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B. Mario Pmto, Ph.D.

Vice-President, Research

Professor of Chemistry

MAILING ADDRESS

8888 University Drive

Bumaby BC Canada

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TEL

7787824152

FAX

7787824860

EMAIL vpres@sfu.ca

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www.sfu.ca/vpresearch

SCUP 10-26

OFFICE Of THE VICE-PltESIDENT, RESEARCH

ATTENTION Sarah Dench

Director, University Curriculum & Institutional Liaison

I FROM

Mario Pinto, Vice-President. Research

5 F U 5 t rat e 9 i eRe

e arc h P l an 2010 - 15

DATE

February 16, 2010

In September 2009, [ instituted a University-wide consultation process to optimize the

SFU Strategic Research Plan to guide us through 2010 to 2015. During the first round

of consultation in the Fall of 2009, I worked closely with the Faculty Deans and

Associate Deans, Research to solicit suggestions for

new and revised strategic resclfch

themes and subthemes. I also invited input from the community through open fora held

at the Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver campuses and email submissions. During the

second

round of consultation,

posted an initial draft of the Strategic Research Plan

2010-15 on my website on January 4, 2010: the draft became a living document as

suggestions from the more than 60 individuals who submitted written comments \-vere

incorporated. On February 2, 2010, we posted a close-to-final version of the document

and opened a third round of consultation for a further two-week comment period.

Today, we posted the resulting SFU Strategic Research Plan 2010-15, as well as the

shorter

CRC/CF) Strategic Plan, for the information of the University community.

We now submit these two documents to SCUP for review, consideration, and approval

before submission to the April

12'h Senate and the May 27'" Board of Governors'

meetings.

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SFU,

SIMON FRASER UNIVEHSITY

THINKING 0'- THE WORLD

SFU

STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN

2010-2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1

Background and Process

........................................................................................ 2

Major Objectives of the Strategic Research Plan (SRP) ................................................... 3

Research Environment. ......................................................................................... 4

Interplay

of Researeh and Teaching ..........................................................................

Strategic Research Themes ........................................................................................ 4

Origins .................................................................................................... 6

Communication, Computation and Technology

................................................... 8

Culture,

Society, and Human Behaviour ............................................................ 10

Economic Organization, Public Policy, and the Global Cornmunity ........................... 14

Environment, Resources, and Conservation ........................................................ 15

Health and Biomedical Sciences .......................................................................... 18

Pedagogy ............................................................................................................... 21

Institutional Support for Research ........................................................................... 25

Institutional Support for Students ............................................................................... 25

Library Services ............................................................................................... 26

Government Support for Research .......................................................................... 26

Implementation

................................................................................................. 27

Impact

of the Strategic Research Plan ...................................................................... 27

Introduction

SL'-'10N FRASER UNIVERSITY

STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN

2010-2015

In more than 44 years, SFU has gained an international reputation for its strengths in the liberal arts and

sciences, as well as for its innovative interdisciplinary and professional programs.

Now spanning many

disciplines in eight faculties,

SFU offers more than 100 undergraduate major and joint major programs

and

more than 45 graduate offerings. Mentored by faculty acclaimed for their research and teaching

abilities and coached

by dedicated advisors and employers in our work integrated learning program, our

more than

100,000 graduates enjoy many career opportunities. The advancement of excellence in research

is a defining feature

of SFU, with leading individuals and well-recognized groups engaged in a wide

variety

of key research activities. We have been awarded more than 40 Canada Research Chairs in areas

that complement our strategic research goals, including both Tier I Chairs for outstanding researchers

who are world leaders

in their fields, and Tier 2 Chairs for exceptional emerging researchers with the

potential to lead in their field.

SFU has 39 Royal Society of Canada Fellows, distinguished Canadian

scholars who are selected

by their peers for outstanding contributions to the natural and social sciences,

the arts, and the humanities.

Our goal is to be the most research-intensive comprehensive university in

Canada, competing effectively in defined areas with the top tier institutions in the country, and

internationally renowned for the excellence

of our scholarship.

SFU is recognized for its high level of peer-reviewed scholarly output and its impact on the advancement

and transfer

of knowledge, the best measures of creative thought. According to Research Infosource, we

rank highly

tenns of the number of pUblications by our faculty members, and first among the

comprehensive universities for the impact

of our publications. Our community members are participating

on research panels and on granting committees, and they are being increasingly recognized with

prestigious awards.

SFU is one of the national leaders in the pipeline from ideas, to innovation, to commercialization. Out of

creativity in fundamental activities comes innovation, and out of innovation, applications that have

societal and economic impact.

Our University / Industry Liaison Office (VILO) is recognized as one of

the finest in the country, and has developed innovative new models for technology transfer such as the

TIME (Technology, Innovation, Management, Entrepreneurship) Centre, Venture Connection, and

WUTIF (Western Universities Technology Innovation Fund).

Our significant growth in research output has been made possible by a corresponding growth in research

input, and

we have made significant progress towards creating a supportive environment within which

research and scholarship can flourish.

terms of total Tri-Council research funds per faculty member, we

rank #14 in the country. Our researchers have consistently exceeded the national success rates in NSERC

and SSHRC competitions, and in 2008/09 we also exceeded the national success rate in the CIHR

operating grant program.

Our astounding 126% growth in research income between 2002 and 2007-and

ability to attract $86 million in sponsored research funding in 2008-has put us into the top-20 group of

Canadian post-secondary institutions in this measure. We have been successful in obtaining funding to

seed

key initiatives, in recruiting high-profile faculty members and students, in building our research

infrastructure, and in developing extensive collaborative and international networks.

SFU continues to

optimize its Strategic Research Plan

(SRP) to capitalize on its strengths in independent scholarly efforts

and

in cross-disciplinary initiatives. We are working actively to infonn changes in federal government

policy and administration and to ensure provincial investment in higher education and research.

Knowledge generation and knowledge transfer through research, scholarship, and teaching are

fundamental to the mission of the University. It is imperative to recruit and retain outstanding scholars

Page

1/27

who will attract highly qualified graduate and undergraduate students, champion bold initiatives,

strengthen critical areas

of research, develop new areas of excellence in research, and enhance synergies

between teaching and research. Providing opportunities for research training

to our undergraduate and

graduate students is essential for the success

of university-based research activities, and is central to the

mission

of a research-intensive university. SFU ranks #3 in the country, following the Universities of

Toronto and Waterloo, for the number of NSERC doctoral prizes. Graduate students are important

members

of the research community, both as research assistants and independent scholars. Graduate

degrees currently comprise about 18%

of the total degrees that SFU awards per year. Our goal is to

increase this

to 22% by 2015 by improving rates of completion and time to completion through better

funding and supervision practices. Emphasizing

an interdisciplinary, theme-based approach that is fmnly

rooted in the study

of fundamentals will strengthen graduate research and teaching. We propose also to

increasc opportunities for undergraduate research through independent study semesters and research

assistantships. We are determined to augment

SFU's talent pool and research infrastructure, thereby

contributing to the productivity and international competitiveness

of British Columbia and Canada.

As a comprehensive university,

SFU champions the liberal arts and sciences and promotes individual and

collaborative research.

Our research environment has been developed and is sustained by the creativity

and excellence

of individual researchers, whose efforts the University will continue to support. Indeed,

individual strength is a critical component

of an effective thematic approach. We propose to build on

these strengths

to defme particular strategic research directions that will define SFU and give us a

competitive edge. The

Strategic Research Plan (SRP) identifies distinctiveness as well as excellence. In

keeping with the character

of the University, collaboration and synergy are strongly advocated, while

selective investment

of resources will always be consistent with the advancement of excellence.

SFU engages communities in university research, e.g., the technology industry, the business community,

the rural or urban community, the preschool-12 education sector, the francophone community, the

immigrant community, or the Aboriginal community.

Our track record of development of the Vancouver

campus community should inspire bold urban renewal projects in

Surrey and the Great Northern Way

campus. We have a unique opportunity for the

School for the Contemporary Arts to engage the

Vancouver community with its cultural infrastructure, and to firmly ensconce

SFU as the cultural and

intellectual heart

of the community.

We live in a pluralistic society: culturally, racially, and ethnically.

SFU must provide leadership in

educating students about human differences in

an increasingly diversified world in order to help develop a

civil citizen and a civil society. Through research initiatives, we must instill in our students appreciation

of societal structures and social and scientific responsibility for a sustainable world.

Background

and Process

December 2004, the Vice-President, Research convened a Task Force to develop a Strategic Research

Plan for the University. The Task Force comprised one representative from each

of the Faculties of

Applied Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Health Sciences and Science, and two

representatives from the Faculty

of Arts and Social Sciences. The Vice-President, Research and the Vice-

President, Academic appointed four additional members. The Task Force was asked to identifY research

capacity and areas

of strength across the University, with the goal of drafting a new plan. The Task Force

generated a first

draft of the SRP after consultation with selected researchers and presented it to the senior

academic administrative group (Faculty Deans, Vice-Presidents Academic and Research, and the

President). A revised draft, incorporating suggestions from this initial consultative process, was made

available for general consultation throughout the

SFU community, including faculty, staff and student

organizations. Following the consultation phase, a final draft was prepared for submission to the

Senate

Committee on University Priorities (SCUP), Senate, and the Board of Governors for consideration,

revision and approval. The five-year

2005-2010 Strategic Research Plan (SRP) served as a road map

Page 2127

towards establishing the focus, infrastructure, and capability to improve the research performance of the

University. The

SRP articulated the University's strengths by identifying five integrative research themes

that cross disciplinary and administrative boundaries: Communication, Computation, and Technology;

Culture,

Society, and Human Behaviour; Economic Organization, Public Policy, and the Global

Community; Environment; and Health. These themes represented frameworks for mapping an already

healthy landscape

of independent inquiry.

September 2009, the Vice-President, Research communicated the plan for the optimization of the SRP

to guide the University through 2015. All members of the University community were invited to provide

input through the Faculty Deans, who were asked to provide written proposals

to the Vice-President,

Research. In November

2009, a series of public fora were held at all three campuses, and an email

account was set

up to provide the entire University community with another method to submit

commentary. The Vice-President, Research drafted the

2010-2015 SRP with the assistance of this

commentary, and with further input from inspired faculty. The draft articulated the University's strengths

by amplifying the original integrative research themes and by adding two new themes: Origins and

Pedagogy. In addition, the critical role of the fundamentals of research was stressed in the new plan. On

January 4,2010, a living draft of the SRP was posted on the Vice-President, Research Office website for

a second round

of public consultation via email submissions. The next draft was posted on February I,

2010 for a third round of consultation, and the final draft was submitted for approval through the regular

University channels beginning in March

2010.

Major Objectives ofthe Strategic Research Plan (SRP)

The SRP is intended to serve as a road map for establishing the focus, infrastructure, and capability that is

necessary to improve the research performance of the University. The SRP articulates the University's

strengths by identifying integrative research themes that cross disciplinary and administrative boundaries.

New discoveries in Canada and around the world are being made by interdisciplinary teams

investigators organized to address research questions that are multidimensional and inspired by global

societal, environmental, and economic change. The themes

of research are consistent with the sub-

priorities

of the S&T Strategy of Canada.

The major objectives

of the SRP are to:

• Maximize opportunities for discovery and innovation;

• Promote internationally competitive research and scholarship;

• Cultivate excellence through selective investment in emerging areas of research;

• Facilitate collaborations across disciplinary and institutional boundaries;.

• Recruit and retain outstanding students, research fellows, and faculty;

• Encourage effective communication and dissemination of research results;

• Optimize use of our research and scholarship resources;

• Recognize the full value of intellectual property;

• Achieve thematic coherence in the expression of SF U's research interests;

• Engage aU our communities for the benefit of society.

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3/27

Research Environment

We seek to enhance a research environment at

SFU that is responsive to new challenges and

opportunities. We regularly offer social networking events to encourage the University community to

share expertise

from across the different sectors of the University. We expect that promising collaborative

efforts will be seeded and will continue

to develop. Selected areas will be fostered through further

education, for example by inviting internationally renowned academics

to SFU for limited periods

ranging from one month to one year. These individuals will act as catalysts for further development

strategic initiatives, and serve as mentors for faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate and

undergraduate students. We will invest

in key faculty positions and in the recruitment of exceptional

students. We will be opportunistic, taking full advantage

of special situations and resources as they

develop. We will host colloquia and conferences

to broaden our knowledge of leading-edge research

around the world. We will continue to participate actively in global initiatives and build bridges to

international partners

of exceptional calibre, facilitating faculty, postdoctoral and student exchanges, and

supporting student internship programs in partner countries.

In this context,

SFU's Centres and Institutes will playa critical role. SFU has close to 50 research centres

that fall under the direct authority

of individual Deans. There are also 18 research institutes that report to

the Vice-President Research, have a University-wide mandate, and represent

SFU's activity as part of

multi-university consortia. These Centres facilitate collaborative research, especially multi-disciplinary

research; undertake specific types

of teaching or training programs; facilitate multi-university initiatives,

such as Centres

of Excellence; and provide specific types of services to the community. Many of our

Centres and Institutes also play an important role in disseminating the results

of university-based research

to the public sphere, and contributing significantly

to public policy decisions.

Interplay of Research and Teaching

Investment in research enhances the teaching and learning experience for students, since research

discoveries can be incorporated in curriculum topics and student queries sometimes inspire research

questions. Recruitment

of stellar faculty, who contribute not only to research programs but also to

undergraduate and graduate teaching, will motivate the next generation

of scholars and encourage student

participation

in research. Such individuals tend to spark students' interests by providing the latest research

perspectives, and also attract outstanding undergraduate and graduate students. The

top undergraduate

students will

"set the standard" for their peers, serving as role models, while the graduate students will

advance knowledge

as research assistants and provide valuable instruction to undergraduates as teaching

assistants. Furthermore, research-intensive faculty will provide opportunities for undergraduate and

graduate students to explore scholarly research, through focused course seminars, independent study

semesters, and through thesis supervision. The combination

of these memorable elements will heighten

the experience

of both students and faculty and will build loyal alumni.

Strategic Research Themes

The

SRP articulates SFU's strengths by identifying integrative strategic research themes that cross

disciplinary

and administrative boundaries. In defining these themes, we intend to facilitate and

encourage both individual initiatives and new collaborations within existing structures. However,

through the process

of identifying our research strengths and existing and potential synergies among

them, we intend

to encourage and support cross-disciplinary initiatives that build on our strengths and

show potential for significant impact and leverage. Excellence in research and strategic investment

resources aligned with this thematic approach will give SFU a distinctive edge and comparative

advantage, leading to our goal

of being the most research-intensive comprehensive university in Canada,

and competing effectively in selected areas on the international scene.

Page 4/27

SFU recognizes the contributions of all researchers across the entire spectrum of scholarly inquiry at, and

associated with, the University. We plan

to maximize our strengths, building on themes that unify

initiatives from the humanities

to the sciences and engage our many communities. The strategic research

themes encompass both cross-disciplinary teams and disciplinary or individual contributions

to our

collective achievements.

The following matrix summarizes SFU's seven strategic research themes, although we acknowledge that

linkages might

be established between these themes. The associated perspectives are intended to illustrate

approaches to issues

of scholarship within each theme, and transcend the themes. We anticipate that

individual facuIty will identify their own interests within certain cells in this matrix.

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RESEARCH

PERSPECTIVES

THEMES

Fundamentals

Constructs

Systems

Applications

Globalization

Origins

Communication,

Computation,

and Technology

Culture, Society, and

Human Behaviour

Economic Organization,

Public Policy, and the

Global Community

Environment,

Resources, and

Conservation

Health and Biomedical

Sciences

Pedagogy

By way

of example, with respect to the Health Informatics subtheme under "Health and Biomedical

Sciences", Fundamentals might include basic research that spans the computational, cognitive,

social/organizational and socio-technical disciplines. Constructs could include the development

models, tools, and policies, such as models for representing knowledge, new materials for information

delivery, tools

for electronic-based teaching, and policies for health care delivery. Systems research can

include how people, communities, organizations, economies, and societies use and are impacted by

information and information technologies. Applications in this area are diverse and might include health

databases, molecular electronic devices, improvements to information system performance, etc., for

clinical and administrative applications. Finally, globalization includes the study

of the boundary-less

transfer

of information that impacts individuals, populations, and socioeconomic systems worldwide,

including international exchanges

of faculty and students, field schools, and training programs. Another

example entails the study

of materials science and engineering. Fundamentals span basic research in

physics, chemistry and engineering science, such as condensed matter theory and the study of new

materials, fuel cell theory, and microelectronics. Constructs could include the combination of new

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chemical composites and micro fabrication techniques to generate the next generation of fuel cells or

biochips. Systems research might feature the interaction

of nanomaterials with biological systems,

including the public perception and ethical implications

of the use of nanotechnology

living systems.

As materials are required for just about every technology

or industrial purpose, applications of this

research are vast and include those in aviation and aerospace, alternative energies, the automotive

industry, intelligent systems, fuel cells, solar cells, electronics and optoelectronics, nanotechnology and

biotechnology, health care, infonnation and communications, and design

of green bUildings. Finally,

globalization will include the international dissemination

of new tools for global health, security,

communication, and environmental protection.

Research on public perception and on the ethical, economic, educational, political, and safety aspects

the introduction of new technologies and other applications, is critical, and spans all of the research

perspectives. These areas are the subjects

of inquiry of many of SFU's social sciences and humanities

researchers, and their research infonns practices and changes in public policy, business administration,

education, international development and relations, security issues, and government.

Origins

The Nature. Origin. and Fate

of the Universe

One

of the most important questions that has occupied mankind since antiquity is: "What is the

universe made

of and how did it evolve?" Answering these questions is at the origin of most fields of

scientific research. Mathematics provides a natural framework for drawing conclusions about deeper

mechanisms from observed data. Physics and chemistry seek to identify the physical laws governing

nature, while biology and medicine strive to understand life in the broadest sense. The sub fields

physics, subatomic physics and astrophysics/cosmology deal with nature at widely differing scales,

from the smallest

to the largest. It is very interesting that there is such a large overlap between these

two fields and

that, in a sense, the loop is closed when considering the very high energy densities of

particle physics and the origin of the universe, the Big Bang. In this connection, SFU researchers are

critical players in the world's largest particle physics experiment,

ATLAS, using the Large Hadron

Collider (LHC) located in Switzerland.

SFU led the proposal for the ATLAS Tier-l data analysis

centre at TRIUMF that is responsible for processing the data and relaying it to other secondary

analysis centers. Experiments include the reconstruction

of the first seconds of the universe and the

search for dark matter produced in collisions

of the LHC in order to construct theories of the origin

and fate

of the universe. Other SFU faculty members are involved in the development of accelerated

radioactive beams at TRIUMF. At the

ISAC (Isotope Separator and Accelerator) facility, it is

possible to study nuclear reactions which otherwise occur only in high-temperature stellar

environments. The aim is to understand the origins

of the elements in the universe.

SFU's Telematics Research Laboratory (TRL) and Poly LAB for Advanced Collaborative

Networking

Unit has world-class expertise in the development and management of Infonnation

Communications Technology (ICT) test sites for human and robotic exploration

of the solar system

and beyond, with technologies ranging from wireless communications through

to secure and life-

critical collaborative networking,

GIS, and virtual reality-based systems to support mission

operations. The work at PolyLAB is internationally recognized

as helping to define concept system

architectures used by space agencies around the world for future surface lunar, Mars, and asteroid

ICT infrastructures.

The RNA World and Molecular Evolution

Several

SFU researchers are active in unraveling the puzzle of how life might have emerged. The

molecule RNA (RiboNucleic Acid) that has recently been shown

to have the ability to copy itself

and to promote biological processes, may have played an ancestral role in the emergence

of life by

Page 6/27

building and powering the earliest organisms. New avenues of research are attempting to search the

genome

for thousands of active small RNA segments and to understand what these segments do.

The principles

of RNA evolution in the primordial RNA-world apply to modem cellular function.

Understanding how changes in molecular building blocks alter their structure, dynamics and

function is the foundation for the science

of molecular evolution. Such understanding is required for

the design

of antibacterial and antiviral drugs against which pathogens cannot develop resistance,

currently a major health issue worldwide. Correlating the molecular foundations

of evolution at the

organismal and societal levels requires

an interdisciplinary effort between SFU's molecular and

biological scientists, mathematical and computation scientists, behavioural ecologists and

psychologists, and other social scientists.

Biodiversity

Understanding and conserving biodiversity are now widely recognized as crucial for human

wellbeing.

Several internationally renowned research groups at SFU, including those in wildlife and

behavioural ecology and salmon conservation, are focusing on the ecology, evolution, and

conservation

of biodiversity. There is complementary strength in applied research on the ecology and

conservation

of forests and fisheries. SFU is unusual among North American universities in that its

strengths in present-day biodiversity research are complemented by considerable expertise in past

biodiversity and human-environment interaction.

SFU has invested heavily in the infrastructure

required to pursue research in biodiversity in multiple departments across several Faculties, and is

now exceptionally well positioned to perfonn biodiversity research in an era

of global change and

unprecedented anthropogenic modification

of natural ecosystems. Over the next five years, we will

focus on ensuring that the benefits

of SFU's ability to combine research and training on past, present

and future biodiversity are fully realized.

Human Evolution

In recent years a number

of disciplines have experienced a significant growth of interest in the

application

of Darwinian theory to questions concerning humans, and it is now clear that evolution

provides a powerful framework for understanding not only our genes and anatomy, but also our

cognition and behaviour. For example, evolutionary perspectives are increasingly used to understand

economic behaviour with respect to risk, time preference, and social status.

As well, interest in

Darwin's impact on social history and subsequent cultural conditions continues

to intensify. SFU is

exceptionally well positioned to become a world leader in this rapidly growing area

interdisciplinary endeavour. Many of our researchers are using the conceptual and analytical tools of

evolutionary ecology to understand key aspects of human biology. In addition, SFU has invested

heavily in the infrastructure required to carry out research on human evolution, including the creation

of laboratories for the extraction of ancient DNA and stable isotopes, research in the mathematical

and algorithmic underpinnings

of bioinfonnatics, and a facility for the capture and analysis of 3D

shape data. Further investments will exploit the research and training synergies created by

this

combination of an unusually diverse group of human evolution researchers and first-rate research

facilities.

The Development

of Human Thought, Culture. and Institutions

SFU has long supported vigorous, historically grounded research into human societies, cultures, and

ideas. The study

of the past is critical to these endeavours because it is through narratives about and

understanding

of the past that we ground ourselves in the present. Human societies allot power and

resources, create systems

of justice, and ultimately project themselves into the future through stories

about where we came from. We not only reveal the past through our work - we also explore the very

basis upon which we make sense

of the world today. Inquiry into the past reveals ways in which

"ways ofknowingtt in the past and the present are conditioned by the value systems in which we live.

The critical study

of the past is thus essential to the research and teaching agendas of many

departments and programs at

SFU.

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Researchers at SFU explore culture and human development in a variety of contemporary domains,

including

the links between social and cultural contexts that affect cognition, identity, values, family

relations, artistic and literary creativity, and individual and social welfare. With broad areas

expertise including those in anthropology, business, english, first nations studies, history, humanities,

international studies, literary studies, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and

women's studies.

SFU is poised to emerge as Canada's foremost centre for the study of those factors

that underlie individuals' perceptions of, influence over, and interactions with other people.

Researchers in archeology, economics, and history are currently exploring the origins

of social and

economic institutions. In addition,

SPU encompasses a number of research centres and individuals

involved in the contemporary and historical study

of justice and ethics. SFU's strengths can be found

in the diversity

of research methods used in both laboratory and field settings, and in its focus on

both basic theoretical research and the application of theory to significant social issues. Such

research demonstrates that rigorous social science can and should engage questions of basic human

processes while also providing insights relevant to the society in which we live.

Communication, Computation,

and Technology

SFU has a long history of leading-edge research in communication, computation and advanced

technologies.

Our expertise spans research issues from theory to applications to policy, with researchers

from many disciplines involved, including chemistry and chemical biology, communications, computing

science, criminology, economics, engineering science, interactive

arts

and technology mathematics,

molecular biology and biochemistry, physics, psychology, and statistics.

Materials

Science and Engineering

Materials

Science at SFU has long enjoyed a strong national and international reputation. The effort

spans the spectrum from curiosity-driven research leading to the discovery

of new materials and new

materials properties, to more applied research culminating in applications-driven engineering and

development. The original research direction

of Materials Science -making materials ever more pure

and perfect - is ongoing. For example,

SFU leads the world in the study of the novel properties of a

new and more perfect form

of silicon. More recent directions involve the study of complex materials,

exemplified by the high temperature superconductors and the related field

of highly correlated

electron materials. Economic forces drive continuing efforts

to reduce the cost of materials without

reducing their functionality. Much new work is focused on understanding how the micro- and

nanostructure

of materials can change their properties, leading to new applications in electronics,

communication, energy storage and conversion, and health sciences.

interdisciplinary and collaborative approach by biochemists, biologists, chemists, engineering

scientists, molecular biologists, and physicists will permit new materials to be integrated with

existing technologies to create novel platforms and devices, such as biochips. An essential part

of our

strategy is participation by

SFU in national and international joint ventures such as the Tri-University

Meson Facility (TRIUMF) and the Canadian Light

Source (CLS). For example, SFU researchers

form bridges to the Centre for Molecular and Materials

Science at TRIUMF, with research foci in

environmentally friendly chemistry, superconductivity, and molecular magnetism, and are prominent

in the multi-university consortium that is turning a cluster

of beam lines and spectrometers into a

national user facility for materials science. At

SFU, 4D Labs provides an important centralized

processing and analysis infrastructure in support

of the Materials Science effort.

Intelligent

Systems and Computer-Aided Design

Intelligent systems are an integral part

of modem technological products and processes. They can be

found in consumer products to advanced systems such

as surgical robots and space stations. SFU has

a long history in intelligent systems research and their industrial applications. This area includes

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artificial intelligence, data mining, intelligent data processing, the semantic web, computer-aided

vision, sensors and sensor networks, robotics, mechatronic systems, microelectronics, embedded

computing and systems, and advanced instrumentation. Intelligent systems research

is inherently

interdisciplinary and has its foundation

in computer science, computer and software engineering,

electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

SFU researchers are currently leading intelligent

systems development for applications

in biomedical technology, energy systems, communications,

manufacturing, transportation, public safety and security and web-based applications.

Our facilities

include a range

of well-equipped laboratories and a micro-fabrication facility that plays a unique role

in training, research and specialized services to industry. Computer-aided design systems have

matured into comprehensive environments that enable users to efficiently work with their designs.

Research

in this area explores the use of unified constraint and simulation-based modeling that

enables designers

to create designs adapted to context and to the physical forces; and constraints and

simulation

to establish a new design space in which histories enhance the ability to explore new

alternatives for designs.

Automotive Technologies

SFU has invested significantly in the Mechatronics Systems Engineering (MSE) program.

Mechatronics

is the integration of mechanical, electronic, control, software, and computer

engineering for the development

of advanced electromechanical products and systems for a wide

range

of industrial applications. Research topics include next generation engine mounts, vibration-

based energy harvesting, airbags, and intelligent systems for autonomous vehicles. These efforts are

complemented by those

of an internationally recognized group of researchers with expertise in

polymer/electrochemistry, modelling structures and processes in fuel cells, bio-fuel cells, and novel

methods

for preparing proton-conducting membranes. This group has strong connections with the

NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, and will develop collaboratively the next generation

nanostructured materials for fuel cell applications. SFU has also been a host node for a highly

successful mathematical modelling initiative associated with hydrogen fuel cell design.

Imaging

Science and Visual Analytics

Imaging research draws upon investigations across the disciplines and campuses

of SFU, involving

both foundational issues and applications. Investigation into the visual presentation

of data and

relationships

is fundamental to this field, as is the study of how human beings perceive and use

visualizations for communication, analysis and decision-making. The foundations

of imaging

research incorporate work in the areas

of modeling, signal detection and processing, mathematics,

statistics, data processing and storage, animation, language analysis, cognition and perception.

Building on these foundations, imaging research then deals with human-computer interaction,

reasoning, transformation and dynamic visualization in different manners, depending on the

application area and the type

of processes being investigated. Areas as diverse as finance, aircraft

safety, crime reduction and public health all require information systems that support human

cognitive processes-discovery, insight, problem solving, and communication-and enable innately

human abilities

to fmd meaning in information spaces composed of massive volumes of data that are

dynamic, complex and uncertain in nature. Key applications

of the research include medical imaging,

visual analytics, data mining, business intelligence, finance, manufacturing, transportation, public

safety, health and the environment.

Information, Communication, and New Media Technologies

A cluster

of excellence exists in information and communication technology research at SFU. Areas

of excellence are multimedia. wireless communications, RF/microwave communications, network

systems and modeling, algorithms, information retrieval and web-based systems and natural

language. Efforts are currently

in progress to develop a formal collaboration with the

Communications Research Centre in Ottawa.

SFU research labs have strong industry connections

the above areas. In addition, research strengths exist in the areas of the IT sector of the economy, and

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life and mission-critical ICT for disaster management and public safety, coastal surveillance, and

disaster relief. Areas

of expertise include ICT systems for extreme environments, early warning, and

integrated multi-disciplinary response. Business researchers study knowledge, innovation and

technology, with particular expertise in project management. ICT provides a necessary substrate for

many areas

of research, and SFU has and will continue to build strong links between ICT and the

disciplines that use rCT in research.

Games, animation and new media are research areas in their own right and are also enabling

technologies for many aspects

of culture, society, and industry. Research at SFU covers the spectrum

from technology to use in real contexts: from the use

of mUlti-processor architectures for digital

games and enabling algorithms for simulation, digital games for learning and training, play interfaces

for culture, media-based pain therapy, believable character animation, and aesthetics

of visualization.

SFU plays a major role in the research and management of the Network of Centres of Excellence in

Graphics, Animation and

New Media (GRAND).

Communication. Collaboration. and Computation

SFU has internationally recognized expertise in communication, collaboration and computation,

including computational security and safety. This subtheme builds

on extensive expertise in

combinatorial algorithm development and qualitative and quantitative modeling

of complex social

systems using advanced mathematical, statistical, and computational methods. The Interdisciplinary

Research in the Mathematical and Computational

Sciences (IRMACS) Centre provides critical

infrastructure required to communicate and collaborate with remote and difficult to access

communities, such as remote and Aboriginal communities in northern BC, as well as the ability to

provide remote collaboration and visualization capabilities for both research and educational

initiatives.

SFU is a leader in the development and deployment of collaborative technologies

the

support

of research at the national level.

Technology and the Arts

Ongoing developments

in media and computing technologies

link

interactive arts and technology

with musicians, filmmakers, dancers, and other scholars in contemporary arts.

addition to

enjoying an international reputation for interdisciplinarity in artistic practice,

SFU researchers are

studying historical and current dimensions

of media culture in visual, filmic, aural, print, and digital

formats. Researchers are focusing on studying and designing technologies that empower and enrich

the users' experiences within interactive spaces, understanding current interactive media designs, and

virtual environments to inform the design

of next generation interactive media productions. We focus

on expressive systems that augment the users' experience, including the development

of expressive

motion within visualization and virtual environments, expressive characters (both face and body

movements), and expressive interactive performances. An allied research thread is the development

of computational systems that produce or simulate creativity, and the construction of cognitive

models

of human creativity and creative expression that can be the basis for computational creativity.

Another emerging area

of research is the study of human-centered media and communication

systems for museums. A coordinated initiative that merges theory and practice in the artistic uses

new technologies and the scholarly analysis of traditional media (including print and photography)

builds

on current strengths and creates a distinctive research environment.

Culture, Society, and Human Behaviour

As a comprehensive university, SFU champions the liberal arts and sciences and promotes pioneering

interdisciplinarity. We enjoy the presence

of hundreds of excellent researchers whose record of awards,

grants and publications demonstrates the University's success in building a community

of creative

thinkers and practitioners, a combination exemplified

by a cluster of scholar-poets who excel as both

wordsmiths and socio-cultural theorists. Areas in which interdisciplinary innovation is receiving

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particular attention include, but are not limited to, the following potential targets for strategic

development. Alongside the role

of humanities scholars in teaching and modeling critical thinking, the

social impact

of the University is further enhanced by the qualitative methodologies of experts in such

specializations

as anthropology, business, criminology, gerontology, political studies, psychology,

sociology, and women's studies.

In all these areas, the challenge is to develop focal points (individuals or

groups) to enable dispersed researchers to cohere

in creative research groups that will be distinctive to

SFU.

Research in the Humanities

Philosophers, historians, classicists, literary critics and linguists investigate and describe the ever-

changing realities

of contemporary life, and teach us how to question and critique the political,

social, sexual, economic, and historical frameworks within which we

all live and work as world

citizens.

Scholars of English study the entire spectrum of literary and textual activity, from the

genesis

of a writer's creative spark through the various stages of a manuscript's development and

dissemination. Those specializing in print culture put particular emphasis on the socio-cultural

circumstances

of a work's production and reception (transcription, printing, illustration, publication,

branding, sales, adaptations), reception, and endurance over time. Others study the ways that literary

and public texts shape nationalist, ethnic, and global power relations, while specialists in rhetoric

analyze the conventions and subtleties

of public discourse, covering the gamut from humour to

political documents. Dramatic literature and theories

of performance constitute another focal point,

from medieval mystery plays to present-day film and theatre.

Scholars of history, whose research

strengths are social history and cultural history, grapple explicitly, profoundly, and critically with

knowledge others often recognize only dimly or in passing: that the future was created yesterday.

Specific research specialties share themes that overlap time and region: indigenous peoples; empire,

colonialism, and postcolonialism; gender and sexuality; law and society; medicine and science; race

and ethnicity; religious and intellectual history; and oral history. With their focus on people,

communities, and culture, historians' study

of trends, changes, and transitions renders them uniquely

qualified to comment on new policies, planning, and resistance. Their knowledge that the past was

complex, conflicted, and contested results in research and tools that enable understanding

of the

present and contribute to the future.

Foundations of Ethical Evaluation and Ethical Implications of Research

SFU possesses a broad range of research expertise both in the foundations of ethics and in applied

ethics; this expertise can be found in areas including archaeology, business, criminology, education,

environmental sciences, health sciences, philosophy, political science, and public policy. All

research, from the fundamental discoveries

of science to the development of new technologies,

policies, strategies, and new ways

of understanding, stand to have a significant impact on the way we

lead our lives. For example, the "Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage" (lPinCH)

international collaboration headed by

SFU is working to explore and facilitate fair and equitable

exchanges

of knowledge, including the theoretical, ethical, and practical implications of

commodification, appropriation, and other flows of knowledge about the past, and how these may

affect communities, researchers, and other stakeholders. At

SFU, researchers are concerned about the

ethical implications

of their research, and the university community as a whole takes seriously our

ethical responsibilities. We take a leadership role in ensuring that research has a positive impact

human welfare, by pursuing the systematic investigation of our moral beliefs, from their

philosophical foundations to their applications in the form

of general principles, to public policy

issues arising in the Canadian context.

Aboriginal

Studies

Research into Aboriginal issues involves faculty members in anthropology, archaeology, economics,

education, health, history, linguistics, literature, psychology, resource management, and sociology.

SFU is conducting essential and leading-edge research on examining contemporary urban and rural

issues in the Aboriginal community, preserving Aboriginal languages, partnering with bands and

communities in Aboriginal education, examining classroom climate issues for Aboriginal/minority

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students, resource management in Aboriginal conununities, barriers to Aboriginal labour market

success, and archaeological research.

SFU researchers are well recognized for their critical analysis of

issues dealing with Aboriginal sites; their work links the historical past to current concerns, as in a

major collaborative research initiative to investigate the intellectual rights issues raised by

archeological practice.

Other researchers focus on the spectacular rise of Aboriginal and Metis writers

and artists. With the appointment

of a Director of the Office of First Nations and new space dedicated

to Aboriginal studies, the time is opportune to integrate researchers across the University.

International Studies

Canada's Asia Pacific Gateway Strategy includes a focus on fostering strong relationships in

education, research, and the exchange

of innovative ideas and technologies. By lending our

collective knowledge and building our research capacity through partnerships with Asia

Pacific

institutions, we can playa valuable role in this strategy. SFU has had an intellectual engagement with

China for over two decades, and since then, we have expanded to create relationships with many

other Asia

Pacific institutions for mutually rewarding flows of highly qualified human capital. Given

our geographical and demographic location, researchers at

SFU are particularly interested in

examining connections between Asia and

Canada from a number of different disciplinary and

interdisciplinary perspectives. This research emphasis is informed by a deep understanding

of Asian

countries, cultures, and economies.

SFU has also augmented its commitment to internationalization

of research through several important new initiatives. Research in this area includes international

studies and international policy, advanced by new endowed research chairs in religion and cultural

change, and international law and human security. The Human Security Report project analyses

global and regional trends in political violence and their causes and consequences, and has put

SFU

on the map internationally as a resource for governments and nongovernmental organizations alike.

The

Centre for the Comparative Study of Muslim Societies and Cultures represents another

interdisciplinary collaboration that has few

Canadian counterparts. The World Literature program is

focusing on

the way aesthetic forms and topoi pass from one culture or time to another, most often in

defiance

of political and social boundaries.

Safety, Security,

Criminal Behaviour Assessment and Treatment, and Forensic Studies

SFU

has significant strength in the analysis of criminal behaviour and forensic studies. The Institute

for

Canadian Urban Research Studies (lCURS) is one of three main centres for environmental

criminology,

as well as computational security and safety. Together with IRMACS, internationally

recognized expertise exists in security research in computational criminology and the criminal justice

system. The Criminology Research

Centre studies youth crime, violence against women, and the role

of some mental disorders in criminal behaviour. The Mental Health Law and Policy Institute, with

members

from numerous countries, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration in research and training

in areas, e.g. psychology and criminology, related to mental health and policy. The Centre for

Restorative Justice is unique in

Canada, and there are only a handful of such research centres

worldwide. The

Centre for Forensic Studies links archaeology and biology in state-of-the-art labs

with a focus

on forensic science and technology. These groups provide a powerful hub around which

crime-related research in other units can be focused. The newly appointed LEEF

Chair in the

Reduction

of Youth Violence partners with Children's Hospital to reduce violence and victimization

among youth.

Another significant research focus builds on SFU's existing strengths

in security and

health research. Its aim is to establish new research capabilities that will enable

SFU to be recognized

internationally as a leader in public safety, security, and health science. Specifically, this initiative

builds on expertise in security research in ambient assistive living, disaster relief, violence risk

reduction, public health monitoring and intervention, public policy and health, the social and

psychological influences

of health, and homelessness and addiction. SFU has invested in significant

infrastructure for secure computing facilities for research that involves highly sensitive datasets. This

infrastructure consists

of a central, high-security computer lab coupled to secure networks, secure

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data storage, and secure satellite labs with data processing and visualization facilities. Strong

regional, national and international partnerships are in place, with access to highly secure datasets

from these

stakeholders-a combination that places SFU in a leadership position in security and

health research.

SFU researchers are developing strengths in other aspects of security, such as polymer chemistry,

microelectronics, optics and nano-fabrication

of new materials for new high-tech security

technologies. For example, research and training programs in advanced materials and engineering

take advantage

of collaborative initiatives in materials science and business to foster and cultivate a

culture

of innovation, by bringing safety and security technologies from the bench-top to the

marketplace and producing graduates with knowledge in entrepreneurship. The core expertise

optical, electronic, magnetic, polymeric and nanomaterials puts SFU in an ideal position to target key

technologies including security inks and taggants for surveillance and identification, and sniffers for

pathogens, pollutants, toxins, contaminants and explosives.

SFU researchers are also leading the

Human Security Report Project, researching global and regional trends in political violence and their

causes and consequences.

SFU researchers are working on ways to increase the safety, health and

welfare

of employees, and by extension to those who are impacted by safety issues in the workplace

(family members, employers, customers, suppliers, and nearby communities).

Evolution. Cognition. and Culture

The relationship between the sciences and humanities has long been fraught with difficulty-a tension

captured by C.P.

Snow in the phrase "The Two Cultures." Recently, researchers on both sides of the

scienceslhumanities divide have recognized that the evolutionary and cognitive sciences have

advanced

to a point where it is now possible to move beyond the two cultures and develop an

approach

to the study of traditional humanities subjects such as ethics, religion, and literature that is

compatible with, but not reducible to, the way in which scientists approach their subject matter. SFU

is in an excellent position to become a world leader in this ambitious, interdisciplinary plan to

integrate the sciences, social sciences and humanities. For example, researchers in archaeology,

biological sciences, business administration, linguistics, and psychology, including the CRCs in

Human Evolutionary Studies and Management

of Technology, are using phylogenetic methods from

biology

to understand the evolution of a range of social and cultural phenomena, while researchers in

English are carrying out work in the area

of biosemiotics, which focuses on the wide variety of fonns

of communication in biological systems, and research in psychology focuses on the development of

communication in infancy. Through participation in the influential Centre for the Evolution of

Cultural Diversity currently sponsored by the

UK. Arts

and Humanities Research Council, SFU is

poised

to bring focus to this area of evolution, cognition, and culture in an international context.

Urban Communities

Located in one

of the best-known "livable" cities in the world, SFU has research strengths covering a

wide variety

of urban issues, from urban design and planning to the study of the individual resident,

including the social, artistic, and environmental aspects

of urban life. Specific strengths exist in the

areas

of urban studies, geography, computing science, mathematics, criminology. computing science,

economics, and forensic psychology. The Metropolis British Columbia Centre

of Excellence for

Research

on Immigration and Diversity is part of an international network that supports studies of

the economic, social and political dimensions of immigration, with British Columbia emphasized as

a case study

in ethnic diversity. Cultural researchers are probing key and complex issues of social

cohesion. antiracist education, violence in society, multiculturalism and cultural adaptation,

citizenship, diasporic cultures, and nationhood. There are promising possibilities

for interdisciplinary

research focusing on second-language learning, public education and the wellbeing

of communities.

French language researchers in the Faculty

of Education, for example, conduct research that focuses

on multilingual students from diverse origins and a growing population from Francophone Africa to

understand their linguistic and cultural practices and examine how the education system responds

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their needs. The CTEF-funded "Modelling of Complex Social Systems" (MoCSSy) program brings

together extensive expertise in criminology, health science, urban dynamics, computer science, and

mathematical modelling, under the unifying theme

of modelling the complex dynamics that drive the

linked epidemiologies

of crime, disease, homelessness and other social ills in urban neighborhoods.

Intervention Impact Assessment

Rapid change in our underlying economic and technological world has led

to rapid change

the

stratification

of our society, with increasing inequality and poverty accompanying vast increases

wealth. What are the social and economic impacts of effective transition programs for immigrants?

What happens when we do a better job

of providing educational opportunities for Aboriginal peoples?

What role does effective Labour Market Infonnation play in individual decision-making, and

ultimately, on the economy? How might the use

of technology improve access to learning and/or

opportunity for disadvantaged groups? These are all examples

of research questions that might fall

outside the traditional Tri-Council research programs, but that have large-scale implications.

general, funding for most forms of service delivery, including educational and social programs, is

increasingly linked to the ability

of the service provider to demonstrate results. Despite the increased

attention being paid to

"accountability", the mechanisms, tools and practices for effective impact

assessment remain, at best, blunt instruments (consider for example, the Fraser Institute ranking

schools or the Macleans' ranking of universities).

interdisciplinary approach, harnessing the

research approaches

of economists, sociologists, psychologists and educators, would provide a

framework for significant advances.

SFU researchers currently possess great strengths in each of

these areas, and are in an excellent position to develop more sophisticated research methods for

impact assessment and to subsequently apply those methods to a wide range

of social interventions.

By doing so,

SFU can capitalize on its acknowledged strength and leadership in the social sciences

and humanities, and position itself at the forefront

of an emerging research need.

Economic Organization,

Public Policy, and the Global Community

This theme covers a vast amount

of research in the social sciences, business, and other areas. It includes

individuals and families, finns and markets, governments, and the global community.

Economic Organization

SFU has significant strengths in the theoretical analysis of firm organization, law and economics,

public economics, the study

of economic institutions, and econometric analysis. Expertise

these

fields is complemented by strengths in computational, experimental, and evolutionary methods,

which are reflected

in the Centre for Research on Adaptive Behaviour in Economics and the Canada

Research Chair

in Economic Theory and Evolution. There are also strengths in a number of applied

fields including strategic change, corporate governance, capital and risk management, biotechnology

management,

art

management, and the environmental, ethical, and sustainable management of

organizations. Current efforts include concentrations

the CMA Centre for Strategic Change and

Perfonnance Measurement, the Centre for Corporate Governance and Risk Management, and the

Global Asset and Wealth Management Centre.

Public Policy

The role of the public sector in our economic and social lives has increased as our private wealth has

grown over

the past decades. This has spurred research on how policy is formed, what policies are

good and

in what contexts, and on the unintended consequences of policy decisions. Such research is

carried out in economics and the Public

Policy Program. For instance, the Centre for Public Policy

Research CPPR in the Public Policy program is unique in western Canada, with research drawn from

economics, political science, women's studies, business, education, criminology, resource and

environmental management, and communications. It has current

or planned strengths in tax policy,

Aboriginal policy, labour markets, environmental and natural resource policy both in Canada and

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developing countries, and governance issues in developing countries. Policy-related research is also

pursued in the CURA Economic Security Project, the Leaming City project, the Institute of

Governance Studies, and the Mental Health Law and Policy Institute, among other venues. Expansion

of the CPPR would complement existing or projected policy research in health sciences, urban

studies, international studies, and communications.

The Global Community and Emerging Markets

SFU has several research groups concerned with international economic relations, transnational

organization, and global culture. One group focuses on issues of trade, international finance, and

economic development in low-income countries; another investigates the management of global

enterprises. The new Centre for Global Workforce Strategy carries out multidisciplinary research on

issues surrounding effective workplace management strategies. The Jack Austin Centre for Asia

Pacific Business Studies has a mandate to examine a broad range of issues relevant to the Asia Pacific

region, particularly Canada's role in the area The Centre for Global Political Economy addresses the

intersection between global and domestic political economy, while the MCR! Globalism Project

studies the effects of globalization on people in a range of individual countries. SFU researchers

examine issues of knowledge, innovation and technology, including issues related to the formation,

operation and growth of biotechnology firms and on the IT sector of the economy. The Global Asset

and Wealth Management Centre focuses on markets and risk management, to bridge the gap between

traditional finance theory and the growing field of behavioural fmance. Research on global

institutions will focus on peace and security studies; development, environment, and international

economic relations; governance and civil society; and human rights and international law.

The Creative Economy

The Creative Economy, defmed to include the whole of the creative chain for core cultural goods and

services, including their creation, production, manufacturing, distribution, and support, has emerged

as both a substantial and an expanding sector of the Canadian economy.

now accounts for 7.4

percent of GDP and 1.1 million jobs. Growing more quickly than the economy in general, creative

enterprise has become an economic driver in the contemporary world. Employment in the creative

economy is growing at a faster rate than other kinds of employment, and requires new patterns of

work built on flexibility and innovation from workers, employers, government and educators. The

creative economy also generates the social capital that is fundamental to social cohesion.

Understanding the nature and dynamics of the creative economy is critical to Canada's social,

cultural and economic future, and SFU's strengths in the contemporary and interactive arts, literary

and publishing studies, and technology position it to playa leading role in research in this area.

Environment, Resources, and Conservation

SFU has an excellent record of high-profile research related to the environment. This research is

conducted throughout the University. The research approaches and topics span a range of sectors from

theoretical and mechanistic studies to applied management strategies. Mirroring the major natural

resources of British Columbia, research clusters at SFU focus on the relationships between economic

development, conservation and biodiversity in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, as well as on natural

hazard prediction and prevention. Our research includes not only chemical, molecular biological,

toxicological, physiological, and behavioural studies, but also risk assessment, management, and historic

and economic considerations. The ultimate goal of this multifaceted approach is to provide a sound basis

for sustainable development and the responsible usc of our natural resources.

Planning. Development. Management. and Sustainability

SFU will pursue research in a number of areas related to the development, planning, management,

and sustainability of human settlements and the impact of human and natural disturbances on

environments and communities. Research foci include governance and equity issues, spatial and labor

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market dynamics, consumption patterns, industrial restructuring, and ecological, economic and social

sustain ability. Related foci include sustainable development policy; sustainability and quality

of life

indicators, assessment and evaluation; public space and urban/regional livability; health care and

access; property rights and spatial inequities; local economic development; and the development

mathematical tools in resource allocation and management. Research related to development and the

environment

in selected world regions, especially Latin America and Asia, will include health and

water use, property rights in natural resources, land use conflicts, tourism development and

management, shifting cultivation and cash cropping, environmental governance and co-management,

environmental policy at local level (including protected area issues), various applications

economics and social theory to conservation and management, and the role of foreign investment in

development.

SFU research integrating the social and natural sciences focuses on the impacts of

human development and natural disturbances on natural and urban environments and communities.

Emphasis

is placed on the causes of and responses to natural hazards, such as earthquakes and

landslides, and

on sustainable development strategies that integrate economic, social, and

environmental objectives. Research on both geoscientific and biological phenomena in the ocean

environment is integrated within the

SFU-supported Neptune Canada project. Research in

environmental education and education

for sustainable development will be key to understanding

human interactions with the environment.

Ecosystems and Resources

the 21 st century, environmental research has broadened to encompass concerns such as species at

risk, biodiversity, sustainability and endangered habitats.

SFU researchers, including those in the

Centre for Wildlife Ecology (CWE) and the Cooperative Resource Management Institute (CRMI),

conduct basic and applied research

in wildlife, fisheries and forest ecology and provide knowledge

and personnel that will help meet the challenges

of conservation. Infonnation, ideas, expertise,

resources and opportunity flow back and forth from

SFU to government agencies such as

Environment Canada (EC) and Fisheries and

Oceans Canada (DFO), as well as FORREX (the Forum

for Research and Extension in Natural Resources) to help infonn policy and decision-making, while

SFU faculty and students benefit from enhanced opportunities for discovery and applications-based

research.

SFU will partner with EC, DFO, and FORREX to accommodate new research areas under

their broadened mandates.

SFU continues to be a major player in research aimed at the understanding and management of fish

populations

in their marine and freshwater habitats, as well as the broader management of the coastal

zone.

Such research encompasses the genomic analysis of salmon, fish disease prediction and

management, socio-economic studies on fishing communities, stock and risk assessment, sustainable

management

of wild and farmed species, coastal tourism and socio-economic studies of fishing

communities. Strategic initiatives will strengthen the links between applied ecological approaches

and coastal management.

SFU researchers are also investigating the ecosystem science of large

rivers, carbon and nutrient cycling in lakes, hydrology

of lakes and river floodplains, biogeochemical

mass fluxes

to the ocean from small catchments, plant water interactions, glacial processes and soil

erosion. Marine investigations focus on understanding natural variability and biogeochemical

linkages within the ocean and climate system and responses

to perturbations.

SFU research related to terrestrial ecosystems includes ecological, institutional and economic

approaches

to the conservation of ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation and invasive

species, and ecosystem-based forest management (including an understanding

of natural disturbance

regimes and forest dynamics) and industrial forestry issues. Energy and materials management is

also emphasized, through developing and applying sustainable policy models that are both

technological1y explicit and behavioral1y realistic. Management

of protected areas, advisory and

advocacy issues in the environmental policy process and the valuation

of ecosystem goods and

services are key interests.

SFU researchers also study the modem and ancient geological

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environments, natural hazards, and geological resources. Fundamental research on Earth materials is

connected to the overall Earth system and relevance to society. Tracking Earth conditions from past

conditions

to the present and into the future is providing an improved view of the changing

environment and climate. Understanding temporal changes in water resources and

ice conditions, and

the nature and mitigation

of geological hazards, are key foci. Geological resources presently under

study include metallic mineral occurrences, gemstones, oil and gas deposits, and subsurface water.

Investigations range from direct studies

of the resource commodities to methods of ore extraction,

establishment

of scientific infrastructure, and predictive models for resource exploration. SFU will

also focus

on geoscience research linked to the exploration and development of BC shale gas, and

BC hydrocarbon resources in general.

SFU has a strong spatial research emphasis in health and environment, including optimal location of

health services and population health. This concentration is augmented with visualization

approaches, such as multi-dimensional geovisualization and geospatial interface research. Modeling

of complex spatial environmental systems, land use, land cover and urban growth continue to be

important activities, together with modeling

of dynamic spatial phenomena in forestry and landscape

ecology.

Climate Change

Solutions

As a founding member of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS), SFU researchers are

well positioned to contribute to the development

of innovative climate change solutions, seek new

opportunities for positive adaptation to climate change solutions, and lead the way

to a vibrant low-

carbon economy in BC and globally.

PICS seeks to support transformative change in response to the

many challenges raised by climate change through multidisciplinary research conducted in

partnership with governments, the private sector, other researchers and civil society, in order to

undertake research on, monitor, and assess the potential impacts

of climate change, and to assess,

develop and promote viable mitigation and adaptation options to better inform climate change

policies and actions. The Institute's research strategy is currently focused on four key

interdisciplinary themes: a low carbon-emissions economy, sustainable communities, resilient

ecosystems, and social mobilization.

Researchers involved with

SFU's Adaptation to Climate Change Team (ACT) arc studying critical

climate change impact topics: biodiversity, extreme weather, energy, water security, crop and food

supply, population displacement, health risks, new technologies, and sea level rise. Working in

conjunction with leading experts, ACT

will explore these issues and the linkages between them, the

problems they pose as well as potential solutions, and produce policy recommendations for

adaptation. Researchers in SFU's CTEF-funded "Climate Change Impacts Research Consortium" are

taking a risk-based approach to the study

of the secondary effects of climate change on human and

ecosystem health.

Alternative (Green/Clean) Energy Technology

SFU is well positioned to become a leader in green energy technology research. Interdisciplinary

initiatives in this area will focus on energy production, distribution, and utilization, along with

related manufacturing technology and green

IT.

Current research includes fuel cell materials, design

and diagnostics, energy management and harvesting, new generation fuel injectors for hydrogen

technology, green IT technology, green computing, smart grids and smart houses. Another key area

of research involves investigating human-centered sustainable systems at the intersection of

conservation, sustainable design, alternative energy production and social behaviour around our

ecological footprint. The rise

of ubiquitous computing, smart environments and the widespread use

of mobile devices offers an opportunity to enable occupants to dynamically interact with building

technologies through digital media.

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Aboriginal Communities and the Environment

Aboriginal issues in relation to the environment have been a significant focus at

SFU and will grow

in importance over the coming years. We have substantial research strengths in applications of

resource management and resource planning to Aboriginal communities, with a particular focus on

Aboriginal and place-based community co-management, forest management, fisheries and aquatic

management, protected areas and heritage planning, and strategic land-usc planning. Other areas

with a strong Aboriginal focus include heritage tourism, and coastal zone management and

planning, geographic information science, and community planning and development.

Commensurate with increasing control over lands, waters, and resources by Aboriginal people in

Canada and worldwide, we will continue

to develop our strengths in issues related to resource and

environmental management and plalming by Aboriginal people on their traditional lands. This will

focus on applications related

to sustainable community development, economic strategies and

resource use

as well as conservation strategy and heritage protection. These activities will draw

both on our existing strengths in management and planning, and analytical tools such as geographic

information systems, but also on existing strengths at

SFU in Aboriginal resource management

practices and traditional ecological knowledge. We will also develop our engagement with

Aboriginal peoples, both in a research context and

an educational context, through collaborative

research projects and field-schools especially with local Aboriginal communities (First Nations and

Metis), and increased Aboriginal curriculum throughout our programming.

Health and Biomedical Sciences

A common goal for health-related cross-disciplinary research at SFU is to describe human health in its

full context, including the diverse impacts that social inequities have on health.

SFU has developed a

reputation for excellence and innovation in health research, involving faculty from across the spectrum

disciplines and organizational units at the University. With such a wide array of health sciences interests,

SFU seeks to strengthen a number of interrelated research areas that impinge directly on human health.

We have particular strength in genomics, bioinformatics, and health informatics, biostatistics, biomedical

sciences, neuroscience, medicinal chemistry and drug development, biomedical devices, biomedical

imaging, mental health and addictions, as well as in health policy and cultural and population studies,

from basic investigations to clinical applications. The establishment

of the Faculty of Health Sciences and

its state-of-the-art facilities providcd a special opportunity for innovative new multidisciplinary research

initiatives and graduate programming. Novel research and graduate programs have or are being developed

popUlation and public health, global health, infectious diseases, aging and chronic illness, and brain

function and development. Partnerships between

SFU and the hospitals and health authorities in the

Lower Mainland enhance these opportunities.

SFU is a leader in the secure analysis of sensitive data.

Population Data BC, a platform for supporting research on human health, wellbeing and development run

by a consortium

of researchers from institutions around BC including SFU, will provide researchers with

access to linkable individual data for integrated analysis

of health outcomes using a range of secondary

sources.

Our goal is to develop interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships that bridge the

biomedical, clinical, and social sciences and involve the wider community, building on

SFU's tradition of

innovative and effective outreach. Examples are the new Institute for the Reduction of Youth Violence, a

joint partnership between

SFU and Children's Hospital that aims to reduce adverse health and mental

health consequences

of youth violence; and the Centre for Research on Early Child Health and Education,

that links scholars in universities and research centres to increase access to universal health and education

programs for young children.

Genornics. Bioinformatics. Health Informatics. and Biomedical Technologies

The completion

of the Human Genome Project in 2003 produced the first DNA sequence of a human

genome and has stimulated the functional genomic analysis

of thousands of additional organisms and

the development

of higher throughput and cheaper sequencing technologies. Genome structural

variations among individuals are being revealed at single base-pair resolution, promoting exploration

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of the relationship between genotypes and phenotypes. Genomic sciences are redefming the research

landscape

of the fundamental life and biomedical sciences and their applications, including cell and

molecular biology, structural biology, population and evolutionary biology, microbiology,

aquaculture, agriculture, fisheries management, forestry, environmental sciences, drug discovery and

assessment, neuroscience, and biotechnology. The concept

of personalized medicine is being realized

based

on the application of the genomics of cancer, aging, mental health, chronic and infectious

diseases to the diagnosis and treatment

of patients. Genomic technologies have important

applications

in disciplines such as anthropology (e.g., tracing human migrations), conservation

biology (e.g., assessment

of biodiversity), and forensics. The explosive development of genomics has

created demand for more effective computational data management systems and bioinformatic tools

for data analysis and interpretation, and has spawned new fields including lranscriptomics,

proteomics,

and systems biology. SFU already has considerable expertise in genomics,

bioinformatics, and data mining, spread across several Faculties, and is developing interdepartmental

teaching and training programs.

SFU has taken a leading role in the development of a regional

Genome

Sciences Institute that builds on its partnership with the Genome Sciences Center based at

the B.C. Cancer Agency.

SFU also has significant strengths in biomedical technologies. Current research focus areas are

medical imaging, radiopharmaceuticals, computational anatomy, bio-sensors, biomedical optics,

signal processing, biomechanics, assistive technologies, haptics, micro / nanotechnologies for

medical appiications, micro-fluidics, biochips, bioinformatics, computational biology, health

informatics, and chronic disease management. Research in this area

is highly interdisciplinary and

involves computer scientists, engineers, interactive arts researchers, biomedical scientists,

kinesiologists and psychologists from

SFU working in teams with clinicians to develop new tools

and products. The combined effort is intended to address issues

of individual human health, ranging

from molecular, cellular, and systems biology to population health and its modeling.

GE3LS Analysis

The consequences

of scientific and technological innovation are significant, especially when it

comes

to genomics and its Ethical, Economic, Environmental, Legal, and Social aspects (commonly

called

GE3LS). Research will inform new legislation to control innovative growing practices in

agriculture, and economic and environmental practices

in fisheries and forestry, where genomics

techniques can be used

to select fish or trees able to withstand the effects of climate change.

Genomics research has economic and social implications in such applications as bee colony

collapse, bioremediation for industrial waste from Canada's resource industries, and diagnostic tools

for disease and mental disorders.

As whole genomes of organisms become known, together with

their subtle variations and functional characterizations, there will arise issues

of intellectual property

and ownership

of such information. What's more, genomic information is published in publicly

available databases, and questions arise as to the social impacts

of how the public will use this

information.

Such information can be used by experts in risk communication of health-related

genomic information, both for public health events such as pandemics, and for individual's health-

related information. It can also be used in repatriation and other claims

of cultural relationships and

affiliation. Issues

of cost-benefit and potential quality of life benefits associated with early diagnoses

will have to be explored. Finally, research can ultimately extend to the choice

of a partner in a world

where a mate's genome can predetermine life expectancy, personality, and mutual compatibility.

How society deals with such a brave new world will be the focus

of research in this subtheme.

Chronic and Infectious Diseases

SFU has outstanding researchers studying both chronic and infectious diseases. Considerable

strength exists in the realm

of genomics, bioinformatics, biomolecular interactions, psychological

and psychiatric disorders, and we are developing strength in proteomics and metabolomics.

Researchers on the CTEF-funded "Bioinformatics for Combating Infectious

Diseases" project are

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focused on the development of more accurate and faster bioinformatics algorithms and tools for

identifying anti-infective drug targets, candidate drugs and potential vaccines. The interdisciplinary

team is capitalizing on

SFU's unique strengths in computational, physical, chemical and biological

sciences

to discover potential new therapeutic targets and test them first

in silico

and then in the

laboratory. Another CTEF-funded team

of researchers with expertise in organic and inorganic

materials, bio-organic chemistry, molecular biology, biochemistry, biomedical physiology and

kinesiology and computer sciences are working together with experts in ethics, medicine and medical

imaging to take novel molecules and nanomaterials from the chemistry lab into the clinical setting.

and to develop new and innovative strategies for medical imaging, diagnostics, surgery and drug

delivery. The team is working synergistically

to create, apply and test novel approaches for the

diagnosis and treatment

of prostate cancer and kidney stones as their first targets.

Significant investment in personnel and physical infrastructure at

SFU has ensured that the drug

development pipeline from genomics input to pharmaceutical output is well represented at

SFU.

SFU,

with its strength in medicinal chemistry, is an important node of the Centre for Drug Research

and Development (CORD), focusing on the development and evaluation

of new drug candidates.

Since one-third of approved drugs will go off patent by 2012, SFU is well poised to discover the

next-generation

of drugs and to partner with pharmaceutical companies. Additional strengths exist in

virtual reality therapy and training, visualizations and accessible tools for managing pain over time,

and the extension

of these tools to the community via social media and mobile technologies.

Continued growth in this area will require strengths in clinical and health psychology, developmental

biology, environmental toxicology and receptor biology, climate change, cardiovascular disease,

healthy aging and the social determinants

of health, and support for emerging strengths in

neuroscience and mental health,

HIV / AIDS and addiction research, violence reduction research,

vaccine and drug development, bioinformatics, and genetic and epigenetic studies, infectious disease

modeling

at both molecular and population levels, microbial epidemiology, ecology and evolution,

the innate immune response to infection and the cellular/molecular basis

of infectious disease

pathogenesis.

Strategic research that bridges nutrition, biomedical and behavioural science would complement

existing strengths. Collaborations

in this area require support of a wide range of technologies

including biomarkers, transgenic animals, nanotechnology, novel imaging and visualization

modalities, province-wide comprehensive data and geographic information systems, and complex

social modeling.

Human Development and Aging

Research strength in human development and aging exists in basic biomedical, population, and social

sciences. These include the areas

of children's social, emotional, and mental health, brain

development, brain function and problem-solving, mammalian developmental biology, birth defects,

molecular-genetics, epigenetics

of cellular differentiation, health policy, adolescent mental health,

health behaviour and risk, youth crime and violence, gender and aggression, and longitudinal studies

on aging. The broad field

of neuroscience offers an exciting area for strategic investment, especially

in areas focusing on aging and degenerative diseases

of the nervous system and its connection to

behavior and health.

SFU strength exists

clinical psychology, neurobiology of addiction and of

age-related degenerative disease, and psychological mechanisms underlying youth aggression. SFU

will apply its combined strength in imaging, neuroscience, genetics, epigenctics, and cellular

physiology to the study

of development and aging.

Population and Public Health and Health

Services

Population and public health is a major focus of SFU research. There are many areas of overlap with

the other two focus areas, for example cardiovascular and chronic disease management and

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environmental and occupational health. Another important crosscutting element is the flagship

program in Global Health. Expansion

of population sciences and public health practice across areas

of shared research focus, such as in infectious diseases and global health, mental health,

environmental, occupational health and earth systems, and Aboriginal health and the impact

of social

disparities

on health could increase synergies in emerging areas of cross-disciplinary strength at

SFU. Bridging SFU's substantial strengths in biomedical sciences and health services to population

and public health would result in a competitive advantage. Such

an approach would build on newly

established research strengths focused on population level interventions and health policy sciences,

such as: research chairs in Children's Health Policy. Applied Public Health, Cardiovascular Health.

Reduction

of Youth Violence; the research centres, including the Centre for the Study of Gender,

Social Inequities and Mental Health, the Centre for Children's Health Policy, and the Centre for

Applied Research in Mental Health and Addictions; the Canadian Multi-site Research Demonstration

Project in Mental Health and Homelessness; emerging research capacity in toxicology and

environmental and occupation health with faculty recruitment in the area

of Children's

Environmental Health, and partnerships with BC Children's Hospital, Health Canada, Environment

Canada, and the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions; and

SFU's Community Trust Endowment

Fund investment in two cross-Faculty interdisciplinary teams, the Modeling

of Complex Social

Systems and Secondary Effects

of Climate Change on Human and Ecosystem Health.

Continued growth to support this subtheme would include bridging areas in social inequities

health, global and Aborijpnal health, ethics, health economics and health policy including new health

services models, intervention trials and uptake

of best practices in primary health care. Growth of

research strength in environmental and occupational health would include a focus on molecular

toxicology, genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics that study the cellular and molecular responses

to drugs and to xenobiotics associated with environmental exposures, and would include the

development and use

of biomarkers, medical imaging. and basic neuroscience.

Health Systems

There is a growing need to understand how health systems function, and this presents an important

and exciting area

of research that is largely neglected in Canada. Foci include comparative studies of

international primary health care systems, explorations of the cost effectiveness of chronic disease

prevention and management approaches, estimates

of health resource needs and mix of specialists,

organizational studies

of inter-professional training and practice structures, perfonnance outcomes of

innovations in primary care practice and incentive structures, organizational studies of leadership and

processes in health system change management, forecasts

of health care needs and health system

responses, assessments

of the impact of primary care interventions on indicators of population

health, community assessments

of the social detenninants associated with chronic disease

distribution, and the issues

of health equity, social justice, and ethics in health care. The resulting

research outcomes will provide objective infonnation to aid decision-making by Canadian provincial

and federal government agencies and ministries.

also provides an opportunity for global outreach,

as comparative studies will fonn a significant component

of the research activities. SFU would be a

vital hub

a network of similar endeavours, providing the opportunity for research collaboration

and faculty and student exchanges. Global organizations with an interest in the strengthening

health systems, e.g. the World Health Organization and the World Bank, are potential clients and

partners.

Pedagogy

Pedagogy stresses the mutually constitutive and intersecting activities of scholarship, teaching, and

engagement.

concerns both the art and the science of teaching, and involves teachers engaging learners

spontaneously and methodologically. Boundaries between teachers and learners are not always fixed.

Research in this theme is conceptualized

as a framework of four essential components: understanding,

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research use, knowledge mobilization, and reciprocity.

Understanding

involves fundamental explorations

to map what is and can be in education, what

we value of education practices, and how processes of

education unfold and can be transformed to benefit individuals and society.

Research use

refers to

investigations about how understanding may be applied to address education issues.

includes, but goes

beyond, developing and refining methods across the spectrum

of educational practices and forms of

educational inquiry.

Knowledge mobilization

refers to critical and self-reflective occasions where we

apply research in practice, for example, determining the impact

of educational interventions across

individual and systemic levels. Finally, the notion

reciprocity

concerns our studies of collaborations

with the educational community, the settings for research mobilization. with an emphasis on designing

and using feedback loops to infonn and refine future research throughout the framework. Future research

vitality lies

in actively inter-relating these four framework components, and these components

individually and together represent significant foci for emerging scholarship.

As represented in the draft recommendations

of the SFU Task Force on Teaching and Learning, one of

the principles of teaching and learning is to "engage in inquiry about teaching, and support pedagogical

innovation to enhance our practices and student learning." This leads in

tum to the recommendations that

relate to research, including determining mechanisms

to develop, recognize and integrate more research.

experiential and international learning opportunities into the curriculum and recognize these with

academic credit. Evaluation of alternative approaches to learning opportunities should be examined

critically. The pilot program

LUCID (Learning for Understanding through Culturally Inclusive

Imaginative Development) is

ari

example of imaginative education that incorporates culturally relevant

stories. games, and images to promote imaginative thinking in the K-12 curriculum beyond the standard

modalities

of textbooks, worksheets and testing. The program has been shown to also strengthen

children's language and collaborative learning skills.

Foundations for Success

We have been extraordinarily successful in designing and implementing the Foundations

Academic Literacy program. There is urgent need to better understand the short- and long-term

impacts

of this particular program, as well as complementary programs in other areas key to success

academe and the workplace. For example, there is significant need to amplify research in

mathematics education that advances our understandings about cognitive and affective mechanisms

in learning mathematics, that designs and tests strategies for learning mathematics, and that invents

supports for teaching mathematics.

SFU researchers are exploring the professional development of

teachers; designing and teaching "Q courses"; the role of technology in teaching. collaborative group

teaching and problem solving; virtual worlds for course delivery; understanding student

mathematical cognition and learning, including studies into the aesthetics

of mathematics, the nature

of insight, concept formation, and anxiety; investigating ways in which the brain and body are

implicated in learning and understanding mathematics; developing approaches to teaching

mathematics that are responsive to cultural differences; and Masters and Ph.D. programs in

mathematics cducation. Another cornerstone for success

in today's world is technical literacy. This

arises in the context

of fast-paced evolution and occasional revolutions

technologies that affect

education and people's readiness for new jobs. Research should be conducted on the benefits

of the

Undergraduate Curriculum Initiative through ongoing inquiry into the effectiveness

of writing-

intensive, quantitative and breadth courses.

Education and Human Development

Education is central to focusing and fostering human growth and development. These terms are used

in a broad sense, to encompass: acquiring knowledge, developing skills. becoming prepared to apply

and transfer achievements, exploring and articulating attitudes. generating and controlling

motivation. and nurturing a positive sense

of self in a context of connection to others. SFU pursues

this research across the lifespan from early childhood through later adulthood in a variety

of settings

within and beyond schools. Research

this subtheme will enable us to better understand how

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development happens, to identify factors affecting it, and to determine how to best intervene for the

benefit

of individuals and their social groups.

Education for Diverse

Populations

SFU

has significant expertise in second language acquisition and pedagogy, civics

(in

a broad sense

grounded in ethical and moral considerations), issues in international education, and working in close

and productive partnership in multi-cultural or cross-cultural contexts. For example,

SFU researchers

associated with the Metropolis British Columbia Centre

of Excellence for Research on Immigration

and Diversity have made significant contributions

to the study of immigrant education at the urban

and regional levels. Another example is the Imaginative Education Research Group and its projects

such as

"Building Culturally Inclusive Schools" that have furthered our understanding of successful

educational practices in diverse cultural settings. The CTEF-funded research team,

"Education

Systems and Outcomes in Diverse Communities," brings thematic coherence to the work of a diverse

set

of researchers in areas of public policy, economic organization, aboriginalleaming, immigration,

urban studies, and population health.

builds on well-established strengths in economics,

psychology and education, integrating them with one another and with emerging strengths in public

policy, dialogue, and health sciences. Similarly, the Centre for Research on Early Child Health and

Education represents

an interdisciplinary approach to improving the lives of young children who are

vulnerable to poor developmental outcomes due to biological and/or economic disadvantage.

SFU

research has also led to advances in our understanding of areas such as multicultural practices,

philosophies

of language, and the roles that language and culture play in pedagogical practice. SFU

researchers have taken a leading role in the development and testing

of innovations in the uses of

media (e.g., video), technology (e.g., web-assisted learning) and pedagogical methods (e.g.,

applications

of cognitive neuroscience to mathematics learning) to support education for diverse

populations. For example, an exciting area

of research is the role of mathematics and music, and

interactive arts technologies, for instruction

of autistic children.

In Canada, there is a clear need to improve both the participation and success rates

of Aboriginal

peoples at all levels

of education. Accomplishing this goal will require new ways of understanding

Aboriginal educational issues, exploring the current roadblocks and problems

in the system that

exacerbate the problem

of low Aboriginal graduation rates, and new modalities of learning and new

forms

of engagement for Aboriginal Education. The central vision of the Accord on Indigenous

Education (Association

of Canadian Deans of Education) is that "indigenous identities, cultures,

languages, values, ways

of knowing, and knowledge systems will flourish." A strong foundation for

this critical work exists at SFU.

Our research builds on an almost 40-year tradition of engagement

with

Aboriginal communities in teacher education, Masters' programs and other credit- and non-

credit ventures. The LUCID pilot program has shown that the gap in learning between Aboriginal

and non-Aboriginal cultures in schools can be reduced, and this could result potentially in increased

high-school graduation rates among Aboriginal populations.

Other work has explored Aboriginal

knowledge, Aboriginal pedagogies, Aboriginal science, Aboriginal language and culture

revitalization, and intergenerational teaching and learning, among other topics. Critical components

of this research agenda include the further development and refmement of respectful and culturally

appropriate research methodologies, the development, implementation and assessment

of new

pedagogical strategies, and the incorporation and mobilization

of Aboriginal knowledge and

philosophies into the mainstream educational system.

New Models for the Delivery

of Medical Education

Alternative models

of medical education are necessary to better manage Canada's health care

system.

SFU will explore a system of integrated care, built around integrated clinical disciplines that

reflect patient care needs such as mental health, developmental health, acute care, chronic disease

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management, rehabilitation, and palliation. A program based on preventive medicine, generalist

training, primary care, community health, and innovative practice models such as integrated

diagnostic services for primary care physicians could be developed. Activities would also build on

the current pedagogical strengths

of SFU in the areas of e-health and health promotion, nutrition and

metabolism, virology, immunology, physiology, genetics, epigenetics, epidemiology, biostatistics,

demography, mathematical modeling, virtual reality, social and policy science, and ethics,

as well as

in the complementary areas

of molecular biology and biochemistry, chemical biology, biological

physics, cognitive (neuro) sciences, biomedical engineering, and imaging sciences.

Technology and Education

Much

is being made of the "21st Century Learner" who has both intention and capacity to gain

maximum benefit from technologies in formal and self-directed education. We need to better

understand the pedagogical basis

of this online and blended learning, and are poised to take a

leadership role in this research domain. A necessary but not sufficient component

of this research

naturally focuses

on transformative tools; such as hardware and software that help learners study and

learn more effectively. However,

"technology" is not isolated from or independent of the people and

settings

in which it is used, nor should the concept of "technology" be falsely limited to machines and

software. The goal in this area

of research is to enhance, not replace, the human interactions that are

the foundation

of education.

Research in this area entails

the active pursuit of knowledge about a range of mechanisms, designs,

and means for achieving societally-valued and personal educational goals. Important topics for

research therefore include mechanisms

of learning, models of teaching, designs for curricula, policy

assessment and development, leadership, and professional conduct in technologically-enhanced

teaching and learning, among a wider array

of factors.

SFU is an important centre of innovation in the study of learning and the development of educational

technologies. Major research initiatives are underway in education, communication, and computing

science, with psychology, statistics, and engineering science planning further involvement. Current

projects build on a distinguished record

of accomplishment in educational technology. For example,

there is conceptualization

of a research centre that will provide infrastructure and a locus for scholars

to pursue groundbreaking research about education and new technologies across the spectrum of

education settings, including tools that support administering and instructing online, research on

virtual and blended methods

of discussion, the development of research tools and software for

personal study, and investigations about how simulations, learning objects and digital games can be

used

to achieve best practices.

Education for Sustainable Development

Education enables us to understand ourselves and others as well as our links with the wider natural

and social environment, and this understanding serves as a durable basis for building respect. Along

with a sense

of justice, responsibility, exploration and dialogue, education for sustainable

development aims

to move us to adopting behaviours and practices that enable all to live a full life

without being deprived

of basics. Sustain ability is a concept, a goal and a strategy. The concept

speaks

to the reconciliation of social justice, ecological integrity, and the wellbeing of all living

systems on the planet. The goal is to create an ecologically and socially just world within the means

of nature without compromising future generations. Sustain ability also refers to the process or

strategy

of moving towards a sustainable future. What we teach, what we don't teach, and how we

teach are all considered when creating sustainability education. Sustain ability education is a process

of creating a space for inquiry, dialogue, reflection, and action about the concept and goals of

sustainable development. The research agenda includes the development, monitoring, and evaluation

of environmental learning initiatives and the ongoing identification of sustainability indicators and

evaluation tools. Such work includes: (1) developing and validating instruments for measuring

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learning environments in community or ESD oriented programs. (2) creating rich descriptions of

how these learning environments are characterized quantitatively and qualitatively, and how they

differ from other educational settings. and (3) developing, implementing and testing a variety

program interventions in these learning environments while accounting for variations in learning,

teacher engagement and other effects.

Institutional Support for Research

SFU provides critical personnel infrastructure support to facilitate research endeavours. Faculty mentors

and grants facilitators provide aid to faculty in the preparation and critical evaluation

of research grant

proposals. The Vice-President, Research Office facilitates nominations for major national and

international award opportunities, and enhances the profile

of research at SFU by producing

communications reflecting the value

of our contributions in research and technology transfer activities.

The Office

of Research Services provides support in the identification, application and negotiation of

research grants and contracts. Support is provided for research safety (Environmental Health and Safety).

and for the approval

of research involving animals (Animal Care Services) and human subjects (Office of

Research Ethics). The University

Industry Liaison Office provides intellectual property and

commercialization support. The Office

of Research Accounting administers grants and contracts, and

provides oversight and audit functions.

SFU recognizes that external funding of scholarly research through traditional avenues might be biased

towards science and technology. Therefore. in the past five years.

SPU has augmented its efforts to ensure

that scholarly endeavours in the social sciences and humanities not be compromised and be supported

adequately.

Support for SSHRC small grants and travel grants, support for SSHRC 4A grants,

publications, and safeguarding library collections are a top priority. To increase our participation in

programs for major projects such as the Major Collaborative Research Institute (MCRI) and Community

University Research Alliance (CURA) through SSHRC, as well as in social science research funded by

provincial and federal ministries, support for grant preparation and administration is provided.

Support

for exhibitions and performances is also provided.

addition. through SPU's Community Trust Endowment Fund (CTEF), we will continue to invest in

major initiatives under the seven integrative research themes. The expectation is that the CTEF funding

will enable these research initiatives to advance to a level that makes them competitive for major external

awards.

In keeping with this concept, funding will be ramped down over the years of a particular project.

We propose also to provide CTEF networking grants

to bring together faculty from different disciplines

in workspaces

to pursue interdisciplinary thematic research projects. We expect that these efforts will

result in major cogent proposals submitted to external agencies.

Institutional Support for Students

SPU provides financial support for graduate students to facilitate their contributions to the research

enterprise

of the University in the form of entrance awards, fellowships, scholarships. bursaries, and

teaching assistantships. In addition,

SFU has an extensive array of private awards to support its graduate

students. Fifteen

SFU Community Trust Endowment Fund Graduate Fellowships in the Humanities for

one semester

of study will be granted to doctoral students in the humanities each year. These fellowships

were created

recognition that research in the humanities in general is an essential element of the fabric

of a research-intensive university. Another unique program supported by SFU is the Graduate

International Research Travel Awards. These awards provide support for students

to travel and live

abroad to conduct their research. The Dean

of Graduate Studies Office also provides support in terms of

applying for and administering external graduate scholarships. The Dean of Graduate Studies works with

the Office

of Research Services to develop and administer policies related to intellectual property. and

non-disclosure agreements related to externally funded contractual support for graduate students. A large

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number of programs exist at SFU and are expanding to address the critical professional skills sets needed

to participate in collaborative and interdisciplinary research.

SFU is committed to using the resources at

its disposal to attract and train outstanding international and domestic graduate students

to SFU, including

Vanier and other

Tri-Council award holders, through the creation of special awards such as the "Provost

Prize of Distinction" and the "Provost International Fellowship", and through enhancing the opportunity

for scholarly activity. In addition,

SFU is committed to provide opportunities for undergraduate students

to engage

in scholarly research and to support these activities through provision of research assistantships

and internships.

Library Services

The library is a core service that supports research in all disciplines in a variety of ways. Foremost arc the

library collections. In addition to the book collection, the library has close

to four million digital items,

including seventy-two thousand online subscriptions. Primary research materials used by all disciplines

are provided through special collections and membership access to the Centre for Research Libraries, as

well as the online data library and memberships in data organizations such as the Inter-university

consortium for political and social research

(ICPSR). ICPSR maintains and provides access to a vast

archive

of social science data for research and instruction and also offers training in quantitative analysis.

The Library offers services

to digitize and permanently house online collections of data, electronic

content, and reports, theses and articles related

to specific research projects

all disciplines. About

825,000 print items are circulated or used in the library and about 3 million journal database cOJUlections

are made every year. This published collection (both online and print) of secondary research receives

significant usage from all disciplines. The Library works with researchers and publishers on initiatives

such as the Public Knowledge Project,

Synergies, Canadiana.org and the Canadian Research Knowledge

Network to transform scholarly communication. Finally, the library works to control the cost

publication of research results through funding submission costs associated with Open Access journals

and undertaking events and communications to raise awareness

of publication options. These library

services are highly valued and must be supported.

Librarians work with researchers to identify and retrieve primary materials essential to research and

scholarship. Librarians also work with faculty during grant proposal preparation to develop proposals

relating

to data and information storage and, as research progresses, provide advice and facilities to store

research papers, data, and information in secure and reliable institutional repositories.

Government Support for Research

In addition to the support that the federal government provides to the three national granting agencies, it

has made a strong commitment to university-based research by investing in the

Canada Research Chairs

(CRC) program, the Canada Foundation for llUlovation (CFI), the Networks of Centres of Excellence, the

Centres

of Excellence in Commercialization and Research, Genome Canada, Western Economic

Diversification, and the Indirect

Costs of Research program. These investments have rejuvenated

Canadian research by attracting and focusing the efforts of stellar researchers, providing state-of-the-art

infrastructure, and providing critical support to the universities to augment resources for research and

technology transfer activities. This investment has significantly enhanced Canada's international

competitiveness, and has caused other countries to examine the new Canadian model

of research. While

this progress is admirable, continued and increased support for discovery research is essential

to creating

knowledge that is the foundation for translation

of ideas to iJUlovation and new ventures.

The provincial government provides support through the

BC Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF),

Genome

BC, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR), the Pacific Institute for

Climate

Solutions (PICS), the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), through provincial

ministries such as the Ministry

of Health, the Ministry of Public Safety and the Solicitor General, the

Page

26/27

Ministry of the Attorney General, and the Ministry of Children and Family Development, and through the

Health Authorities. The provincial government also provides support through the Leading Edge

Endowment Fund (LEEF) Leadership Chairs. To date,

SFU has appointed four LEEF chairs in critical

strategic areas: the Tom Buell Chair in

Salmon Conservation and Management, the Chair in

Pharmaceutical Genomics and Drug Development, the Chair

in Cognitive Neurosciences, and a Chair in

Prevention of Youth Violence. An additional search is undelWay for a Chair in Medical Imaging. The

CRCs, LEEF,

and other prestigious Chairs at SFU serve to seed and catalyze new initiatives as well as

strengthen existing programs. We recognize the future value

of further investment in selected areas that

complement the resources

of the Chairs. To this end, SFU has been highly proactive in providing or

seeking matching funds for some

of these initiatives.

Implementation

The Vice-President, Research, in conjunction with the Vice-President, Academic and the Faculty Deans,

coordinates strategic investment

in the thematic areas through major granting opportunities such as those

provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Major Collaborative Research Institutes Grants,

Community University Research Alliance Grants, National Centres

of Excellence, CllIR Team Grants,

and Genome BC. Investments may also take the form

of strategic faculty positions, seed funding for

workshops and conferences, distinguished scholar visits, research support for undergraduate students, and

other initiatives

as opportunities arise. Initiatives that are demonstrably cross-disciplinary will receive

higher pnority,

as we believe that promising research areas which cross Faculty and departmental

boundaries will benefit most from targeted investments coordinated by the Vice-President, Research.

Impact of the Strategic Research Plan

We will undertake a periodic evaluation of research outputs using metrics appropriate to the diverse

individual and interdisciplinary activities, as determined in consultation with the Faculty Deans. These

data could include publications, conference proceedings, books, monographs, patents, government and

public panel contributions, workshops, policy papers, performances, exhibitions, other forms

of research,

and awards and distinctions. This task

is most readily accomplished by soliciting data from faculty

through the Deans' offices once a year at the time

of review of faculty for progress through the ranks. A

common framework for reporting will establish a baseline from which we can gauge advancement

in a

particular discipline. Measures

of output will also be obtained through the use of bibliometric analysis

tools such as Thomson-Reuters'

InCites

using data from

Web of Science,

or Elsevier'S

SciVal

that

produces graphical representations

of an institution's research performance using data from

Scopus.

Annual data from Re$earch Infosource and CAUBO will be used to evaluate SFU's research performance

relative to other Canadian universities, including measures

of research income, publication intensity, and

publication impact. Data to evaluate the growth

of SFU's internationalization efforts as they pertain to

research will also be solicited, for example, the number

of international research grants, the number of

publications co-authored with international scholars, the number of international graduate students and

visiting international faculty engaged

in research at SFU, and the number ofinternational awards received

SFU faculty and students. Together, these data will be used to monitor our progress towards achieving

the objectives

of this Plan, and to evaluate our overal1 research performance and research capacity.

Page

27/27

S I

~IU

N r R ,\ S E RUN I V EllS I /' Y

T~.INo'tiNG

or THZ WCRt.C

SFU STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN 2010-2015

FOR THE CANADA RESEARCH CHAIRS AND CA..""lADIAN

FOUNDATION FOR INNOVATION PROGRA.\1S

The advancement of excellence in research is a defining feature of SFU, with leading individuals and well-recognized

groups engaged in a wide variety

of key research activities. We are recognized for our high level of peer-reviewed scholarly

output and our excellence in technology transfer.

Our significant growth in research output is matched by an astounding

126% growth in research input between

2002 and 2007. We attracted $86 million in research funding in 2008, putting us

into the top-20 group of Canadian post-secondary institutions on this measure. We have been awarded more than 40

Canada Research Chairs in areas that complement our strategic research goals, including both Tier 1 Chairs for outstanding

researchers who are world leaders in their fields, and Tier 2 Chairs for exceptional emerging researchers with the potential

to lead in their field.

SFU has 39 Royal Society of Canada Fellows, distinguished Carnelian scholars who are selected by

their peers for outstanding contributions to the

natural and social sciences, the arts, and the humanities. Ol4r

goal is to be the

most research-intensive comprehensive university in Canada, competing e.ffoctively in defined areas with the top tier institutions in the

country, and internationally renownedJor the excellence oj our scholarship.

The SRP is intended to serve as a road map for establishing the focus, infrastructure, and capability that is necessary to

improve the research performance

of the University. Its major objectives are to:

• Maximize opportunities for discovery and innovation;

• Promote internationally competitive research and scholarship;

• Cultivate excellence through selective investment in emerging areas of research;

• Facilitate collaborations across disciplinary and institutional boundaries;

• Recruit and retain outstanding students, research fellows, and faculty;

• Encourage effective communication and dissemination of research results;

• Optimize use of our research and scholarship resources;

• Recognize the full value of intellectual property;

• Achieve thematic coherence in the expression ofSFU's research interests;

• Engage all our communities for the benefit of society.

The SRP articulates SFU's strengths by identifying integrative strategic research themes that cross disciplinary and

administrative boundaries. In defining these themes, we intend to facilitate and encourage both individual initiatives and

new collaborations within existing structures. Through the process

of identifying our research strengths and existing and

potential synergies among them, we intend to encourage and support cross-disciplinary initiatives that build

on our

strengths and show potential for significant impact and leverage. Excellence in research and strategic investment of resources

aligned with this thematic approach

will

give SFU a distinctive edge and comparative advantage, leading to our goal of

being the most research-intensive comprehensive university in Canada and competing effectively on the international scene.

The strategic research themes encompass both cross-disciplinary teams and disciplinary or individual contributions to our

collective achievements. They are consistent with the sub-priorities

of the S&T Strategy of Canada. Please refer to the

SFU

Strategic Research Plall 2010-15

for details on each of the following themes and sub-themes.

Origins

The Nature, Origin. and Fate of the Universe. Answering questions about the nature, origin, and fate of the universe is at

the origin

of most fields of scientific research. This theme brings together the many elisciplines that are occupied with these

fundamental research questions, especially mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and medicine. A particular focus

SFU's role

ATLAS, the world's largest particle physics experiment to reconstruct the first seconds of the universe.

The RNA World and Molecular Evolution. Several SFU researchers are active in unraveling the puzzle of how life might

have emerged. Understanding how changes in molecular building blocks alter their structure, dynamics and function

is the

Page 1I10

foundation for the science of molecular evolution. Such understanding is required for the design of antibacterial and

antiviral

drugs against which pathogens cannot develop resistance. Correlating the molecular foundations of evolution at the

organismal and societal levels requires an interdisciplinary effort between

SFU's molecular and biological scientists,

mathematicians and computational scientists, behavioural ecologists and psychologists, and other social scientists.

Biodiversity. Understanding and conserving biodiversity are

now widely recognized as crucial for human wellbeing. Several

research groups at SFU, including those in wildlife and behavioural ecology and salmon conservation, are focusing on the

ecology, evolution, and conservation

of biodiversity. There is complementary strength in applied research on the ecology

and conservation

of forests and fisheries. SFU's strengths in present-day biodiversity research are complemented by expertise

in past biodiversity and human-environment interaction.

Over the next five years, we

will

focus on ensuring that the

benefits

ofSFU's ability to combine research and training on past, present and future biodiversity are fully realized.

I-Iuman Evolution. In recent years, a number

of disciplines have experienced a significant growth of interest in the

application

of Darwinian theory to questions concerning humans, and it is now clear that evolution provides a powerful

framework for understanding

not only our genes and anatomy, but also our cognition and behaviour. Interest in Darwin's

impact

on economic behaviour, social history, and subsequent cultural conditions continues to intensify. SFU

will

exploit

the research and training synergies created by its combination

of an unusually diverse group of human evolution researchers

and first-rate research facilities.

The Development of Human Thought. Culture. and Institutions. SFU researchers explore culture and human development

in a variety of contemporary domains, including the links between social and cultural contexts that affect cognition,

identity, values, family relations, artistic and literary creativity, and individual and social welfare. Broad areas

of expertise

include anthropology, business, English, first nations studies. history, humanities, international studies, literary studies,

philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and women's studies.

SFU's strengths can be found in the diversity of

research methods used in both laboratory and field settings, and in its focus on both basic theoretical research and the

application

of theory to significant social issues.

Communication, Computation, and Technology

$FU expertise spans research issues from theory to applications to policy, with researchers from many disciplines involved,

including chemistry and chemical biology, communications, computing science, criminology, economics, engineering

science, interactive

arts and technology mathematics, molecular biology and biochemistry, physics, psychology, and

statistics.

Materials Science and

Engineering. SFU materials science research spans the spectrum from curiosity-driven research

leading to the discovery

of new materials and new materials properties, to more applied research culminating

applications-driven engineering and development.

interdisciplinary and collaborative approach by biochemists,

biologists, chemists, engineering scientists, molecular biologists, and physicists

will

permit new materials to be integrated

with existing technologies to create novel platforms and devices. An essential part

of our strategy is participation in national

and international joint ventures such

as the Tri-University Meson Facility (TRIUMF) and Canadian Light Source (CLS).

Intelligent Systems and Computer-Aided Design. Intelligent systems research is inherently interdisciplinary and has its

foundation in computer science, computer and software engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Research foci include artificial intelligence, data mining, intelligent data processing, the semantic web, computer-aided

vision, sensors and sensor networks, robotics, mechatronic systems, microelectronics, embedded computing and systems,

and advanced instmmentation. Computer-Aided Design explores the use

of unified constraint and simulation-based

modeling that enables designers to create designs adapted to context and

to the physical forces; and constraints and

simulation to establish a new design space in which histories enhance the ability to explore

new alternatives for designs.

Automotive

Technologi§. Mechatronics is the integration of mechanical, electronic, control, software, and computer

engineering for the development

of advanced electromechanical products and systems for a wide range of industrial

applications. Research topics include next generation engine mounts, vibration-based energy harvesting, airbags, and

intelligent systems for autonomous vehicles. Researchers complement these efforts with expertise

polymer/electrochemistry, modelling structures and processes in fuel cells, bio-fuel cells, and novel methods for preparing

proton-conducting membranes. This group has strong connections with the

NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, and

Page 2110

will

develop collaboratively the next generation of nanostructured materials for fuel cell applications.

Ima&ing Science and Visual Analytics. Investigation into the visual presentation of data and relationships is fundamental to

this field,

as is the study of how human beings perceive and use visualizations for communication, analysis and decision-

making. The foundations

of imaging research include modeling, signal detection and processing. mathematics, statistics. data

processing and storage. animation. language analysis. cognition and perception. Building on these foundations

is research on

human-computer interaction. reasoning, transformation and dynamic visualization. Key applications

of the research include

medical imaging. visual analytics. data mining. business intelligence, finance, manufacturing, transportation. public safety,

health and the environment.

Information. Communication. and

New Media

Technolo~

Areas of excellence are multimedia, wireless

communications, RF/microwave conununications. network systems and modeling, algorithms, information retrieval and

web-based systems, natural language, and games, animation and new media. Research strengths

also exist in the areas of the

IT sector of the economy, and life and mission-critical lCT for disaster management and public safety, coastal surveillance,

and disaster relief. Business researchers study knowledge, innovation and technology, with particular expertise in project

management.

rCT provides a necessary substrate for many areas of research. and SFU has and will continue to build strong

links between

ICT and the disciplines that use rCT in research.

Communication. Collaboration. and Computation.

SFU has expertise in conununication, collaboration and computation,

including computational security and safety. This subtheme builds on extensive expertise

combinatorial algorithm

development and qualitative and quantitative modeling

of complex social systems using advanced mathematical, statistical.

and computational methods.

SFU is a leader in the development and deployment of collaborative technologies in the

support

of research at the national level, such as that offered by the Interdisciplinary Research in the Mathematical and

Computational

Sciences (IRMACS) Centre.

Technology and the

Arts. Developments in media and computing technologies

link

interactive arts and technology with

musicians, filmmakers. dancers. and other scholars.

SFU researchers study historical and current dimensions of media culture

in visual, filmic, aural. print. and digital formats. Research foci include the study and design

of interactive media

technologies, virtual environments, and expressive

systems; the development of computational systems that produce or

simulate creativity, and the construction of cognitive models of human creativity and creative expression; and the study of

human-centered media and communication systems for museums.

coordinated initiative that merges theory and practice

in the artistic

uses

of new technologies and the scholarly analysis of traditional media builds on current strengths.

Culture, Society, and Human Behaviour

a comprehensive university, SFU champions the liberal arts and sciences and promotes pioneering interdisciplinarity. In

all these areas, the challenge is to develop focal points (individuals or groups) to enable dispersed researchers to cohere in

creative research groups that will be distinctive to

SFU.

Research in the Humanities. Philosophers. historians, classicists, literary critics and linguists investigate and describe the

ever-changing realities

of contemporary life, and teach us how to question and critique the political, social, sexual,

economic, and historical frameworks within which we

all live and work as world citizens. Scholars of English study the

entire spectrum

of literary and textual activity, from the genesis of a writer's creative spark through the various stages of a

manuscript's development and dissemination. Scholars

of history, whose research strengths are social history and cultural

history, grapple with knowledge others often recognize only dimly or in

passing: that the future was created yesterday.

Specific research specialties share themes that overlap time and region: such

as indigenous peoples; law and society; and

medicine and science.

Foundations

of Ethical Evaluation and Ethical Implications of Research. SFU possesses a broad range of research expertise

both in the foundations

of ethics and in applied ethics; this expertise can be found in areas including archaeology, business.

criminology, education, environmental sciences, health sciences, philosophy, political science, and public policy.

All

research, from the fundamental discoveries of science to the development of new technologies, policies, strategies, and new

ways of understanding, stand to have a significant impact on the way we lead our lives. SFU researchers take a leadership

role in ensuring

that research has a positive impact on human welfare, by pursuing the systematic

Page 3110

investigation of our moral beliefS, from their philosophical foundations to their applications in the fonTIS of general

principles, to public policy

issues arising in the Canadian context.

Aboriginal Studies. Research into Aboriginal

issues involves anthropology, archaeology, economics, education, health,

history, linguistics, literature, psychology, resource management, and sociology. Research

foci include examining

contemporary urban and rural

issues in the Aboriginal community, preserving Aboriginal languages, partnering with bands

and communities in Aboriginal education, examining classroom climate

issues for Aboriginal/minority students, resource

management in Aboriginal communities, barriers to Aboriginal labour market success, archaeological research, and rise

Aboriginal and Metis writers and artists. We are recognized for our critical analysis of issues dealing with Aboriginal sites, as

in a collaborative research initiative to investigate the intellectual rights issues raised by archeological practice.

International Studies. Research in this area includes international studies and international policy, advanced by new

endowed research chairs

in religion and cultural change, and international law and human security. The Human Security

Report project analyses global and regional trends in political violence and their causes and consequences, and has put SFU

on the map internationally as a resource for governments and nongovernmental organizations alike. The new Centre for the

Comparative

Study of Muslim Societies and Cultures represents another interdisciplinary collaboration that has few

Canadian countetparts. The W orId Literature program

is focusing on the way aesthetic forms and topoi pass from one

culture

or time to another, most often in defiance of political and social boundaries.

Safenr. Securinr. Criminal Behaviour Assessment and Treatment. and Forensic Studies. SFU has significant strength in the

analysis of criminal behaviour and forensic studies, with a number of research centres and institutes and a LEEF Chair in the

Reduction

ofY outh Violence providing a powerful hub around which crime-related research in other units can be focused.

Another focus builds on

SFU's existing strengths in security and health research to establish new capabilities in public safety,

security, and health science.

SFU researchers are developing strengths in other aspects of security, such as polymer

chemistry, microelectronics, optics and nano-fabrication

of new materials for new high-tech security technologies. The

Human Security Report

Project researches global and regional trends in political violence and their causes and

consequences;

SFU researchers are also studying ways to increase the safety, health and welfare of employees.

Evolution. Cognition, and Culture.

SFU is in an excellent position to become a world leader in an interdisciplinary plan to

integrate the sciences, social sciences and humanities. Researchers in archaeology, biological sciences, business

administration, linguistics, and psychology, including the

CRCs in Human Evolutionary Studies and Management of

Technology, are using phylogenetic methods from biology to understand the evolution of a range of social and cultural

phenomena. Researchers

in English are working in biosemiotics, focusing on the wide variety of forms of communication

in biological systems; research in psychology focuses on the development

of communication in infancy. Through

participation

in the Centre for the Evolution of Cultural Diversity, SFU is poised to bring focus to this area in an

international context.

Urban Communities. SFU has research strengths from urban design and planning to the study of the individual resident,

including the social, artistic, and environmental aspects

of urban life. Specific strengths exist in the areas of urban studies,

geography, computing science, mathematics, criminology, computing science, economics, and forensic psychology.

Researchers are probing

issues of social cohesion, anti racist education, violence in society, multiculturalism and cultural

adaptation, citizenship, diasporic cultures, and nationhood. There are promising possibilities for research

on second-

language learning, public education and the wellbeing

of communities. The CTEF-funded "Modelling of Complex Social

Systems"

program brings together extensive expertise under the unifYing theme of modelling the complex dynamics that

drive the linked epidemiologies

of crime, disease, homelessness and other social ills in urban neighborhoods.

Intervention Impact Assessment. Funding for most forms

of service delivery, including educational and social programs, is

increasingly linked to the ability of the service provider to demonstrate results. Despite the increased attention being paid to

"accountability", the mechanisms, tools and practices for effective impact assessment remain blunt instruments. An

interdisciplinary approach harnessing the research approaches

of economists, sociologists, psychologists and educators, would

provide a framework for significant advances.

SFU researchers currently possess great strengths in each of these areas, and

are in an excellent position to develop more sophisticated research methods for impact assessment and to apply those

methods to a wide range

of social interventions. By doing so, SFU can capitalize on its acknowledged strength and

leadership in the social sciences and humanities, and position itself at the forefront

of an emerging research need.

Page

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Economic Organization, Public Policy, and the Global Community

Economic Organization. SFU has significant strengths in the theoretical analysis of finn organization, law and economics,

public economics, the study

of economic institutions, and econometric analysis, complemented by strengths in

computational, experimental, and evolutionary methods which are reflected in the Centre for Research

on Adaptive

Behaviour in Economics and the

CRC in Economic Theory and Evolution. There are also strengths in a number of

applied fields including strategic change, corporate governance, capital and risk management, biotechnology management,

art management, and the environmental, ethical, and sustainable management

of organizations. Current efforts include

concentrations in the CMA Centre for Strategic Change and

Perfonnance Measurement, the Centre for Corporate

Governance and Risk Management, and the Global Asset and Wealth Management Centre.

Public Policy. The role of the public sector in our economic and social lives has increased as our private wealth has grown

over the past decades. This

has spurred research on how policy is fonned, what policies are good and in what contexts, and

on the unintended consequences of policy decisions. Such research is carried out in economics and the Public Policy

Program,

for example, the Centre for Public Policy Research that complements existing or projected policy research in

health sciences, urban studies, international studies, and communications.

Other examples include the CURA Economic

Security

Project, the Learning City project, the Institute of Governance Studies, and the Mental Health Law and Policy

Institute, among other venues.

The Global Community and

Emerging Markets. SFU has several research groups concerned with international economic

relations. transnational organization, and global culture, including the Centre for Global Workforce

Strategy, the Jack

Austin Centre for

Asia Pacific Business Studies, the Centre for Global Political Economy, the Global Asset and Wealth

Management Centre, and the

MCRI Globalism Project. One research area focuses on issues of trade, international finance,

and economic development in low-income countries; another investigates the management

of global enterprises.

Researchers are examining

issues of knowledge, innovation and technology, including the (onnation, operation and growth

of biotechnology firms and the IT sector. Research on global institutions focuses on peace and security studies;

development, environment, and international economic relations; governance and civil society; human rights and

international law.

The Creative Economy.

The Creative Economy, defined to include the whole of the creative chain for core cultural goods

and services, including their creation, production, manufacturing, distribution, and support,

has emerged as both a

substantial and an expanding sector

of the Canadian economy. The creative economy also generates the social capital that is

fundamental to social cohesion. Understanding the nature and dynamics of the creative economy is critical to Canada's

social, cultural and economic future, and

SFU's strengths in the contemporary and interactive arts, literary and publishing

studies, and technology position it to

playa leading role in research in this area.

Environment, Resources, and Conservation

SFU has an excellent record of research related to the environment, spanning a range of sectors from theoretical and

mechanistic studies to applied management strategies. Research clusters at

SFU focus on the relationships between

economic development, conservation and biodiversity in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,

as well as on natural hazard

prediction and prevention.

Our research includes not only chemical, molecular biological, toxicological, physiological, and

behavioural studies, but

also risk assessment, management, and historic and economic considerations. The ultimate goal of

this multifaceted approach is to provide a sound basis for sustainable development and the responsible use of our natural

resources.

Planning. Development. Management. and Sustainability. SFU

will

pursue research in areas related to the development,

planning, management, and sustainability

of human settlements and the impact of human and natural disturbances on

environments and communities. Foci include governance and equity

issues; spatial and labor market dynamics; consumption

patterns; industrial restructuring; ecological, economic and social sustainability; sustainable development policy; sustainability

and quality

of life indicators, assessment and evaluation; public space and urban/regionallivability; health care and access;

property rights and spatial inequities; local economic development; the development of mathematical tools in resource

allocation and management; and global environmental

issues. SFU research integrating the social and natural sciences

focuses

on the impacts of human development and natural disturbances on natural and urban environments and

communities. Emphasis is placed on the causes of and responses to natural hazards, and on sustainable development

Page 5/10

strategies that integrate economic, social. and environmental objectives. Research on both geoscientific and biological

phenomena in the ocean environment

is integrated within the SFU-supported Neptune Canada project. Research in

environmental education and education for sustainable development will be key to understanding human interactions with

the environment.

Ecosystems and Resources. Environmental research

has broadened to encompass concerns such as species at risk.

biodiversity, sustainability and endangered habitats.

SFU researchers, including those in the Centre for Wildlife Ecology

(CWE) and the Cooperative Resource Management Institute (CRMI), conduct basic and applied research in wildlife,

fisheries and forest ecology and provide knowledge and personnel that will help meet the challenges

conservation. Aquatic and fisheries research is aimed at the understanding and management of fish populations in their

marine and freshwater habitats,

as well as the broader management of the coastal zone, and ecosystem science. SFU research

related to terrestrial ecosystems includes ecological, institutional and economic approaches to the conservation

of ecosystem

services, biodiversity conservation and invasive species, and ecosystem-based forest management and industrial forestry

issues. Energy and materials management is also emphasized, through developing and applying sustainable policy models

that are both technologically explicit and behaviourally realistic.

SFU researchers also study the modem and ancient

geological environments. natural hazards, and geological resources.

SFU has a strong spatial research emphasis in health and

environment, including optimal location

of health services and population health. This concentration is augmented with

visualization approaches, such

as multi-dimensional geovisualization and geospatial interface research. Modeling of complex

spatial environmental systems, land use, land cover and urban growth continue to be important activities, together with

modeling

of dynamic spatial phenomena in forestry and landscape ecology.

Climate Change Solutions.

As a founding member of the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS), SFU researchers are

well positioned to contribute to the development

of innovative climate change solutions, seek new opportunities for

positive adaptation to climate change solutions, and lead the way to a vibrant low-carbon economy in

BC and globally.

Researchers involved with

SFU's Adaptation to Climate Change Team (ACT) are studying critical climate change impact

topics and producing policy recommendations for adaptation: biodiversity, extreme weather, energy, water security, crop

and food supply, population displacement, health risks,

new technologies, and sea level rise. Researchers in SFU's CTEF-

funded "Climate Change Impacts Research Consortium" are taking a risk-based approach to the study

of the secondary

effects

of climate change on human and ecosystem health.

Alternatiye (Green/Clean)

Energy Technology. SFU is well positioned to become a leader in green energy technology

research. Interdisciplinary initiatives

in this area will focus on energy production, distribution, and utilization, along with

related manufacturing technology and green IT. Current research includes

fuel cell materials, design and diagnostics, energy

management and harvesting,

new generation fuel injectors for hydrogen technology, green IT technology, green

computing, smart grids and smart houses. Another key area

of research involves investigating human-centered sustainable

systems at the intersection

of conservation, sustainable design, alternative energy production and social behaviour around

our ecological footprint.

The rise of ubiquitous computing, smart environments and the widespread use of mobile devices

offers an opportunity to enable occupants to dynamically interact with building technologies through digital media.

Aboriginal Communities and the Environment. We have substantial research strengths in applications of resource

management and resource planning to Aboriginal communities, with a particular focus

on Aboriginal and place-based

community co-management, forest management, fisheries and aquatic management, protected

areas and heritage planning,

and strategic land-use planning.

Other areas include heritage tourism. coastal zone management and planning, geographic

information science, and community planning and development.

We will continue to develop our strengths in issues related

to resource and environmental management and planning by Aboriginal people

on their traditional lands. These activities

will draw on our existing strengths in management and planning, and analytical tools such as geographic information

systems, and on existing strengths in Aboriginal resource management practices and traditional ecological knowledge.

will

also develop our engagement with Aboriginal peoples, both in a research context and an educational context.

Health and

Biomedical Sciences

Research at SFU aims to describe human health in its full context, including the diverse impacts that social inequities have

on health. We have strength in genomics, bioinformatics, and health informatics, biostatistics, biomedical sciences,

Page

6/10

neuroscience, medicinal chemistry and drug development, biomedical devices, biomedical imaging, mental health and

addictions,

as well as in health policy and cultural and population studies. Novel research and programs have or are being

developed in population and public health, global health, infectious

diseases, aging and chronic illness, and brain function

and development.

SFU is a leader in the secure analysis of sensitive data, such as that available under Population Data Be.

Our goal is to develop interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships that bridge the biomedical, clinical, and social

sciences and involve the wider community, building on

SFU's tradition of innovative and effective outreach.

Qenomics, Bioinformatics, Health Infomlatics. and Biomedical Technologies. Genomic sciences arc redefining the research

landscape

of the fundamental life and biomedical sciences and their applications, and the concept of personalized medicine is

being realized based on the application of genomics to the diagnosis and treatment of patients. SFU has expertise in

genomics, bioinfonnatics, and

data mining, and is playing a leading role in the formation of a regional Genome Sciences

Institute.

SFU also has strengths in biomedical technologies and medical imaging, radiophamlaceuticals, computational

anatomy,

bio-sensors,

biomedical

optics,

signal

processing,

biomechanics.

aSSlSllve

technologies,

haptics,

micro/nanotechnologies for medical applications, micro-fluidics, biochips, bioinfonnatics, computational biology, health

infomlatics, and chronic disease management. Research involves computer scientists, engineers, interactive arts researchers,

biomedical scientists, kinesiologists and psychologists working with clinicians to develop new tools and products. The

combined effort

will

address issues of human health, ranging from molecular, cellular, and systems biology to population

health and modeling.

GE3LS Analysis. The consequences of scientific and technological innovation are significant, especially when it comes to

genomics and

its Ethical, Economic, Environmental, Legal. and Social aspects (GE3LS). Research will infonn legislation to

control innovative growing practices in agriculture, and economic and environmental practices in fisheries and forestry.

Genomics research

has economic and social implications in such many applications including bee colony collapse,

bioremediation for industrial waste, and diagnostic tools for

disease and mental disorders. As whole genomes of organisms

become known there

will

arise issues of intellectual property and ownership and usage of such infonnation. How society

deals with such a brave new world will be the focus of research in this subtheme.

Chronic and Infectious Diseases. Strength exists in genomics, bioinfonnatics, biomolecular interactions, psychological and

psychiatric disorders, and

we are developing strength in proteomics and metabolomics. Two CTEF-funded teams are

capitalizing on SFU's unique strengths to discover and test potential new therapeutic targets, and to take novel molecules

and nanomaterials from the chemistry lab into the clinical setting and develop strategies for medical imaging, diagnostics,

surgery, and drug delivery. The drug development pipeline from genomics input to pharmaceutical output

is well

represented at

SFU-an important node of the Centre for Drug Research and Development. Additional strengths exist in

virtual reality therapy and training, visualizations and accessible tools for managing pain over time, and the extension of

these tools to the community. Strategic research that bridges nutrition, biomedical and behavioural science would

complement existing strengths. Collaborations

in this area require support of a wide range of technologies including

biomarkers. transgenic animals, nanotechnology, novel imaging and visualization modalities, province-wide comprehensive

data and geographic information systems, and complex social modeling.

Human Development and

Aging. Strength in human development and aging exists

basic biomedical, population, and

social sciences, including the

areas of children's social, emotional, and mental health, brain development, brain function and

problem-solving, mammalian developmental biology, birth defects, molecular-genetics, epigenetics

of cellular

differentiation, children's health policy, adolescent mental health, health behaviour and risk, youth crime and violence,

gender and aggression, and longitudinal studies on aging.

The broad field of neuroscience offers an exciting area for strategic

investment, especially in

areas focusing on aging and degenerative diseases of the nervous system and its connection to

behavior and health.

SFU strength exists in clinical psychology, neurobiology of addiction and of age-related degenerative

disease, and psychological mechanisms underlying youth aggression. SFU will apply its combined strength in imaging,

neuroscience, genetics, epigenetics, and cellular physiology to the study

of development and aging.

Population and Public Health and Health

Services. Expansion of population sciences and public health practice across areas

of shared research focus, such as in infectious diseases and global health, mental health, environmental, occupational health

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and earth systems, and Aboriginal health and the impact of social disparities on health could increase synergies in emerging

areas of cross-disciplinary strength at SFU. Bridging SFU's substantial strengths in biomedical sciences and health services to

population and public health would result in a competitive advantage.

Such an approach would build on newly established

research strengths focused on population level interventions and health policy sciences. Continued growth to support

this

subtheme would include bridging areas in social inequities of health, global and Aboriginal health, ethics, health economics

and health policy including new health services models, intervention

trials and uptake of best practices in primary health

care. Growth

of research strength in environmental and occupational health would include a focus on molecular toxicology,

genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics that study the cellular and molecular responses to drugs and to xenobiotics

associated with environmental exposures, and would include the development and

use of biomarkers, medical imaging, and

basic neuroscience.

Health Systems. Foci include comparative studies

of international primary health care systems, explorations of the cost

effectiveness

of chronic disease prevention and management approaches, estimates of health resource needs and mix of

specialists, organizational studies of inter-professional training and practice structures, performance outcomes of innovations

in primary care practice and incentive structures, organizational studies ofleadership and processes

health system change

management, forecasts

of health care needs and health system responses, assessments of the impact of primary Care

interventions on indicators of population health, community assessments of the social determinants associated with chronic

disease distribution, and the

issues of health equity, social justice, and ethics in health care. The resulting research outcomes

will provide objective information to aid decision-making by Canadian governments,

as well as an opportunity for global

outreach.

Pedagogy

Pedagogy stresses the mutually constitutive and intersecting activities of scholarship, teaching, and engagement. Research in

this

theme is conceptualized as a framework of four essential components: understanding, research use, knowledge

mobilization, and reciprocity. Future research vitality

lies in actively inter-relating these four framework components, and

these components individually and together represent significant foci for emerging scholarship.

Foundations for Success. Research in this sub-theme seeks to better understand the impacts

of foundational educational

programs in academic literacy, mathematics, and technical literacy on success in academe and the workplace. SFU

researchers are exploring the professional development of teachers; designing and teaching writing-intensive, quantitative

and breadth courses, and Masters and

Ph.D. programs in mathematics education; examining the role of technology in

teaching, collaborative group teaching and problem solving; virtual worlds for course delivery; understanding mathematical

cognition and learning; and examining how the rapid evolution and revolutions in technologies affect education and

people's readiness for new jobs.

Education and Human Development. Education

is central to focusing and fostering human growth and development.

These terms are used in a broad sense, to encompass: acquiring knowledge, developing

skills, becoming prepared to apply

and transfer achievements, exploring and articulating attitudes, generating and controlling motivation, and nurturing a

positive sense

of self in a context of connection to others. SFU pursues this research across the lifespan from early childhood

through later adulthood

a variety of settings within and beyond schools. Research in

this

subtheme will enable us to

better understand how development happens, to identify factors affecting it. and to determine how to best intervene for the

benefit

of individuals and their social groups.

Education for Diverse

Populations. SFU has significant expertise in second language acquisition and pedagogy, civics (in a

broad sense grounded in ethical and moral considerations),

issues in international education, and working in close and

productive partnership in multi-cultural

or cross-cultural contexts, such as the Metropolis British Columbia Centre of

Excellence for Research on Immigration and Diversity, the Imaginative Education Research Group and its "Building

Culturally Inclusive Schools" project, the CTEF-funded research team "Education Systems and Outcomes in Diverse

Communities," and the Centre for Research on Early Child Health and Education.

SFU research has also led to advances in

our understanding of multicultural practices, philosophies of language, and the roles that language and culture play

pedagogical practice; and in the development and testing of innovations

the uses of media, technology, and pedagogical

methods to support education for diverse populations.

SFU researchers are also focusing on ways to increase the

participation and

success rates of Aboriginal peoples at all levels of education, building on an almost 40-year tradition of

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engagement with Aboriginal commurutles in teacher education, Masters' programs and other credit- and non-credit

ventures. Critical components

of this research agenda include the further development and refinement of respectful and

culturally appropriate research methodologies, the development, implementation and assessment

of new pedagogical

strategies, and the incorporation and mobilization

of Aboriginal knowledge and philosophies into the mainstream

educational system.

New Models for the Delivery of Medical Education. Alternative models of medical education arc necessary to better

manage Canada's health care system.

sru will explore a system of integrated care, built around integrated clinical disciplines

that reflect patient care needs such

as mental health, developmental health, acute care, chronic disease management,

rehabilitation, and palliation. A program based on preventive medicine, generalist training, primary care, community health,

and innovative practice models such

as integrated diagnostic services for primary care physicians could be developed.

Activities would

also build on the current pedagogical strengths of SFU in e-health and health promotion, nutrition and

metabolism, virology, itrununology, physiology, genetics, epigenetics, epidemiology, biostatistics, demography,

mathematical modeling, virtual reality, social and policy science, and ethics,

as well as molecular biology and biochemistry,

chemical biology. biological physics, cognitive (neuro) sciences, biomedical engineering, and imaging sciences.

Technology and Education.

SFU is poised to take a leadership role in the research domain to understand the pedagogical

basis of online and blended learning. A necessary component of this research focuses on transformative tools that help

learners study and learn more effectively; however, research

also extends to the people and settings under which technology

is used. The goal in this area of research is to enhance the human interactions that are the foundation of education.

Important topics include mechanisms

of learning, models of teaching, designs for curricula, policy assessment and

development, leadership, and professional conduct in technologically enhanced teaching and learning. Major research

initiatives are underway in education, communication, and computing science, with psychology, statistics, and engineering

science planning further involvement. Current projects build

on a distinguished record of accomplishment in educational

technology.

Education for Sustainable Development. Along with a sense

of justice, responsibility, exploration and dialogue, education

for sustainable development

aims to move us to adopt behaviours and practices that enable all to live a full life without

being deprived

of basics. Sustainability education is a process of creating a space for inquiry, dialogue, reflection, and action

about the concept and

goals of sustainable development. The research agenda includes the development, monitoring, and

evaluation

of environmental learning initiatives and the ongoing identification of sustainability indicators and evaluation

tools.

Such work includes developing and validating instruments for measuring learning environments in community or

ESD oriented programs, creating rich descriptions of how these learning environments are characterized quantitatively and

qualitatively, and

how they differ from other educational settings, and developing, implementing and testing a variety of

program interventions in these learning environments while accounting for variations in learning, teacher engagement and

other effects.

The Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) and other prestigious Chairs at SFU serve to seed and catalyze new initiatives as well

as to strengthen existing programs. We recognize the future value of further investment in selected areas that complement

the resources

of the Chairs. To this end, SFU has been highly proactive in providing or seeking matching funds for some of

these initiatives.

Currently,

SFU has been allocated 45 CRC Chairs: 18 Tier I Chairs valued at S200K each and 27 Tier II Chairs valued at

SIOOK each. CRCs at SFU were phased in and have grown from 33 in

2005/06

to over 40

2009/10.

We have now

reached our full complement, subject to biennial readjustments.

CRCs should primarily serve the strategic research priorities of the University as specified in the

Sf[

Strateeic

Rt'.~f'"rc"

Plan

2010-15

and be used to attract and retain outstanding researchers. The Vice-Presidents Academic and Research make

decisions about

eRC allocations jointly. after consultation with the Faculty Deans. We strive to increase the representation

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of females in Chair appointments.

The following table shows the CRC appointments by funding agency, indicating where they fit within the seven thematic

areas under

our Plan. It does not include Chair positions that are vacant and which await nomination.

Origins

Communications, Computation

Technology

0.5

6.5

Culture, Society and

Human Behaviour

Econorrllc Organization, Public Policy, and the

Global Community

Environment, Resources and Conservation

3.5

0.5

Health and Biomedical Sciences

1.5

3.5

will

undertake a periodic evaluation of research outputs using memcs appropriate to the diverse individual and

interdisciplinary activities,

as detennined in consultation with the Faculty Deans. These data could include publications,

conference proceedings, books, monographs, patents, government and public panel contributions, workshops, policy

papers, performances, exhibitions,

other forms of research, and awards and distinctions. This task is most readily

accomplished by soliciting data from faculty through the Deans' offices once a year at the time

of review of faculty for

progress through the ranks. A common framework for reporting

will

establish a baseline from which we can gauge

advancement in a particular discipline. Measures

of output will also be obtained through the use of bibliometric analysis

tools such

as Thomson-Reuters'

InCites

using data from

Web oj Sdence,

or Elsevier's

SdVal

that produces graphical

representations

of an institution's research performance using data from

Scopus.

Annual data from ReSearch Infosource and

CAUBO

will

be used to evaluate SFU's research performance relative to other Canadian universities, including measures of

research income, publication intensity, and publication impact. Data to evaluate the growth of SFU's internationalization

efforts

as they pertain to research will also be solicited, for example, the number of international research grants, the number

of publications co-authored with international scholars, the number of international graduate students and visiting

international faculty engaged

research at SFU, and the number of international awards received by SFU faculty and

students. Together, these data

will

be used to monitor our progress towards achieving the objectives of this Plan, and to

evaluate our overall research perfonnance and research capacity.

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