Faculty Development Academy

Structuring a Successful NSERC Discovery Grant

Friday, September 14, 2018
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
JHE-A114

While this workshop is tailored to first-time DG applicants, it includes tips and ideas on how to design an excellent (Discovery Accelerator Supplement) DAS-quality proposal that will also benefit established researchers who are returning applicants this DG application round. All faculty researchers are welcome to attend.

An NSERC Discovery Grant (DG) is typically the first and the key grant that new faculty members in Engineering and Science have to apply for. It opens the gate to apply to other NSERC grant programs and also gives a peer-assessment of the proposed research quality, the excellence of the researcher, and the value of the training experience planned/provided.  The workshop will include a hands-on examination of a recent successful DG/DAS proposal, DG requirements that are new this round, and an exchange of ideas and questions & answers among the attendees. It will be worth it and it will be fun!

Facilitator:  Dr. Wael El-Dakhakhni, Professor and Acting Chair, Department of Civil Engineering

Light refreshments will be provided.

Register here by Monday, September 10 

Equity and Inclusion Facilitator Training (2 workshop dates available)

Date #1:
Monday, September 17, 2018
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
JHE 328 (room correction)

OR

Date #2:
Monday, September 24, 2018
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
ETB 223

In an effort to ensure that equity and inclusion issues remain a central consideration in decision making at all levels within the Faculty of Engineering, the role of Equity and Inclusion Facilitator has been introduced to all Faculty standing and operating committees for the 2018-2019 academic year. Each department has also identified an Equity and Inclusion Facilitator for a minimum of three committees.

All faculty and staff are welcome to attend one of the workshops, however, individuals who will be serving as an Equity and Inclusion Facilitator on a departmental or Faculty committee during the 2018-19 academic year will be given priority, as they are required to attend this training.

Facilitators: 

Vilma Rossi, Senior Manager, Equity and Inclusion Office
May-Marie Duwai-Sowa, Employment Equity Specialist
Dr. Kim Jones, Chair, Ontario Network of Women in Engineering (ONWiE) and Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering

Learning Objectives:

• To differentiate between diversity, inclusion and equity
• To discuss the campus context and emerging issues
• To increase awareness of educational opportunities and supportive resources
• To engage in conversations related to diversity, equity and inclusion as part of a continuous learning journey

Agenda

1. Land Acknowledgement
2. Welcome and Introductory Round
3. Campus Context
   1. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Framework, Dr. Arig al Shaibah
   2. New Equity and Inclusion Champion Program
4. Provincial Legislation & University Policy
   1. Prohibited Grounds of Discrimination
   2. Employment Equity Legislation
5. What Issues May Come Up in the Workplace, Lab and Classroom (brief open discussion):  
6. Current education/training opportunities on campus
7. Intake Offices and Campus Resources
8. Wrap-Up

Register here by Thursday, September 13

Research with Industry: Project Design and Management for Impact

Monday, September 17, 2018
2:30 – 4:30pm
JHE A114

This workshop is intended for academic faculty, particularly junior faculty members, who are engaging in collaborations with Industry. 
Learn how to architect projects at the interface of industry and academia with substantive commercial impact. 

Facilitator: Dr. Suvojit Ghosh, Managing Director, Computing Infrastructure Research Centre (CIRC)

This session will cover the basics of how to design, build and operate a high impact project with industry partners. Specific attention will be on

1. Developing relationship with industry partners
   1. Networking skills
   2. Understanding, and articulating, problems that the partner is trying to solve
   3. Advertising the benefits of university partnerships
2. Architecting project plan
   1. Contract development
   2. Human resource planning
   3. Infrastructure planning
   4. Grant applications
3. Operations and Management
   1. The concept of sprints
   2. Aligning industry interests with research interests
   3. Student training
   4. Communications and collaborations
   5. Management structure
   6. Conflict resolution
   7. Reporting to NSERC/OCE

Light refreshments will be provided.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Suvojit Ghosh is the founder and Managing Director of the Computing Infrastructure Research Centre (CIRC) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. CIRC is Canada’s only research facility on datacenters, and has 30+ researchers working on various leading edge projects in the DC world. Ghosh has secured $10M+ for research projects at CIRC through corporate contract and Government grants, to fund projects spanning the broad areas of power, cooling, DCIM, and integration of facilities with IT workload. In all of these projects, CIRC partners with over a dozen “name-brand” companies in the industry to ensure the research is directed towards immediate impact. Ghosh received the McMaster President’s Award, the highest honour of the University, to recognize his contributions in architecting and managing the CIRC ecosystems as an exemplary model for industry-University collaborations. Prior to joining McMaster, Ghosh founded NanoSpin Inc., a company to commercialize a liquid cooling technology for datacentres, which he developed during his PhD studies at Virginia Tech. Ghosh was awarded a $50,000 NSF I-Corps grant and the VT KnowledgeWorks Tech Transfer Challenge award valued at $100,000 to take NanoSpin forward. Ghosh has a PhD in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Tech (2013), and a BE in Mechanical Engineering from Jadavpur University (2009).

Register here by Thursday, September 13

Research Ethics Review for Engineers Using Human Data

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

The session will consist of two presentations.  Please feel free to attend one or the other, or both.

2:00 – 3:20 pm Research Ethics Requirements
3:30 – 4:20 pm Applying for Research Ethics
JHE-A114

This workshop is open to all researchers (faculty, staff, students) in the Faculty of Engineering conducting research with human participants and who want to know more about the ethics review process.

Facilitators: Nick Caric, Senior Ethics Advisor, Research Office for Administration, Development and Support (ROADS)
Michael Wilson, Research Technology Analyst, Research Office for Administration, Development and Support (ROADS)

While some departments (e.g. Psychology) conduct a lot of human participant research and are therefore typically well aware of the requirements and the process, human participant research in some Engineering departments is less common and occasionally researchers are not aware of the requirement from the Tri-Agencies for McMaster to review research involving human participants, human data, or human biological material. This session aims to introduce Engineering researchers to the important elements of research ethics review at McMaster and the practical steps of submitting an application.

Research Ethics Requirements (2:00 - 3:20pm): Presented by Nick Caric, Senior Ethics Advisor.  The two main questions covered are; what research activities require ethics review and what ethical principles do reviewers use to assess ethics applications? The focus will be on the type of research involving human participants or data most relevant to Engineering research.

Applying for Research Ethics (3:30 - 4:20 pm): Presented by Michael Wilson, Research Technology Analyst (former Research Ethics Officer). Michael will introduce participants to the brand new online application system for the McMaster Research Ethics Board. The presentation will include how to start a new application, add collaborators and give permissions, respond to the MREB feedback, and submit an amendment to an approved study protocol. More information on the new system (MacREM) can be found here - https://reo.mcmaster.ca/macrem.

Register here by Friday, October 12

Light refreshments will be provided.

Welcome to the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University. We are pleased you have joined our community and look forward to working with you.

The Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University recognizes the importance to integrate new faculty to its community. It is equally important to ensure that new faculty are equipped with the necessary resources to help them navigate successfully through their first year and subsequent years so that they can build a strong foundation for a rewarding career.

Orientation provided by individual Departments and Schools will be complemented by one-on-one orientation sessions offered by the Office of the Dean upon the commencement of a new faculty members appointment. The Dean's office will contact you directly to arrange an appointment for an orientation session.

The following Engineering faculty have attended the workshop and have given their permission to have their names listed as successful participants.

Dr. Charles de Lannoy, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering
Dr. Jacob Nease, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering
Dr. Moataz Mohamed, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Dr. Eu-Gene Ng, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Rashid Abu-Ghazalah, Assistant Professor, Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Dr. Konstantinos Apostolou, Assistant Professor, Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Dr. Mostafa Soliman, Assistant Professor, Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Dr. Seshasai Srinivasan, Assistant Professor, Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology
Prof. Silvie Tanu Halim, Lecturer, Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology

The Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University recognizes that the staff it employs are central to all of its academic and research endeavors. Assisting the development of each individual will ultimately enhance the Faculty of Engineering’s performance and status as a quality employer within McMaster.

All University staff have a right and responsibility to continuously improve the capabilities required for their current roles, and to consider development required for possible future roles at higher levels or in other organizational units. While staff members should proactively develop their capabilities, staff development is a shared responsibility. Managers within the Faculty of Engineering have a key responsibility in supporting staff to identify their skills and development needs through regular feedback and in encouraging them to take up development opportunities.

The Faculty of Engineering encourages staff to develop their capabilities through a broad range of activities.

Visit the following links to help you choose from various professional development opportunities.

• McMaster Centre for Continuing Education
• HR LInC (for TMG)
• DeGroote School of Business - Executive Education
• Mohawk College Continuing Education & Online Learning
• The Banff Centre
• Ivey School of Business - Executive Education
• The Niagara Institute  
• Schulich School of Business - Executive Education
• Queen's School of Business - Executive Education