Dear Colleagues,

On July 12, 2021, the federal government released new National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships.  The federal government is introducing these guidelines to ensure the Canadian research ecosystem is “as open as possible and as secure as necessary”.

The Guidelines integrate national security considerations into the development, evaluation and federal funding of research partnerships.  These guidelines will apply to “federal research partnership funding starting with all applications to the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council’s (NSERC) Alliance Grants involving a private sector organization partner”.

Researchers applying to this program are required to complete a risk assessment form for projects involving private sector organization partners, and any identified risks will require an accompanying risk mitigation plan. Information about the new guidelines and guidance for UBC applicants to NSERC Alliance grants can be found at https://uilo.ubc.ca/alliance-risk-assessments.

As we learn more about these new requirements, we will continue to develop appropriate support and processes. We appreciate your patience as we collaborate to best support you in responding to these new requirements. UBC remains committed to international engagement and global research partnerships.

Please direct any questions or concerns about the new Guideline to research.innovation@ubc.ca.

Sincerely,

Gail and Phil

“* All quotes from: https://science.gc.ca/eic/site/063.nsf/eng/h_98256.html”

Dear colleagues,

To support the identification, development, planning and implementation of new shared research facilities at UBC Okanagan, we are launching a call for proposals to help identify core infrastructure that could be housed within the new Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Innovation (ICI) building.

Facilities that may be appropriate elsewhere on campus will also be considered.

The term “shared research facility” is inclusive of all infrastructure that supports research or knowledge creation activities in any discipline.

Deans are invited to submit proposals on behalf of researchers and scholars in all research or knowledge creation fields. Full details are available here.

Program terms  Proposal template

Please contact Christine Humphries with any questions.

Sincerely,

Philip Barker
Vice-Principal and Associate Vice-President, Research & Innovation

The Offices of Research Ethics on the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses have updated their guidance in anticipation that authorization to resume in-person behavioural research will be fully implemented in the coming months.

Although the safety of research participants continues to be a factor in how research ethics applications are reviewed, the Behavioural Research Ethics Boards (BREBs) have eased their requirements in alignment with updates issued by the Provincial Health Officer (PHO).

The BREB will be reviewing ethics applications taking into consideration the conditions in the research region including:

1– Vaccination rates
2– Rates of COVID-19 infection
3– Rates of hospitalizations due to COVID-19

Both the Safe Research Guidelines and the Safe Research Plan template have been updated.

In instances where a Safe Research Plan is no longer required, researchers will still need to describe their safe research protocols for both new and resuming research. The BREBs will not approve activities that do not adhere to the minimum standards imposed by the public health order for the community where research is taking place. Researchers should continue to consider ways they can reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission within research teams and with participants.

PRINCIPLES FOR THE RESUMPTION OF IN-PERSON RESEARCH:

1– All in-person research that can be done safely may proceed.
2– Researchers may not undertake research activities that will unnecessarily increase the risk to participants of contracting COVID-19.
3– Researchers will provide details of their safe research plan to the degree required (see the scenarios below) based on the risk status of the region where in-person research is proposed and the nature of the research methods being employed.

An amendment is required to resume all previously approved in-person research that has been on-hold or to convert online studies to in-person research.

Supplementary Research and COVID-19 forms are no longer required as part of the research ethics review process.

The BREBs will review ethics applications and related safety protocols in view of the specific research context and the risks entailed for both research participants and researchers. For full details on the implications of immunization, or to learn how your specific research may be affected:

View the webpage

If you are unsure which section or scenario applies to your research, please contact: Lisa Shearer.

The Government of Canada announced today that it is investing $635 million in science, research and engineering to support more than 4,800 researchers across Canada.

UBC researchers were awarded $17.3 million through the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council’s Discovery Grants and Discovery Accelerator programs, $13 million through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Partnership Grants, Partnership Development Grants and Insight Grants programs, and an additional $2.7 million through NSERC’s Research Tools and Instruments program.

These investments will support emerging and ongoing research in areas of critical importance that will help inform governments, businesses and individuals as they make decisions to grow our economy, protect our environment and ensure the well-being of communities across Canada.

The UBC Okanagan researchers who received funding are listed below:

VIEW ALL UBC NSERC RECIPIENTS  View all UBC SSHRC recipients

UBCO receives $250K grant through New Frontiers in Research Fund (2020 Exploration Stream)

Assistant Professors Sepideh Pakpour (School of Engineering) and Kirk Bergstrom (Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science) are leading one of seven UBC research projects funded by the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) 2020 Exploration competition. The initiative is designed to mobilize cutting-edge interdisciplinary, international, and transformative research that strengthens Canadian innovation and benefits Canadians.

The Government of Canada recently announced funding support for 117 research projects across Canada that bring diverse disciplines together in pursuit of breakthrough ideas and high-reward outcomes. The Exploration stream specifically targets research that defies current models, bridges disciplines in novel ways, or tackles fundamental problems from new perspectives.

Understanding the seasonal impacts of microplastic inhalation on health

Principal Investigator: Sepideh Pakpour, UBCO School of Engineering
Co-Principal Investigator: Kirk Bergstrom, UBCO Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science (Biology)
Co-applicant: Edward Grant, UBCV Faculty of Science (Chemistry)
​Award: $250,000

Research Summary:

Microplastics pollution has grown to become a world-wide crisis. The inevitable consequence of dramatically increased plastic use, microscopic plastic particles and fibres contaminate natural marine, terrestrial and atmospheric ecosystems. To date, limited studies conducted in Europe, Asia and the Middle East have detected atmospheric microplastics, but no Canadian data yet exists. No systematic scientific study has characterized the health effects of microplastics in the inhalable and respirable ranges (PM 10 and PM 2.5 microns, respectively). To address this research challenge, we will assemble a unique interdisciplinary team forging a close collaborative interaction of leading groups in the fields of Aerobiology, Analytical and Atmospheric Chemistry, System Biology and Immunology to (1) detect and characterize inhalable and respirable microplastics in indoor and outdoor air seasonally, and (2) explore their potential adverse effects on health. The information and insight we gather will inform internationally integrated strategies for the control and mitigation of microplastics pollution with respect to their impact on health and well-being.

Other UBC-led projects   full project list

The Office of the Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation is pleased to announce the second round of funding for the Critical Research Equipment and Tools (CRET) program.

This internal funding program helps improve the range and quality of our research infrastructure, enables researchers to keep pace with technology, and provides increased opportunities for student research training.

Stream 1 Awards (<$10,000):

Portable Eye-tracking System  

Applicant: Maya Libben

The portable eye-tracker will allow researchers in the Psychopathology Lifespan and Neuropsychology (PLAN) Laboratory to conduct research in the community. This equipment will support the development and improvement of interventions and treatments for psychopathology and stroke.

Invitrogen iBright CL750 Imaging System

Applicant: Jonathan Little | Co-applicant: Christopher West

This device is used to capture images and analyze data from western blots and gels efficiently and easily. It will enable researchers in the  School of Health and Exercise Sciences and the Southern Medical Program to develop new collaborative projects with other researchers at UBC Okanagan, and create new training opportunities for students with diverse applications across the life sciences.

Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography

Applicant: Kristen Wolthers | Co-applicant: Isaac Li and Thuy Dang

This tool allows researchers to separate proteins so that they are amendable to structural and functional analysis. This equipment is a vital component in the protein production pipeline and will support researchers and trainees in the Department of Chemistry.

Stream 2 Awards ($10,000 – $100,000):

Accelerated Weathering Tester

Applicant: Abbas Milani | Co-applicants: Mohammad Arjmand, Lukas Bichler, Cigdem Eskicioglu, Sepideh Pakpour

This test chamber tracks the property changes of materials and products caused by sunlight, temperature and moisture in a short period of time. The device can also simulate solar radiation and maintain the temperature in the range of 15-100 °C. This instrument will support research programs for faculty members of the Materials and Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI), the Eminence-funded Cluster of Research Excellence in BioComposites and the Comfort-Optimized Materials for Operational Resilience, Thermal-transport and Survivability (COMFORTS) micro-network.

Light Scattering Spectrometer

Applicant: Robert Godin | Co-applicants: Isaac Li, Jian Liu, Susan Murch, Kristen Wolthers

Nanoparticles and macromolecules play a critical role in regulating cellular functions but characterization of these particles in their native environment is challenging. A state-of-the-art light scattering spectrometer will enable best-in-class particle sizing capabilities and allow advanced particle characterization.  This equipment will generate crucial data on the properties of nanoparticles to researchers in the Faculty of Science and the School of Engineering and accelerate research in biochemistry, plant science, medical diagnostics, and clean energy technology at UBCO.

Portable Equipment to Evaluate Muscle Function and Balance

Applicant: Brian Dalton | Co-applicant: Chris McNeil and Jennifer Jakobi

This portable equipment will afford researchers in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences a comprehensive system for community-based testing. This device evaluates the neural control of human movement and balance and is used to conduct fieldwork studies that aim to make real-world measures of muscle activity. This equipment will be used to investigate the influence of assistive technologies (e.g., handrails, walkers, exoskeletons) and acute adaptations (e.g., hypoxia, fatigue) on neuromuscular function across the lifespan.

Blood Gas Analysis System

Applicant: Phil Ainslie | Co-applicants: Jonathan Little, Glen Foster, Rob Shave and Chris West

The Radiometer ABL90 FLEX PLUS allows researchers in the Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health to answer fundamental research questions in mammalian physiology that are germane to the understanding of blood flow control and vascular health, across the lifespan, during physiological stress (e.g., high altitude, diving, exercise), and with patient populations (e.g., sleep apnea, spinal cord injury, respiratory disease, heart failure, diabetes).

Awards for Excellence in Research and Creative Scholarly Activity

Dear colleagues,

Each year, we recognize the achievements of faculty and student researchers who have made significant contributions to research and creative scholarly activity at UBC Okanagan. Please join me in congratulating this year’s outstanding awardees, who were honoured at a special virtual awards celebration on Thursday, May 6, 2021.

2021 Faculty Researchers of the Year

JULIAN CHENG | NATURAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING

Professor Julian Cheng is an expert in digital communications and signal processing. He is a global leader in optical and radio frequency (RF) wireless communication and optical technology research. Dr. Cheng invented a new indoor optical wireless location technique that substantially improves receiver accuracy and will have significant applications in refined control of robot movement. His research has advanced multiple access techniques and beyond 5G wireless technologies and has applications in machine and deep learning, quantum communications and blockchain technology.

ERIC LI | Social Sciences and Humanities

Associate Professor Eric Li is a catalyst for social innovation and knowledge translation. His research focuses on interdisciplinary collaborations with researchers, non-profit organizations and local government to address complex social issues. Dr. Li’s community-based research has resulted in regional impacts in food insecurity, poverty, urban densification, rural community building, and rural health promotion. He was recently awarded Principal’s Research Chair (Tier 2) in Social Innovation for Health Equity and Food Security and is co-lead of the Rural Health Equity Cluster.

JONATHAN LITTLE | Health

Associate Professor Jonathan Little is a leading researcher in nutrition and targeted exercise interventions for type 2 diabetes with a focus on reducing and reversing the disease. He collaborates closely with community and healthcare partners and his broad spectrum of research techniques includes metabolic measurement and advanced cellular and molecular analyses. Dr. Little co-leads the Airborne Disease Transmission Research Cluster, a cross-campus research team working to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 and other airborne illnesses in healthcare settings.

2021 Student Researcher of the Year

michelle st. pierre | PhD candidate

Michelle St. Pierre has made significant research breakthroughs in substance use and mental health with a focus on cannabis and psychedelic use and harm reduction. She has received international media attention for her research on cannabinoid-based analgesics and pain sensitivity and has been featured as a national expert on cannabis policy. She has published in leading pharmacology, complimentary medicine, psychiatry, and psychology journals and founded the UBC Okanagan chapter of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

Sincerely,

Phil Barker
Vice-Principal and Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation
University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus

UBCO Announces Four New Principal’s Research Chairholders

UBC Okanagan is pleased to announce the second cohort of appointments under the Principal’s Research Chairs (PRC) program.

Deans submitted nominations for the second PRC call in December 2020, which were jointly reviewed by the Provost and Vice-President Academic and the Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation in January 2021.  We are pleased to announce that four UBCO faculty have been designated Principal’s Research Chairholders by Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal.

2021 Principal’s Research Chairholders

These new appointments are evidence of the importance and quality of research on our campus. We anticipate that the research findings and creative scholarly activities of these outstanding researchers will translate into tangible benefits to our region and global society.

2021 PRC Recruitment Allocations:

Three additional PRC positions have been allocated to enable new recruitments.

About the PRC Program:

The Principal’s Research Chairs (PRC) program provides internal funding support for top-tier researchers engaged in outstanding research or creative scholarship.

Supported by the UBC Okanagan Excellence Fund, the goals of the PRC program are to:

• Enable recruitment of outstanding new faculty
• Retain top researchers
• Promote research intensification
• Generate international recognition of research achievements

The requirements of the PRC program are aligned with the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) program criteria and recipients of the award are appointed to a renewable five-year term.

View Chairholders

Contact:

Should you have questions regarding the Principal’s Research Chairs (PRC) or Canada Research Chairs (CRC) programs, please contact Christine Humphries.

Best regards,

Ananya Mukherjee Reed
Provost and Vice-President Academic, UBC Okanagan

Philip Barker
Vice-Principal and Associate Vice-President, Research and Innovation, UBC Okanagan

Today, we announced the 2020 call for nominations for UBC Okanagan’s Principal’s Research Chair (PRC) program, which supports the recruitment of outstanding new faculty and retention of our top research scholars who are, or have the potential to be, leaders in building and intensifying world-renowned research at UBCO.

The PRC program has two streams:

1. Attraction: aimed at recruiting top caliber faculty members to UBCO; and
2. Retention: aimed at retaining excellent faculty members at UBCO.

Full program details, including eligibility guidelines, evaluation criteria, and competition deadlines are available here.

Key Dates:

• Nomination deadline: Dec. 8, 2020 (4:00 pm)
• PRC allocations confirmed: January 14, 2021
• Funding available: April 1, 2021 (for retention stream);
  prior to December 15, 2021 (for attraction stream)
• Recruitment deadline: December 15, 2021

Program Terms:

The requirements of the PRC program generally align with the federal Tier 1 and Tier 2 Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) and include considerations for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).

2020 PROGRAM TERMS

Application Guidelines:

Nominations must be submitted by deans for consideration.

Deans may submit multiple requests for Principal’s Research Chair allocations but are required to rank their attraction and retention nominations.

Application packages, including a ranked list of nominations from a faculty (if applicable), must be submitted to vpresearch.ok@ubc.ca by December 8, 2020.

Contact:

Should you have questions regarding the program, please contact: Christine Humphries.

UBC researchers across a range of domains are addressing the many aspects of COVID-19 and its impacts. Learn how UBCO research expertise is being put to use to protect Canadians.

1. Anti-fouling anti-fogging face shields utilizing liquid-like omniphobic coatings for COVID-19 healthcare providers (Kevin Golovin, Engineering)
2. Back to Basics: A Sustainable Response to COVID-19 (Eric Li, Management)
3. Building Resilient Rural Communities: Understanding the Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 (Nelly Oelke, Nursing)
4. Capturing the Anticipated/Unanticipated Consequences of COVID-19 and COVID-19 Prevention, Management Strategies (Donna Kurtz, Nursing)
5. Care Dental: Impact of an Airborne Infection Isolation Standard HVAC System (Jonathan Little, Health and Exercise Sciences)
6. Challenges and Technology Use among Rural Community Residents during COVID-19 Pandemic (Kathy Rush, Nursing)
7. COACH for COVID: A student-delivered Community Outreach telehealth program for COVID education and Health care Brodie Sakakibara, Southern Medical Program)
8. Confidential Virtual Addiction Treatment for Healthcare Workers (Lesley Lutes and Zachary Walsh, Psychology)
9. COVID-19 Impact on Travel Demand and Transportation System (Mahmudur Fatmi, Engineering)
10. COVID-19: Developing Korean Canadians’ Civic Engagement Strategies in the COVID-19 Era (Kyong Yoon, Cultural Studies)
11. COVID-19: Identifying and Addressing the Needs of Ontarians with Disabilities (Kathleen Martin Ginis, Health and Exercise Sciences)
12. Design, characterization and manufacture of sustainable filtration masks from medical-grade lignin and cellulose to combat COVID-19 (Abbas Milani and Frank Ko, Engineering)
13. Development of a fluorescent-based serological testing for COVID-19 (Ian Foulds, Engineering)
14. Development of Airborne COVID-19 Isolation and Elimination Device (Sunny Li, Engineering)
15. Development of low-cost, compact fibre optic O2 and CO2 gas sensors for COVID-19 applications of portable metabolic analyzers (Kenneth Chau, Engineering)
16. Early Detection of COVID-19 through Artificial Intelligence (Philip Ainslie, Health and Exercise Sciences)
17. ELECTRA platform: Electrochemical-based Aptasensor for early detection of COVID-19 (Mina Hoorfar, Engineering)
18. Going Digital during COVID-19 and beyond: Expanding the Reach of an Effective Diabetes Prevention Program through a National YMCA Platform to Enhance Accessibility (Mary Jung, Health and Exercise Sciences)
19. Kootenay Boundary Virtual Health Use (Kathy Rush, Nursing)
20. KT Methods Cluster-Consensus Methods Phase 2B: Project 2 (Nelly Oelke, Nursing; Heather Gainforth, Health and Exercise Sciences; Katrina Plamondon, Nursing)
21. Magnetic levitation system for culture-independent virus isolation from biological and environmental samples (Sepideh Pakpour, Engineering)
22. PCR lab-on-chip system for rapid and sensitive identification of SARS-CoV-2 infected case (Sepideh Pakpour and and Mina Hoorfar, Engineering)
23. MCN Post-Doc Research; Better Serving People with Multiple, Complex Needs in BC through Health System Impact (Rachelle Hole, Social Work)
24. Mobile Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) System for Ventilators (COVID-19) (Jian Liu, Engineering)
25. Nav-CARE: Max Bell: Volunteer navigation partnerships: A compassionate community approach to care (Barbara Pesut)
26. Optimal Use of Utility Infrastructure for Residential Communities: Lessons Learned from COVID-19 (Shahria Alam, Engineering)
27. Parent Discharge Experiences – COVID-19 Related Protocol Changes: Discharge Experiences of Parents of Children Living with a Complex Medical Condition (Lise Olsen, Nursing)
28. Response to COVID-19 in the Homelessness Sector and Impact on Service Providers and Users (John Graham, Social Work)
29. Self-Disinfecting TiO2 Coating to Enable Antibacterial, Antiviral and Reusable Facemasks (COVID-19) (Jian Liu, Engineering)
30. Smart and Low-Cost Face-Shields Capable of Protection, Prevention and Detection for Essential Workers Fighting COVID-19 Pandemic (Mohammad Zarifi, Engineering)
31. Social & Economic Impact (SE-Impact) on Tenure Track Faculty: a Canadian Perspective on COVID-19 (Jennifer Davis, Management)
32. Strategies to Relieve Suffering at End-of-Life (STRS-EOL) (Barbara Pesut, Nursing)
33. The Outreach Project: COVID-19 Adaptation (Paul van Donkelaar, Health and Exercise Sciences)
34. Venous Thrombosis Virtual Surveillance in COVID (VVIRTUOSO) (Donna Kurtz, Nursing)
35. Volunteer navigation partnerships: A compassionate community approach to care (Barbara Pesut, Nursing)

UBC COVID-19 Research Website  Submit a Profile/Project