University Research Funding
- National and provincial research funding is largely allocated through competitive, peer review adjudication of proposals by individual or groups of researchers, not to institutions based on their status or reputation.
- As a university with an explicit polytechnic mandate, Kwantlen faculty are well positioned to take advantage of the attitudinal shift toward “relevance” in research occurring within the funding opportunities provided by major granting councils such as the National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
- University status will also enable Kwantlen faculty and staff to access many other community and business-based funding sources in keeping with aspects of an applied research focus.
- Kwantlen faculty will be better positioned to compete for research grants under its new university status. One early opportunity for the university will be to re-conceptualize the place of research and scholarship within faculty roles. Recognizing this obligation in the faculty collective agreement, in the development of existing faculty, and in the recruitment of new faculty is crucial to Kwantlen’s ability to access funding from major granting agencies.
- Major granting agencies have, for several years, been prioritizing innovation and application research, particularly collaborative research. Kwantlen should focus on interpreting and practicing “applied research and scholarly activities” (Section 47.1(d) of the University Amendment Act) in a manner that creates a rich field of opportunities for its faculty across their distinct disciplines.
