As we move towards finalizing the Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation (SPRI), I am pleased to invite you to participate in the upcoming round of community consultations, taking place between April 28 and May 31, 2023. Your feedback and engagement have already been essential in refining the plan and shaping the future of research and innovation at our institution — and we look forward to continuing to work together to build our collective vision for research, innovation and creative activities at the University of Alberta.
We are currently putting the last touches on the draft version of the plan for consultation. Our teams will ensure the document is available for review no less than 1 week before the consultations start.
Cross-cutting supports for research and innovation
The comprehensive institutional Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation — the first to span our entire university — sets out a bold path to steward the growth and evolution of research, innovation and creative activities at U of A. The draft plan identifies research and innovation priorities for our university and highlights our proposed strategic vision and goals to:
- Focus on people and build talent;
- Support researchers with tools and infrastructure;
- Strengthen our research and innovation culture and broaden our impact; and
- Enhance our reputation as a global research and innovation leader.
These goals and priorities were identified and developed through consultation with our community and refined by a multi-disciplinary Working Group that started their work in July 2021. The plan recognizes the need to focus on targeted areas of research and innovation that will highlight our existing strengths and expand our capacity over the next five years, help implement the One University vision and enable us to support the growth of the people and the diverse communities with whom we engage.
Interrelated and interconnected with the broader institution
The Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation does not exist in isolation. Rather, it recognizes that research and innovation have fundamental links with other parts of our University’s work, including teaching and learning, the search for truth, and the uplifting of the wider community.
Accordingly, the plan is being created in alignment with the new University Strategic Plan (USP), which is also currently under development. Setting out the University of Alberta’s ambitions, the USP will articulate the institution’s broad directions in several key areas, including research and innovation. The SPRI builds upon the direction being set through the USP process, identifying more detailed goals, objectives and tactics for translating our desired research and innovation ambitions into realities.
Your feedback is essential
As we near the completion of the two-year process of developing the Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation, your participation in these final stages is crucial. I encourage all members of our community to contribute your voice in shaping the future of research and innovation at the University of Alberta.
Over the coming weeks, we will be hosting virtual, facilitator-led consultation sessions via Zoom for our colleagues from across the university. Targeted sessions will engage each of our Colleges and Stand-alone Faculties as well as other key contributors to the U of A’s excellence in research and innovation. We also welcome feedback online.
The feedback gathered in these consultation sessions will be used to further refine and finalize the SPRI. We anticipate its approval and initial rollout in the second half of 2023. Please sign up for one or more of the consultation sessions by visiting the schedule link below.
I hope you will join us for these discussions. Together, we can shape the future of research and innovation at the University of Alberta and continue to uplift the whole people through our knowledge and creativity.
Attend a Consultation. Provide Your Feedback
Read the Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation
Aminah Robinson Fayek
Vice-President (Research and Innovation)