SRP IMPLEMENTATION PLAN PRIORITY PROJECTS
2023 SRP Progress Report
A detailed summary of the progress we made on SRP Priority Projects in 2023.
SFU Strategic Research Plan (SRP) Priority Project
Valuing and Measuring Scholarly Impact
On this Page:
Challenge
The ways in which we generate scholarly impact are varied. They include publications in high-impact journals, publishing books, performances, exhibitions, the engagement of community in research and the mobilization of knowledge to the non-academic community. Current incentive and reward structures within the university do not always reflect modern measures of research impact.
Action
Working with the provost, deans, chairs and directors, the library, and SFU Faculty Relations, we will examine SFU’s incentive and support structures to assess whether they align with the way the university values research impact as well as equity, diversity and inclusion.
- May 2024
The membership of the working group has been renewed for another year and some new members have been added. This working group had its first meeting in June 2024. See below for a list of current working group members.
- April 2024
The sub-committee developed a project plan and a semi-structured interview schedule for interviewing TPC chairs across the university in order to understand how scholarly impact is measured and valued in TPC processes. This will help inform the development of tools to support TPCs.
The interviews began in April and will continue over the summer semester.
- March 2024
The sub-committee submitted the project for exemption review by SFU Research Ethics which was granted. (Article 2.5 of TCPS 2)
- April 2024
The sub-committee will be reviewing and providing inputs and guidelines for the material being developed by SFU Equity Office to refresh the required EDI training for search Committees on their hiring, tenure, and promotion processes.
- April 2024
The sub-committee has started reviewing relevant awards across other Canadian universities for promising practices that may be useful in providing guidance on internal awards at SFU.
- April 2024
The sub-committee has started collecting and synthesizing literature and guidelines for writing impact narratives to inform the development of a made for SFU resource.
- December 2023
The working group will develop these recommendations and materials over a longer-term horizon as more understanding and knowledge is gathered through the above review of the current practices at the university that involve scholarly impact.
After extensive discussions, the working group established a definition of Valuing and Measuring Scholarly Impact (VMSI) for alignment of the working group and sub-committees, as well as for conducting interviews for TPC Chairs.
The working group has also built an ongoing a library of background literature and tools on research assessment, defining research impact, and international initiatives. If you are interested in learning more or sharing resources, contact Lupin Battersby.
Working Group
| Name | Role | Department/Office |
|---|---|---|
| Lara Beth Aknin | Professor, Area Coordinator, Social Psychology | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences |
| Juan Pablo Alperin | Associate Professor, Publishing Associate Director of Research for the Public Knowledge Project | Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology |
| Lupin Battersby | Knowledge Mobilization Manager | VPRI |
| Derek Bingham | Professor, Statistics & Actuarial Science | Faculty of Science |
| Nicholas Blomley | Professor and Chair, Geography | Faculty of Environment |
| Varundeep Chahal | Strategic Projects Manager | VPRI |
| Habib Chaudhury | Chair and Professor, Department of Gerontology | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences |
| Diane Finegood | Professor and Fellow | Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue |
| Sharon Gorski | Professor, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry | Faculty of Science |
| Wenona Hall | Associate Professor, Indigenous Studies | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences |
| Robert Hogg | Distinguished Professor, Associate Dean, Research | Faculty of Health Science |
| Elicia Maine (Co‐Chair) | Associate Vice-President, Knowledge Mobilization and Innovation (AVPKMI), Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship |
Knowledge Mobilization and Innovation (AVPKMI) Beedie School of Business |
| Alison Moore | Digital Scholarship Librarian | SFU Library |
| Carman Neustaedter (Co‐Chair) | Dean | Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology |
| Kam Phung | Assistant Professor | Beedie School of Business |
| Jane Pulkinham | Senior Advisor, Academic Affairs Professor, Sociology | Office of the Provost and Vice President Academic |
| Nathalie Sinclair | Distinguished Professor | Faculty of Education |
Sub-Committees
Considering the types of scholarly impact at SFU, three subcommittees have been formed to deliver on the project goals with specific areas of focus:
- Tenure Promotion
- Faculty Renewal & Retention
-
Administrative
Sub-Committee Members
Tenure Promotions Committees
Lead: Elicia Maine
Members: Diane Finegood, Sharon Gorski, Wenona Hall, Nicholas Blomley, Lupin Battersby (honorary member), Livleen Diwana (Executive Assistant)
Faculty Renewal & Retention
Lead: Carman Neustaedter
Members: Lara Aknin, Robert Hogg, Kam Phung, Jane Pulkingham, Nathalie Sinclair
Administrative
Lead: Lupin Battersby
Members: Juan Pablo Alperin, Derek Bingham, Varundeep Chahal, Habib Chaudhury, Alison Moore
If you would like to get more information on the work of the sub-committees, please contact Lupin Battersby.