Overview
The University of Saskatchewan (USask) is one of Canada’s top research-intensive medical-doctoral universities. USask scholars play a critical role in training the next generation of highly qualified personnel, contributing to economic and intellectual growth, and conducting world-leading research in areas of global importance.
The Office of the Vice-President Research (OVPR) at USask provides visionary leadership and strategic direction to the university’s research, scholarly, and artistic works enterprise. This is achieved through the provision of programs, services, and supports that enable and assist USask researchers in their scholarly pursuits.
Building on our success, maintaining momentum, and offering outstanding services and supports to USask scholars will be critical if USask is to realize our goals of improving our placement amongst the U15 group of research-intensive universities and truly be the university the world needs. The Office of the Vice-President Research has launched a “multi-year service planning initiative” that will inform the continuous improvement and resourcing of our service offerings for the next five years.
Objectives
The following are the primary objectives of the OVPR’s multi-year service planning initiative:
- Build on the university’s “shared service model”;
- Better understand the wants, needs, and expectations of USask scholars;
- Identify areas for improvement and/or realignment within research supports at USask;
- Improve awareness and communications of OVPR services and supports;
- Develop options for optimizing service delivery and offerings within the OVPR;
- Grow our research, scholarly, and artistic works enterprise in a financially sustainable manner.
Process
A six-phase project framework has been developed for the multi-year service planning initiative.
- This phase involved identifying project leadership, objectives, scope, timelines, and resources. It also involved developing various project-related documents and plans.
- This phase involves informing key stakeholders about the multi-year service planning initiative, process, and ways they can engage.
- Key stakeholders include: President’s Executive Committee, Deans and Executive Directors, Associate Deans Research, Centre Directors, Office of the Vice-President Research, Research Facilitators, and campus faculty and staff.
- This phase involves collecting internal and external data to support strategic and scenario planning activities. It also involves engaging key stakeholders through open forums, focused discussions, and through an online feedback form.
- Key stakeholders include: President’s Executive Committee, Deans and Executive Directors, Associate Deans Research, Centre Directors, Office of the Vice-President Research, Research Facilitators, Fine Arts Scholars, Humanities Scholars, Social Science Scholars, Natural Science/Engineering Scholars, and the broader campus community.
- This phase involves the Vice-President Research Executive Committee and select campus stakeholders preparing and analyzing three models/scenarios for optimizing service delivery in the OVPR.
- This phase involves the Office of the Vice-President Research sharing three models/scenarios for optimizing service delivery in the OVPR with select stakeholder groups and requesting their feedback. Feedback will then be used to refine the models.
- Select stakeholders include: President’s Executive Committee, Deans and Executive Directors, Associate Deans Research, and Centre Directors.
- This phase involves selecting a preferred model for optimizing service delivery in the OVPR, securing a multi-year funding commitment, and beginning to develop implementation and communications plans.
Engagement Opportunities
Several engagements have been scheduled as part of the “Assessment & Consultation” phase.
The purpose of these engagements will be to convene groups of scholars to share their wants, needs, experiences, and expectations for research supports on campus. These learnings will be critical to inform how the OVPR can improve and enhance service delivery moving forward.
Although engagements have been organized using disciplinary areas, we encourage scholars of all disciplines – be they faculty, staff, students, or other stakeholder groups – to attend and participate in any of the open engagements listed below.
|
Date and Time |
Engagement |
Facilitator |
Meeting Details |
|
Mar 23, 2022 12PM – 1PM
|
Fine Arts Scholars
|
Baljit Singh |
Open meeting - Click here to join the meeting (Zoom) |
|
Mar 24, 2022 12PM – 1PM
|
Social Science Scholars
|
Dawn Wallin |
Open meeting - Click here to join the meeting (Zoom) |
|
Mar 25, 2022 12PM – 1PM
|
Humanities Scholars |
Baljit Singh |
Open meeting - Click here to join the meeting (Zoom) |
|
Mar 28, 2022 12PM – 1PM
|
Health Science Scholars |
Darcy Marciniuk |
Open meeting - Click here to join the meeting (Zoom) |
|
Mar 29, 2022 12PM – 1PM
|
Natural Science and Engineering Scholars |
Terry Fonstad |
Open meeting - Click here to join the meeting (Zoom) |
|
Mar 30, 2022 12PM – 1PM |
Deans and Executive Directors |
Baljit Singh |
Closed Meeting |
|
Mar 30, 2022 3PM – 4:30PM
|
Associate Deans Research Forum |
Darcy Marciniuk |
Closed Meeting |
|
Apr 5, 2022 12PM – 1PM
|
OVPR and Research Support Staff |
Baljit Singh |
Open meeting - Click here to join the meeting (Zoom) |
|
Apr 5, 2022 1:30PM – 3PM
|
Research Facilitator Forum |
Terry Fonstad |
Closed Meeting |
|
Apr 7, 2022 12PM – 1PM
|
Indigenous Scholars |
Dawn Wallin |
Open meeting - Click here to join the meeting (Zoom) |
|
Apr 19, 2022 3:00PM – 4:30PM
|
Centre Directors Forum |
Baljit Singh |
Closed Meeting |
A limited number of engagements will be scheduled as part of the “Drafting & Refinement” phase. Information will be made available in the near future.
Feedback
An online feedback form has been created for those who wish to provide written suggestions on how to improve research programs, services, and supports at USask outside of the scheduled engagements described above.
Contact
Comments, questions, or suggestions related to the multi-year service planning initiative within the Office of the Vice-President Research can be directed to: