CSPC 2017

Panel Organizer: Sean Lee, TRIUMF

Moving innovation from the laboratory to the market is not only critical to maintaining Canada’s position as a global scientific leader, but it’s fundamental to our long-term growth and prosperity. This reality is widely recognized across the national science, technology, and innovation landscape, and there are a number of organizations – each with a unique focus and operating model – enjoying successes in this area.
This panel will bring together the leaders of a number of high profile incubator and accelerators from across Canada, representing sectors as diverse as information communication technology, health sciences, and physics. Profiling five case studies, the panel will demonstrate that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for innovation, but rather a mosaic of models, which together can get Canada to where it needs to be vis-à-vis growing global competition.

Panel Organizers: Ihor Boszko, Ontario Genomics and Mario Thomas, University of Guelph

Across the globe, innovations are transforming the economy and society, and creating change at an unprecedented and unpredictable pace. The potential for innovations in food systems is huge. The promise is no less than more nutritious, safer food produced at a lower cost, with fewer inputs and with less environmental impact. Emerging technologies arising out the digital revolution and the field of genomics and synthetic biology, such as CRISPR gene editing, are rapidly changing the global agriculture industry. This promise is set against a backdrop of a growing skepticism with current political and economic structures. Divergent responses by governments across jurisdictions, and the pace of policy development and regulatory responses that do not keep up with the speed of technological changes, add to the uncertainties and may further hamper the successful adoption of innovations. Innovators may be reticent to invest in new products because they have difficulty anticipating the commercial regulatory path. At the same time, regulators want to understand what products innovators are working on to be proactive about regulation. This panel brings together diverse representatives from industry, government and academia to share their expert perspectives on the dynamic relationship between regulation and innovation, and how to better design science policy to bring new and existing scientific knowledge to bear on Canadian challenges and opportunities in agri-food. Policies that power innovation in agri-food systems will grow Canada’s competitiveness.

Panel Organizer: Marc Saner, Institute for Science, Society and Policy, University of Ottawa

It has been argued that we not only live in a "post-truth" environment, but also in a "post-normal science" world.   Post-normal science is characterized by both high system uncertainty and high stakes.  In this situation, achieving evidence-based decisions is often elusive because political values become dominant.  The question arises of how to manage the "science/policy interface" within this challenging environment.  Boundary organizations such as university institutes and think-tanks claim to be particularly relevant in this context.  Can they possibly deliver in a world characterized by high complexity and low trust?  And if yes, how?

Panel Organizer: Milena Raykovska, European Commission, Joint Research Centre

A world of a super-abundance of knowledge from sources of variable quality, where complexity has increased exponentially, trust in authorities has diminished and "post-fact" politics appears to be on the rise, creates new challenges for policymakers and scientists who strive towards evidence-informed policies.
The new profession of science advisors requires scientist to be deeply familiar with knowledge at the intersection of policy, democracy and science. To have a policy impact, science advisors need to have the “ability to provide scientific advice in support of policy decisions…effectively addressing the limits of science, the insufficiency of evidence, and appropriately framing uncertainties.”
The session will explore the role of scientists wishing to influence policy in today's climate of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. The session will debate a number of questions, some of which brilliantly outlined by Naomi Oreskes (Harvard University), on the calling and responsibilities of scientists. Do facts speak for themselves? What should the role of scientist be? How to be an ambassador for facts and a convener? Should scientists speak only about problems or also about solutions? Doesn't it blur boundaries between science and policy, between facts and values?
Sensitising researchers of the necessity to participate in public and political debates and be ambassadors for their research results opens a whole field of questions, which could make scientists very uncomfortable. The session intends to address these and promulgate universal corner stones for developing and communicating science for policy based on responsibility, integrity, independence, and accountability. The linear model of evidence-informed policy-making has proven to be inefficient. There is an increasing need of ‘doing science differently’, notably through cocreation and co-production of ‘evidence’. To have greater policy impact, we need to move from arms-length, one-shot, silo'ed and slow delivery of knowledge to policy towards iterative, intimate, systems/joined-up approach and just-in-time delivery through co-creation in "epistemic communities".
The session will go a step further and explore which are the best new methodologies, tools (research synthesis, behavioural insights, citizen/society/stakeholder engagement, policy labs) and skill-sets (knowledge management and community facilitation, communication, visualisation) to fulfil this new role. How do scientists increase impact of science on policies? How to build a lasting relationship of trust, co-creation and co-production with the policymakers? How to establish a position of a convener? The session will draw conclusions on what are the training needs of the actors at the evidence for policy interface in order to be better conveners and ambassadors for facts.

Panel Organizer: Urs Obrist, Embassy of Switzerland

Science Diplomacy has become an instrument of international collaboration both in the interest to connect scientists around the world as well as using science as a tool for diplomatic activity. The panel discussants will outline their respective countries’ focus, strategies and endeavours with regards to science diplomacy and diplomacy for science and discuss possibilities how to enhance collaboration with Canada through scientific channels.

The panel consists of speakers from Japan, France, Germany and Switzerland and provide distinct national science policies.

Panel Organizer: Viviana Fernandez, Human Rights Research and Education Centre University of Ottawa

The importance of science and its contributions to informing public policy have been challenged in recent years. There has been an erosion of the “position of science” in policy debates and the replacement of evidence-based policies with populist ideologies on political platforms in developed and developing countries alike. From the firing of Turkish academics, to the U.S. travel bans which call into question the value placed on foreign scholars, students and researchers, to incidents of hate speech and structural racism affecting immigrants, members of the LGBTQ community, religious minorities, people with disabilities, women, etc., scientists are facing an increasing level of risk to conduct their work. These actions are dampening the international nature of science by effectively limiting the participation of a significant number of colleagues in different fields whose contributions risk being absent from scientific debates going forward. Faced with global challenges like food and energy security or climate change, the scientific community needs to make the case for the role of science in policy, reflecting science as a public good.

Since higher education is a global endeavour, there is an opportunity for Canadian institutions to recruit global talent and benefit from their expertise. To this end, are there strategic areas in which Canada should focus on to respond to our future challenges? How can we ensure that researchers and students can work to their full potential in Canada? What can Canada do to counter some of the most dangerous trends? What are the risks of not acting to ensure openness, transparency and the free-flow of ideas and people? 

Panel Organizer: Sally Rutherford, Canadian Association for Graduate Studies 

The session is based on the opinion piece written by Dr. Martha Crago in University Affairs that addresses the need for academics to share knowledge and ideas with the general public and with policy makers. The panel would focus on the challenges—and importance—of incorporating up-to date research findings and social shifts into public policy. The diverse panel would address the issue from the points of view of the insularity of both the public service and the academy – and how this divide can be bridged.

Panel Organizers: Sasha Wood, New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network and David Phipps, York University

How can we more effectively bring new and existing scientific knowledge to bear on Canada’s challenges?
Researchers are increasingly expected to plan for and report on economic, social and/or environmental impacts in research grant applications. Universities are complementing investments in technology commercialization with supports for knowledge mobilization that more broadly support researchers and their non- academic partners as they collaborate to develop inclusive impacts on professional practice, public policy and social services. Policy makers are exploring innovative methods of policy development. The focus of this panel will be on efforts universities are making to support collaborations with policy makers, and specifically, the role of knowledge brokers and knowledge brokering organizations to make policy impacts. These collaborations are critically important for impact because researchers don’t create policy impacts on their own. Research creates evidence but it is the policy makers that use the evidence as one input into the policy process.

The panel will feature different perspectives on policy research to policy impact processes at both the provincial and federal level. The primary case will be the New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network (NBSPRN). The University of New Brunswick (UNB) hosts NBSPRN on behalf of all four New Brunswick universities and the Government of New Brunswick. Bill MacKenzie (Director of Strategic Partnership, NBSPRN) and Nick Scott (Executive Director of Innovation and Open Government, Government of New Brunswick) will present the case of NBSPRN reflecting on strengths and gaps from each side of the policy research collaboration.

Reflections on NBSPRN will be offered by Moura Quayle (Director, Liu Centre for Global Issues, University of British Columbia) who is working on a proposal for a School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC which will have a mandate for policy impact as well as scholarly excellence. Comments on the role of government and the academy in influencing public policy will be offered by Rodney Ghali (Assistant Secretary of the Innovation Hub at the Privy Council Office). Rodney Ghali leads the PCO Innovation Hub which is experimenting with policy innovation for the federal government including the various contributions academic research and expertise can make to federal policy development

The panel will be moderated by Robert Haché (VP Research & Innovation, York University), Chair of Research Impact Canada, Canada’s knowledge mobilization network representing 12 universities making investments to maximize the impacts of university research. Dr. Haché will lead the panel in discussing ways the academic institution can help researchers and policy partners collaborate to create policy impacts. The panel will explore issues related to planning for impact, barriers and enablers of successful collaboration, research impact assessment and inclusive innovation.

Respondents to the panel will include Cathy Malcolm Edwards, in her role at Carleton University has participating in Research Impact Canada, Canada’s knowledge mobilization network and Matthew McKean, Associate Director of Education at the Conference Board of Canada. Each will reflect briefly on the impact of the panel discussion and the implications to academic (Cathy Edwards) and policy (Matthew McKean) partners. Respondents will set the stage for moderated audience Q&A.

Panel organizer: Martin Taylor, CRDCN

What is known about the contributions of migrants in the science and technology fields and in innovation and how strong is the evidence?  What are the sources of this knowledge and what new initiatives exist in data collection that will extend our insights? What are best practices in immigration and integration policies which can maximize the contributions of migrants in science and innovation? What new directions are emerging in the immigration and integration arenas and how will these contribute to the growth of scientific knowledge in Canada?   
Under the sponsorship of the Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN; www.crdcn.org), these questions are addressed in this panel by experts in data development, immigration policy, the recruitment of highly skilled STEM trained workers, and labour market integration issues. The panel builds upon the evidence base generated from advanced statistical research conducted by CRDCN researchers drawing upon the rich Statistics Canada data files made available through the CRDCN’s Research Data Centres. It also anticipates CRDCN’s future research directions under its program of collaborative policy-relevant research programs in the theme area of Immigration and Settlement.
The context for the panel’s discussion is the recognition that a strong knowledge economy, one focused on innovation and intensive use of technology, is linked to positive economic growth, higher standards of living, growth in productivity, and enhanced environmental and social well-being. Understandably, stimulating innovation and productivity are the objectives of many policies advanced by federal, provincial and territorial governments, the nonprofit sector, and business communities. Immigration policies can also further the intertwined goals of innovation, productivity and maintaining Canada’s competitive edge in today’s global economy.  
Today’s immigration policy emphasizes the recruitment of the world’s best and brightest as permanent residents, as international students and as temporary workers. Migrants contribute to Canada’s economy by virtue of being highly educated and or by their training in the STEM fields and their entrepreneurship in generating new firms and products. That said, the full utilization of migrant skills can be dampened by barriers associated with language and re-accreditation requirements, by low take-up rates of international students for permanent residency, and by policies that influence which temporary workers transition to permanent resident status. The panel will explore these issues in depth, sharing both what the data tells us about recent trends and offering suggestions for how Canada can better leverage the skills of new immigrants and migrants for the well-being of all Canadians.

Panel Organizers: Daryl Copeland, CGAI and U of M CERIUM and Mehrdad Hariri,  Canadian Science Policy Centre

In an age of uncertainty and rising populist and nationalist sentiments, science represents a positive and powerful driver of prosperity, security, development and progress. Many countries, including Canada's competitors,  have moved to put into place international science policies and programs which respond to the evolving operating environment. Canadian performance, however, has been mixed, and new directions and initiatives must be undertaken if Canada's place in the globalizing world of international science cooperation is to be ensured.

Canada retains substantial scientific capacity and potential, residing mainly in various levels of government, academia, research institutes, and specialized NGOs. Key players could expand their engagement in collaborative efforts to address the vexing range of "wicked", transnational, S&T-driven issues, ranging from climate change and pandemic disease to food and water insecurity, urbanization and declining biodiversity. Special opportunities exist for Canada to demonstrate leadership the emerging field of science diplomacy, for instance in efforts to better manage the global commons and achieve the UN SDGs, but re-investment and new partnerships will be essential. 

This panel will review the record to date, provide a comparative perspective, survey best practices and present options and recommendations for future action.

Panel Organizer: Sophie Foster, Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has an established science advisory process, known as the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) process.  The goal of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) science peer review and advisory processes is to provide high quality scientific advice and information through rigorous peer review with the overall objective of providing the best possible science advice to the Minister, managers, stakeholders and the public.  Peer review meetings are used as a forum for review and challenge of scientific information leading to objective consensus to address specific objectives. Participation is by invitation and participants are chosen for their knowledge on the topic under review.  
The panel will explore the origins, current practises, challenges and visions for the future from the perspectives of DFO Science, DFO management, and academia.