DARE: Discovery, Achievement, and Research Excellence at USask is a new initiative out of the Office of the Vice-President, Research. DARE provides targeted programming for faculty who are new to USask to help launch their research programs and build cross-campus connections. DARE supports new faculty within 5 years of their hire date, including targeted programming for Early Career Researchers. DARE will provide practical and tailored resources for new faculty, create interdisciplinary programming to support grant development, and host networking events for new faculty.

Welcome to USask

DARE provides an early introduction to the USask research community. The DARE program will:

Reach out to and meet with new faculty hires;
Establish critical connections across USask;
Offer strategic pilot programming;
Answer questions and provide resources to help launch your research program.

For more information and questions, contact dare.rasi@usask.ca

Programs and Resources

DARE is designed to provide incoming faculty and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) with the practical supports to give our USask researchers a competitive edge. One way we seek to do this is through our grant development programs.

Current Grant Development Program
New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) Exploration Grant: 2024 Information Session – Grant Development Program 2024

Have you had a great research idea but were afraid it was too risky and would never get funded? The NFRF Exploration Grant might be the answer! The objective of the Exploration grant is to inspire high-risk, high-reward, and interdisciplinary research. Specifically, the Exploration stream supports projects that:

bring disciplines together beyond traditional disciplinary or common interdisciplinary approaches;
propose to explore something new, which might fail; and
have the potential for significant impact

This grant is a great opportunity for Early Career Researchers (ECRs), as a proportion of awards equal to the proportion of applications that are led by ECRs will be reserved for these researchers (an eligible ECR submission must have both the NPI and Co-PI (if applicable) as ECRs). This session will provide information about our grant development programs, focusing on our upcoming development program for NFRF’s Exploration Grant that will run this summer.

Come learn more about a grant opportunity that supports researchers thinking "out of the box”:

When: Tuesday, 23 April, 1:00-2:00 PM
Where: CGPS Boardroom, 118 Thorvaldson Building
Register

To learn more about this exciting grant development program opportunity, please contact the DARE program at dare.rasi@usask.ca.

2024 DARE Undergrad Training and Mentorship Awards
(Social Sciences, Humanities, and Fine Arts)

The 2024 DARE Undergrad Training and Mentorship Awards program will support USask faculty within the first five years of their academic appointment to hire, train and mentor an undergraduate summer student to support their research, scholarly, or artistic works (RSAW) program.

Eligibility: faculty within the first five years of their academic appointment at USask in the Social Sciences, Humanities, and Fine Arts
Number of Awards available: 10
Award Amount: $6000 (faculty top-up required)
Award term: 14-16 weeks from May to August 2024
Deadline to Apply: Deadline extended to 11 March 2024

Please reach out to dare.rasi@usask.ca if you would like more information on what an undergraduate assistant role can look like or with questions about the application.

NFRF Exploration | Grant Development Program - Fall 2023

SSHRC Connection Grant | Grant Development Program - Winter 2024

To learn more about these previous Grant Development Programs, please contact us at dare.rasi@usask.ca.

Your Guide to Navigating Research at USask

Welcome to the University of Saskatchewan!

USask has a lot of valuable research and funding opportunities to help you with your research needs and questions.

Events

One of DARE’s key objectives is to identify and build interdisciplinary relationships between a variety of USask audiences. Specifically, cultivating interdisciplinary, cross-campus connections and opportunities for networking through a series of scheduled events.

Table Talks

Welcome to DARE’s Table Talks. The purpose of our Table Talks is to inform and inspire. We will be tackling topics important for fostering research success. Bring your lunch and come join us!

Understanding Mitacs Funding Opportunities
Mitacs boosts innovation across Canada. Faculty in any discipline can use Mitacs programs whether they collaborate with a partner organization or not. Dr. Zsuzsa Papp, Senior Advisor at Mitacs will discuss opportunities to grow your research capacity by connecting with partners. Programs such as Mitacs Accelerate, Business Strategy Internship (BSI), and Globalink Research Internship programs will be discussed. These programs support large or small projects, student stipends, and other research costs when you collaborate with partner organizations.

When: 17 April 2024, 12:00 to 1:00 PM
Where: CGPS Boardroom, Thorvaldson 118

Preparing for Research Data Management Policies and Requirements: How to Develop a Data Management Plan
Tri-Agency funders (SSHRC, CIHR, and NSERC) and scholarly journals have begun developing policies to ensure that researchers appropriately manage and share their research data. In this session, you will learn about data management requirements and expectations, with a focus on how to create a data management plan to better manage your research data and comply with Tri-Agency policy. This session will also highlight what supports are available on campus to help you with your own research data management needs.

When: 14 May 2024, 12:00 to 1:00 PM
Where: CGPS Boardroom, Thorvaldson 118

Navigating AI Ethics, Tools, and Publishing: A Guide for Early Career Researchers
Description: Generative artificial intelligence changes every week, and understanding its ethical implications to your research, as well as available tools and publishing parameters will be key for early career researchers. This one-hour session with USask librarian Ann Liang will offer an overview into generative AI’s strengths and weaknesses, using tools like Research Rabbit as well as what publishers are outlining for researchers in regard to the use of generative AI in research.

When: 18 June 2024, 12:00 to 1:00 PM
Where: CGPS Boardroom. Thorvaldson 118

October 19, 2023 – Building Your Research Program

Wondering where to begin to start building your research program? This Table Talk session brings together a panel of researchers spanning across different career stages and disciplines to discuss key factors in building your research program. Bring your lunch and your questions. Topics touched upon will include setting up your research space, planning for funding and publications, accessing mentorship, recruiting students, and more.

November 16, 2023 – Understanding the Grant Lifecycle at USask

Need to understand how to apply for and manage grants at USask? This Table Talk session brings together a panel of research administrators to discuss the grant lifecycle, including pre- and post-award. So, bring your lunch and your questions.

December 7, 2023 – Intro to Grant Writing

Grant writing can be tough, and always takes longer than anticipated. This Table Talk session is the first of several on the topic of grant writing. This session discusses grant writing 101 - structure, approach, and how to write an impactful lay summary.

January 16, 2024 - Grant Writing: Impactful Knowledge Mobilization (KMb)

Most grants require a knowledge mobilization component. This Table Talk session is the second of several on the topic of grant writing. This session discusses key components of knowledge mobilization – understanding the value of KMb; creating a KMb plan; the importance of partner engagement; and arts-based approaches to add to your KMb toolbox. So, bring your lunch and let's discuss the best approaches on how to get the “right information” to the “right people” at the “right time.”

February 13, 2024 - Establishing Your Online Identity and Tracking Your Scholarly Impact

The online environment gives researchers more opportunities than ever to establish themselves in specific research areas, to promote their research, and to track the impact made by their scholarly contributions. Come to this session to find out about some of the most commonly used tools and metrics to track and enhance your scholarly impact. You will learn about ORCID, Google Scholar profiles, ResearchGate, X (formerly Twitter), citations, altmetrics, and more.

March 12, 2024 - The Importance of Telling Your Research Story

The Research Profile and Impact (RPI) unit at USask is here to support researchers, staff and leaders to effectively be heard and understood with both internal and external messages. We are here to create compelling materials and new tools for audiences with the overall goal of building USask's reputation and showing the world the exciting research, scholarly and artistic work that takes place on this campus every day. During this session, Leslie-Ann Schlosser, Director of Research Profile and Impact, will explain why you should see storytelling as part of your research process – not an afterthought. Communicating efficiently, using plain language and accessing channels like social media can all lead to positives for you and your research.

Connect with DARE

Join our mailing list to receive targeted information for new hires, invitations to exclusive events and workshops, and stay abreast of exciting opportunities for new faculty hires!