uhn research strategic plan

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COVID Status

• Universal masking is still required at UHN.
• Meetings – In-person meetings are limited based on the need to maintain 1m distancing. Masking is required during the meeting and no food is allowed.
• UHN still requires that staff and visitors (including research participants) coming to UHN sites are fully vaccinated (at least two doses).
• Tours - Tours are allowed at KITE sites. Full tour guidelines are listed in the Kite Restart Tour Policy document on the Return to Work (RTW) web application dashboard.
• Social Gatherings - In-person gatherings are limited based on the meeting room capacity limits needed to support 2m distancing as best as possible. Food or drink can only be consumed when people can maintain at least 2m distance from each other, and masks must be worn when not eating or drinking. Social gathering food and drink consumption guidelines include; only pre-packaged food/drinks, no food/drink sharing, sanitization of surfaces and shared equipment is required before and after use, hand sanitizer must be available in the room (preferred) or adjacent to the room.
• Organizing Social Gatherings – Consider implications for the departments/groups involved if a COVID-19 transmission event occurs. Teams should ensure a plan is in place in the event that multiple staff members cannot attend work due to acquiring infection.
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P ride in P atient E ngagement in R esearch - PiPER

Contact Us:

We welcome your feedback and comments!

Our address:

University Health Network 550 University Ave, 11-151 Toronto, Ontario M5G 2A2

Phone: 416-597-3422 x 7668 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @PiPER_uhn

• About PiPER
• Community of Practice
• Research Day 2023
• Our Resources

What is PiPER?

P ride in P atient E ngagement in R esearch (PiPER) is a strategic research initiative at University Health Network (UHN) that officially launched in February 2022. The PiPER initiative is one of the priorities of the UHN Research Strategic Plan 2019-23 , under the pillar engage every patient to strengthen our learning health system.

Our vision is a future where UHN is an international exemplar for the participation of patients, families, and partner organizations in our research. This engagement is authentic, accountable, transparent, and responsive and predicated upon our mission.

To make engaging patients, families, and care partners in research a new culture that can enhance health research, outcomes, and care experiences for all.

Our Goals & Aims

Our goal is to build organizational structures and technology that promote and embed the engagement of people with lived experience in our research. Our aim is for that engagement to be authentic, accountable, transparent, and responsive.

• Develop an organizational structure that ensures authentic, accountable, transparent, and responsive patient engagement in research at UHN
• Build an organizational culture that promotes and disseminates an “opt-in” philosophy across a broad range of patient engagement in research activities at UHN
• Create coordinated internal and external communication articulating the value of patient engagement in research for UHN staff, patients, families, care partners, and partner organizations
• Integrate patient engagement in research culture and processes within other clinical, research, and educational programs and services at UHN

Our Guiding Principles

• Prioritize Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA)
• Address power dynamics
• Build trust
• Foster reciprocal relationships
• Ensure sustainability
• Explore value proposition

Our Structure

We have established the structure below to oversee and support the PiPER vision:

Who are we?

Our team members help support the day to day activities of PiPER:

Cathy Craven, BA, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FASIA (she/her) PiPER Lead,

I am the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute/ University of Toronto Chair in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Rehabilitation, Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Medical Director of the Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Program and Senior Scientist at KITE Research Institute within University Health Network (UHN). I also lead the PiPER initiative, Chair the PiPER Steering Committee, and sit on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research SUPPORT Unit (OSSU).

Curtis Black, BHSc (he/him) PiPER Digital Research Associate

Curtis Black is a Research Associate with the PiPER team and has been proud to be part of this initiative since September 2022. Curtis is a sixth-generation Canadian with ancestors from Northwestern Europe. He has lived in various cities throughout Ontario: Pickering, Bowmanville, Ottawa, and Kingston. He is now living in Toronto where he enjoys spending time kayaking around Humber Bay in warmer weather and taking in the theatre scene during the colder months.

Curtis attended the University of Ontario: Institute of Technology where he completed an Honour’s Bachelor of Health Science in Health Science, specializing in Human Health with a minor in Forensic Psychology. While working at Queen’s University he built his skills in clinical research, research administration, and project management, which he uses to further the goals of patient engagement in research at UHN. He currently contributes to PiPER Research Day planning, digital initiatives for integrating PiPER values, and working groups facilitating financial compensation for patient partners.

Michael Voth, MSc, CQA (he/him) PiPER Team Member

I am the Senior Manager of Clinical Research Quality and Compliance where I provide leadership in the planning, conduct and reporting of quality and risk management activities within UHN Research. In my role on the PiPER team, I provide strategic support, facilitate collaborations, and advise on UHN policy and standards, developing and delivering training, and performing internal quality audit and compliance activities to ensure we meet the expectations of our external funders, regulators and community for high quality research at UHN.

I am a Research Quality Associate and provide educational programs for UHN quality initiatives and support the professional practice portfolio. In my role on the PiPER team, I help find integrative ways to engage patients in the UHN research enterprise. I also work with people with lived experience, staff, and researchers to create educational videos about research, patient engagement in research, and related topics.

Ask me about our educational videos!

I am an analytical chemist by training, however living with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis has profoundly impacted my career. In my role with the PiPER team, I am helping set up some of the foundations related to patient engagement in research at UHN. Specifically, I am contributing to the development of role descriptions for patient partners, establishing a patient engagement community of practice, and facilitating work related to other patient engagement events.

Anisa Morava, BSc, MA, PhD (she/her) PiPER Team Member

Anisa Morava is a Research Associate I - Patient Engagement at UHN. Anisa arrived in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 2001 from Japan where she was born to Albanian parents and spent her formative years. Anisa learned English at the age of five. She has had the pleasure of living in a few different cities in Ontario, including Guelph and London and is now living in Toronto.

Anisa completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour at McMaster University and her Master’s and PhD in Kinesiology at Western University. During her time at McMaster, she explored the use of Goal Management Training as an executive function intervention in Acquired Brain Injury. During her graduate studies, she examined the use of acute exercise-based intervention to promote cognitive functioning and stress reduction in young adults. She has experience with systematic reviews and exercise-based intervention studies. She is passionate about patient engagement and looks forward to building our community of practice at UHN.

Julie Vo, BSc, MSc (she/her) PiPER Team Member

Julie Vo is a Research Associate at the University Health Network, supporting the Pride in Patient Engagement in Research (PiPER) initiative. Julie is a first-generation Canadian who is proudly connected to her Vietnamese roots. In the heart of her family home in Ottawa, she often spends her time in the kitchen, experimenting with new recipes. You’ll now find her discovering hidden gems in Toronto or venturing into the diverse culinary landscape of the city.

Julie attended McMaster University for her undergraduate studies where she completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Life Sciences. With a growing passion for improving the healthcare landscape, she obtained her Master of Science degree in Health Promotion from Western University. Her research expertise lies in knowledge translation, digital health, and implementation science. Julie currently leads the development of educational resources aimed at fostering health equity, promoting quality education, and creating economic opportunities for diverse communities. Her goal is to bridge the gap between research, practice, and public understanding of patient engagement in research for individuals from all walks of life.

Erin Smith, BSc, MPH (she/her) PiPER Team Member

Erin Smith is a Research Associate on the Pride in Patient Engagement (PiPER) team at the University Health Network. Erin is a fourth-generation Canadian with ancestors of British and Greek-Macedonian heritage. She is proud to have called Toronto, or Tkaronto, home for most of her life. Erin enjoys spending time year-round in Ontario’s wilderness and provincial parks, specifically Algonquin Park and Haliburton.

Erin attended the University of Guelph for her undergraduate studies where she completed a Bachelor’s of Science in Biomedical Science. She obtained her Master’s of Public Health from McMaster University, where she conducted a project that engaged community members to improve communication and public messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic. Erin’s previous work experience has included a focus on health promotion and the social determinants of health, as she worked at a local public health unit to help support equity-deserving populations in Northern Ontario. She is passionate about patient engagement and developing equitable research processes and health outcomes for all patient populations served by UHN.

Definitions

Concepts and terms have different meanings to different people. The definitions below can be used in your work on patient engagement in research at or with UHN. This can help make sure that everyone has a common understanding of the words that are being used.

Patient Partner

A patient partner is a person with a personal experience of a health condition and family member or care partner. They may live with a condition or have had experiences interacting in the health system. Patient partners:

• Provide perspectives and insights based on their 'lived experiences'
• Help plan, do or share the research rather than participate in the research

Other terms you may also hear to describe a patient partner include person with lived experience (sometimes shortened to “PWLE” or “PLEX”), person with lived expertise, or patient research partner.

Patient Engagement

Patient engagement is meaningful and active collaboration with patients as partners in the research. Sometimes you may hear the term patient and public involvement (shortened as "PPI") used instead.

Patient Engagement in Research

Patient engagement in research refers to engaging patient partners in different ways throughout the research process so they can provide their own lived experiences, insights, and perspectives. The intent of the engagement is to improve the research and the relevance of the research results. Patient engagement in research does not mean that the overall approach to research needs to change, instead it means bringing patient partners to the team so they can contribute in ways that complement the expertise and knowledge of the other research team members.

Learning Health System

A healthcare system in which knowledge generation processes are embedded into daily practice to improve research, care, and communication. A learning health system continuously collects and analyzes data to generate knowledge, engage partners, and enable informed and timely decisions.

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What is a Community of Practice?

A Community of Practice is a group of people who have common interests and goals related to a topic and come together to learn and share information and resources.

How to get involved?

PiPER's Community of Practice is held virtually every last Wednesday of the month from 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST. The goal of the Community of Practice is to help build knowledge and capacity to support a culture of meaningful patient engagement in research at University Health Network.

Each session offers an opportunity to share knowledge, practices, and resources through presentations, facilitated discussions, and reflective exercises. Joining the Community of Practice sessions can help foster relationships, collaboration, and learning with scientists, research staff, trainees, people with lived experience, and partners from affiliated organizations.

Community of Practice Guiding Principles

Want to join? Let us know!

Catch up on our previous sessions by clicking on the image to watch the presentation recording or a summary of the key discussion points and resources:

The inaugural PiPER Research Day was held on October 5, 2023! The hybrid event featured keynotes, panels, virtual poster sessions, interactive workshops, storysharing sessions, and an art exhibit on the following themes:

• Advancing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, & Allyship
• Deepening Practices, Approaches, and Considerations
• Building Capacity for Partnership
• Measuring Engagement & Impact

Missed the event? Check out the different sessions that were recorded at PiPER Research Day below:

The PiPER Team has launched a toolkit about patient engagement in research for UHN scientists, research staff, and people with lived experience. Watch the short video to learn more about what you will find in the toolkit!

Click to download the Toolkit

Educational Videos

The PiPER team creates short videos to help educate and share information about topics related to patient engagement in research.

Click the icon to watch the short youtube video!

Grant Opportunities

Click on the button below to learn more information about our previous calls for proposals

NewsLetters

The PiPER team sends out quarterly newsletters sharing updates from our work, opportunities to be engaged, and resources related to patient engagement in research.

Check out our previous issues below!

Have a story, opportunity, or resource to share? Email us at [email protected]

Fill out the form below to stay up-to-date!

K nowledge . I nnovation . T alent . E verywhere

K . I . T . E

KITE at UHN

In the Spotlight: Princess Margaret Cancer Biobank

The QIPCM Team

In alignment with 2019-23 UHN research strategic plan, and in order to integrate resources and reduce duplication of efforts, we are excited to announce that the UHN Biobank has rebranded to Princess Margaret Cancer Biobank . The biobank will continue to serve the research community, enabling research that positively impacts clinical management and outcomes.

PMCB was first established in 2001 when different disease site groups, in coordination with UHN pathologists, saw an unmet need. As of today, PMCB has supported over 100 clinical trials ranging from single-site investigator-initiated pilot studies to large-scale industry-sponsored studies. With hundreds of thousands of samples collected, the PMCB is meeting the demands of researchers—at UHN and internationally—that are focused on a wide array of disease areas.

PMCB has an extensive biospecimen inventory to support retrospective oncology studies. Fresh, frozen and fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) surgical resection tissue and biopsies, blood derivatives (serum, plasma, whole blood, peripheral blood mononuclear cells) and various other body fluids (saliva, urine, stool) as well as their associated clinical data are collected in order to drive cutting edge research for the understanding, detection, prevention and ultimately the cure of cancer and other diseases.

Spotlight: Heidi Wager- Head of Operations

PMCB is led by the Medical Director Dr. Neil Fleshner , the Head of Operations Heidi Wagner , and the Scientific Advisor Dr. Hal Berman . Heidi has been spearheading the program since February 2020. With background as an assistant pathologist, and over a decade of experience in leading large centralized biorepositories in both Canada and the United States, she has a unique perspective that allows her to understand both clinical and research requirements and processes. With her team at Princess Margaret Cancer Biobank, she has developed leading edge infrastructure that enables the efficient distribution of high-quality biospecimens to meet expanding demand.

Building on the UHN national & international reputation as a leading edge research institution, PMCB biobank aims to become a world leader in biobanking activities. By constantly improving, optimizing and streamlining operations, the facility is ensuring efficient biospecimen procurement, banking and distribution to anticipate and meet both local and global research needs.

The Strategic Plan

The pledge commitments.

The Chief Executive and the UHN leadership team publicly pledge to act on, and to be held accountable for meeting these pledge commitments. UHN’s leadership shall establish measurable goals for each commitment and shall report regularly on the actions it has taken to meet these goals, and on the results achieved.

The 50- 30 Challenge   

UHN accepted the Government of Canada’s 50 – 30 Challenge to achieve these two numerical goals on corporate boards and senior management. These are:

Gender parity (50%) and significant representation (30%) of equity-seeking groups—specifically Black Canadians and other racialized people, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.    

Leadership  

Inclusion, diversity, equity, antiracism and accessibility (IDEAA) are embedded throughout our organization.  

Clear accountability and performance metrics for IDEAA results in UHN’s employment, research, care and education environments.   

A culture of accountability, transparency, opportunity and employee empowerment.  

Diversity of Representation   

Diversity in the governance and core occupations in UHN – the board, Foundation . , executives, middle management, professionals, semi-professionals, and supervisory roles.  

A UHN leadership and workforce that are representative of the diversity of the communities we serve and care for.    

Labour market availability data-driven targets to achieve equitable representation of diverse talent in UHN’s workforce.  

Health Equity in Research, Care and Education   

Health equity and the elimination of health disparities in our care environments.  

An inclusive research agenda that incorporates the health issues of critical importance to the diverse populations we serve.  

Mandatory core curricula that teach our healthcare professionals the core competencies necessary to provide culturally appropriate care to our diverse patient populations, and all members of TeamUHN, to make UHN a culturally safe care environment for all staff and patients.   

Fair, Equitable, and Respectful    

Fairness and transparency in pay, hiring, promotion, career development and advancement practices.

No person is denied employment opportunities and benefits for reasons unrelated to ability.

Advancement and opportunity in the spirit of true meritocracy. – Simply “hiring diversely” is not a solution to the IDEAA demands of UHN. 

The UHN will grow and advance the position of its healthcare workers equitably as well. UHN will develop a clear and transparent path for members of ESGs to move forward and be successful in their pursuits at UHN.   

Just, Supportive and Safe   

Racial and Accessibility justice. Zero-tolerance for discriminatory behaviour.  

Fair, equitable and just dispute resolution practices.   

Physical and psychological health and safety.   

Mental health and wellbeing supports.  

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The Strategic Plan and Recommendations

Building Capacity | Strategic Repositioning | The IDEAA Office

• The IDEAA Leadership Council

Collection and Maintenance of Workforce and Patient Self-Identification Data

Ideaa scorecard | metrics | goal setting.

Role of Middle Managers

The Policy Infrastructure | Cultural Transformation

Role of people & culture, role of procurement.

Strategies to Dismantle Oppression in the Workplace

Mental Health | Psychological Safety

Leadership Commitment

Leadership Competencies

Retention of In-demand, Hard-to-Recruit-for Employees

Inclusion Hiring Lead

Building Capacity & Strategic Repositioning

Establish within the IDEAA Office a cadre of internal consultants with knowledge and skills in:

• Quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
• Accessibility guidance and expertise.
• Organizational analysis.
• Change management and organizational development.
• IDEAA change – Knowledge of and skills in discerning and dismantling systemic discrimination and the several forms of oppression i.e., ableism, racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, homophobia, sexism, and Whiteness.
• Talent management systems.
• Human rights.
• Accountability.
• Professional development and education.
• Advancing health equity for all ESGs in Ontario.

The IDEAA Office

• Reposition the IDEAA office to the Office of the Chief Executive to demonstrate UHN’s unwavering commitment to IDEAA change. This strategic repositioning confers on IDEAA and its implementation the authority of the Chief Executive, counters marginalization and ensures the integration of IDEAA into all of the employer’s systems, policies, and programs.  
• State that the Office is accountable for the integrity of IDEAA and its implementation and integration within UHN. The Office is accountable for embedding IDEAA into UHN’s policies, programs and  operations  
• Ensure that IDEAA at UHN is centralized, adequately funded and resourced and that the program’s leadership staff, and individuals tasked with the role of IDEAA Lead in the many UHN departments acquire the required levels of skills and knowledge to achieve their job demands.  The Office is accountable for the integrity of IDEAA and will be consulted on the appointments of all IDEAA Leads.  
• Require that all roles across the UHN that have responsibility for IDEAA within their departments have a dotted line reporting relationship to the IDEAA Office.  This ensures quality control and consistency and eliminates any pockets of siloed counterproductive IDEAA work.  
• Appoint the IDEAA Office to lead and manage the biennial Pulse employee engagement survey that will serve as an IDEAA audit.  
• The IDEAA Office shall analyse the results of the engagement survey, identify performance gaps, ensure performance gaps become performance objectives for the accountable executive, develop a corporate action plan and lead the discussion at the Council.  
• The IDEAA Office will take direct responsibility for the analysis of the IDEAA Workforce Diversity Scorecards submitted to the Leadership Council. The Office shall consult with P&C (People & Culture at UHN) and Division Executives and report to the Council.   
• The IDEAA Office will review and consult   UHN’s Division Heads to enable them to achieve quantitative and qualitative goals and IDEAA outcomes.   
• Build the capacity of the IDEAA Office to drive and support the implementation of the Strategic Plan.
• Reposition IDEAA Office to the Office of the CEO.
• Clarify and communicate the mandate, role and accountability of the IDEAA Office.

The CEO shall establish the IDEAA governance infrastructure. The governance structure is essential for ongoing success. The structure that we propose, positions IDEAA strategically as a corporate priority, by integrating it into UHN’s overall corporate strategy. This will consist of the IDEAA Leadership Council,  the Employee Advisory Group, the Anti-Racism Leadership Council, the Education Advisory Group and the Accessibility Advisory Group.   UHN’s Chief Executive will chair the IDEAA Leadership Council. Having the CEO at the helm sends a clear message to the entire hospital network and to external stakeholders that IDEAA is mission-critical and is fundamental to the healthcare and business goals of UHN. The CEO shall hold senior executives accountable and use the biennial Pulse employee engagement survey as an IDEAA audit and ensure that performance gaps identified in the survey will become performance goals for the accountable managers.    Change Management. The CEO will adopt a change management model that recognizes that IDEAA change is an evolutionary organizational development process inspired by the leadership vision and implemented by skilled resources.  They will align strategies and goals to the organization’s readiness and culture, prepare the organization for change, and prioritize communication, education, feedback, and information sharing as critical success factors. The CEO will strengthen UHN’s change management capability and make it a core competency for all leaders.    Essential Elements for Ongoing Success . These are clear accountability, ownership, consultation, marketing, metrics, performance management, monitoring, re-alignment and the collection of employee and patient self-identification data and the maintenance and ongoing analysis of the employee and patient self-identification databases.  

• The Employee Advisory Council.
• The Anti- Racism Leadership Council.
• The Education Advisory Group.
• Accessibility and Accommodation Advisory Committee.

The IDEAA Leadership Council   

The IDEAA Leadership Council will provide a focused, structured and intentional approach to designing and monitoring the implementation of IDEAA at UHN. In the first instance, it shall meet quarterly. If there are concerns or challenges not being addressed, the Council will meet more frequently. All meetings of the IDEAA Leadership Council will be open and virtually accessible for all UHN employees. The Council may choose to hold certain meetings on camera.  

Membership  

The IDEAA Leadership Council will consist of a cross-section of executive leaders. The VP Health Disciplines & Chief Nursing Executive shall be the Council’s co-chair. Lived experience, cultural awareness and dedication to EGAP and OCAP principles will be considerations for membership and selection.   

The  IDEAA  Leadership Council shall establish corporate IDEAA outcomes and a system of accountability reporting on the UHN’s IDEAA performance areas – research, care, education, employment and the leadership pledge commitments. It shall establish an Employee Advisory Council, an Anti-Racism Advisory Council, an Education Advisory Group and an Accessibility and Accommodation Committee.   

The Employee Advisory Council shall consist of the leadership of UHN’s Employee Resource Groups and bargaining agents. The IDEAA  Leadership Council shall instruct the IDEAA Office to strengthen the existing system of Employee Resource Groups and shall task People, Culture and Community to develop additional employee engagement strategies to give voice to the opinions and experiences of UHN employees of all identities. The IDEAA Leadership Council acknowledges that employee engagement is integral to building trust and ensuring that UHN has an understanding of the differential impact of employment policies and practices on all UHN employees. Employee engagement strengthens the degree to which employees are invested in both their everyday work and the success of the hospital.  

The ERGs will help to drive the workforce diversity agenda and resolve exclusion, under-representation and disengagement faced by each marginalized group – Indigenous people, racialized persons, 2SLGBTQIA+  persons with disabilities and women. The executive sponsor assigned to each ERG will be held accountable for achieving the IDEAA outcomes for the marginalized group. The ERGs will empower and give agency to its membership who currently feel alienated and excluded.  

Anti-Racism Leadership Council . The IDEAA Leadership Council shall establish and Anti-Racism Leadership Council to oversee the anti-oppression and anti-racism work that is recommended in the employment and care environments at UHN.  

The Education Advisory Group . A holistic Education and Training strategy that targets all occupational groups is essential to achieving change at UHN.  The creation of the Education Advisory Group acknowledges this. The Group will guide, monitor and evaluate the impact of the education and training strategies at UHN.  

Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC). The role of this Committee is to advise the Leadership Council on issues of accessibility and employment accommodation. The Committee shall ensure UHN’s compliance with its legal obligations under the AODA. We recommend that UHN establish an Accessibility and Accommodation Fund that the Committee will administer in partnership the IDEAA Office.  

The IDEAA Leadership Council shall ensure a robust ongoing communication and employee engagement strategy to keep employees informed about the measures the UHN has undertaken or is planning to undertake to implement IDEAA and the Pledge Commitments. The Council is aware of the challenge that UHN’s communication is not valued by many employees as open and honest. This a finding of the qualitative analysis of the IDEAA survey findings.  

IDEAA is data-driven and results must be measurable. This is consistent with the adage, that ‘ if you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it !’. Establishing and maintaining a reliable self-identification employee database and a self-identification patient database are foundational. The IDEAA office will lead this system of data collection.  The standard is to, at minimum, achieve and maintain a 60 percent response rate.  

Role of the Data Custodian . We recommend that UHN appoint a Data Custodian who will be accountable for the ongoing collection of employee self-identification data and the maintenance of the employee database. Maintenance of the database requires UHN to follow up with non-respondents to the 2022 IDEAA survey and to ensure that the database includes new data from new hires, promotions, and terminations. An up-to-date and reliable database will allow UHN to establish measures of progress and track organizational and individual performance and establish accountability and metrics. Importantly, the workforce data will also enable monitoring of numerical goal setting and goal attainment for the hiring and promotion of ESG’s  in the UHN workforce. These numerical measures will be included in the IDEAA Workforce Diversity Scorecard.    

The Data Custodian will collect and maintain a patient self-identification database. The ongoing analysis of patient self-identification data and clinical data will strengthen UHN’s research and care capability. Research and care are indivisible.  

• Establish a reliable employee and patient self-identification database. Seek to achieve and maintain, at minimum a 60 percent survey response rate. Grow these databases over time.
• Maintenance and analysis of reliable data will enable UHN to monitor, measure and manage the change process in its employment and service environments.
• The ongoing collection and analysis of patient self-identification and clinical data will strengthen UHN’s capability, learnings and innovation in Research, Care, Education and Health Equity.
• Strategies based on the ongoing analysis of workforce data strengthen UHN capability to achieve quantitative and qualitative goals.

Accountability, metrics, clear corporate standards, performance expectations, and consequences for non-performance are fundamental. The IDEAA Leadership Council will establish   IDEAA Scorecards as a system of accountability reporting.   

The IDEAA Workforce Diversity Scorecard will track and measure progress .  The IDEAA office will take direct responsibility for the analysis of the Scorecard, developing an action plan and reporting to the Leadership Council. Here are illustrations of the workforce diversity measures that UHN can consider and expand.   

Representation| Shares of Hires . This is a measure of the diversity of UHN’s workforce: the effectiveness of UHN’s talent acquisition practices and the achievement of its quantitative goals.  

Shares of Promotions. This is a measure of the ESGs equitable access to professional development and developmental opportunities, career advancement and upward mobility.   

Movement into Management. This is a measure of access to leadership roles and the diversity of UHN’s leadership pipeline.   

Terminations . Terminations are a measure of retention and engagement. This analysis will determine whether ESGs are exiting UHN disproportionately and reveal whether the termination rates of these groups are comparable to the majority.  

Other Measures to be developed by IDEAA Office . The Consultants recommend that the Office develop IDEAA specific measures and measures specific to the Pledge Commitments.   

Health Equity Scorecard .   Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health. UHN has committed to survey implementation and data governance strategy for the Measuring Health Equity Questionnaire (MHEQ) Ontario Health-Toronto Region. The Health Equity focus on the elimination of health disparities in “ equity, inclusion, diversity and anti-racism, and to contribute to better outcomes for patients, families and providers within the health system”   Ontario Health’s Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Anti-Racism Framework .  Progress toward advancing health equity is measured by the reduction of health disparities. We recommend that UHN establish a multidisciplinary, cross-functional taskforce, to plan and operationalize the achievement of these commitments. Importantly, we recommend that UHN appoint a Black Health Lead to co-chair the Taskforce. We propose too, that the mandate of taskforce be based on the SKILL model and informed by the CDC’s CORE Commitments to Equity that we include below.  

We recommend that UHN-

• Establish two (2) IDEAA scorecards to monitor and measure organizational performance in these two areas–Workforce Diversity and Health Equity.

The Scorecards will establish performance objectives and standards, monitor and measure organizational performance in these two areas.

C: Cultivate comprehensive health equity science CDC will embed health equity principles in the design, implementation, and evaluation of its research, data, surveillance, and intervention strategies. O: Optimize interventions CDC will use scientific, innovative and data-driven intervention strategies that address environmental, place-based, occupational, policy and systemic factors that impact health outcomes and address drivers of health disparities. R: Reinforce and expand robust partnerships CDC will seek out and strengthen sustainable multi-level, multi-sectoral and community partnerships to advance health equity. E: Enhance capacity and workforce engagement

We expect that the SKILL scorecard that identifies and measures health equity outcomes and progress, in research, care and education will be developed by UHN’s clinical leadership in collaboration the IDEAA office.

Role of Middle Managers  

Middle managers have a pivotal role. Top leadership will reach out to people managers to strengthen their understanding of IDEAA as a business solution and to secure their commitment. They will be given the skills, knowledge, authority, mentoring and resources they require to achieve their performance objectives.   

Policies form behaviour. Policies are a statement of behaviours, mindset and values that an organization seeks to establish and enforce. Cultural transformation requires that the desired behaviours in the desired state be articulated so that individuals know what is expected of them and that individuals are taught the knowledge, skills and behaviours they must possess and demonstrate to meet their job requirements. We believe that the policy infrastructure shall help to achieve this transformation. Our experience is that the inclusion of certain policies announces what is important to the organization, whereas the absence of specific policies communicates the issues to which the organization does not attach importance.

We propose that UHN develop a policy infrastructure that dismantles all forms of oppression at work: creates a just, respectful and inclusive workplace and that provides physical and psychological safety for all employees. UHN’s mandatory core curriculum will teach all employees UHN’s core values and behaviour expectations. All new employees will receive this training at onboarding and have a refresher annually. All managers shall receive core curriculum management training within 3 months of their appointment to a management role and every two years thereafter.

Policy Development. We recommend that UHN explore an approach to policy development and implementation that requires those who develop policy to:

• Determine who owns the policy and who will be accountable for ensuring its effectiveness.
• Consult with managers who shall implement the policy and those whom the policy impacts.
• State the intended outcomes of the policy and how these outcomes will be measured; and how the achievement of the desired outcomes will be monitored.
• Identify the positions/roles that will be held accountable for delivering the policy’s outcomes: specify the skills and knowledge required to implement: make it mandatory that individuals in these roles acquire the requisite knowledge and skills.
• Develop systems to audit, monitor policy implementation and ensure its effectiveness and consistency in its application.
• Develop and provide the tools to support policy implementation.
• Conduct regular evaluations of the effectiveness and impact of the policy.

High-performing organizations require managers to acquire the required competencies before they are allowed to participate in policy implementation, e.g., selection and hiring, performance management and dispute resolution.

• UHN to develop and implement a policy infrastructure designed to achieve cultural transformation. It will communicate, educate and enforce corporate expectations to align organizational performance and employee behaviours with UHN’s core IDEAA values.
• The policy infrastructure will strengthen accountability mechanisms, people management systems and processes in core functions such as -talent acquisition, onboarding, compensation, employee development, performance management, management development, human rights and succession planning.
• P&C professionals and managers will acquire the knowledge and skills required to implement and support policy implementation.

Work collaboratively with the IDEAA Office to:

• IDEAA outcomes, corporate expectations, performance standards and metrics for each employment system- Talent Acquisition | Training and Development | Promotion | Retention and Termination | Reasonable Accommodation.
• IDEAA core competencies in executive, management, and professional, semi-professional and supervisory roles.
• Performance objectives and metrics, accountability measures and mechanisms for executives and middle managers and supervisory staff.
• Policy infrastructure to facilitate IDEAA cultural and behaviour change.
• Employee engagement and feedback mechanisms to identify and remove barriers to inclusion faced by diverse employees at UHN.
• And/ or strengthen UHN’s performance management system. Train executives, middle managers and supervisors in the requirements of the performance management system. Monitor its implementation for consistency and fairness.
• Acquire IDEAA competencies. Mentor and guide their UHN client organizations to achieve corporate IDEAA expectations.

For People and Culture, creating and operating effectively in an IDEAA environment will likely require a shift to a transformational mindset, away from a traditional gatekeeper role. P&C consultants will be instrumental in building the UHN corporate culture of accountability, transparency, opportunity and employee empowerment.

People and Culture will work collaboratively with the IDEAA Office to develop corporate strategies to respond to the findings of the qualitative analysis. In partnership with the Office, the P &C Division will:

• IDEAA outcomes, corporate expectations, performance standards and metrics for each employment system- Recruitment. Selection, Hiring| Training and Development| Promotion| Retention and
• The policy infrastructure as recommended by the Consultants to facilitate IDEAA cultural and behaviour change. Provide the training and the tools to people managers and supervisors.
• An Education and Training strategy to build UHN capacity for change. Provide all employees with the awareness, skills and knowledge appropriate to their roles and needs.
• IDEAA competencies- awareness, skills, knowledge, behaviours- in order to partner effectively with the IDEAA Office. Mentor and guide their UHN client organizations to achieve corporate IDEAA expectations.

UHN to implement a supplier diversity program.

IDEAA Audits

UHN to conduct IDEAA Audits (employment systems reviews) of these Talent Management Systems, Policies and Practices – Talent Acquisition | Employee Development. Performance Management. Promotions. Career Advancement| Retention | Human Rights – Complaints and Dispute Resolution| Compensation.

The Audits will identify and eliminate systemic barriers to inclusion identified in the qualitative analysis.

Random Human Rights Audits.

• In addition to the IDEAA Audit, we propose random human rights audits. The qualitative data suggests that violation of employees’ human rights may be endemic at UHN. The human rights audit may be combined with issues of concern to UHN such as employee engagement, or psychological safety of employees.

Strategies to Dismantle Oppression in the Workplace – Systemic Racism. Ableism. Homophobia.

• We recommend that the IDEAA office in partnership with the ERGs and bargaining agents develop system-wide strategies to address and dismantle these systems that cause and maintain inequality.
• Establish an Anti-Racism Committee on the IDEAA Leadership Council.

Mental Health. Psychological Safety.

• The hospital is a high stress environment. The qualitative data analysis reveals the severity of the impact of race and systemic barriers to accessibility on the mental health and wellbeing of employees.
• The resolution of systemic racism and systemic ableism and other systems that create inequality will help to reduce and eliminate the causes of mental distress and enhance psychological safety of employees.
• We recommend that UHN advise of the availability of counselling support to all employees. The communication must state that UHN is responsive to the IDEAA survey feedback. UHN must also state the steps it is taking to address issues of racial and accessibility injustice.
• UHN may advise that one of the strategies being considered is the Whistleblower Policy that will empower employees to reduce the impact of racism, ableism and other forms of oppression.
• UHN to affirm the commitment of is leadership to IDEAA, citing the CEO’s Pledge Commitments and the embedding of accountability and performance metrics in all executive, middle management and supervisory jobs.

Leadership Competencies.

• Building diverse teams
• Ensuring open and honest communication
• Creating a welcoming space for all employees
• Providing employees with the resources they need to do their jobs well
• Creating a safe and supportive workplace and learning environment for ESG employees and employees with disabilities.
• In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals, especially doctors, registered nurses and licensed nurses, we emphasize that a priority area, is to develop targeted outreach and diversity sourcing strategies.
• We recommend that retention strategy for these in-demand healthcare professionals include both exit interviews and stay interviews.

An Inclusion Hiring Lead

• Will be accountable for establishing and managing UHN’s diversity sourcing strategy.
• Builds relationships with professional and community organizations of healthcare professionals.
• Ensures consistency, corporate standards, and a bias free selection process, Inclusion Lead will- develop and deploy a Managers’ Guide to Recruitment, Selection and Hiring, i.e., a robust Managers’ playbook which includes links to legal interviewing guidelines to eliminate the potential for bias and discrimination.
• Ensure Managers are utilizing objective Interview Guides for all hiring projects and interviewing with a partner or panel.
• Conduct stay interviews with successful candidates to understand the ‘candidate’ experience in the selection process.
• Require that all hiring managers, HR professionals, and panel members undergo the core curriculum DEI training appropriate to their roles. Certification must be prerequisite for engaging in the selection process.
• Require that all newly appointed managers undergo certifiable DEI training within 3 months of their appointment and every 2 years thereafter.
• Counsel Managers during hiring intake meeting on the importance of an objective search and the impact of unconscious bias, followed by e-mail which provides links to mandatory Unconscious Bias video training.

Where we advocate and champion the human rights and equity-seeking needs of TeamUHN, our patients, and community members through partnerships and collaboration. Learn more about the IDEAA team and ways to contact us here.

The IDEAA Survey is a data-gathering initiative founded by the Director of IDEAA, Jacqueline Silvera. Administered by our third-party data managers,  WorkTango .

• IDEAA survey
• Results At A Glance
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@ 2023 UHN IDEAA | Built By DxM Creative

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Strategic Planning at UHN

​September often feels like the start of the year. People return from some well deserved time off, students are getting ready for the start of a school year and projects that have been in the planning stage during the summer are ready for launch. One of those projects is UHN's process for the development of our next strategic plan which will be ready to go to our Board of Trustees in December 2010.

If you've been at UHN for a while, you'll know that the last plan was conceived as a 10-year blueprint which would end in 2011. Tom Closson led that process and a look at the document will remind you of all that we've accomplished since 2001. It is now time for UHN to look ahead and describe where we want to be in 2016 and to let you know how you can participate.

Clearly, we'll start on a very strong foundation and on the planning that has been going on within our programs. There is no intention to change our organizational structure, the program planning that is under way or our Vision, Purpose Statement or Values. 'Achieving Global Impact' is something that the organization has embraced and it provides inspiration in a variety of ways.

Our Purpose Statement – "We are a caring, creative and accountable academic hospital, transforming healthcare for our patients, our community and the world." – remains unchanged and will guide us as we plan.

So, how can you get involved?

• Become familiar with the process and stay in touch with our progress. To do that, just bookmark the  UHN Strategic Plan 2016  on our intranet site and check in from time to time.
• Make sure that you're aware of the planning that is taking place within your program. We will be posting those plans when they are ready but I anticipate that each program has either had a formal engagement strategy for staff or is planning one now.
• Take a look at our  Environmental Scan  and tell me if we're missing something in the health care environment that you think could have an effect on UHN in the next five years.

University Health Network's plan must reflect the expectation that we will serve our communities, including the staff and physicians who work here. I am counting on you to be involved and to give us feedback along the way.

Commercialization Framework at UHN

UHN has a modern, comprehensive Intellectual Property (IP) Policy intended to inspire the UHN community towards commercialization activities while creating the necessary structure and institutional framework required to do so. ‍ Guided by our IP Policy and strategic plan, UHN’s commercialization framework accomplishes the following*:

Ensures the management and protection of IP arising from research, clinical, educational and related activities conducted at UHN for the benefit of multi-faceted stakeholders, and outlines our commitment to strengthening our local and global economy by supporting:

A. the development and marketing of new healthcare products and services. ‍ B. the negotiation of terms maximizing both patient impact, as well as the  benefit to UHN and our local/national ecosystems of UHN’s research and development activities. ‍ C. the creation of viable life-science start-up companies with a local footprint, contributing to the creation of jobs and ongoing advances into research and development within the Toronto landscape. ‍ D. the injection of additional funding into hospital research and development activities directly resultant from licensing revenues generated by commercialization activities at UHN. ‍ E. the injection of cash into the local and regional economies resulting from UHN start-up activities (financing, exits, equity liquidation etc.).

Defines roles and responsibilities, as outlined within the framework of our robust commercialization strategy. This commercialization approach sets up the UHN Commercialization team to work hand in hand with UHN’s research community, as well as more broadly, with all UHN personnel to foster and protect all IP developed at UHN. For more information, a copy of UHN’s current IP Policy can be requested. Research and commercialization agreements developed at UHN are guided by our Strategy and IP Policy, and steer our commercialization activities with all relevant external research, industry and  ecosystem partners (such as TIAP, TAHSN, CCRM, AdMare Bioinnovations, Medicine by Design, etc.).

Supports the increase of UHN’s IP capacity through programming and related activities including the provision of access to IP Education, regular IP policy updates and education on such within UHN, including extensive internal training when warranted. ‍

Comprises within our IP Policy,  a clear invention disclosure directive to ensure all research and institutional work products with the potential to create UHN IP are disclosed in a timely and thorough manner prior to any public disclosure. Furthermore, the licensing professionals at Commercialization at UHN work in an integrated manner with each of UHN’s research institutes to ensure we are aware of all new discoveries, such that they are brought for assessment and development of a commercialization plan including registration of appropriate intellectual property rights, if appropriate by our expert team of business development professionals.

As stated within our values and strategic priorities above, UHN’s commercialization approach seeks to elevate Canada as a world destination for life science commercialization. We also follow technology sector best practices for research commercialization regarding the commercialization of IP generated at UHN. Since 2014, our approach has been to focus on supporting internal capacity to create well-financed start-ups ourselves, in order to steward UHN IP to its greatest inflection point of success, maximizing  benefit to the hospital, local economy, and our position on the national commercialization stage. ‍ UHN Commercialization and our expert team of business development/legal professionals work closely with our ecosystem to guide, co-promote and encourage the success of home-grown IP initiatives through numerous collaborative activities and committee leadership/participation.

Intellectual Property Policy

UHN’s Intellectual Property Policy outlines our approach to commercializing IP at UHN and strives to maximize the impact that UHN research and discovery has on improving health care. Team UHN members may access UHN’s Intellectual Property Policy on the  UHN Intranet. ‍ UHN Commercialization and our expert team of business development/legal professionals work closely with our ecosystem to guide, co-promote and encourage the success of home-grown IP initiatives through numerous collaborative activities and committee leadership/participation.

*The Michener Institute of Education at UHN works in concert with UHN with regards to commercialization activities and has adopted the commercialization vision/principles outlined in the commercialization strategy and framework.

Stay up to date with UHN Commercialization

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University Health Network 101 College Street – Suite 150 – Heritage Building – MaRS Centre Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7 Canada [email protected] Tel: (416) 581-7408

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Stewardship Officer, Events

Description.

STATUS: Full-Time

UHN Foundation raises funds for research, education and the enhancement of patient care at Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute as well as their respective research arms (Krembil Research Institute, McEwen Stem Cell Institute, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute and KITE) and the Michener Institute of Education at UHN. The Hospitals and the Research Institutes are members of University Health Network (UHN), which also includes Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. UHN is a major landmark in Canada´s healthcare system and a teaching hospital of the University of Toronto. Building on the strengths of this remarkable hospital network, the organization brings together the talent and resources that make it an international leader in healthcare. Toronto General Hospital is ranked #3 on the list of the World’s Best Hospitals, the only Canadian hospital to be included in the top 10. Additionally, for the twelfth year in a row, UHN is ranked #1 in the list of Canada’s Top 40 Research Hospitals. The Foundation´s vision and mission is to enable global leadership and innovation in health by developing strong relationships with UHN stakeholders. We are committed to supporting UHN's vision to create a healthier world by embodying our values of integrity, accountability, collaboration and inclusion.

We are looking to grow our Stewardship team to continue the important work of acknowledging, recognizing and reporting back to donors on the meaningful gifts they give, ensuring that they feel appreciated and thanked for their support, along with being well informed about the impact of their gifts.

Position summary

In support of UHN Foundation’s strategic plan and vision, you be responsible for administering, coordinating and fulfilling various aspects of the Stewardship Program, primarily with the organization of a variety of recognition and cultivation events. These events recognize and engage donors at the $100,000+ giving level and include but are not limited to annual Awards, Centre openings, tours, Chair/Professorship/Fellowship celebrations, space dedications, plaque unveilings, recognition society specific events, annual lunches / dinners and virtual/livestream programming.

You are an energetic, versatile, team player with excellent interpersonal skills, who is able to manage multiple priorities, enjoys the challenge of working in a vigorous, successful fundraising environment and is able to carry out a wide range of assigned duties and tasks.

You possess strong administrative, prioritizing and organizational/project management skills to track, report, monitor and complete assigned Stewardship activities and tasks. You also have a demonstrated ability to juggle competing priorities and deadlines while consistently delivering high-quality work.

Responsibilities

• Manage the organization of numerous stewardship and cultivation events – tasks may include but are not limited to: venue bookings, creating and sending invitations, coordinating catering requirements, parking/travel arrangements, booking audiovisual requirements, liaising with UHN clinicians / researchers and other UHN senior leadership, draft event agendas/programs, materials, booking speakers, requesting speaking notes, creation/organization of donor gifts/take aways
• Manage on-site event logistics that may include but are not limited to; room set-up, guest greetings, vendor coordinator, presentation management, room clean up etc.
• Manage the follow-up from Stewardship events i.e. drafting thank you notes and emails, preparing photo books for donors, updating relevant database coding etc.
• Oversee all logistics involved with the Annual Nursing Awards, which additionally include: ensuring appropriate denominations of awards based on current fund balances, updating award terms of reference to reflect donor needs, communicating with award recipients, preparing and sending donor and recipient bios, preparing and/or coordinating certificates, event program, speaking materials and stewardship reports; ensure donor records are updated in Raisers Edge.
• Ensure that all relevant data/actions are entered/coded in Raiser’s Edge in a timely manner.
• Provide support and general administration as requested by the Vice President, Stewardship on various activities and initiatives Prepare expense forms, electronic transfer form documentation, procurement card submission and other administrative documentation, as required.
• Perform other duties consistent with the job classification, as required.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders as required.
• Support the Foundation’s strategic plan and vision and uphold the Foundation’s values of collaboration, accountability, inclusion and integrity
• University degree / college graduate diploma
• Minimum 3 years event coordination experience
• Experience working in a health care environment or not-for-profit environment an asset
• Highly proficient in the use of all corporate productivity tools including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Zoom, Teams, Canva, monday.com and Slack
• Ability to manage multiple projects with tight deadlines Strong organizational and analytical skills
• Evidence of leadership and initiative, tact, diplomacy, attention to detail, and creativity
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills with a strong attention to detail and aptitude for engaging donors
• Proven ability to work independently as well as to work effectively with a diverse group of donors, volunteers and staff Ability to work in a hectic and results-oriented environment
• Knowledge of Raiser’s Edge or other donor database management systems considered an asset

Work environment

• Fast-paced, service and results oriented environment
• Occasional work required outside of regular 9 am – 5 pm work hours to attend and execute events
• The Foundation has a hybrid work model. Staff will be required to have a safe home office set-up 2-3 days per week and will be in office for 2-3 days per week, (specifics to be planned with your manager)
• Ability to work cooperatively with colleagues in all positions throughout the Foundation
• Shared commitment and support of the overall Foundation goals

University Health Network thanks all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. UHN has a diverse workforce and is an equal-opportunity employer.

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Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027 for Research and Innovation

The Commission has adopted the second strategic plan for  Horizon Europe . The plan, announced at the flagship  Research and Innovation Days , sets out three key strategic orientations for EU's research and innovation funding for the last three years of the programme (2025-2027):

• Green transition;
• Digital transition;
• A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe.

These orientations aim to address key global challenges such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, the digital transition and an ageing population.

Open strategic autonomy and securing Europe's leading role in developing and deploying critical technologies are overarching principles that apply across all three key strategic orientations.

The strategic plan raises the ambition of Horizon Europe on biodiversity and commits to a target of 10% of the Horizon Europe's total budget for 2025-2027 dedicated to biodiversity-related topics. This new commitment complements existing targets for climate expenditure (35% over the lifetime of Horizon Europe) and main digital activities (€13 billion over the same period).

The strategic plan identifies nine new  European co-funded and co-programmed partnerships : Brain Health, Forests and Forestry for a Sustainable Future, Innovative Materials for EU, Raw Materials for the Green and Digital Transition, Resilient Cultural Heritage, Social Transformations and Resilience, Solar Photovoltaics, Textiles of the Future, and Virtual Worlds.

The strategic plan also provides an overview of the achievement of  EU Missions  over their first years. As a novelty, the stategy plan introduces the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Facility.  The New European Bauhaus  is a pioneering movement that brings citizens, municipalities, experts, businesses, universities and institutions together to reimagine and jointly bring about sustainable and inclusive living in Europe and beyond. Given the cross-cutting nature of the NEB and of its R&I content, the NEB will be implemented as a cross-cluster issue in the Horizon Europe work programmes for 2025-2027. This R&I component will be complemented by a roll-out component that will be delivered through synergies with other EU programmes. Together, these two components will be referred to as the ‘NEB Facility'.

The plan addresses a number of specific issues, such as the balance of research and innovation and the integration of social sciences and humanities. On the former, the strategic plan commits to provide a balanced support to activities with a range of maturity and of technology readiness levels, ranging from knowledge-generating and early-stage research to innovation, to demonstration and first deployment activities, such as in model regions, living labs and lighthouses. It also commits to strengthen collaborative research projects with low technology readiness levels and maturity levels under Pillar II.

Effectively integrating social sciences and humanities into all clusters, including all missions and partnerships, is a key principle of the programme. This is reflected by flagging specific topics and requesting an assessment of their societal impact. Social sciences and humanities will be integrated into relevant projects, from their drafting to their selection and evaluation.

News Center

Empowering research faculty: georgia tech’s strategic plan.

Georgia Tech is supporting career growth for its research faculty, who do critical work at the heart of the research enterprise.

The word faculty is often synonymous with tenure-track professors — the individuals who teach courses and run major labs with their surnames in the title. But while groundbreaking discoveries regularly happen at Georgia Tech, the people doing the day-in, day-out research aren’t always visible.

Research faculty are non-tenure track faculty who carry out crucial research in labs, centers, and departments across campus. They are the lifeblood of research enterprises at major universities like Georgia Tech, but their work often occurs behind the scenes.

To support these essential employees, Georgia Tech launched an initiative to recognize and develop research faculty, who comprise 60% of the nearly 4,400 total faculty currently employed at the Institute. It is part of the second phase of Research Next , the strategic plan for Georgia Tech’s research enterprise.  

Maribeth Coleman , interim assistant vice provost for Research Faculty, and Michelle Rinehart , vice provost for Faculty, were appointed as co-chairs of a Research Next implementation team tasked with finding ways to recognize, support, and retain research faculty. Building on years of effort and collaboration with campus partners, the group took on several projects to improve the research faculty experience and environment at Georgia Tech.  

“Research faculty are critical members of the Georgia Tech community, and their contributions to our billion-dollar research enterprise and the state’s economic development cannot be overstated,” Rinehart said. “We wanted to understand what it’s like for research faculty as they come on board at Georgia Tech, what the hiring process is like, and how we as an Institute can more effectively mentor and develop research faculty in terms of advancing in their careers.”

At the outset, the implementation team identified and examined several facets of the research faculty experience. They reviewed policies in the faculty handbook, giving special attention to existing guidance for promotion and career growth for research faculty.

Promotion guidelines are generally clear for tenure-track faculty. Research faculty, on the other hand, are often not actively encouraged to seek promotion, and may not even know that promotion is an option, according to Rinehart and Coleman. One issue is that funding for research faculty often comes from external research dollars. At least nine months of a tenure-track faculty member’s salary, however, comes from the state budget.

“When you’re constantly having to bring in all of your own salary, as research faculty do, it can be a stressful experience,” Coleman said. “It can also mean you’re more isolated, because you’re focused on bringing in those research dollars that will help you keep your position. But we want research faculty to know that we want them to build their careers here.”

To address these issues, the team developed reference materials and workshops for research faculty seeking promotion. The workshops are offered on a regular basis, and resources and recordings are available on the Georgia Tech faculty website . The team also created educational materials for promotion committees, often composed of tenure-track faculty who are unfamiliar with the research faculty experience.  

“We saw a need for better consistency across campus with regards to guidance for research faculty promotion committees,” Rinehart said. “Tenure-track faculty need guidance on not just how to properly hire research faculty, but also in how to mentor and retain them.”

According to Coleman and Rinehart, the implementation team’s most significant achievement was the launch of a research faculty mentoring network . The mentoring network connects junior research faculty mentees with senior research faculty mentors who have grown their careers at Georgia Tech.

“When new tenure-track faculty arrive, they are usually assigned a mentor within their School or department, but that method doesn’t generally work for research faculty,” Coleman said. “There may not be a large research faculty community in their unit, and research faculty roles and responsibilities vary significantly from person to person. For this reason, the mentoring network is meant to foster cross-pollination and build community across units.”

The mentoring network is a collaboration with MentorTech , a program run by Georgia Tech Professional Education. The program is ongoing, and enrollment is always open. 

To foster inclusivity and belonging, the team established an orientation program for research faculty, modeled after the tenure-track faculty orientation. The Provost’s Office hosted the inaugural research faculty orientation in Fall 2023. Because research faculty are hired throughout the year, the team decided the orientation should take place semiannually. The second orientation took place on March 13. 

In addition to the workshops, mentor network, and orientations, the implementation team also launched a program to welcome research faculty in a personal way. When a new research faculty member is hired, another more senior research faculty member is assigned to welcome them in person, provide them with important information for getting oriented to campus, tell them about relevant professional opportunities, and give them Georgia Tech-branded swag.

“All of this work is about recognizing that research faculty are a tremendously valuable part of our community,” Rinehart said. “They also really enhance our reputation internationally.”

According to Coleman, research faculty can sometimes be viewed as disposable, because of their support from grants that may be limited in time and scope. But she believes that line of thinking is a disservice to both the individual and the Institute.

“It’s important that we recognize the value of research faculty, nurture them, and retain them long term,” she said. “We need to make it possible for people to spend their careers here, as I have, and help make sure research faculty positions at Georgia Tech can be both viable and fulfilling long-term careers.”

To read more about Georgia Tech's strategic research initiatives, visit the Research Next website .

Catherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer/Editor

[email protected]

• Back Issues
• Letters Policy

Volume 56 | ISSUE 16: April 5, 2024

Specific goals and deadlines outlined in plan for pitt 2028.

By SUSAN JONES

Ever since Chancellor Joan Gabel started at Pitt nearly nine months ago, she’s been talking about strategic planning and updating the Plan for Pitt. At the April 4 Board of Trustees’ meeting, that vision evolved into some very tangible goals and deadlines.

PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

Chancellor Joan Gabel unveiled a new promotional video titled, “It’s Possible at Pitt,” at the Board of Trustees meeting. See the video on Pitt’s YouTube channel .

“I think it’s really important for our community to know that almost everything that’s identified in the strategic plan were things that were either already planned by the entity, person or office that’s responsible for it, or were hoped to be planned,” Gabel said in an interview before the trustees’ meeting. “I see this plan as a capture. We didn’t create these initiatives, we pulled them together.”

The initiatives range from increasing the number of distinguished national and international awards received by Pitt faculty and students to expanding the Pitt Success Pell Match program and creating ways to recognize staff excellence. Gabel said the initiatives are based on feedback from faculty, staff and students.

She said that her administration — which includes chief strategy officer Bill Haldeman, who came with Gabel from the University Minnesota — inherited “excellent work” from the 2018 plan. Being new, she was able to listen objectively and bring a fresh perspective to the plan as they asked what units were working on and when they hoped to finish the work.

Gabel presented the latest update on the Plan for Pitt 2028 to the Board of Trustees at its April 4 meeting. The board voted unanimously to support the strategies, goals and direction of the new strategic plan and to encourage the chancellor and the University community to move forward with implementation of the Plan for Pitt 2028.

John Verbanec, the trustees’ chair-elect who will take over in July, thanked Gabel and her team “for a tremendous amount of work in a short period of time. … You heard our expectations well over the continued evolution of this plan and I couldn’t be happier.”

Senate President Robin Kear said also congratulated Gabel’s and her team. “I am so pleased to see the Plan for Pitt come together in more detail as it guides us for the next four years. The dashboard and progress cards will be useful tools for internal and external conversations. In each section, I can see how much thought and background work went into the formulation of concrete targets that will position us for more success in a great variety of areas. External events will always influence what we do, it is how we respond that makes the difference for our future, and the Plan for Pitt will actively drive our decision making on what is most important.”

One of the key aspects of the plan is to make the goals measurable and transparent, with achievable deadlines, and to show how they align with the five pillars that have been identified as Pitt’s key values.

Those values, which Gabel outlined last fall , are: cultivating student success; propelling scholarship, creativity and innovation; being welcoming and engaged; promoting accountability and trust; and “It’s Possible at Pitt” — the big ideas that will benefit society.

A new Plan for Pitt dashboard on the chancellor’s website will “give us the tools to tell our story well, in an outward facing, really kind of PR way,” Gabel told the trustees. It highlights each of the five pillars of the strategic plan and addresses how Pitt is addressing the way people are talking about the role of higher education in society, including responding to some myths like “No one wants to go to college anymore.” 

A separate Progress Card , which also is public facing, shows what the goals are under each pillar, along with different initiatives, targets and deadlines to reach those goals. This will help guide administrative decisions and track where Pitt is headed over the life of the plan, through 2028.

For instance, under cultivating student success, one focus is on enrollment. The progress card shows an outcome of “Meet undergraduate enrollment targets for Pittsburgh campus by 2025 and 2028.” The baseline from fall 2023 is 20,220. The target for 2025 is 20,720, and for 2028 is 22,000. One of the key initiatives to achieve this is expanding the Pitt Success Pell Match Program. The goal is to increase the percentage of Pell-eligible students attending Pitt, and Gabel said they are already exploring ways to expand the current Pitt Success program to meet that goal.

Demand to attend Pitt is at an all-time high. The chancellor reported that the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid has hit another record, with 59,907 applications submitted for the first-time students in the fall 2024 term.

The strategic plan also addresses University finances under the accountability and trust pillar. One of the outcomes is to reduce administrative overhead. “It is a strategy of this administration and intention of this administration to operate efficiently, to think about cost management, to reduce the administrative overhead writ large, both centrally and within each of the units of the institution,” Gabel said.

She said she’ll need to work with deans, senior vice chancellors and others about their budgets. “But there’s a difference between the strategic plan and the budget. So the strategy is to be as intentional about cost reduction as possible, while also being able to be strategic around launching new programs, growing revenue, making strategic investments and what will attract new students, attract new opportunities to the institution, and doing those concurrently.”

Other initiatives

Currently, there are nearly 50 initiatives listed on the Progress Card, including many that are already underway, such as reforming the general education requirements.

One of the projects is launching the PittForce Portfolio. The goal of this initiative is to create a portfolio of degrees in teaching, nursing and more that meet the workforce needs of the city and the commonwealth. These degrees will be “a lower-cost, hybrid and applied educational experience that leverage Pitt’s strengths, know-how and subject matter expertise,” according to a description of the project. The Progress Card says the goal is to launch the PittForce program by 2026.

Under the “We will be welcoming and engaging” pillar, one of the goals is to be an employer of choice. “We are a large employer, we want everyone who works here to feel a sense of opportunity, of optimism,” Gabel said at the board meeting. Initiatives under that goal include:

Launch New Employee Engagement Survey by 2025: . Work is already underway by the Office of Human Resources and others to set the scope and goals of the survey, which will provide insight into employee engagement.

Complete Staff Recognition Plan by 2025 : Gabel said Staff Council has been a “really strong advocate for the critical role that the staff play in the excellence of the institution.” There’s always been clearly defined structures to recognize work by faculty and students in higher education, but there’s not a similar structure for staff. The plan would work with Human Resources to create that structure.

Labor Relations Initiative : This initiative recognizes the importance and evolving nature of labor relations at the University, with the Union of Pitt Faculty negotiating its first contract and staff hoping to vote on unionization soon. The plan is to develop this initiative over the course of the next year.

Other goals tackle everything from sustainability and the life sciences, including the new BioForge project, to promoting the free exchange of ideas and amplifying Pitt’s story.

Gabel said one of the goals of the plan is to close the gap between Pitt’s already strong reputation and “the even stronger excellence you see when you’re here. …. If the plan is working, that gap will close and everyone would know how wonderful things are here in the classroom, as a place to work and learn, as a community, and as a place where knowledge is created and expanded.”

Some notable initiatives include:

Launch IP Revenue Plan by 2025 : Increase intellectual property output as part of a broader strategy to elevate overall tech commercialization and innovation ecosystem.

Launch Health Sciences Innovation Initiative by 2026 : This will leverage the strength of Pitt’s health sciences, including BioForge, to elevate an innovation ecosystem that translates into commercial opportunities and transactions, like patents, disclosures, licenses, startups and IP revenue.

Launch Digital Future Initiative by 2024 : This will help create the future of education by responsibly and ethically embracing digital technology across the University. It will connect the dots for things happening already and resources from dozens of offices across Pitt. The goal for the Digital Future Initiative is to highlight, leverage and connect Pitt’s momentum and substantial resources in the digital landscape that are emerging or already activated, and elevate Pitt as a digital leader.

Launch Wellness Concierge in summer 2024 : Led by Student Affairs, the program will offer a comprehensive approach to student well-being by emphasizing self-awareness, goal setting and personalized support to foster a holistic and thriving University community.

Launch Pitt Housing Plan by 2025 : The housing plan will work in tandem with the campus master plan work that is just starting. This plan will address both on-campus and off-campus housing options with the goal of increasing undergraduate enrollment.

Gabel said after the Board of Trustees meeting that some of Pitt’s increased enrollment would be online or hybrid, and wouldn’t increase the population density on campus. But Pitt is working with a firm on master planning that will look at increasing student numbers on campus. “We give ourselves a certain number of years before we even want to hit the target so that we have time to make sure that we can create the environment to allow for that number of students to arrive comfortably.”

What’s next ?

The chancellor said her role puts her “in a unique position to see where things are intersecting, to hear about all the different things that are going on at the same time and to create this structure for other people to see that and to communicate about that. … And also to create support. Some of that’s financial, some of that is structural. Some of that is, I think, emotional. And some of that is whatever the person says they need. It’s not necessarily up to me to decide what kind of support people need. People need to tell me what they need, and I need to listen to them. And some of it is for me to create all that and get out of the way.”

Gabel said this summer will be the first phase of execution of the plan. She will start with a retreat with her office staff and then more broadly with the senior leadership team. “And I would expect the provost to go with the deans and I assume vice chancellors would be doing it within their teams, so they know the things that they expect to get done that year.” The Haldeman will start checking with each of the units on how it’s going.

“We have this natural set of deadlines over the next five years,” she said. “It gives us some ability to predict what we would prioritize year after year. It gives us some room now to anticipate what we would be working on and then also to make room for the unknown — we don’t know what they are, but we know they’ll come.”

Liaisons with different board committees also would be checking on the timing of when things would be presented to the board, “so they understand the real impact of a decision that they’ve made.”

The chancellor hopes that the initiatives create pride in the Pitt community. “While we do want to be able to show that what we’re doing is happening, and it’s real, what we hope is that it makes you proud; that it is more qualitative. I think the way that you create buy-in in a community of thinkers is more by testimonial and example.”

Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at [email protected] or 724-244-4042.

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