this strategic plan.

Information Technology at SFU can be clustered into three areas of specialization: Computer

Security, Multimedia, and Internet Computing. At present, no Canadian university offers

Computer Security as a key research focus. At SFU, security research involves areas such as

cryptography, databases, algorithms, networks, artificial intelligence, probabilistic techniques,

number theory, and e-commerce. Researchers in the design of internet resources and

multimedia applications are also involved. SFU intends to build on its sizable research base

and create Canada's leading group of researchers in security.

The Multimedia area at SFU represents an example of important multi-disciplinary research,

including researchers from the Applied Sciences (Computing Science, Communication,

Engineering Science, and Kinesiology), Arts (Contemporary Arts and Psychology), Sciences

ILOI

• ?

(Mathematics), and Education faculties. While already internationally recognized for expertise

in Computer Graphics and Visualisation, SFU aims to use CRC Chairs to build Canada's

leading group in Multimedia, based on our strengths in computer graphics, image and video

processing, and databases.

SFU faculty also have active research programs in the area of Internet Computing which

includes web-based telelearning, information retrieval, data and text mining, agent

technologies, and data network performance. This area will seek to intensify and broaden

research programs, particularly promoting more multi-disciplinary research with other SFU

units such as Business Administration, Engineering Science and Communications.

In addition, SFU researchers are recognized for their expertise in Intelligent Decision-Making,

particularly in the areas of Applied Algorithms & Optimization and Knowledge-based

systems and Intelligent Systems. The former is organized through the Institute of Applied

Algorithms and Optimization Research (IAAOR) which brings together faculty from

Computing Science, Mathematics and Business Administration. The second area, Knowledge-

based Systems and Intelligent Systems is also highly multi-disciplinary with research

programs involving faculty members from a number of Arts and Applied Sciences programs.

The area of Cognitive Science is significant to both the Faculties of Arts and Applied Sciences,

with faculty from Philosophy, Linguistics, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Computing

Science, and Communications collaborating on the study of cognition in artificial and

biological systems. The greatest impact within Psychology has been on the sub-fields of

psycholinguistics, cognitive Psychology, and developmental Psychology; within Philosophy,

on Philosophy of language, philosophical Logic, and Philosophy of mind; within Linguistics,

on Semantics, Syntax, Phonology, and Phonetics; and within Computing Science, on

automated reasoning and commonsense reasoning, belief revision and scientific discovery,

computational linguistics, neurally inspired cognitive-computations models. SFU proposes to

use the CRC Chairs to build upon the existing research strengths and enhance the growing

international recognition of SFU as a centre for research in Cognitive Science. Such growth will

naturally lead to further multi-disciplinary research initiatives and could potentially lead to

other Applied Sciences disciplines and the Faculty of Business Administration.

High Technology

At the local and national level, Canada has two fundamental strengths in the high-technology

industry: telecommunications and microelectronics. Introducing a research Chair with

expertise in microelectronics with a focus in micro-optical-electronic-mechanical systems

('MOENS') for communications, micro-mirrors in wireless networking, mixed-signal

integrated chips, or systems-on-chip will complement our present research capacity in the

microelectronics area. In addition, a CRC Chair with interests in wireless and networked

communication systems, low-power signal processing and communications ASICs, or digital

VLSI circuits and architectures will provide SFU with the strategic mass and expertise to

develop a local centre of excellence in the telecommunications area.

A third area of focus at SFU in the high technology sector is in the area of optical engineering.

Currently Lava! University is the only Canadian university with a concentration in optical

engineering. SFU plans to expand in this area (currently represented by two distinguished

researchers) in order to meet the increasing demand for engineers in BC with optical

engineering backgrounds. A CRC Chair will strengthen current research programs in the area

and will contribute to the initiative in biomedical engineering given the widespread use of

optical detection methods and laser micromachining in biomedical devices.

Learning Technology

The growth in market demand for networked solutions in K-12, the post-secondary sector, and

the workplace has been phenomenal. Educational technology and online or web-based

educational content and programs are rapidly growing segments of the overall education

market, with growing access to the Internet and desire for convenience and access to education

and training. Three recent SSHRC-funded research programs within the Faculty of Education

responded directly to these issues: Gender and Technology, Development of a "Knowledge-

Forum", and Design of On-Line Environments in Post-Secondary Education.

SFU is host to the TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence

(TL*RN),

which is growing

in recognition both nationally and internationally. Created in 1995, the partners in the TL*RN

perform, stimulate and track leading TeleLearning research advances in collaboration with

university and industry partners throughout the world. Eighty faculty from 24 Canadian

universities are evaluating the effectiveness of new learning models, analyzing the

costs/benefits and social impact of implementing telelearning, and creating new educational

technologies.

The University has also catalyzed the creation of a new entity, the New Media Innovation

Centre (NewMIC), which involves BC universities and diverse industrial and governmental

partners and which promises to be a significant research presence within the province. With

research strengths in software development, user interface design, data mining, databases,

new media, wireless solutions, new models of networked learning, and teacher professional

development in the use of computers in education, researchers at SFU have received a

significant portion of the funding available from both

TL*RN

and NewMIC.

In the School of Communication in the Faculty of Applied Sciences, a research team has been

looking at policies for telelearning technologies in Canadian universities and colleges, and the

new educational paradigm offered by emerging private education providers in the name of

lifelong learning for the knowledge-based society. SSHRC funding is now supporting parallel

research by this group into the implementation of computer technologies in K-12 and the

management of technological and institutional change.

Networked learning and knowledge management provide excellent opportunities for

interdisciplinary research. Directing CRC Chairs to this area will encourage the development

of additional research links within

and among the Faculties of Arts,

Applied Sciences,

Education and Business Administration. Chairs will also augment the team of researchers

• ?

working in knowledge and learning, attract new expertise in policy research and the

management of technological change, broaden the scope of the research program to

encompass additional issues related to policy, technology and society, and encourage the

development of additional research links within TL*RN.

IV. SUMMARIZING OUR INTENTIONS

1. Chair Distribution by Research Thrust, Funding Sector, Level and Strategy

The following table summarizes the University's intentions of recruiting and retention Canada

Research Chairs across the ten research thrusts outlined above for

the first two years

of the

CRC program. Identification of CRC Chairs for years three, four and five of the CRC program

will be identified in future updates of the Plan. These Chairs will be strategically placed to

ensure that research at Simon Fraser University continues to develop in line with the objectives

outlined in this Plan.

Behaviour, Culture, and Social Relations

SSHRC

Chemical and Structural Biology and Biological Physics

Language, Communication and Information Dissemination

SSHRC

Materials Science

NSERC

Policy, Management and Leadership

1 ?

The CRC program, in combination with the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the British

Columbia Knowledge Development Fund, will significantly enhance the contribution SFU will

make to society in its essential role as a primary centre for learning, discovery, invention, and

scholarly inquiry. The CRC program will enable us to creatively meet the faculty renewal and

retention challenge of the next decade. It

will

enable us to build upon existing strengths,

burgeoning young research programs, and gain leadership in crucial areas.