Memo
To: Robert Haché, Vice-President Research and Innovation
From: Dawn R. Bazely, Professor of Biology and Director, Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability (2012-13) York Institute for Research and Innovation Date: Friday November 1, 2013 in Sustainability (IRIS)
349 YORK LANES Subject: Senate Rechartering Application for the Institute for Research and Innovation in 4700 KEELE ST Sustainability TORONTO ON CANADA M3J 1P3 T 416 736 5784 Please find attached the Senate Rechartering Application for IRIS, the Institute for the [email protected] www.iris.info.yorku.ca Research and Innovation in Sustainability, as a university-wide (Institutional) Senate- Chartered Organized Research Unit, which I am respectfully submitting on behalf of those faculty named herein.
In submitting this proposal, please may I draw your attention to the following points:
1. The majority of IRIS Executive members and IRIS-affiliated and engaged researchers have expressed the opinion, that since sustainability research has such a broad definition, that the research interests of the university would be best served by a cross-cutting, institution wide ORU viz. IRIS in its current institutional format. This view was expressed at numerous Executive meetings from 2012-13, along with the concern that the shift, within the university to activity-based budgeting may be likely to create barriers to interdisciplinary collaborations that cut across faculties, and may also provide disincentives in the future, to the kind of signature collaborative research in sustainability, that IRIS has striven to develop, champion and support, since 2004.
2. The rechartering proposal concepts and ideas were developed by a core group of PIs, Executive members and engaged researchers, in consultation with, collectively and individually, members of the York University professoriate and the broader York University community (staff and student), who have stated, at some point in the last 5 years, an interest in sustainability research. Myself, Annette Dubreuil, Steve Alsop and Darnel Harris (GA, MES student) comprised the main writing and editing team, and the Rechartering Application was circulated to all interested parties, earlier this week for edits and comments.
3. At this point in time, this rechartering application constitutes the IRIS response to the recent annual review letter, from the newly constituted Board of selected Deans and their representatives. Following receipt of the letter, the Executive discussed its content and tone in several meetings, and voted that the immediate response to it would be provided by the attached Rechartering Application. However, the view of the Executive was that this should not preclude a discussion of the content of the letter in more detail, perhaps directly with the Board committee.
Finally, thank you, again, for meeting with Prof. Wood and myself to discuss aspects of the rechartering process. Your clarification of various points was tremendously helpful.
IRIS Charter Application 1
Charter Application Template For Organized Research Units
Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation
Please see the accompanying Guide for instructions on completing this template.
Application for ORU Charter 2013-14
1. ORU Name:
Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS)
2. Plain Language Abstract (75 words):
Vision
IRIS leads the shift to an evidence-based culture of sustainability through practical, collaborative and interdisciplinary research and innovation.
Mission
Sustainability is an “intolerably complex problem”, requiring that IRIS engages in transdisciplinary research.
Research-based sustainability solutions encompass environmental, social and economic dimensions at local, regional and global scales. Operating as a leading edge interdisciplinary university-wide research institute, IRIS is a hub for sustainability-related research at York University, bridging internal and external interests, through a policy of inclusivity. 3. Category (check one):
✓ Institutional
• Faculty Based
1
IRIS Charter Application
5. Co-applicant(s), if any (add rows if needed):
Name Title Affiliation Signature All Asgary Associate Disaster & Emergency Professor Management, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies
Colin Coates Associate Multidisciplinary Studies, Glendon Professor
Costas Associate Earth & Space Science & Armenakis Professor Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering Dana Craig Librarian Scott Research and Collections, York University Libraries Ng^ Darryl Reed Professor Social Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies
David V J Professor FES, Faculty of Environmental Bell Emeritus Studies and Former Dean, FES
Don Dippo Professor Education, Faculty of Education Gunho Sohn Associate Earth and Space Science and Professor Engineering, Lassonde School of Engineering
Hassan Associate School of Administrative Studies Qudrat-Ullah Professor Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (^o^\ Ian Garrett Assistant Theatre, Faculty of Fine Arts Professor
Idil Boran Associate Department of Philosophy, Faculty Professor of Liberal Arts and Professional \j±AJkP>»-A----y Studies
Irene Professor Schulich School of Business Henriques
IRIS Charter Application 5
6. Executive Committee
Current members (if applicable) Proposed members
(name/title/affiliation (name/title/affiliation
Nicole Arsenault, CSBO
Dawn Bazely (ex officio)
David Bell, LSF/FES
Colin Coates, Glendon
Annette Dubreuil (ex officio)
William Denton, Librarian
Sheila Embleton, LA&PS
Jose Etcheverry, FES
Ian Garrett, Fine Arts
Arlene Gould, Core Faculty, IRIS
Irene Henriques, Schulich
Kaz Higuchi, FES
Carla Lipsig-Mummé, LA&PS
Michael John Long, PhD Student, Osgoode
Ellie Perkins, FES
Andrew Plunkett, President’s Office
Helen Psathas, CSBO
Pam Schwartzberg, Learning for a Sustainable Future
Gabrielle Slowey, Political Science, LA&PS
Nancy Sutherland, Schulich
Stepan Wood, Osgoode *add rows as needed
5 IRIS Charter Application 6
7. Board Current members (if applicable) Suggested members
(name/title/affiliation) (name/title/affiliation) Naomi Adelson, Associate Dean Lorne Sossin, Dean, Osgoode Hall Law Research, LA&PS School Shawn Brixey, Dean, Faculty of Janusz Kozinski, Dean, Lassonde Fine Arts School of Engineering
Robert Hache, Vice President Ron Owston, Interim Dean, Faculty of Research and Innovation Education
Donald Hastie, Interim Dean, Faculty of Science
Bryan Husted, Erivan K. Haub Chair in Business and Sustainability, Schulich School of Business
Mario Roy, Associate Principal Academics Research Glendon
Noël Sturgeon, Dean, Faculty of Environmental Studies *add rows as needed
8. Advisory Committee Current members (if applicable) Proposed members
(name/title/affiliation) (name/title/affiliation)
*add rows as needed
6 IRIS Charter Application 7
9. Proposed Membership Full members (for each name tick boxes to indicate the nature of the member’s intended involvement) Name, Will Will join Will Will help Will obtain Will have Will be Will join a Would title, attend in ORU- encourage design or research admin external actively committee like office affiliation multiple supported grad or deliver support at ORU research involved in or sub- or other of full- events of research undergrad programs for grant funding other ways committee space at time the ORU projects students to offered applicants, administered (please of the ORU the ORU faculty or be involved by ORU events or other by ORU specify) if member clusters available (provide details of space request)
Example: Example: Example: Example: Example: Example: Example: Example: Example: Example:
Robert Promote Give Grant List the Promote the Will New Smith active examples applications name of mandate of participate Grant participation should grant the ORU in , student that will YES YES of Grad include an applications with wide outreach be students in admin that will range of events, or hosted in ORU support require ORU network new the ORU, events and component support. connections, recruitment requires activities and or etc. for the office allow institute space or overheads lab space
*add rows as needed
Other members (name, title, affiliation)
*add rows and categories of membership as needed See Appendix F for proposed members’ confirmations.
7 IRIS Charter Application 8
Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office Faculty of Education Don Dippo, Yes Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Other No Professor Steve Alsop, Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Steering, Yes Professor Policy Faculty of Environmental Studies William Found, Yes, I will Maybe, I would be Yes, I recently co- No Maybe Maybe Maybe No University attend, in interested in ORU- authored a book Professor Emeritus, particular, supported research chapter on Geography (LAPS) activities in the Caribbean (my Resilient related to regional specialty). Landscapes of the resilience and Caribbean with a sustainability. York Ph.D. My specific student with interest is in whom I am resilient working. I'm also landscapes. co-authoring a book with another. Where appropriate I will encourage graduate students to work on IRIS- sponsored activities. Anna Zalik, Maybe, As Maybe, Certainly if Yes Yes, I would Maybe, This is Maybe, As per Yes, In terms Other, At Maybe, This Associate much as is related to support in certainly above, if related of the moment could be very Professor, Graduate possible with overlapping areas of coordinating possible. It to global or coordinating I am helpful vis a Program in other interest vis a vis oil initiatives and would depend national concerns events, yes. overcommit vis space for Geography commitments, and gas policy or events with other on the grant, where IRIS ted to other Post- but would try. other questions groups on but I have affiliates and IRIS groups on Doctoral
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office regarding campus (CERLAC, been involved are the logical campus, but visitors. environmental geography, CRS, with grants institution with could see regulation of that FES) with which I through other which to work. doing this in industry. am affiliated. ORUs and the future. might do so here as well. Chris Cavanagh, Maybe Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe No Contract Faculty David V J Bell, Yes Maybe, Those Yes Yes, See above Maybe Maybe Yes, Serve on Steering, No Professor Emeritus involving LSF of Exec Ctee if and Former Dean, which I am Chair asked, and FES give presentations Ellie Perkins, Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes, outreach Steering, No Professor to local community partners in Jane - Finch Jose Etcheverry, Yes, Helped Yes Yes, Many of our Yes, I work Maybe Maybe Yes, I help Steering, No Associate Professor Organize Earth MES students actively with liaise between Policy Hour at York U have been colleagues from FES, CSBO, IRIS as a WWF EH involved at IRIS CSBO in campus and President Captain sustainability Council on Developed a efforts e.g. Solar Sustainability series of charging of on areas sustainable electric vehicles related to energy events with Helen energy Psathas and Nicole Arsenault Justin Podur, Maybe Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe No Associate Professor
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office Kaz Higuchi, Yes, Speaker Yes, Participate as a Yes, Encourage Yes, To Yes, (a) No, At this time, I Yes, Focus on Events/ No Adjunct Professor series and collaborator on students to participate in Speakers to do not have an educational Speaker various events various research attend outreach give invited external research activities, Series on activities. presentations by educational talks in my funding to be particularly environmental invited speakers programs related courses. (b) administered by related to and climate on environmental to climate Research grant ORU. But I would teaching about change issues such as warming and applications certainly do so, in and enhance sustainability. global warming adaptation. (NSERC, the event that I understanding and adaptation. MITAC, do get one. of climate private-sector warming and industries, and its impact, as government well as on funding) (c) mitigation Outreach development programs. strategies, to various community organisations and educational institutions. L. Anders Sandberg, Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Events/ No Professor Speaker Series Leesa Fawcett, Yes Yes, I am a member Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Yes Events/ Maybe Associate Professor of the current PEASE Speaker research project. Series Mark Winfield, Yes Yes Yes Yes Maybe Maybe Yes No Associate Professor Peter Penz, Maybe, Since I Yes, climate change, Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe No Professor Emeritus commute from esp. adaptation Brampton, it
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office depends on what I can combine events with, e.g. my classes. Rachel Hirsch, Maybe, I would Maybe, I am open to Maybe, Yes, as Maybe, I am No, NA No, NA applicable Maybe, As per No Adjunct Professor like to stay be involved in per above especially applicable at at this time for above, active and research clusters through interested in this time for me but perhaps especially keen come to as again depending on networking. I am being involved in me but will be depending to help in many events as my availability and not currently local research perhaps will be on future networking. possible. This the topics being supervising and evaluation depending on work/teaching/re depends on my addressed. I am students or capacity building future search situation. travel and work always open to teaching but this - sign me up for work/teaching schedule. But, networking and may change! involvement in /research yes, I plan to helping connect any programs situation. attend as many project/cluster related to that events as members with other especially on possible colleagues who may environmental especially those be interested in health issues in related to social working with them. I Indigenous and have a substantial communities. environmental and growing network justice issues, of government, the Arctic, and community, and community- academic colleagues based research interested in on environmental health sustainability. policy evaluation and local research capacity building. Tim Leduc, Contract Maybe Yes, PEASE Yes, GAs with No No No Maybe No Faculty PEASE project
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office Velma I Grover, Maybe Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Events/ No Adjunct Professor Speaker Series, Policy Faculty of Fine Arts Arlene Gould, Yes, With my Yes, My research Yes, I have Yes, Design is an Maybe No Yes, Continue Steering, Maybe, Contract Faculty, schedule focuses on the design engaged my enabling to offer design Events/ Office space Design permitting, I dimension in students in the discipline and I interns to IRIS Speaker is particularly generally sustainability and the Department of think there is to help with Series, helpful attend IRIS critical role of Design (through more opportunity communicatio Other, New during the meetings and designers from all the graphic to integrate ns tasks. cross- summer special events disciplines design internship design thinking Continue to disciplinary term while and initiate (architecture, program) and in and to apply connect and research organizing sustainability- landscape FES (through the design tools in promote IRIS initiatives. and teaching related events architecture, Design for IRIS research with the the Design such as the industrial, graphic, Sustainability initiatives. professional for annual Design fashion, exhibit Workshop green building Sustainability for design) in advancing course) in the and design Workshop Sustainability sustainability goals. work of IRIS. communities course and design I lead a unique off campus. organizing charrette Design for the annual organized as Sustainability Design for part of the workshop course at Sustainability Design for York (initiated by charrette. Sustainability IRIS) that engages Workshop students in the use of course. design tools to improve sustainability outcomes (economic, social, environmental) in
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office communities. Ian Garrett, Yes Maybe Yes Yes Yes Maybe Yes Steering, No Assistant Professor, Events/ Theatre Speaker Series, Policy Anna Hudson, Maybe Maybe Yes Maybe No No Maybe No Associate Professor, Visual Art and Art History Faculty of Health Michaela Hynie, Maybe Yes, LCC and the Yes Maybe Maybe No Maybe Events/ No Associate current project on Speaker Professor, invasive species in Series Psychology Ontario Marcia Rioux, Yes, Events Yes, With Yes No No No Yes Steering, No Professor, School of within my appropriate expertise Policy Health Policy and research - particularly Management interests and international projects events specific related to health and to our joint disability projects Isolde Daiski, Maybe, Maybe, Again, Yes, will Maybe, No, no such Maybe Maybe, Maybe Associate Depending how depending on encourage depending on my powers Depends on Professor, School of much it fits with interest. particularly grad time and interest what ways? Nursing my interests. students Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies Shubhra Gururani, Yes, Depending Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Steering, Maybe Associate on availability Professor, and topic of Anthropology interest, I would like to 13 IRIS Charter Application 14
Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office attend events and talks. Merle Jacobs, Maybe, Speaker Yes, Social Justice in Yes, My graduate Maybe, Deliver Yes Maybe Yes, Events/ No Associate Series the areas of Health as students in IS and maybe Community Speaker Professor, well as in SPT and Sociology outreach, we Series Department of Professions/work do research in Equity Studies environments the Jane Finch area where they think they are used by our researchers who do not return. York researchers need to be involved and accountable Idil Boran, Yes, Speaker Yes, I am open to Yes Yes Maybe, I am Maybe, Provided Yes Steering, No Associate series, pursuing research thinking about that the Policy Professor, Sustainability projects in preparing a opportunities Department of Film Festival, conjunction with grant exist, I would like Philosophy Earth Hour projects supported application to to consider Symposium, by IRIS. be presented having external etc. I am to SSHRC in the research funding planning to next three administered by actively years. I am IRIS. participate in planning to these and other consult with events IRIS as I organized by develop the IRIS. proposal.
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office Ali Asgary, Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Steering, Yes Associate Events/ Professor, Disaster Speaker & Emergency Series Management Claudio Colaguori, Maybe, Maybe, Campus Yes, I teach some Yes, depending Maybe, Maybe Maybe, Events/ No Associate Speakers, sustainability and large courses and on my area of depends on Depends on Speaker Professor, Equity Symposium environmental health reach many expertise the research my time and Series, Studies/ Social threats students schedule Policy Science Lucia Lo, Professor, Yes Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe No Geography Nina Hewitt, Maybe, Speaker Yes, I am currently Yes, Insofar as I Maybe, If Maybe, If Yes, ISC Grant Maybe Other, As No Contract Faculty, Series, Focus on writing a proposal for have the capacity research groups I funded by ISC needed, Geography Sustainability funding from the as an instructor in am involved with grant upon Invasive Species Geography are engaged in invitation Centre through IRIS this. Peter Vandergeest, Maybe Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe No Associate Professor, Geography Robin Roth, Maybe Maybe, At the Maybe, I don't No Maybe Yes, IF my current Maybe No Associate moment, my yet know enough SSHRC is Professor, research does not fit about the successful I will Geography neatly into the benefits for grad seek support themes. Northern students Research is a part of what I do, but not the focus. Conservation is my focus. If my current SSHRC insight is
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office successful, I might run it through IRIS. Steven Tufts, Maybe, Have Maybe, Depends on Maybe, Depends No, Not at this Maybe Maybe, Depends Maybe Other, No Associate attended the cluster and how on interests. I time on the grants. Would have Professor, events in the related it is to have had MA Currently some to be a Geography past. current projects. students in the grants I am co- committee I Social Justice CC past which would app on have been am fit into these associated with passionate clusters. IRIS. My PI grants about given would not current currently fit in a workload research cluster. Tarmo K Remmel, Yes, I would Maybe, If there are Maybe, Not really Maybe Maybe, Will Maybe, If Maybe No, I already Associate gladly attend project of mutual sure what their require suitable. have an Professor, speakers when benefit and interest, I roles or activities additional office and Geography in areas of would consider would be. Thus, I information. lab space. interest. joining. would be able to respond better with additional information. Ulrich Best, DAAD Maybe, Maybe, European- Yes Maybe, only at No No Maybe, see Other, No Visiting Professor, depends on Canadian York until above: only at unlikely - Geography/German topics cooperation or summer 2015 York until only at York Studies comparison projects summer 2015 until summer 2015 Sheila Embleton, Yes, I'm not Maybe, I can't be Yes, There are so Maybe, Where No, I generally No, Probably not. Yes, Steering, No, Not Professor, sure about sure. Again, it's lack many time permits -- do these things I generally do this Attendance at Events/ needed -- I Languages, giving of time and multiple intersections with and where my myself. myself. I do not events, open Speaker already have Literatures and examples, but I commitments, rather matters relating expertise or know what I will houses, films, Series, an office, Linguistics do try to attend than lack of interest. to language background is do with future earth hour, Policy, and the events -- but Some also depends death, and e.g. relevant. grants. etc. Other, I will assistants on
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office my timetable is on what will happen the aboriginal participate my project unfortunately over the coming concerns there, wherever are already too busy to years with another that our students the director housed. allow much. So ORU that I am a should attend far and many topics member of. more IRIS events assistant and speakers than they do. feel my look interesting They too are expertise though! over-committed. and But in the background interdisciplinary are best university more used. of this sort of thing should be happening. Bruce Smardon, Yes, I am Yes, I am interested Yes, The political Maybe, My Maybe, At this Maybe, Again, Yes, Other Steering, Maybe, Associate interested in in joining research science intention initially point, I do not this will depend than the Events/ Again, this Professor, Political attending projects concerning department has a is to participate have grant on how my activities Speaker would Science Speaker Series the political and large graduate in research, but applications research interests specified Series, depend on on issues economic dimensions program and this could change for these types continue to below, I could Policy future concerning of green technologies there are as more time of activities as evolve. participate in research sustainability, and the processes students who are becomes my research activities grant climate change, that govern their interested in available for me has been in designed to applications. and the political process of questions of to participate other areas - increase the economy of development. environmental more fully. particularly university- environmental sustainability. Canadian wide profile of change. federal state IRIS. policies on research and innovation in Canadian industry. This could change
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office in the future as my research interests move in a different direction. Gabrielle Slowey, Yes Yes, Northern/Arctic. Yes, Have already Maybe Yes Yes Yes No Associate had director Professor, Political come speak to Science incoming MA cohort. One has already indicated interest to join. Karen Murray, Yes Yes, Yes. Yes Yes, I am open to Yes, This would Maybe, I am Yes Events/ Maybe Associate new ideas as I be very helpful planning to apply Speaker Professor, Political gain more to my future for a SSHRC next Series Science familiarity with grant year so this might how my work applications. be a good fit. intersects with other people involved in IRIS. Nicola Short, Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Associate Professor, Political Science Shannon Bell, Yes Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Yes, CCPPA - Maybe Events/ No Professor, Political Canadian Speaker Science Consortium on Series Performance and Politics in the Americas, SSHRC Partnership Grant 2013-2020.
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office Thomas Klassen, Maybe Maybe Yes Maybe No No Maybe No Professor, Political Science Hassan Qudrat- Yes, Speaker Yes Yes, Will be Yes, contribute to Maybe, I Maybe, I intend Yes, in speaker Steering, No Ullah, Associate Series happy to Speaker Series - intend to apply to apply for series -in the Policy Professor, School of supervise their Teach in courses for research research funding design and Administrative dissertations in certificate funding with with colleagues delivery of Studies program colleagues associated with graduate associated ORUs. program/ with ORUs. courses. David Doorey, Yes Maybe Yes No Maybe No Maybe Policy No Associate Professor, School of Human Resource Management, Marina G. Maybe Yes, I am interested Yes, In 2011-2012 Yes, I will be Yes Maybe Yes Other Maybe, Only Erechtchoukova, in issues related to I was a co-leader happy to for the Assistant Professor, environmental of a working contribute to the events School of sustainability group Climate programs administered Information appraisal Change relevant to my by ORU Technology Interdisciplinary expertise Collaboration. The group included graduate and undergraduate student Thaddeus Hwong, Maybe, Maybe, Projects Maybe, Scholarly Maybe, Financing Maybe, Maybe, May be Maybe, It Other, If No Associate Lectures/talks concerning financing activities of an equal Possibility for as contributor to depends on there is a Professor, School of concerning of an equal society. concerning society. affiliating a large research what activities need for Public Policy and financing of an financing of an Social Policy project. the ORU will contribution Administration & equal society. equal society. Ideas Lab, an offer. s on public
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office School of AIF III project policy Administrative with the ORU. advocacy. Studies Darryl Reed, Maybe, Time Maybe, Depending Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe, depends Maybe Policy No, Need to Professor, Social restrictions on other on topic (have maintain a Science mean having to commitments other affiliations presence in be selective. as well) my Dept More interested in food and campus related issues David Szablowski, Yes Yes, I am involved Yes, Certainly in Maybe, I would Maybe Maybe, I have a Maybe Other, I No Associate with the project on relation to the be happy to be in project currently would be Professor, Social transnational TBGI project. closer touch to administered happy to Science business governance discuss this. through CERLAC. undertake interactions. committee work in a year or so. J.J. McMurtry, Yes, I am Maybe, I would be Yes Maybe, This No, Not sure Maybe, Again this Maybe Steering, Maybe, This Associate interested in all happy to work with depends on what what this is depends on what Policy depends on Professor, Social of these events others depending on the ORU is asking. is being the level of Science the project. planning proposed. involvement. strategically. Paul Antze, Yes Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe No Associate Professor Emeritus, Social Science Annette Bickford, Maybe Maybe Yes Maybe No No Maybe Steering, Maybe Adjunct Professor, Events/ Sociology Speaker Series
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office Faculty of Science Andrea Smith, No Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe No Research Associate, Biology Bridget Stutchbury, Yes, attend Yes, campus Yes, expected to Yes, see above No No No No Professor, Biology talks and sustainability - recruit a grad conferences particular interest in student to work migrating birds and on window reducing deaths due collision issue in to window collisions collaboration on York U campus with IRIS and greening initiatives on campus Hien Ngo, PhD No, I will not be Maybe, I would Yes, By word of Maybe, Again, No No Maybe Other, No Candidate, Biology in the country collaborate if directly mouth, email and my participation Research. at that time. If invited by PI of the social networking would depend on there are other project. I will make sure the invitation by ways to that all fellow PI. participate and graduate I am in the students are country, I will aware of the surely attend. events and ways to be involved. Logan Donaldson, Yes Maybe, My support Yes, please see Yes, please see No No, My external Yes, In 2010, Other, As a No, My Professor, Biology for broad research #12 #12 research is with Dawn Professor laboratory projects is likely biomedical; Bazely, I and former and office is limited by the therefore, it has explored the elected situated in current focus of my to be possibility of member of the Life research (molecular, administered by creating a first the York U Sciences biochemical) the VPRI. year student Senate, I am Building. enrichment aware of
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office program in the how many life sciences facets of the with a broad University curriculum. operates. I In 2011 and am happy to 2012, I used help out in $80,000 in any way Provostial AIF that funding for a Institute highly focused deems best. curriculum in Genomics and Personal Medicine. This year (2013), I was approached by a group at Bethune College to lead a program. With residual AIF funds still available, I would like to explore the possibility again of working with IRIS and the Bethune student cohort
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office to implement one or more events in the area of sustainability. Mike Gadsden, Yes, Speaker Yes, NA Yes Maybe No No Maybe Other, No Contract Faculty, series - Consult if Biology informative needed Norman Yan, Maybe, I won't Maybe, If the Yes, to the extent No No Yes, I retain a few No No Professor, Biology be on campus projects are of that I can, once NSERC grants into much as I'll be interest, I may well retired. early years of my retiring and join. retirement. moving to an emeritus position in the summer of 2014, so I'm not sure how many events I'll be able to attend. Sapna Sharma, Yes Yes Yes Yes Maybe Maybe Yes No Assistant Professor, Biology Yi Sheng, Associate Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Events/ No Professor, Biology Speaker Series Ed Lee-Ruff, Yes Yes Yes Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Events/ No Professor, Speaker Chemistry Series Muhammad N. Yes Yes Yes Yes Maybe Maybe Yes Steering, Maybe Yousaf, Professor, Chemistry
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office Pierre Potvin, Yes Yes Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Other, I No Professor, don't think Chemistry that I will have time to participate in this way. Raji Iyer, Contract Maybe Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe, I am No Maybe Events/ Maybe Faculty, Chemistry willing to work Speaker in this area Series although I do not have much experience Glendon Colin Coates, Maybe, I am Maybe, Again, I'd be Yes, Yes, but so No No No Yes, I have No Associate particularly happy to be involved far the graduate occasionally Professor, interested in in research project students haven't come to Multidisciplinary events with an with an historical found a way to be Executive Studies historical focus. Currently, the engaged. I have meetings. I'm content. I'd initiatives that I am encouraged an not sure that love to attend involved with are run undergraduate I've been able many other through the Robarts student to look to contribute events, but Centre. into IRIS, as I very much, but there simply think it fit her I have isn't time for interests. appreciated everything. the opportunity to learn about the activities of IRIS. Jocelyn Martel, Maybe Maybe No No No No No No Associate Professor,
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office Multidisciplinary Studies Joanna Robinson, Maybe, Speaker Maybe Yes, MPIA No Maybe, SSHRC No Maybe, No Assistant Professor, Series, Students, Partnership Conferences, Sociology conferences undergraduate Development Planning, Sociology events Students Stuart Schoenfeld, Maybe, on Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Associate Professor sabbatical Sociology Eric Abitbol, Maybe, Yes, I am currently Yes Yes Maybe Yes Yes No Contract Faculty, Depends on the leading an IDRC- Glendon timing of funded research events, as my project where IRIS is work often one of the key takes me to the partners. US, different Canadian cities, the Middle East and elsewhere Lassonde School of Engineering Victor Fomichev, No Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Yes No No Adjunct Professor, CRESS/ESSE Costas Armenakis, Maybe Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe No Associate Professor, Earth & Space Science & Engineering Keith Aldridge, Maybe Maybe, Linking of Maybe Maybe, Use Maybe No Maybe Policy No Professor, Earth renewable energy Information and Space Science sources with Technology to
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office conventional level out time sources. varying electricity from renewable energy sources with either renewable or non-renewable sources that are time independent. Gunho Sohn, Yes, My Yes, As mentioned Yes, I have Yes, Yes, I am Maybe, I Maybe, Again, I Yes Steering, Maybe, It Associate expertise are in previously, I am developed 3D willing to help currently need to talk to Events/ depends on Professor, Earth 3D urban space interested in models and developing belongs to my home ORU on Speaker the nature of and Space Science modeling, convergence of spatial web interdisciplinary CRESS (ORU at this issue, but Series, research and Engineering spatial researches between service at York (multidisciplinary ESSE depending on Policy, projects. augmentation, IRIS and augmented University (Keele ) programs and Department). I collaboration Other Space is spatial urban space and Glendon) and courses at York. need to get an level, it would be always awareness, modeling. Under the I am currently advice on this possible to be concerned at computer IRIS's themes, I am working on issue with administrated by York. If any vision, interested in the field augmented CRESS. different units. suitable geomatics and of "Campus indoor space room space GIS. I have been Sustainability". modeling for is available seeking for aiding disabled and the societal people at York project is relevance of my through more closely research such collaborations related to including urban with York's IRIS, it would sustainability, sustainability be helpful to pedestrian department. I am have such movements, encouraging the rooms close risk analysis and undergraduate to the other smart city. If students (ENG researchers
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office the events are 4000) to at IRIS. relevant to my participate into research this project for interests, I will spatial modeling attend them. and navigation. Spiros Pagiatakis, Yes Maybe, Climate Yes Maybe Maybe Yes Maybe Other, No Professor, Earth Change Shifting Board and Space Science Policies member and Engineering Yongsheng Chen, Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Maybe No Assistant Professor, Earth and Space Science and Engineering Osgoode Hall Law School Michael John Long, Yes, I have had Yes, I have not yet Yes, I have Yes, I have Yes, I have not Yes, I have not Yes Steering, Yes, If PhD Student and the pleasure of joined research actively helped to create yet relied on yet had external Events/ available, I IRIS Executive attending IRIS projects supported encouraged and a sustained research research funding Speaker would enjoy Member and events for many by IRIS but I am open introduced both program at IRIS, administrative administered by Series, private space Former years now, and to should a project undergraduate the Focus on support at IRIS IRIS but I am Policy within the Contract/Sessional will continue to arise which is more and graduate Sustainability for grant aware of this IRIS offices Faculty, Graduate in the future; closely linked with students to IRIS, a Film Festival, applications, viable option for to complete Studies particular my own research. number of whom which is now in although I the future. the work I favorites are now have its third year. recognize that am so the Focus on continued the ORU is an involved in Sustainability relationships with asset in this with the Film Festival the ORU. area. ORU. and the Centre for Green Change joint projects.
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office Stepan Wood, Yes, Speaker Yes, TBGI Yes, Michael Yes, York upstarts Yes, TBGI Yes, TBGI Yes, Exec No Associate Professor series, film fest, Long, TBGI social enterprise Jane finch project business planning sustainable participants course furniture project York University Libraries Angie An, Librarian, Yes Maybe Yes Maybe Maybe No Maybe Other No Bronfman Business Library Dana Craig, Yes Yes Yes Yes Maybe, I am Maybe, I am not Yes, As a Events/ No Librarian, Scott not sure yet. sure of all the librarian, I Speaker Research and possibilities would like to Series, Collections available yet. explore new Policy, ways to Other connect IRIS research and resources with our community and stakeholders. William Denton, Yes, I've been Maybe, As a librarian, Yes No Maybe, If I get Maybe, Anything Yes, Attending Policy No, Not Librarian to a number of I'm happy to help any grants for climate change- board needed, IRIS events the connect researchers climate related, certainly. meetings, thanks. last two or with data, tools and change-related helping with three years, resources that the work, I would working and will library has or can certainly groups, continue. arrange. Being a involve IRIS. connecting librarian, I come at IRIS people IRIS-related work with library differently than resources, etc.
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office scientists do, but there will be areas where my particular interests (such as augmented reality) will align with IRIS's mission, and I hope work there will develop into something larger. Peter Duerr, Maybe, It all No Yes, As far as I am No No No Yes Other, Again No Librarian, Scott depends on the able to do so. it all Library, Research & time and date depends on Collections of the events, the time involved/ required. John Dupuis, Yes, would Maybe, Mostly No Yes, Would be No No Yes, Happy to Events/ No Librarian, Steacie attend at least concerned with happy to help help with Speaker Science & speaker series science advocacy so with social media anything Series Engineering Library & would be happy to training, etc, or where I can unconferences join those sorts of other advocacy contribute projects. programs Walter W Yes Yes Yes Maybe Maybe No Yes No Giesbrecht, Librarian, Scott Library Nick Ruest, Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Yes, Data Policy No Librarian, Scott management Library, & preservation Bibliographic support via Services York University Libraries
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Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office Tom Scott, Yes Maybe Yes Maybe No No Maybe No Librarian, Scott Research & Collections, Libraries Schulich School of Business Jeff Everett, Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe No Associate Professor, Accounting Andrew Crane, Maybe Maybe Yes No Maybe Maybe Maybe No Professor, Centre of Excellence in Responsible Business Bryan Husted, Maybe Maybe Yes No No No Maybe No Professor, Centre of Excellence in Responsible Business Nancy Sutherland, Maybe, Will No Yes No No No Yes No Staff, COERB, attend events Schulich School of that fit into Business schedule. Burkard Eberlein, Maybe Yes, Already a Yes No Yes Yes Maybe No Associate member of TBGI (a Professor, PDG) headed by Policy/Strategy Stepan Wood. Dirk Matten, Yes Yes Yes Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe ad hoc basis, No Professor, Policy topic related Wesley Cragg, Maybe, I have a Yes, My specific Yes Maybe Maybe, I am Maybe, We are Yes, Through Other, No Professor, Schulich complex interests are not sure what currently coordination Coordinatio 30 IRIS Charter Application 31
Name/Affiliation Attendance Projects Encourage Stdnts Programming Admin Support External Funding Other Involv. Committees Office School of Business/ schedule. I will justice/ethics/ csr this would submitting grant with CBERN n of IRIS and Philosophy and participate if related. The work of involve proposals which if activities and CBERN CBERN scheduling IRIS and CBERN are received will research activities permits closely related in generate and some respects. Work research of research is in overlapping areas interest to IRIS the most of interest and likely form activity should be of coordinated involvement Alan J. Richardson, Maybe Yes Yes Maybe Maybe No Maybe No Professor Irene Henriques, Yes, Executive Yes Yes Yes Yes Maybe, Depends Yes Steering, No Professor meetings on the type of funder. Kevin McKague, Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Adjunct Professor Perry Sadorsky, Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Maybe Policy No Associate Professor
Other members (name, title, affiliation) Andrew Bowerbank, President, Bowerbank & Associates, and Development Advisor at The Innovation Fund Céline Artal, International Consultant-Researcher, Nexus Humani Cecilia Tagliavia, Consultant Ed Hanna, Private Consultant, DSS Management Consultants Inc. James Ian MacLellan, Contract Faculty, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, UNB, Non-York Faculty Meagan Heath, Supervisor, Waste Management, Campus Services and Business Operations, York University Melissa Leithwood, PhD Candidate, Strategy, Non-York Faculty Nicole Klenk, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Physical and Environmental Sciences and Political Science Pamela Schwartzberg, Executive Director, Learning for a Sustainable Future Steve Glassman, Staff, CSBO/ Bookstore, Printing & Mailing, Campus Services and Business Operations, York University Teresita Tajanlangit, Consultant, IRIS, Earthroots
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10. Describe the ORU’s progress toward fulfilling its mandate or meeting charter expectations during its current term (for existing ORUs only; 5 pages max). “Sustainability is an intolerably complex problem” Is what Professor Paul Anastas told us, in his introductory remarks to the annual 2013 Morris Katz Memorial Lecture, held by the York University Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry. Anastas is the Director of Yale University's Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, and he previously served as the Science Advisor to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Since its previous rechartering as a senate-mandated, pan-university Organized Research Unit, IRIS, the Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability, has sought to embrace the complexity and multi-dimensional nature of the sustainability research space, by delivering a diverse, solid and credible portfolio of outputs that acknowledge the diverse and widespread nature of scholarly activity on the campuses (Keele and Glendon) of Canada’s third-largest university. This Senate Rechartering Application speaks both to the achievements of past years (this section) and, in the next section, outlines the next 5-year phase of our multi- themed, flexible, research programme. In developing a future research programme, we have reflected on and evaluated the past 5 years of achievements, by comparing them to the key recommendations provided by the 2008 Review Panel. Such a benchmarking exercise is vital for assessing the progress that has been made. As well, we relate our proposed future directions, to the evolving internal institutional landscape of York University: both the budgetary situation and other units concerned with sustainability. We also take account of the external drivers affecting publicly funded universities (e.g. recent reports from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario) The challenge of defining what constitutes sustainability research is arguably a wicked problem in itself: sustainability deals with complex societal issues for which there may be multiple solutions, or even no obvious solution (see Allen & Gould 1986, Jentoft & Chuenpagdee 2009). One pertinent and recent example of this challenge, is provided by several research talks on the emerging field of Green Chemistry, that took place in October 2013 at York University. This field has several new journals (e.g. ChemSusChem: Chemistry & Sustainability Energy & Materials; ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering; Green Chemistry Letters & Reviews), and situates itself squarely in the sustainability space. During the past five years, those of us actively engaged in IRIS have observed that sustainability research occurs in each, and every area of academic scholarship, and engages multiple research methodologies – from the scientific method, to qualitative survey methodologies, including thick description, to discourse analysis to community- based participatory research and psycho-social research. In many ways, sustainability research parallels emerging disruptive technologies such as social media (e.g. Facebook and Twitter), because it aims to disrupt the conduct of “business as usual” in the academy. Rather than being reductionist and narrow in its scope, sustainability research is, by definition, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary (Lélé & Norgaard 2005). Sustainability research is ultimately rooted in
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action that is aimed at shifting cultural norms away from unsustainable social, economic and environmental pathways to sustainable frameworks where we do not require >2 more planet earth’s and where social justice is a key principle (see Laperche, Levratto & Uzunidis 2012; Bazely et al. 2014). Another observation from the last five years, is that Sustainability Research and Researchers are expected to walk their own talk: to behave sustainably, be inclusive, collaborative, and respectful of diverse areas of scholarship. This aspect of the sustainability research field runs counter to the prevailing model that emphasizes the individual, discipline-specific academic research-star and Nobel Prize winner. While the challenges around engaging in team, collaborative, interdisciplinary research are not specific to sustainability research, they are broadly relevant, and the lively debate surrounding interdisciplinary research is thriving (Salter 1997; Jacobs 2013). IRIS researchers have participated in recent Science of Team Science conferences, and the current Science of Team Science Project of the USA National Research Council’s Board on Behavioral, Cognitive and Sensory Sciences (http://bit.ly/16s3G1K). In a recent Bioscience paper, The Elusive Pursuit of Interdisciplinarity at the Human- Environment Interface, Roy et al. (2013) present the results of a survey describing various tensions, both institutional and individual, encountered by academics engaging in interdisciplinary research at the Human-Environment interface; this arguably, encompasses much of sustainability research. The survey reports a number of experiences similar to those articulated by Jared Diamond, in his October 11 2013 interview with Gillian Tett, in the Financial Times Magazine, where he stated that “Silo- busting is exceptional in academia – one is expected to specialise. There is a lot of turf warfare”. He goes on to state: “In academia people talk about interdisciplinary thinking and run courses and programmes – but Lord help you if you try to make an interdisciplinary career, unless you are already so high that there is nothing they can do to you.” And that succinctly describes some of the challenges faced by IRIS, as highlighted in our previous Senate Review in 2008. The reviewers, including two externals from sustainability fields, noted these ongoing challenges, and identified the following gaps: 1. the need to clarify the mandate and strategic objectives; 2. the need to define and implement an improved governance structure; 3. the need to develop a coherent, integrated research program with wide appeal to and support by the university community; 4. the need to attract a critical mass of scholars (faculty and students) to participate in IRIS research and education undertakings; and 5. the need for adequate resources. The review committee wrote the following about point (1), which, arguably, is the main driving factor for points (2)-(5): “In our view, IRIS is hamstrung by the lack of a clear mandate and associated objectives. This (a) militates against objective assessment of performance; (b), makes for potentially uneasy relationships with other administrative units; (c) impedes IRIS’ ability to attract participation of faculty members in institute undertakings; and (d) may
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give rise to questions concerning the legitimacy and/or importance of IRIS undertakings from the perspective of the university as a whole.” Mandate and Governance (#1 & #2): How Did We Respond to These Points and Did We Deliver? In 2008-09, the IRIS Executive worked to clarify mandate and governance. We created a structure aimed at representing both the diversity of people on the York University campuses with an interest in sustainability research, that had the ability to respond to the numerous requests being received from members of the internal York University community and also from members of communities external to York University, who were trying to determine who to talk with on issues of sustainability. We held several community consultations and visioning workshops, in order to scope out the range of opinions and views of what a senate-mandated research institute such as IRIS should be doing. These sessions generated a broad, diverse set of opinions about the scale at which activity should be happening, from local (on the campus), to regional, in surrounding municipalities, to provincial/national and international. Some participants viewed sustainability research as having a very narrow focus, while others, saw it as being inherently interdisciplinary and even transdisciplinary. The mandate we chose is outlined in response to question two of this application. Two unexpected findings emerged from the strategic planning consultations: A. There are “non-traditional” research groups at York University: 1. Staff charged with reducing the energy and resource consumption footprint of the York campuses were seeking campus-based research to inform their policy and practice. Yet, they reported feeling disconnected and, in some ways, alienated from the professoriate. 2. Graduate and undergraduate students from diverse faculties attending these events, expressed a strong desire for research opportunities not directly related to their courses. B. Researchers in a particular department or faculty who had identified an interdisciplinary aspect to their research, reported difficulty with identifying colleagues in other departments/faculties having the requisite research interests and skills. Efforts to connect/network often received no response or hit a dead-end. To respond to these needs, IRIS adopted a principle of inclusivity and responsiveness to the wider York University community. IRIS made this principle central to its vision of being a University-wide catalyst for research and innovation on sustainability. The IRIS Executive approved a Governance and Membership document at its December 2, 2009 meeting. This document was subsequently updated to clarify how and when steering committee members are appointed. Since then, set terms of office have been implemented, and the Steering Committee reviews the IRIS membership annually, and presents this to the Executive. The IRIS Executive approved a Conflict Resolution Policy on October 27, 2011. In 2013, VPRI created an IRIS Advisory Board to review IRIS’ annual report and provide strategic advice. At this time, the IRIS Executive voted not to pursue revitalizing its former external Advisory Committee.
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Integrated Research Program and Critical Mass of Scholars (#3 & #4) The community consultations revealed the “intolerable complexity” (to paraphrase Paul Anastas, Yale University) of sustainability research. In responding to points 3 and 4 of the 2008 SCOR review, the executive agreed that this diversity of opinion as well as the various methodologies and scholarly approaches to sustainability research must be acknowledged, in defining an integrated research programme, to ensure the possibility of including and supporting any and all of them. We agreed that excluding any one methodological approach, would run counter to the philosophy and principles of sustainability research. Nevertheless, we needed to focus, and following the June 2009 strategic planning workshop, a Strategic Plan (2010-2012) was developed, which highlighted four criteria that are defined for all IRIS projects (research themes, scope, research diversity, and community impact). The research themes outlined in the strategic plan, which have since been expanded to six themes, were purposefully made broad enough to reflect the inclusive nature of inter- and trans-disciplinary research carried out by IRIS members. The themes are: Shifting Policies, Biodiversity & Invasives, Arctic & Northern, Climate Change, Social Justice, Campus Sustainability. Scope: IRIS research spans the local (e.g. campus sustainability research), to regional (e.g. Churchill Community of Knowledge Digital Archive), to national (e.g. Work in a Warming World), to international (e.g. Transnational Business Governance Interactions). Selected Example of Research Diversity: IRIS research aims to encourage novel, unique assemblages of York academics from diverse faculties that generate high impact research. The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS) project, “Connecting four research solitudes: The impacts and implications of climate change for invasive species, biodiversity and society” has produced 3 highly regarded peer-reviewed papers, thus far. Effects of climate change on the distribution of invasive alien species in Canada continues to be one of the Top 5 Most Read articles of the month in Environmental Reviews, while Taking stock of the Assisted Migration Debate was the most-downloaded article of late 2011 in Biological Conservation. This team included professors from 5 faculties: Osgoode (S. Wood), Science (D. Bazely, N. Yan), LA&PS (C. Lipsig-Mumme, N. Hewitt), Schulich (I. Henriques), and FES (J. MacLellan). Selected Examples of Community Impact: IRIS-affiliated faculty generally support the view, that for research to have the widest possible impact, including action beyond publishing, it is necessary to branch out into non-academic communities using knowledge mobilization, by providing results in multiple forms, including plain language summaries. IRIS places significant emphasis on Speaker Series, conferences and events that disseminate our research. We maintain a dynamic and engaging online and social media presence, that is an essential aspect of supporting and engaging with principles of Community-Based Participatory Research (Minkler & Wallerstein 2008). Ultimately, this version of the Field of Dreams’ “If you build it, he will come” approach (see Considine 2004) has been successful. IRIS has attracted diverse sustainability researchers, and the diverse PI roster is evidence of this inclusivity in action. Additionally, explicit adoption of the principle of giving due credit to all research participants, has paid off in both research credibility and community building. IRIS-
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administered and affiliated project Principal Investigators include: D. Bazely (Biology, Science), S. Wood (Osgoode), E. Perkins (FES), C. Lipsig-Mumme (Social Science, LA&PS), E. Abitbol (Peacebuild). IRIS researchers are co-applicants and co- investigators on grants based at other Universities, such as SEPN at the University of Saskatchewan with Steve Alsop (Education) as co-applicant, and in other research institutes, such as the SSHRC PDG Living with Climate Change (LCC) project led by Michaela Hynie (Psychology, Health) in YIHR. For LCC, the co-applicants who are experts in climate adaptation, were all connected through and from IRIS. IRIS has a strong membership of active scholars from across the university. As of May 2013, our active Core Faculty (members involved in an IRIS project - see appendix C for details on all projects) is 34 (Education (2); FES (8); Fine Arts (2); LA&PS (8); Science and Engineering (3); Glendon (2); Osgoode (2); Schulich (7)); 52 Senior Fellows (including non-core York faculty, staff and community partners, and visiting fellows) and 45 students as Junior Fellows, with 300 more interested in volunteering. To engage our scholars, in 2010 we launched a monthly e-newsletter and in 2012 our Annual Research Showcase where IRIS researchers present the results of their research (e.g. “Transcending Interdisciplinary Research Barriers: Best Practices for Mobilizing Knowledge” which was a symposium at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2012 annual meeting). The Speaker Series expanded from 4-5 events in 2007-09 to an average of 10+ events per year, including large draw speakers (e.g. David Miller, former Mayor of Toronto and current CEO WWF-Canada). Getting the Big Grants: During the past 6 years, IRIS faculty were co-applicants on two successful and one unsuccessful SSHRC team grants, which passed the LOI stage. The SSHRC MCRI (2009-2011), Ecologies on the Edge (PI Robert Latham) was not funded at the final stage, but research contributed by several IRIS-affiliated co- applicants is ongoing. IRIS has a central role in the successful SSHRC PG, Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN) ($3.5 million), led by University of Saskatchewan, and built on a previous CURA application that passed the LOl stage (PI Steve Alsop). Several IRIS (Education and FES) faculty are co-applicants on this PG, for which Lakehead University is also a partner. Finally, the SSHRC CURA, Work in Warming World, led by PI Carla Lipsig-Mumme was also funded.
Adequate resources (#5) The issue of finding sustained funding is ongoing, and IRIS has operated in a manner similar to that of small NGOs, i.e. an entrepreneurial model, with no dedicated core funding. In May 2009 IRIS hired a permanent administrative co-ordinator (24 hours per week). Graduate and undergraduate students support the delivery of events and campus sustainability research. Since 2010 IRIS has renewed three times its MOU with VPFA to fund the Annual Campus Sustainability Surveys.
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11. Charter Proposal
(a) Describe the most promising research opportunities for the ORU over the term of the proposed charter. 5 pages max; see Guide for additional instructions on content) In moving forward in the next 5 years, IRIS will continue to implement the principles of Green Economics and Full Cost Accounting (the Triple-bottom Line approach), in which concepts such as social capital are included in budgeting. This approach, which is fundamental to sustainability research, leverages York University strengths in human capital, such as student interest in engaging in research and building their soft skills. This has supported the solid slate of research deliverables of the last 5 years, such as the Ethics Approved Annual Campus Sustainability Survey, which is an example of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) (e.g. Minkler & Wallerstein 2008), and the Churchill Communities of Knowledge Collection of the YorkSpace Institutional Repository. For the latter, we worked with the Research Practicum Programme for Biology Undergraduate Students, in which students gain transcript notation for their research experience. These are direct examples of what Miller et al. (2013) describe in their article Extending Your Research Team: Learning Benefits when a Laboratory Partners with a Classroom. A modest grant from Parks Canada, given in their year of extreme budget cuts, also supported this project, and we have been invited to extend and expand this project, which supports Open Access and knowledge mobilization. It is essential that IRIS’ research supports key themes in York University’s new Strategic Research Plan (2013-18). Fortunately, future research activity that is both planned and ongoing at IRIS relates to all six themes: ● Advancing Fundamental Discovery and Critical Knowledge IRIS will continue its established track record of generating innovative, transdisciplinary research outputs with high impacts, such as the CFCAS Solitudes Project and its related research papers, which have garnered much critical attention. Additionally, it is important to note that the IRIS Arctic Human Security research projects, with the 2014 book, Environmental and Human Security in the Arctic, essentially defined a new area of scholarship: namely, that of Human Security in the Arctic. In the last 2-3 years has been embraced as a research theme by the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, and the Gordon Foundation. These two selected projects are examples of how IRIS connects the social and natural sciences. Dr. Higuchi (FES Adjunct Professor) views the provision of a space in which social science and STEM researchers from diverse backgrounds can meet to exchange ideas in a mutually respectful space, as critical to moving forward on Climate Change Research. To this end, IRIS lead and continuing focal point for York University’s Observer Status at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change provides an important area for scholarly dialogue on this issue.
● Analyzing Cultures and Mobilizing Creativity Creativity and innovation are central themes for all sustainability research. Forthcoming research grant application to Google Research and other
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institutional funders, examining the effect of social media on mobilizing knowledge in YorkSpace speak directly to this theme. This project engages librarians, as well as colleagues in computer science engineering.
● Building Healthy Lives and Communities The collaboration with the York Institute for Health Research on the “Living with Climate Change: Mapping Experience and Adaptation in the Global South and North” SSHRC PDG grant includes adaptation to climate change and has strong health elements. The pending $500 K application to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture’s New Directions programme, Living with climate change in Southwestern Ontario's rural communities: an integrated and multiscale approach to climate adaptation in the agri-food sector (Bazely, PI) , extends and expands the PDG project.
● Exploring the Frontiers of Science and Technology IRIS has been engaged for over a year in conversations regarding the proposed multi-million dollar BRE (Buildings Research Establishment) Innovation Campus at Kortright Conservation Area with the TRCA (Toronto Regional Conservation Authority). This team building effort is moving forward and TRCA and BRE leads have requested that IRIS act as York University’s focal contact point especially to support research into the Social Dimension of Green Buildings Research.
● Forging a Just and Sustainable World This is a key goal of all sustainability research. We have recently been invited by Prof. Richard Mitchell of Brock University, a noted children’s human rights advocate, to collaborate. As a first step, a number of IRIS-affiliated faculty are contributing to his third book in this area, Planetary Praxis & Pedagogy: Transdisciplinary Approaches to Environmental Sustainability.
● Integrating Entrepreneurial Innovation and the Public Good The TBGI project (PI Stepan Wood) fits under this theme and plans to apply for a SSHRC PG in the future. IRIS has essentially operated for 5 years as a Small or Medium Enterprise, demonstrating an entrepreneurial funding model, including supporting Regenesis@York in launching their York University Market (YUM!).
On Measuring Research Success Going Forward & Building Capacity for Growth Our collective view is that research outputs and impacts (measured through diverse qualitative and quantitative metrics, including Altmetrics (Piwowar 2013), as well as the more conventional citation metrics) are more important than research inputs (viz.: dollars), in assessing the impact of sustainability research. However, this is not to downplay the importance of securing stable financial administrative salary support, and we see such an input as an essential component of stabilizing and expanding the IRIS research portfolio. To clarify, while we have operated very successfully with a part-time co-ordinator for the past 5 years, whose entire salary has been raised through contract overhead, research
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grants (as project manager) and VPFA funding, without a dedicated budget salary line from anywhere within the university, we are fully aware, that further expansion of research grants is limited by this lack of a full-time co-ordinator: For example, there have been 3 major grant competitions to which we have been unable to submit an application, simply because we lack the capacity to write and develop grant applications. At the same time, we have, during September, written and submitted three research grants, totaling $300 K, to three different funders (IDRC, OMAFRA and Ontario Invasive Species Council), with three different PIs (P. Schwartzberg, D. Bazely, and N. Hewitt, respectively). The three grant competitions that we would have liked to respond to, but have simply been unable to develop and submit applications, as a sheer consequence of too few co-ordinator hours are: 1. High North Programme 2013-2018: Supports collaboration between higher education institutions in Norway and institutions in Canada, Japan, Russia, the Republic of Korea and the United States in order to increase knowledge about the High North. Given our Arctic focus and strong connections with Norway, this presents an ideal opportunity. 2. NSERC-CREATE: Over the years, we have been approached by colleagues from both within and outside of York University to develop and lead on such a grant, but have simply not had the administrative capacity to respond, despite very solid project content. 3. IDRC - Safe and Inclusive Cities: Reducing Urban Violence, Poverty, and Inequalities Programme. Again, we simply lack the time and capacity to develop a proposal. At this point in time, we are operating at full capacity. A full-time co-ordinator will also seek for more philanthropic donations.
A Future 5-year Research Programme IRIS will continue to position itself as a cross-cutting, interlinking research unit, through which York university creates sustainability knowledge, and mobilizes this knowledge to generate innovative, novel, transdisciplinary outcomes. Research will continue in 6 theme areas, which may also evolve and shift in emphasis. ■ Shifting Policies ■ Biodiversity & Invasives ■ Arctic & Northern ■ Climate Change ■ Social Justice ■ Campus Sustainability The 2008 SCOR Review Panel identified three potential functions for a pan-university ORU such as IRIS: (a) interdisciplinary collaborative research; (b) information transmission and communication; and (c) institutional reform. We have embraced the panel’s proposals in the past 5 years, through innovative and experimental IRIS projects, such as the International Summer Course in Green Building Design, developed with York International, the World Green Building Council, and the Faculties of Fine Arts & Environmental Studies. This ongoing undergraduate course that
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brought students from multiple disciplines together to learn about green buildings, and to do green building research led to research collaborations funded by MITACS. Additionally, the Review Panel recommended that IRIS develop a “research program which involves active and ongoing collaborations between the physical/natural and social sciences and which is explicitly concerned with elucidating the causal relationship between, on the one hand, components of socioeconomic systems, and on the other, the biophysical systems in which they are embedded.” In other words, this is research that spans the physical, natural and social sciences. Building trust and interdisciplinary collaborations across different disciplines in the university, takes time, and after 6-7 years, we have seen increased buy-in from York faculty. Our future research projects will cut across more than one of the identified and existing research themes, which were conceived to be broad enough to be representative and inclusive to the variety of projects that have been and could be brought forward by IRIS members. There is significant interest from York faculty in continuing their relationship or joining IRIS, as exemplified by the number (106) who have answered the call to be a proposed member of a renewed IRIS. We will work together to build capacity to expand the PI base even further. Three selected research projects, entering the next stage, which have not been previously mentioned are: 1. Future Forests and Wildlife in Ontario: Research grant applications and collaborations with colleagues throughout Ontario and North America are ongoing and active, including with First Nations communities in Ontario. 2. Bringing the Human Dimension to the Built Environment. IDRC and other applications are in review and development. 3. Research into quantifying the impacts of pedagogical and educational programming that increases sustainability course content. We have been invited to apply for further Parks Canada funding.
What has Changed in the Academic World, as we Move Forward? Within York University, there is renewed interest in sustainability research from the Faculty of Environmental Studies. This contrasts with the situation 10 years ago, when the Faculty-based York Centre for Applied Sustainability was closed. Additionally, the creation of the President’s Sustainability Council (PSC) is evidence of administrative support for principles of sustainability at the Campus Operations level and provides a table where students, and staff can discuss university policy. IRIS research activities are complementary to their activities, but, as discussed in a following section, are distinctly different, due to the broader university research mandate. Outside of York University, there is increasing interest from government and other funders in team, interdisciplinarity research that addresses wicked problems such as climate change, which is, in effect, sustainability research. At the same time, organizations such as the provincial Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, is
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requiring universities to identify their strengths and to prioritize certain areas related to teaching and research. IRIS is well positioned to support York University as it responds to the various calls in the various HEQCO reports and from funders. In particular, our experience and interests in institution and network building in support of sustainability research, have positioned us to be strong Strategic Communicators and Connectors. These skills are vital to building successful research teams and collaborations. Additionally, IRIS has adopted the sustainability principle that outputs matter more than inputs. We are committed to continuing to produce, good value, high impact research, that engages diverse members of the York community. Laurance et al. (2013) showed that the best predictors of long-term career and publishing success in the Biological Sciences are: 1. the number of journal articles published prior to PhD completion and 2. within the first 3 years following the PhD completion. At IRIS, we have championed the notion that peer-reviewed publications (books and journal articles) along with well-supported, ethics-approved grey literature research, involving students, is the way to build research capacity and successful research careers. The tight budget situation at York, with ongoing cuts will continue for the foreseeable future. IRIS’ strong record of generating quality research outputs on modest resource inputs will continue to provide value.
What has NOT Changed in the Academic World, as we Move Forward? One major ongoing institutional challenge will be that of receiving due credit from within York University departmental and faculty units for creating, supporting and strengthening research networks and for building institutional capacity around collaborative/team grants. This ongoing challenge for every programme and/or office that cuts across departments and faculties and is discussed in numerous grey literature reports and research papers (e.g. in Roy et al. 2013) will play out against the introduction of Activity-based Budgeting. Since IRIS’ launch in 2004, many other Canadian universities and colleges have founded interdisciplinary research centres in sustainability. The Liu Institute for Global Issues, UBC and the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock to name just two. IRIS-affiliated researchers have strong credibility in their fields (as evidenced from diverse metrics, including H factors and other citation rates) and we are frequently approached by external researchers from these universities and centres to collaborate with them. We compete well in the “publish or perish” broader academic world outside of York. From a funding perspective, York has 3 options with rechartering IRIS, and providing a baseline salary for a full-time co-ordinator: a) 100% of the salary could come from the VPRI envelope, b) Faculties could each provide $3,000, with LAPS as lead Faculty providing $10,000, or c) a combination of a) and b). The budget utilizes option b).
41 IRIS Charter Application 42
(b) Describe any other benefits of the ORU and its activities that have not been fully captured by the information in 10(a) above (optional - up to 1 page) We have defined the different mandates of IRIS in relation to two other university bodies concerned with sustainability, here (with thanks to Darnel Harris of Regenesis@York). IRIS works to lead and support collaborative, novel, sustainability research and learning across faculties at York, in effect cutting across siloes. In this, IRIS is supported by and draws on the experience and accomplishments of various nodes of activities around sustainability at York including the Faculty of Environmental Studies, the Business & Society Program (Liberal Arts & Professional Studies), the Centre for Excellence in Responsible Business (Schulich School of Business), the Hennick Centre for Business and Law (Schulich and Osgoode) and the former York Centre for Applied Sustainability (FES). The Institute was established in early 2004 and formally launched in late 2004. The outputs are primarily peer-reviewed papers. IRIS supports and engages faculty and students from across York University and provides a neutral, uncontested space for inter- and transdisciplinary research ideas to grow, flourish and take shape. IRIS performs a cross-cutting function in this regard, that differs from the focused disciplinary mandate of the Faculty of Environmental Studies. Current accounting practices will, we believe provide disincentives for professors from departments and faculties outside FES to participate in sustainability-related research based in FES. Additionally, the teaching demands placed on FES professors have, in the past, precluded a number of them from participating in research activities external to their faculty, which is interdisciplinary in and of itself. The President’s Sustainability Council is effectively a governance committee. It is not a place to do academic peer-reviewed research, nor can it be. The Council's mandate is defined as: “....an advisory body to the President with responsibility for providing input and recommendations on how to advance York University’s sustainability initiatives, projects, and practices and to provide oversight of the required actions from approved recommendations. It is also a mechanism through which to support and enable York students, faculty and staff to participate meaningfully in the planning and implementation of York University’s sustainability policies, initiatives, projects and practices.”
42 IRIS Charter Application 43
(c) Define the expectations, projected deliverables, and evaluation metrics for the proposed charter period. (2 pages max) The Deliverables that we can commit to with confidence are the following Research Outputs, Knowledge Dissemination and Mobilization, Institution-building and Support: ● Apply for grants (>$200,000) that leverage the inter-disciplinary teams created at IRIS. Note that in Fall 2013, IRIS has submitted grant applications totally $300k and actively participates in funded grants totaling >$300k. ● Apply for funding from non-traditional, non-Tri-Council funding sources – e.g. foundations (e.g. Google). ● Provide critical participation in and support for grants where the PI is based in another research centre, faculty or department (e.g. past examples with YCAR, YIHR) ● Publish novel, high-impact research by interdisciplinary (cross-faculty) teams impact in peer-reviewed journals, that is measured by a diverse range of metrics, including Altmetrics (Piwowar 2013). This research can and should include that involving diverse scholarly methodologies. ● Work with York University’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit and Libraries in the dissemination and mobilization research through of plain language research summaries, and diverse copyright-cleared forms of media lodged in YorkSpace, our Institutional Repository. ● Inform and support the emergence of sustainability research in the classroom e.g. in Lassonde School of Engineering, and continue to explore the MOOC (Massive open online course) Model for non-degree credit courses in Sustainability. ● Broaden and extend the research opportunities and outputs of undergraduate and graduate students by extending the science model, and by providing early opportunities to publish which Laurence et al. (2013) have shown, is a driver of long-term publishing and academic success. Please note, that we have established a strong track record of this, according to the NSERC principles and guidelines associated with the training of HQP (Highly qualified personnel). ● Both deliver (lead) and support Community Based Participatory Research on the York campuses, and beyond through the annual survey project and other initiatives. Prof. Famida Handy at the University of Pennsylvania proposes to extend this research and database to other universities in North America. In doing this, we will continue to support the Senior Manger in Environmental Design and Sustainability and other campus staff with research that can inform policy, and supports the principle of Evidence-Based Policy. ● Support the University Strategic Plan’s commitment to Experiential Education, in which research experiences, sensu BIOL 4000, ENG 4000 and other Honours Thesis and Capstone, are fundamental. Also, support the York University Libraries’ Undergraduate Research Fair. ● Model and provide support for Excellence in Institutional Strategic Communications.
43 IRIS Charter Application 44
● Identify key gaps and opportunities for knowledge sharing and network building, by working with the NGO Learning for a Sustainable Future, who is a key partner on current grant applications to IDRC and the SEPN project.
12. Directorship (Identify proposed Director or provide rationale for internal or external search)
Director search is currently underway.
Appendices:
A Sponsoring and Participating Faculty Letters of Support 45 B 5 Year budget 46
C IRIS Projects 2008-2013 47
D References 51
E Past chartering documents, interim reviews, and last two annual reports ● 2008 IRIS Six Year Plan 52 ● 2008 SCOR Panel Review (June 2008) 66 ● VPRI memo to SCOR (October 17, 2008) 75 ● SCOR memo to IRIS (October 27, 2008) 77 ● 2009-2010 Administrative Review (May 2010) 78 ● IRIS Strategic Plan (2010-2012) 80 ● IRIS Governance and Membership (April 12, 2012) 98 ● IRIS Annual Report (2011-2012) 103 ● IRIS Conflict Resolution Policy (October 27, 2011) 128 ● IRIS Annual Report Meeting (2011-2012) 132 ● IRIS Annual Report (2012-2013) 134 ● IRIS Annual Report Feedback (2012-2013) 162
F Proposed Membership Confirmations 164
44 IRIS Charter Application 45
Appendix A – Sponsoring and Participating Faculty Letters of Support Letters of Support – to come.
45 Gmail - Request for a letter of support for the IRIS Charter Appl... https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=d0b4adc891&view...
Annette Dubreuil
Request for a letter of support for the IRIS Charter Application
Ron Owston
Dear Dawn,
The new process for re-chartering ORUs is making excessive demands on a small faculty like Educa on. We have been asked for le ers of support for a total of 7 ORUs this year! I will respond posi vely about suppor ng IRIS’s goals, etc. but that will be the extent of what we can offer. I hope that this will be sufficient and I wish you success in the re-chartering.
Regards, Ron
===
Ron Owston, PhD
University Professor and
Dean, Faculty of Educa on
York University, Toronto, Canada
Email [email protected]
Twi er @RonOwston; homepage: h p://ronowston.ca
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Annette Dubreuil Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2013 3:48 PM To: Ron Owston Cc: Don Dippo; Steve Alsop; Dawn Bazely; Emily Tjimos
1 of 2 2013-12-23 11:46 AM FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES Memo 4700 KEELE ST TORONTO ON To: Robert Haché, Vice-President Research and Innovation CANADA M3J 1P3 T 416 736 5252 From: Noël Sturgeon, Dean, Faculty of Environmental Studies www.fes.yorku.ca Date: December 2, 2013
Subject: Letter of Response to IRIS Chartering Application
The Faculty of Environmental Studies has been asked to provide a letter of support as a lead faculty for IRIS’ charter renewal application. We believe that it is important that there is at least one ORU at York University focused explicitly on issues of sustainability - a role which IRIS has historically fulfilled. We also believe that it makes eminent sense for FES to be lead Faculty of such an ORU. However, there has been a fair amount of confusion as to what role FES is being asked to play in supporting IRIS’s rechartering application. We have been asked to provide support ($3,000 annually) as a participating Faculty, with LAPS as lead faculty. We have also been asked by the IRIS Executive to commit to being one of four lead sponsoring faculties.
FES and IRIS have had a long and intertwined relationship, not surprising given IRIS’s focus on sustainability and the essential role FES has played in defining and developing interdisciplinary environmental studies, broadly defined, within Canada and at York since the late sixties. IRIS is actually the second stage of a previous ORU based in the Faculty of Environmental Studies. A number of FES faculty have served on IRIS’s executive board over the years, and a majority of the external grants IRIS has supported, especially in recent years and excluding those for which the IRIS DIrector served as PI, have been grants submitted by our faculty members. I sit on the Board of IRIS, and am serving on the search committee for a new director. In its rechartering application, IRIS lists eight of our faculty members (representing approximately 19% of our full time faculy) as proposed members on the IRIS application: Anna Zalik, Ellie Perkins, Jose Etcheverry, Justin Podur, Kaz Higuchi, L. Anders Sandberg, Leesa Fawcett, and Mark Winfield. I note, however, that only two of our faculty (Etcheverry and Winfield) have agreed to be co-applicants on the application. A number of our faculty have served on IRIS’s executive. IRIS also hires 4-5 MES students as GAs every year, as well as undergraduates as work study students. They have collaborated with BESSA on the Earth Hour Symposium for the past two years. So it is clear that there is active involvement with IRIS from various members of the FES community. I also recognize that IRIS has had in its history considerable achievements in promoting a culture of valuing and furthering sustainability within York; and I find this work very valuable and admirable.
However, I do not see in the present rechartering application a focussed strategy of garnering research funding, which is the main purpose of an ORU. Further, IRIS’s self-definition is so far-reaching and all encompassing that it might as well be a definition of the Faculty of Environmental Studies (a thoroughly interdisciplinary unit focused on research and teaching about the environment, defined broadly as the built, cultural, social, politcal and natural environment, with a strong interest in understanding the links between environmental issues and social justice). IRIS needs to be more clearly defined as an institutional ORU.
Within FES, we have had a long conversation about our continued support for IRIS. As I stated at the outset, we certainly wish to support, and indeed would expect to be the lead faculty for, any institutional ORU focused on research on sustainability. We believe that York as an institution is and should be a leader in sustainability research in Ontario, Canada, and the world. At FES, we are engaged in a number of research partnerships and successful external grants with colleagues from other Faculties without relying on IRIS, and we will continue to strengthen and elaborate those partnerships. We would enthusiastically support an institutional ORU which articulated a strategy of developing research activities in particularly defined areas of sustainability research likely to receive external monies, to which FES faculty could contribute in ways which supported all internal and external partnerships. We note, however, that Faculty annual contributions to an institutional ORU would set a problematic precedent; we also think that such annual Faculty support would work against the objective of an ORU ambitiously seeking external funding through research grants.
To summarize, FES is certainly a vital supporter of university-wide efforts to promote research on sustainability and efforts to apply for external funding to do so. But we would like any rechartering of IRIS to involve a discussion among the members of IRIS, FES, and other faculty engaged in sustainability research across the university in order to identify and articulate a narrower focus, strategically situated with the clear purpose of successfully generating external grants.
cc: Martin Bunch, Associate Dean of Research, FES Lisa Phillipps, Associate Vice-Provost, Research Dawn Bazely, Director, IRIS Gmail - Re FFA Letter of Support for IRIS https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=d0b4adc891&view...
Annette Dubreuil
Re FFA Letter of Support for IRIS
Michael Longford
Dear Dawn and Annette:
I've taken time to review your ORU Charter application with Dean Brixey and I'm sorry to say that we are not able to provide a Faculty letter of support at this time. We recognize the importance of sustainability research and agree that York researchers will continue to make significant contributions in this area, however, we needed to see stronger engagement with the FFA reflected in the number of our faculty members participating in IRIS and past collaborations.
We wish you success in your application and hope there will be opportunities in the future to expand our participation in IRIS activities.
Best regards.
Michael
------Michael Longford Associate Dean Research, Planning, and Graduate Studies Faculty of Fine Arts York University 4700 Keele Street Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Tel: +1 416-736-2100 x77347 Cell: +1 647-834-3843
1 of 1 2013-12-23 11:44 AM Gmail - Request for a letter of support for the IRIS Charter Appl... https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=d0b4adc891&view...
Subject: Request for a letter of support for the IRIS Charter Application
[Quoted text hidden]
2 of 2 2013-12-23 11:46 AM December 2, 2013
Robert Hache Vice-President Research and Innovation York University
Re: Letter of Support for IRIS Chartering Application
Dear Vice-President Hache: Office of the Principal Bureau du Principal Glendon College is delighted to provide this letter of support as a participating faculty 2275 Bayview Avenue for IRIS' charter renewal application . Toronto ON Canada M4N 3M6 IRIS is a pan-university research centre that specializes in collaborative, inter disciplinary sustainability research . Glendon is pleased to have fou r facu lty members Tel: 416.487.6727 (representing just over 4% of our total full time faculty) listed as proposed members Fax /telecopie: on the IRIS application: Professors Colin Coates, Jocelyn Martel, Stuart Schoenfeld 41 6.487.6786 and Joanna Robinson. Furthermore, we are encouraged that two of them have also agreed to be co-applicants on the application (Coates and Martel), reflecting their Internet: www.glendon.yorku .ca dedication to IRIS and its renewal.
In addition to our continued faculty interest in IRIS, we have had active research collaborations with IRIS since its inception. These include, but are not limited to: 1. Faculty Members: Colin Coates, Stuart Schoenfeld serve(d) on the IRIS Executive; 2. Glendon Campus Project: Hosted on irisyorku .ca , the website highlights the environmental history and challenges of conservation and sustainability in the 21 51 C; 3. Funding for Glendon: The recent Ministry of Environment Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund ($25,000) will provide an engineering study and tree plantings to protect the West Don River wh ich runs through the campus; 4. Research Projects: Adaptive Visions of Water in the Middle East (AVOW) (Schoenfeld) which researched water issues in the Middle East; 5. Student Groups: We've collaborated with Glendon Roots & Shoots/Regenesis @ York on Earth Hour and spoke at last year's Eco Conference.
Moreover, many of our Glendon Faculty members have expressed the positive impact IRIS has had on their work involving environmental issues, in both the natural science and social science context. For instance, IRIS has provided them with important networking and collegial support, as well as access to resources which may not have been readily available on this campus. Once again according to our professors, IRIS might be YORK one of the very few ORUs to make concerted efforts to integrate Glendon researchers. Each year, they hold one of their regular Executive meetings at Glendon. In the past, the Centre has shown great interest in Glendon's projects including Professor I Schoenfeld's on the history of Glendon campus.
U N IVERSITE UNIVERSITY 1/2 Finally, IRIS' work on campus sustainability such as their annual campus sustainability survey is an excellent tool for raising awareness and engaging all members of the community. These student-led surveys also provide valuable po licy guidance to the un iversity and are a perfect example of Experiential Education at York.
Glendon College looks forward to a continued partnership with IRIS in the years to come.
Sincerely,
Kenneth McRoberts Principal
212 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR ORGANIZED RESEARCH UNITS AND THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES
The Faculty of Graduate Studies will provide matching funds to graduate students who wish to participate in the research activities conducted by members in the Organized Research Units for 2013-14. This commitment will be revised pending the implementation of the activity-based budgeting model. In addition, FGS will support ORUs in facilitating matching students to researchers. In further support of graduate student research intensification, we encourage ORUs to avail themselves of the services and professional skills development offered by the Faculty including but not limited to Scholarly Communication Series, funding workshops, scholarship sessions, post-doc coordination, and the preparation of funding agreements. Graduate funding can be arranged through consultation with Associate Vice- President-Research Lisa Philipps and FGS Associate Dean, Academic, Karen Krasny.
FACULTY OF HEALTH
4700 KEELE ST Memo TORONTO ON CANADA M3J 1P3 To: Robert Haché, Vice-President Research and Innovation T 416 736 5124 www.health.yorku.ca From: Harvey Skinner, Dean, Faculty of Health
Date: November 28, 2013
Subject: Letter of Support for IRIS Chartering Application
The Faculty of Health is pleased to provide this letter of support as a participating Faculty for IRIS’ charter renewal application.
IRIS is a pan-university research centre that specializes in collaborative, inter-disciplinary sustainability research. Health currently has three faculty members listed as proposed members on the IRIS application: Profs. Michaela Hynie, Marcia Rioux, and Isolde Daiski. Furthermore, we have encouraged Prof. Daiski to be a co-applicant on the application, reflecting her dedication to IRIS and its renewal.
In addition to our faculty interest in IRIS continuing into the future, we have had active research collaborations with IRIS since its inception. For example: 1. Research Grant Collaboration: SSHRC PDG Living with Climate Change: Mapping Experience and Adaptation across the Global South and North led by our Michaela Hynie, includes IRIS proposed member Rioux, as well as one IRIS co-applicants (Dawn Bazely) and two IRIS collaborators (Nicole Klenk and Ellie Perkins); 2. Research Centre Collaboration: IRIS and YIHR have shared graphic design interns.
Finally, IRIS’ work on campus sustainability, especially their annual campus sustainability survey, which engages our students, staff and faculty in Community Based Participatory Research, is an excellent tool for raising awareness about and engaging community members in campus issues. These surveys also provide valuable policy guidance to the university and are an example of Experiential Education, since they are student-led.
The Faculty of Health looks forward to continuing to work with IRIS!
November 19, 2013.
Robert Hache, VPRI Lisa Philipps, AVPR c/o , Lia Cavaliere, Research Events Coordinator Kaneff Tower, 5th Floor Lorne Sossin York University Dean
4700 KEELE ST. Dear Colleagues, TORONTO ON CANADA M3J 1P3 Re: Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability – Osgoode Support T 416 736 5199 F 416 736 5736 As a participating (non-hosting) faculty, I am writing to confirm my enthusiastic support for [email protected] the Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability (“IRIS”). IRIS works to lead and www.osgoode.yorku.ca support collaborative, novel, sustainability research and learning across faculties at York. IRIS supports and engages faculty and students from across York University, and has a clear mandate that projects tangible deliverables and evaluation methods which will result in grants, publications, knowledge mobilization, teaching, learning and publishing opportunities for faculty, undergraduate and graduate students.
IRIS’s mandate is in accordance with the law school’s research objectives. IRIS attracts visiting scholars and fellows, organizes conferences, disseminates papers and serves as a catalyst for Osgoode’s research endeavours. IRIS engages undergraduate and graduate students, and furthers the research agendas of faculty. In addition, IRIS enriches the law school’s research goals through partnership and collaboration and is committed to disseminating its research in both traditional and innovative ways that broaden and deepen Osgoode’s research culture. I believe that IRIS has created an outstanding research centre that further supports the research of IRIS’ members including Professor Stepan Wood, in accordance with the law school’s strategic research plan.
As indicated in the detailed Charter Proposal, the law school will provide $3000 annually to the budget of IRIS with the contingency that other participating faculties will match this amount on a yearly basis. IRIS will have an academic Director, and if the Director is an Osgoode faculty member, I confirm that that individual will receive the regular course release provided to directors of law school institutes or centres, pursuant to the Osgoode Hall Faculty Agreement.
I look forward to working with you and with other interested parties to ensure that IRIS achieves its objectives and continues to exceed its high standards of excellence in research and innovation in sustainability.
Yours very truly,
Lorne Sossin Dean
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November 29, 2013
Dr. Robert Haché Vice-President Research and Innovation
York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
FACULTY OF SCIENCE Re: Institute for Research in Innovation and Sustainability Office of the Dean
Dear Vice-President Haché, 4700 Keele Street 324 Lumbers Building Toronto ON The Faculty of Science is pleased to continue its support of the Institute for Research in Canada M3J 1P3 Innovation and Sustainability (IRIS), and has agreed to be a lead Sponsoring Faculty of the Tel 416 736 5051 institute. IRIS has established itself as a university-wide, interdisciplinary and collaborative Fax 416 736 5950 centre engaged in research that encompasses environmental, social and economic issues at a
local, regional and global level. The research endeavours of its members embody all six research opportunity areas outlined in the University’s Strategic Research Plan.
IRIS is a productive research and training ORU that focuses on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research amongst six broad themes: Shifting Policies, Biodiversity and Invasives, Arctic and Northern, Climate Change, Social Justice, and Campus Sustainability. The institute encompasses two of the Faculty’s strategic themes, Environment and Science and Society. The Faculty of Science supports IRIS and these areas, given that research in environmental biology, atmospheric science, and biodiversity and invasive species are major research foci and strengths within the Faculty. In turn, IRIS has supported the Faculty of Science, including on collaborative research grants, graduate student groups, and has worked with the Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry. Science faculty and trainees are encouraged to collaborate actively in the interdisciplinary projects and programs in IRIS. Moreover, the newly approved CRC Tier 2 in Environmental Biology and Ecology, to be hired in the Department of Biology, will be asked to be an active member of IRIS. However, we are surprised by the low number of Science faculty who are currently active members of IRIS (Bazely, Sharma, Yousaf), given the breadth of the research programs that overlap with the Faculty of Science. IRIS has solicited additional Science faculty to become members. Unfortunately, the rechartering application does not address how the proposed new members from the Faculty of Science will be engaged within IRIS and contribute to the research opportunities proposed over the next 5 years.
The Faculty of Science appreciates the importance of IRIS at York. The work IRIS conducts on the annual campus sustainability survey engages students, staff and faculty in community- based research, and raises awareness about campus issues at York.
As a lead Sponsoring Faculty, we will support IRIS in promoting the institute, supplying a decanal representative to serve on the Board, facilitating with the selection of the next Director, and integrating the objectives of IRIS in complement planning, and recruitment of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. The Faculty of Science looks forward to working with IRIS over the next 5 years.
Sincerely,
Robert G. Tsushima, PhD Associate Dean, Research and Partnerships
IRIS Charter Application 46
Appendix B – 5 Year Budget
46 IRIS Charter Budget
ORU: IRIS Cost Centre: 230134 5 Year Rolling Budget 2013-14 Actuals to 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-2014 date (w/ 2013-14 Account Description Actuals Actuals Actuals Budget Commit.) Forecast Prediction Actuals Comments for 2013-2014 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 Budget Comments
Revenue: Base Allocation from Central 0 -2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 $6,000 per year for Wood PDG VPRI support 6,427 12,427 12,427 23,200 23,200 23,200 -2013-14 VPRI support replaces W3 support (double pmt in 2013- 12,200 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200 2014-15 VPRI support replaces W3 support 14 to cover 2012-13) To be determined - hoping to secure 3-5k from 3-5 Faculties by Asking $10,000 from LA&PS per year, and $3,000 from all other Faculty support 13,000 - 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 2014-15 (likely Science, Osgoode, Schulich, and LA&PS) 10 Faculties. Endowment Revenue -
Indirect Costs (Overhead) 16,198 9,545 - - 2010-2011 mostly Patty F's time; 2011-12 $5,000 W3, 2011-12 and 2012-13 8 hours per week for Wood PDG, some time on Ellie -2014-2018 $1,000 per year for SSHRC PG - PEASE (Steve Alsop) Support from Grants and Contracts 21,438 13,448 10,991 9,918 14,918 14,918 26,000 31,000 33,500 36,000 40,000 Perkins SSHRC, and Parks Canada. 2013-2014 $5,000 SSHRC PG -Forecasting $25,000-40,000 support from grants and contracts via Steve Alsop -$9,000 Work Study Recoveries (4 * $1,500 = $6,000 + $3,000 -$9,000 Work Study Recoveries (4 * $1,500 = $6,000 + $3,000 RAY = $9,000) RAY = $9,000) -$6,250 Donations and Grants (including for Film Festival, Earth -$6,250 Donations and Grants (including for Film Festival, Earth Other Internal Revenue 30,244 41,847 30,282 35,250 392 34,750 35,142 35,250 35,250 35,250 35,250 35,250 Hour, COPs, and Speaker Series) Hour, COPs, and Speaker Series) -$20,000 VPFA for Annual Campus Sustainability Survey - -$20,000 VPFA for Annual Campus Sustainability Survey - confirmed until 2014/15 confirmed until 2014/15 External fundraising - grow a 10% per year. Sources include Other External Revenue 4,636 32,178 3,611 (425) 2,500 2,075 -External Donations for Film Festival, COPs 4,500 4,950 5,445 5,990 6,588 NGOs, Foundations, Corporations, and individual donations TOTAL REVENUE 74,307 81,903 85,879 84,979 (34) 75,368 75,335 117,950 118,400 121,395 124,440 129,038
Expenses: Total Faculty Administrators 11,783 6,427 6,427 7,200 3,471 3,729 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200 7,200 Director Stipend, provided by VPRI
Total Research Staff 35,333 37,434 14,805 2,870 3,785 3,785 2,870 2,870 2,870 2,870 2,870 IRIS Survey GA -Coordinator 24 hours per week -Full time coordinator - band 12 ($61,341 + 27.5% benefits) Total Support Staff 4,976 36,959 21,176 107,471 74,887 18,300 93,187 -Fall/Winter: 5 Work Study students at 7 hours per week, and 1 93,951 95,830 97,747 99,702 101,696 -Fall/Winter: 5 Work Study students at 7 hrs per week, and 1 RAY RAY -Grow at 2% per year Total Scholarships and Awards 273 ------$10,870 Office Supplies, printing, Travel, etc. -$10,870 Office Supplies, printing, Travel, etc. Total Miscellaneous expenses 3,283 20,558 9,777 15,322 3,774 11,548 15,322 12,016 12,196 12,379 12,565 12,753 -$1,146 - two office telephones - monthly fees -$1,146 - two office telephones - monthly fees -1.5% growth per year TOTAL EXPENSES 55,648 101,378 52,185 132,863 85,917 33,577 119,494 116,037 118,096 120,196 122,337 124,519 Total Revenue Less Total Expenses 18,659 (19,476) 33,693 (47,884) (85,950) 41,791 (44,159) 1,913 304 1,199 2,103 4,519 Carryforward from Previous Year 16,910 35,569 16,093 49,786 49,786 1,902 3,815 4,119 5,318 7,420 Carryforward to Next Year 35,569 16,093 49,786 1,902 5,627 3,815 4,119 5,318 7,420 11,940 IRIS Charter Application 47
Appendix C - IRIS Projects 2008-2013 These are organized in reverse chronological order, and according to their most relevant theme.
I) Arctic and Northern Churchill Community of Knowledge (2011-2014) An online resource of data and media about the Town of Churchill, its people, Wapusk National Park, and the extensive research supported by the Churchill Northern Studies Centre. This Digital Archive is hosted by the Yorkspace Institutional Repository, York University, Toronto. The first collection in the project celebrates the life and work of Professor Bob Jefferies, who carried out field research in ecology in and near Churchill, for 30 years. Led by IRIS Director Dawn Bazely. Gas, Arctic Peoples, and Security (GAPS) Initiative (2007-2011) A fully endorsed International Polar Year (IPY) project, funded through the Canadian and Norwegian IPY programs, GAPS is looking at the impacts of oil and gas on arctic peoples using the human security framework. Led by IRIS Director Dawn Bazely. Co- applicant Gabrielle Slowey (Political Science, LA&PS)
II) Biodiversity & Invasives Connecting four research solitudes: the impacts and implications of climate change for invasive species, biodiversity and society (2010-2014) The interactive effects of climate change and invasive species are complex and highly changeable. We cannot afford to ignore them if we are to successfully manage and adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Further delays in recognizing the interactive effects of climate change and invasives means that the harm that they cause to biodiversity, ecosystems, economies and societies across Canada, will continue to rise. Led by IRIS Director Dawn Bazely. Team includes Irene Henriques, Carla Lipsig- Mummé, James MacLellan, Stepan Wood, Norman Yan, and post-doctoral fellows: Nina Hewitt, Nicole Klenk, Andrea Smith Invasive Species in the Northwest Territories (2008-2011) IRIS was contracted by the Government of the Northwest Territories Environment and Natural Resources Department to recommend a strategy for the monitoring of invasive alien species. Led by IRIS Director Dawn Bazely. Canadian Aquatic Invasive Species Network (CAISN) Evaluating Canadian’s Preparedness to deal with invasive species in a stressful world - review of K-12 curriculum, provision on classroom resources. Team: Norman Yan, David Bell, Andrea Smith (post Doc) and Pamela Schwartzberg (LSF).
III) Climate Change Living with Climate Change (LCC) (2013-2015) This partner project aims to generate knowledge of how those directly affected by extreme social and environmental changes understand these changes, and how this
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understanding shapes their subsequent adaptation strategies. Given the global nature of climate change, successful adaptation demands the sharing of information across regions and nations and this project intends to build an expanding forum for ongoing collaboration around research into linking local knowledge and adaptation to policy and community development. Led by Michaela Hynie, Health. IRIS is a YIHR partner on this grant. Climate Justice and Water Management (2010-2013) Climate Justice and Water Management project links university researchers with community-based NGOs conducting environmental education, and organizing participatory workshops in low-income African cities with pressing climate change and water-related problems. This project builds on proven methods of community-university collaboration to strengthen urban watershed governance and increase equity in public participation processes related to urban climate change adaptation. Led by Professor Ellie Perkins, FES. Work in a Warming World (W3) Cluster (2008-2015) An international CURA project which studies the challenge that climate change presents to Canadian employment and workplaces. The project examines seven Canadian employment sectors to seek policy, training, employment and workplace solutions to effectively assist Canada’s transition to a low-emission economy. The projects in this cluster are led by Carla Lipsig-Mumme, LA&PS. See members here. Ecojustice Conference: How Will Disenfranchised Peoples Adapt to Climate Change? (2009) Community activists and activist scientists from Brazil, India, South Africa, and Arctic Canada shared stories of local vulnerabilities to climate change, and discussed strategies for addressing inequities in climate change causation, mitigation, funding, and education. This two day conference led to IRIS obtaining Observer Status to the UNFCCC COPs in 2009, and we have been coordinating the delegations from York to attend ever since. Organized by Dawn Bazely, Martin Bunch, Richard Saunders, Sheila Embleton, Adrian Shubert and Ellie Perkins.
IV) Shifting Policies Sustainable and Education Policy Network (SEPN) & Policy Enactments and Sustainability Education (PEASE) (2012-2018) The Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN) is a research-based partnership between academic research institutions and national/international organizations which is exploring new models to improve how environmental sustainability is taught and practiced in schools, universities, and other educational institutions. The York component, PEASE, is a collaborative project between Lakehead University and York University. The focus of this 5-year SSHRC funded project is 'sustainability' and policy in educational institutions (selected Higher Education and K-12 schooling). The project seeks to explore how environmental sustainability policy "gets done" (Stephen Ball) within particular personal, social, cultural and institutional contexts. The project is co-led by a group of researchers including Steve Alsop, David Greenwood, Tim Leduc, Anders Sandberg and Leesa Fawcett. Pamela Schwartzberg, Executive Director of LSF is on the Steering Committee.
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Transnational Business Governance Interactions (TBGI) (2011-2014) An international project on the forms and dynamics of interaction among transnational business governance initiatives. The project investigates a development that has largely escaped academic attention but is increasingly a fact of life for transnational companies, standards-setting groups and governments. From accounting standards to sustainable forestry certification, more and more of the norms and standards that govern business emanate not from conventional state institutions, but from an array of private and multi- stakeholder institutions operating in a dynamic, transnational regulatory space. Led by Stepan Wood (Osgoode). Co-applicants include Burkard Eberlein (Schulich), and collaborators include Wesley Cragg, Andrew Crane, and Dirk Matten from Schulich, David Doorey from Human Resource Management, LA&PS, and Peer Zumbansen from Osgoode. What’s Worth Knowing: Health and the Environment Symposium (2011) A collaboration between IRIS and Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) brought together over 120 key decision makers from business, government, academia and education to mobilize knowledge about the links between health, the environment and the economy while positioning education a the vehicle for improving sustainability. Notable speakers included Harvey Skiiner, Dean, Faculty of Health, Don Drummond, Matthews Fellow, Diana McKay, Conference Board of Canada, and Arlene King, Chief Medical Officer of Health. Following the Symposium, the Public Health Agency of Canada provided support to IRIS and LSF to host a Health and the Environment Youth Forum for high school students and teachers in Winnipeg to mobilize the knowledge gained.
V) Social Justice Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment (PCIA) (2013) York University has partnered with Peacebuild to contribute to the development of a PCIA community of practice committed to the critical development of PCIA theory and practice. The project will also include a special edition of the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development; a conference at York University in Toronto in May 2013; and enable the crafting of effective tools of conflict-sensitive development. Led by IRIS Senior Fellow Eric Abitbol. What’s Worth Knowing: Educating for Responsible Citizenship Symposium (2013) On May 13, 2013, Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF) hosted the What’s Worth Knowing: Educating for Responsible Citizenship Symposium in Toronto. More than 130 decision makers participated from across Canada representing the education, government, business, and non-profit sectors, as well as elementary, high school, and post-secondary students. The event addressed the following questions: 1) What do children and youth need to know, do, and value in order to ensure they are responsible, active, and contributing citizens? 2) How can formal education be reoriented to meet these goals? This report summarizes the presentations, deliberations, and outcomes of the Symposium. The Symposium was designed to build on the outcomes from the LSF and Deloitte Ready or Not? Preparing youth for 21st Century Responsible Citizenship round tables,
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held in cities Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Halifax from March 22nd to May 1st 2012. The round tables brought together senior leaders to discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to education for responsible citizenship. Round table participants identified five calls to action as imperative for transforming Canada’s education system. Community-Designed Sustainable Furniture for the Centre for Green Change (2012- 2014) This community-university project will bring local residents, students, academics, community/non-profit partners, and professional designers together in a number of workshops to design and build sustainable furniture using recovered/recycled materials. These furniture pieces will be used in the Centre for Green Change that will house the growing environmental education and green employment programs of the Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre’s Green Change Project. Led by Stepan Wood. Community-based environmental education and mobilization in marginalized urban communities for equitable watershed governance (2011-2014) This project will utilize existing university-community partnerships to develop, test, improve and disseminate arts- and science-based methods and materials for increasing democratic watershed management and civic engagement amongst adults and senior citizens in marginalized communities in Canada. Led by Ellie Perkins.
VI) Campus Sustainability Building the York U Community Campus Sustainability Surveys (2007-present) IRIS has conducted an annual campus sustainability survey since 2007. The very first IRIS survey gathered the York community’s thoughts on climate change. The results of the survey then lead to the introduction of carbon neutral course kits. Other additional surveys have emphasized on the York community’s thoughts and opinions on campus food offerings, behaviours, and attitudes regarding the waste found on campus, campus engagement, accessibility, and transportation. Once a theme has been selected, IRIS works closely with the relevant faculties, departments and operational units to develop the action agenda. During 2013-2014, the selected theme is Active Bystanders. Glendon Campus Project (2010-2011) The Glendon Campus Project, supported by IRIS as part of its mandate for campus sustainability, is a website that contributes to the common culture of those who work and study there, to the York community and to the broader community who use the forest and the upper campus as recreational space. The project documents and shares knowledge about the unique environmental features of the Glendon campus. The upper campus features a botanical garden and a heritage property. Most of the lower campus is forest along the West Don river, integrated into the ravine system of the Toronto Parks. As well the project documents the history and current state of environmentalism at Glendon, with a focus on the campus conservation committee, student environmental activism and related initiatives. The Masters Program in Public and International Affairs provided two graduate assistants to the project. Led by Stuart Schoenfeld, Glendon.
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Appendix D - References Allen, G.M. and Gould, M.M. 1986. Complexity, Wickedness, and Public Forests. Journal of Forestry. 84: 20-23. Anastas, P. 2013. Sustainability Through Chemistry: The Path Forward. Morris Katz Memorial Lecture. York University Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry. http://www.cac.yorku.ca/files/2013/09/2013Katz2.pdf Bazely, D.R., Christensen, J., Tanentzap, A.J. and Hoogensen Gjørv, G. 2013. Bridging the GAPS between ecology and human security. Chapter 8 in Hoogensen Gjørv, G., Bazely, D., Goloviznina, M. and Tanentzap, A. (Eds) Environmental and Human Security in the Arctic. Routledge: Earthscan, London, UK. http://bit.ly/16IWiS0 Considine, D.M. 200. “If You Build It, They Will Come”: Developing a Graduate Program in Media Literacy in a College of Education. American Behavioral Scientist 48:97-107. Jacobs, J.A. 2013. In Defense of Disciplines: Interdisciplinarity and Specialization in the Research University. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Jentoft, S., and Chuenpagdee, R. 2009. Fisheries and coastal governance as a wicked problem. Marine Policy 33: 553-560.
Lélé, S. and Norgaard, R.B. 2005. Practicing interdisciplinarity. BioScience 55:967-975. Laperche, B., Levratto, N. & Uzunidis, D. (Editors). 2012. Crisis, Innovation and Sustainable Development: The Ecological Opportunity. Edward Elgar Press, Cheltenham, UK. Miller, C. W., Hamel, C.W., Holmes, K.D., Helmey-Hartman, W.L. & Lopatto, D. 2013. Extending Your Research Team: Learning Benefits when a Laboratory Partners with a Classroom. BioScience 63:754-762. Laurance, W.F., Useche, D.C., Laurance, S.G. and Bradshaw, C.G.A. 2013. Predicting Publication Success for Biologists. Bioscience 63:817-823. Minkler, M. and Wallerstein, N. (Editors) 2008. Community-Based Participatory Research (Second Edition) John Wiley & Sons, San Francisco, USA.
Piwowar, H. 2013. Value all research products. Nature 493: 159. doi:10.1038/493159a Roy et al. 2013 The Elusive Pursuit of Interdisciplinarity at the Human-Environment Interface. BioScience 63:745-753. 2013 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/bio.2013.63.9.10
Salter, L. and Hearn, A. (Editors). 1997. Outside the Lines: Issues in Interdisciplinary Research. McGill-Queen’s University Press, Kingston & Montreal, Canada. Tett, G. 2013. The Science Interview: Jared Diamond. October 11th Financial Times Magazine. http://on.ft.com/181e4L4
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Updates to the 6-year plan for IRIS – Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability – and response to External Reviewers
Fall 2008 Dawn Bazely, Director, IRIS
We thank our reviewers – Profs. Ann Dale, Scott Findlay and Meg Luxton very much, for their time during and after their site visit to meet with faculty, staff and students, and for their Reviewers’ Report. The latter was widely circulated among all IRIS affiliated faculty and students. There was general agreement that the reviewers gave a fair and accurate assessment of the situation in IRIS and we have continued, since May 2008 to implement plans and to meet the ongoing research obligations undertaken by IRIS.
In responding to the concerns and recommendations of the Reviewers on behalf of IRIS, I have gathered the various comments and feedback from members of the IRIS Executive, GAs and other students, many of whom commented that the Reviewers “were fair” in their assessment of the challenges and conditions. In the response, I have outlined specific actions aimed at addressing them.
The reviewers based their recommendation for conditional renewal based on their identification of the following gaps: 1. “the need to clarify the mandate and strategic objectives; 2. the need to define and implement an improved governance structure; 3. the need to develop a coherent, integrated research program with wide appeal to and supported by the university community; 4. the need to attract a critical mass of scholars (faculty and students) to participate in IRIS research and education undertakings; and 5. the need for adequate resources.” (Excerpt taken from the Reviewers Report Summary)
The reviewers also noted the need for IRIS to move forward within the interdisciplinary context of sustainability, that can be sustained beyond the life of a specific project (or Director). The IRIS Executive agrees and are putting in place mechanisms that will allow a new director to take-on a centre that is solid from both a structural and financial perspective. Inter-disciplinary research programmes, teaching opportunities and funding will continue to gain ground, because it is our goal to mentor and foster a range of research leadership other than that of the curent director. One direct example of the interdisciplinary research environment being actively fostered at IRIS is the forthcoming Earthscan Press book Environmental Change and Human Security in the Arctic. This is edited by Dawn Bazely, a Biologist, and Gunhild Hoogensen (Tromsø University, Norway), a Political Scientist, and is evidence of the expanded interdisciplinary research leadership opportunities which IRIS allows its associated faculty (in this case, the present Director, who would not be so well positioned to edit such a book if she was active only within Biology). As outlined in the following additions and amendments to the 6-year plan, northern and Arctic issues, including those relating to the need for local, sustainable business opportunities, the ability to respond and adapt to climate change, and the global issue of invasive species along with the more local but no less contentious one of campus sustainability, are all providing opportunities for the continuation and long- term development of sustainability-related research. With respect to funding, in the period 2004-2006, IRIS received over $600,000 in research grants and from 2006-present, IRIS has received approximately $750,000 in funding from a diverse array of sources.
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SPECIFIC RESPONSE and ACTIONS ONGOING SINCE THE MAY 2008 REVIEW 1. and 2. The mandate of IRIS, its strategic objectives, and governance structure. The background documentation provided by IRIS for the six-year IRIS plan clearly identified and raised this as being an issue that was identified and being worked on by the incoming Director in 2006 along with the existing Executive and Graduate Students. Our attempts, in 2006, to strike committees to clarify the mandate, strategic objectives an governance structure, revealed a limited capacity to undertake this exercise, in part because the previous Director, who had left York, had envisioned IRIS as being as an organic, grass-roots entity that would operate without constricting and constraining visions and guidelines. This presented a challenge at that time to defining a mandate and strategic objectives and implementing a governance structure. So, we took an alternate route to defining IRIS, and since 2006 we have found out what works and what is sustainable in terms of research, by doing. Consequently, the mandate, objectives and governance structure have been clarified in terms of what may be considered action research! The opening page(s) of the Updated 6-year Plan (see Appendix) articulate some of the main points that must be addressed in the IRIS mandate. It is now a straightforward matter for the rejuvenated IRIS Executive (minimum attendance of 8-10 members during June and July meetings and 15 members at the first Fall Executive meeting) to define all of the above. We have had many lively conversations and debates, with varied opinions about how all of this can and should be expressed from faculty, staff and students. With the input of a new Dean of FES who also sits on the IRIS Executive (Dean and Prof. Barbara Rahder), and contributions from recently hired colleagues in the FES Faculty, as well as those of a strong core of regular IRIS Executive supporters, these gaps will be filled by January 2009. We were unable to address this over the summer, since we received the Reviewers’ Report during a period of intense research activity, and many IRIS associates being away. During the Fall 2008, a subcommittee of the active Executive members will be tasked with updating the generalized mandate of IRIS, defining strategic objectives and mapping out a governance structure that will allow for inclusion and renewal.
The suggestion from the Reviewers that IRIS should consider reviving the Advisory Council that is on hiatus will also be given serious consideration during Fall Executive Meeting. External interest in the work and role of IRIS that is not solely dependent on the Director’s connections has been steadily mounting since 2006. This has happened through the direct efforts of IRIS—affiliates, as well as VPRI, York International, York Foundation etc. The suggestion of Karen Kraft Sloan, who has been a continuing supporter of IRIS, to chair a resuscitated, and effective Advisory Council is an excellent suggestion, but it will depend to a large extent on her availability and other commitments. There are others who may be able to fill such a leadership role. The latter is especially the case, because a number of external colleagues who are active in promoting sustainability continue to perceive York as having a substantial contribution to make to conversations about sustainability, and to want to become involved in an advisory capacity. IRIS has amply demonstrated the ability to act collaboratively and to play both support and leadership roles at the local and regional level with respect to sustainability-related initiatives. One example of this is York’s Memorandum of Understanding with the World Green Building Council. Another is that our support was sought, and considered to be important in the multi-million dollar application by Algoma University, University of Toronto and the University of Western
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for a level-3 containment facility where invasive species can be researched. The science-policy work in Invasive Species and Climate Change being undertaken by IRIS- affiliated post-doctoral fellows and students was regarded as an area of research that would provide essential support for this application. IRIS’ improved capacity to act in this regard, is due in part to the updated (and university graphic-standards compliant) website. Through this, IRIS has been able to better function as an information network and as a contact and distributor of sustainability-related requests and information. All of these recent experiences will inform the detailed development of statements on our mandate, strategic objectives and governance structure. We will continue to expand and strengthen the website.
3. The need for an integrated research programme that can be supported by the university community. We agree with this, and have worked steadily to address this since 2006. The IRIS-led efforts to foster and, if warranted, to lead research that can support campus sustainability initiatives such as those led by Campus Services and Business Operations and those that may arise from the new President’s Task Force on Sustainability, directly address this recommendation. Details of active and planned campus-based sustainability research are included in the Updated 6-year Plan and expanded upon here (see Appendix). IRIS-affiliated Graduate Students are currently training the next generation of students in survey-design, approval and implementation. Additionally, IRIS representatives sit on both the Task Force (Prof. I. Henriques and D. Bazely) and the Yorkwise Stewardship Steering Committee (V. Alsop). The ethically-approved survey of student attitudes towards climate change conducted by IRIS has been widely distributed to York’s Senior Administration (see Appendix), and serves as a model for campus-based research. The next 6 years will see research conducted into the following areas: 2008-09 – Complete 2-year study of trees on campus with the Urban Forest Effects Model (UFORE - US Forestry Service). This model estimates carbon sequestration and pollution mitigation of trees (project carried out by Graduate Assistants A. Royle, L. Luxemburger, and by Drs. C. Tagliavia, D. Bazely with the assistance of Prof. J. Podur). The results are of direct interest to local municipalities, the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority and York’s Campus Services and Business Operations. 2008- 2010 – Design and implement student survey and other research into the greening of food services on campus. This involves building assessing diet preferences and outlining business cases for restaurant owners to switch to biodegradable containers (with Graduate Assistants, RAY student, N. Arsenault, A. Barbisan, V. Alsop, H. Psathas, and various FES colleagues, Mr. D’Sa, owner of Campus Indian restaurant). 2009-2010 – Design and implement surveys of garbage disposal behaviour on campus. The food issue cannot be addressed without a consideration of garbage (this will support the work of Graduate Assistants and that of Campus Sustainability Manager, H. Psathas and Professor G. Fraser (FES)). 2008-2011 – Develop approaches for e-waste on campus. Survey students about the amount of computers and other technology that they use and either keep or dispose of once it is broken or outdated (please note that there are student-led projects at Glendon College which we are hoping to support through research, and in which Yorkwise has expressed interest). 2008-2014 – educate and involve students in calculating and tracking their ecological footprints (with Learning for a Sustainable Future). 2008-2014 – educate and involve students about and in issues of Green Buildings (led by Arlene Gould). The International Summer School in Green Design is expected to attract local and international scholars as visiting speakers.
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As a result of IRIS-led efforts, the World Green Building Council will continue to provide student placements and internships, as will the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority. IRIS will continue to seek internship opportunities for students that are related to sustainability, notably through NSERC’s CREATE programme in its next round of applications. We also continue to include representation of campus student-led sustainability groups on the Executive where they can have direct input into developing and implementing sustainability-related campus research projects.
4. The need to attract a critical mass of scholars We agree and are on track with this and this continues to increase. In the last 2.5 years, increased numbers of York faculty from across the university have participated in IRIS-led and IRIS supported research and sustainability initiatives. They include colleagues, Prof. G. Fraser, Dean J. Seager, Prof. J. Podur and Prof. J. Etcheverry, Prof. P. Victor (FES), Prof. I. Henriques (Schulich), Prof. I. Greene, Prof. G. Slowey, Dr. N. Hewitt (Faculty of Arts), A. Gould (Fine Arts), Prof. N. Yan, Prof. R. Quinlan (Science and Engineering), Prof. S. Wood (Osgoode). With a more defined role for the Executive and more defined governance structure planned to be in place by the end of Fall 2008, we are well positioned to seek further research opportunities for engaging with interested faculty from across York. Please see the Updated 6-year Plan in the Appendix for details of current and planned research. Another route that we have followed in seeking to attract a critical mass of scholars is to partner with other ORUs in research grant applications such as the SSHRC-MCRI (Major Collaborative Research Initiative) to which the million dollar plus Ecologies on the Edge application will be resubmitted. We are in the process of expanding the number of Post-Doctoral opportunities and are seeking funding for an additional two post-doctoral positions. IRIS is seeking research partnership opportunities with CRS (Centre for Refugee Studies). The area of post-doctoral fellowships funding is a key means for attracting scholars. IRIS has also directly supported the Climate Change Research Initiative being led by VPRI.
We are expanding the number of talks that we organize and host to include at least one annual conference or workshop. 2008-09: IRIS will provide administrative support for a Climate Change Adaptation in the Global South conference at York during the current Academic year, which will bring together partners from past York-research projects. 2008-09: We are also soliciting Workshop and Conference proposals from IRIS- affiliated students and faculty, several of whom have expressed the desire to organize events. 2009: IRIS will organize the Ontario Invasive Plant Council Annual Conference. The goals of this new organization are directly related to 2010: IRIS will organize a Planning and Policy Workshop on Invasives. We will consider topics for future seminar series and workshops during 2008-2009.
Teaching and outreach has been directly addressed on two fronts. The first is that York is holding an International Summer School in Green Building Design in 2009. This will be an undergraduate course that brings together international and York students. This is the first of a planned annual school and is being led by Prof. Arlene Gould. The course will be a Faculty of Environmental Studies undergraduate credit course. Secondly, IRIS has been holding meetings since May 2008 with a group of stakeholders with the goal of providing non-credit courses in Sustainability through Atkinson’s Continuing Education Division. These courses will be tailored for and aimd at different sectors and will be a source of revenue generation. They will also provide course instructor opportunities for York graduates in sustainability.
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5. The need for adequate resources. Since 2006 IRIS has attracted and managed over $750,000 in funding from a range of innovative, diversified sources. We continue to seek research funding at this level. As is explained in the 6-year plan, basic operational budget is covered for the first three years of the plan with active fundraising ongoing. In direct response to the reviewers comment, that at IRIS, we had been receiving a number of small research grants (with, perhaps the implication, that this is not as good as large grants), it is essential to note that the current fiscal reality is that the average annual NSERC Discovery Grant in Ecology and Evolution is around $25,000 and that most governments usually give small research grants and contracts. However, if a centre can attract many of these, each of which can support graduate student research, then they are definitely worthwhile. It might also be noted that our two external reviewers are based primarily in Ottawa, where there is likely to be better direct access than at York, to Federal government staff and programme funding that lies outside of the traditional SSHRC and NSERC programmes, simply due to their physical location. In my direct experience, Ontario government ministries such as Natural Resources, which are located physically closer to York University, have never, in 20 years had budgets as large as those of their Environment Canada and Parks Canada colleagues. Nevertheless, obtaining and successfully managing these kinds of smaller grants, which support individual students, will always be the bread and butter of an ORU. These grants give students an excellent opportunity to learn to manage and direct funds responsibly. Additionally, they generally also follow different funding application processes that may be less intensive. Therefore, IRIS will continue to seek a variety and diversity of funding types and will not rely solely on traditional, large Federal Tri-Council programmes, although we will continue to apply to them. Additionally, as the rules, regulations and general challenges of transparent, fiscal management of research funds become ever more complex – and this is happening all the time – IRIS has worked directly with university administrators to follow these procedures, and has set in place ways and means for coping with them that allow the research to proceed in such a way that we have a good track record with agencies vis-à-vis giving “value for research dollars”. As a result, they will be more likely to fund us again. We agree that the Director should be exempt from teaching except for the occasional small Graduate Seminar course. Active and engaged York faculty continue to be very heavily loaded with teaching, administrative and research duties. In terms of seeking a more permanent coordinator, IRIS is exploring the possibility of sharing a staff member with another ORU. IRIS is in the situation of being an ORU without an endowment (fundraising for one would be an obvious task for a revived external advisory council) and therefore must continue to rely on overhead for untied funds. However, the relative ease to date of raising albeit modest funding, in which the fiscal rules and regulations of the university, are correctly followed, has built a track record of experience in project management from which we are expanding. IRIS continues to be approached by various consultants who see the advantage of partnering with IRIS in various contract applications and as we build successful partnerships, more of these are set to follow.
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APPENDIX – UPDATED 6 YEAR PLAN – please note that Appendix 2 is a pdf version of the IRIS report on climate change attitudes. APPENDIX 1 The following is excerpted from the original Report to SCOR that was submitted as part of the SCOR review documentation in Spring 2008:
Assessments in 2006 led to the following general guiding principles for IRIS: 1. Build/support broad, collaborative research enterprises that would not obviously emerge from within individual departments or faculties, or might require additional support to sustain them. 2. Increase student participation across all faculties. 3. Generate funds with overhead or project manager salary lines that can be used to support sustainability-related research activities, and administrative salaries. 4. Find ways to hire project and administrative support staff who can deliver excellent, transparent, project management and budgeting.
3 PLANS FOR MOVING FORWARD: 2008 TO 2014 IRIS’original mission statement as set out in VPRI documents, states:
“The goal for IRIS is to support the sustainability-related research of York faculty
and to bring together researchers from many disciplines – including environmental
studies, science and engineering, business, law, education, social sciences and
humanities – in order to produce sustainable solutions to a broad array of political,
economic, scientific, social and environmental challenges. The institute is expected to
take a lead in promoting interdisciplinary collaboration among academic researchers,
as well as in forging partnerships with policy-makers, industry and non-governmental
organizations. “
How are these achievable goals to be achieved? The answer to this question is being
debated on many university campuses.
Can universities be leaders in sustainability?
While it is generally agreed that they should be, there is an ongoing debate about
exactly how this should happen and why it is not being very effective, as can be seen
in Michael M’Gonigle and Justine Starke’s Planet U and President Emerita Lorna
Marsden’s review in the Literary Review of Canada (2006 Greening the Campus p.22).
Their writing highlights some of the challenges of doing research on sustainability, and
converting theory into practice (“walking the talk”).
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Why IRIS is the place where this leadership can happen at York
Unlike narrowly-focused ORUs, a research institute in sustainability must
acknowledge the multi-dimensionality and all-encompassing nature of sustainability,
so that it can transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries across existing faculties and
departments. Sustainability with both its “pure” and “applied” aspects is a concept
that is applied at multiple temporal and spatial scales, from the level of the individual
ecological footprint to the notion that climate change is a global phenomenon. The
attractiveness of sustainability as a concept to so many diverse groups and
communities (e.g. Dawn Bazely’s interview about Earth Hour in the Toronto Star), is a
clear indication of why IRIS should strive to develop a research and academic role that
leads to institutional transformation.
The effective leadership and management of research projects with complicated
administrative criteria with respect to funding, personnel and reporting is difficult.
The kind of projects that address broad issues of sustainability, (e.g. climate change,
impacts of resource extraction, international development etc.) are likely to involve
large consortia of university-based researchers who potentially partner with
government, external NGOs and a range of private actors. If the provision of
leadership in this context were a simple task, then arguably, we would not need two
more planet Earths in order to maintain our current rates of resource consumption,
global warming would not exist, and we would not be in the midst of a human-
caused episode of mass extinction. IRIS-affiliated faculty, staff and students are
directly grappling with this, and we have had some small success.
In its next phase, IRIS will develop clear guidelines for how members of the
university community can access its resources and support. IRIS provides a space
(both physical and virtual) for a broad range of stakeholders to come together. The
1.5 course release for the present Director make this essential, roll-up-your-sleeves,
kind leadership possible. However, course release time for the next Director of IRIS
may need to be greater depending on their home faculty.
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Making interdisciplinary research collaborations function effectively is a challenge;
research means such different things in different areas of the academy, as well as in
different communities – from NGOs to governmental partners to private industry to
local communities. This is a challenge that will never really go away, and it presents a
constant need for good communication and stewardship. While it goes without saying
that the peer-reviewed research publications from projects that IRIS leads or
collaborates in, should meet the criteria for excellent quality research in the relevant
discipline, it should also be the case that the outreach and communication that IRIS
brings to a wider audience should set a benchmark (see Vaughan, H et al. 2007.
Developing and delivering scientific information in response to emerging needs.
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 5:w8-w11).
In the following sub-sections, we present the information requested for a six-year
plan by the SCOR Policy on the Chartering and Review of ORUs.
A. The next three years 2008-2011
RESEARCH PROGRAMMES UNDER ACTIVE DEVELOPMENT
1. Determine goals for expanded research projects in support of Campus
Sustainability initiatives – Campus Blueprint for Sustainability.
2. Expand programme goals for Regional (Ontario-based) Research into
Sustainable Communities and Environments, relating to ecosystem health and
invasive species, particularly in the area of how to best address Science-
Policy gaps. Themes include Invasive Species and Climate Change.
3. Expand programme goals for Arctic and Northern Research into Sustainable
Communities and Environments. Themes include Climate Change, Resource
Extraction, Invasive Species, Governance, and Food Security.
SPECIFIC RESEARCH PLANS
• Complete the International Polar Year “Gas, Arctic People and Security” project (further funding of a total of $250,000 over the period 2008 to 2011)
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• Complete the Research Project - Community-based protocols for monitoring invasive plants and insects in the Northwest Territories ($17,000 2008-2009)
• Complete the Research Evaluating Deer impacts in the City of London (further funding of $25,000 runs to 2009)
• Continue to implement the Blueprint for Campus Sustainability Project (further funding of $60,000 runs to 2010)
• Profs. Dawn Bazely, Jose Etcheverry, Arlene Gould, Stepan Wood and new Dean of FES, Barbara Rahder will take a lead role.
• Complete and publish the UFORE (Urban Forest Effects Model) analysis for York Campus
• Engage in research to “green” the campus Food Services and Garbage Operations
• Expand the invasive species research programme. This includes Dr. Andrea Smith’s research into the science-policy interface (funding to the end of
2009). This work will support the objectives of the Ontario Biodiversity
Strategy, by reporting the findings to the Biodiversity Council and the Science
Advisory Forum (see www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/biodiversity/). (During the 2
years of her $50,000 per annum post-doc, Dr. Smith has access to $5,000
IRIS-raised research funds). The initiative to develop a broad invasive species
programme – to be led by Dr. Andrea Smith. This initiative builds on a
workshop that was held in 2005 by VPRI. In addition, since our International
Polar Year project has a large focus on invasive species, we will continue to
seek funding with colleagues in Sweden and Norway from their research
councils, as well as from the Federal Invasive Alien Species Programme. Dr.
Smith is co-supervised by Prof. Norman Yan, Biology.
• Collaborate with and support the Centre for Refugee Studies, York Centre for International and Security Studies and York Centre for Asian Research. Apply
for SSHRC-MCRI (Major Collaborative Research Initiative) Ecologies on the
Edge funding with YCISS and YCAR. The MCRI Application includes IRIS-led
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components involving the Canadian Arctic and Mongolia. The Mongolian
research seeks to extend expand the 2006-07 IRIS SWiM (Sustainable Water
in Mongolia) research project, which collaborates with the National University
of Mongolia.
• Apply to SSHRC Canadian Environmental Issues Strategic Funding Programme
BROAD RESEARCH PLANS FOR 2008 to 2014 (the extent to which success is achieved
in the next 3 years will frame activities in the subsequent 3 years)
• Lead the York collaboration with the World Green Building Council to develop international internships for York students, research collaborations and the
international summer school. York International and all faculties interested
will be involved.
• Continue to search for collaborative opportunities with the Centre for Refugee Studies, York Centre for International and Security Studies and York Centre
for Asian Research, CITY Institute and other ORUs.
• Work with the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority to develop a collaborative research programme around common sustainability research
interests. Glenn McMillan, Senior Manager Water and Energy will work with
Dawn Bazely and faculty in the Geography Department. We hope to involve
Engineering colleagues. We are seeking research student support,
opportunities and internships.
• Develop a research programme that evaluates the issue of carbon offsets, carbon trading and “green” certification. This should bring together colleagues
in Osgoode Hall Law School, Schulich Business School, Faculty of Arts, Faculty
of Environmental Studies and Faculty of Science and Engineering. It will be led
by Prof. Howard Daugherty and Vanessa Alsop, MES candidate.
• Develop a broader research programme to evaluate the issue of Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine development along with urban forest renewal. This
will build on ongoing forest regeneration research. External partners will be
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the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Parks, TRCA, OFAH and
private landowners, and Toronto Parks. Dawn Bazely and IRIS executive
member Justin Podur will take a lead on this.
• Work with Toronto City Councillors such as Gary Filion, Paula Fletcher and Anthony Peruzza, to develop research projects and opportunities for students
to look at local food, and other sustainability issues. We will work with LSF
and York’s CITY Institute on this.
• Continue to work to find opportunities for extending the collaboration with our colleagues at the National University of Mongolia.
BUDGET
The basic annual operating costs for IRIS for 2008-11 are approximately $50,000 pa.
($150,000).
Over the next 3 years, the institutional support provided by VPRI, secured funding,
overhead and project manager budget lines total in excess of $90,000
$25,000 pa cost of 1.5 course release (total $75k)
$5,200 pa Director’s stipend (under York’s collective agreement – total $15.6k)
$60,000 Petro-canada support
$35,000 International Polar Year Administration budget allocation for this period
$3,500 overhead from City of London
$5,000 expected from IPY-GAPS Norwegian Budget
The additional funding in our research grants is already allocated to support graduate
students (RAs) and their field and laboratory work.
STAFFING AND SPACE
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IRIS will keep its York Lanes offices (provided by VPRI), and has secured funding
to meet co-ordinator, webmaster and project manager salaries for the 3-years. We
have adequate computers and library access is also adequate.
Since the part-time co-ordinator position requires a high level of financial,
planning, computer, reporting-to-government and communication skills, we have
developed two options for staffing this position:
1. In the short-term with graduates of the Business and Sustainability
Programme and to advertise 6-12 month positions through Net Impact. We
have found that MBA and MES graduates with an interest in corporate,
social, and environmental responsibility, can gain a huge amount of on-
the-job experience of working with a large, complex, public institution –
namely York University. The on-the-job training in financial and project
management, and the networking opportunities that IRIS can provide,
have proven highly attractive to graduates of this programme.
2. In the longer-term, we are exploring sharing a co-ordinator with another
Research Unit.
STUDENT PARTICIPATION
IRIS will continue to support graduate students through Research Assistantships
and Graduate Assistantships (usually about 5 per year). Through our external
partnerships, we are seeking internship support (this may be funneled through York
administrative units such as York International). We will also make available, if
possible small funding to assist student travel to conferences, and continue to support
groups such as Net Impact, the Biology Graduate Student Association and student
associations, groups and individuals in Environmental Studies, Arts and other faculties.
All grant applications will contain support for graduate students.
In addition, IRIS provides desk space, phone and computers for students who do
not receive these supports in their home unit.
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IRIS received 5 Graduate Assistantships for the year 2008-2009 and has filled all
of them. We are also employing undergraduates through York’s RAY (Research at
York programme). And, if their funding applications are successful IRIS will host a
series of visiting overseas scholars over the next two years. We are currently short of
desk and office space, having made IRIS into a destination. In the short-term we are
re-organizing desks so as to accommodate these visitors and in the longer term are
fundraising to pay for space improvement.
Additionally, the spin-off research and outreach opportunities in climate change
and security studies, arising from our International Polar Year project, Gas, Arctic
People and Security, continue to expand and are currently intersecting directly with
those emanating from the Invasive Species Research Project. For example, we have
received an additional $17,000 in funding from the NWT Government, and Tony
Morris, (2 time IRIS GA and current co-ordinator) is planning to spend a term at
Uppsala University, Sweden, expanding the Science-Policy work on Biodiversity and
Invasives that he undertook at IRIS.
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
IRIS will continue organizing 3-5 seminars a year as well as seek to organize an
annual conference that has a sustainability-related theme. In the upcoming academic
year this will be on Climate Change in the Global South (in collaboration with Faculty
of Environmental Studies and York International).
IRIS is seeking further opportunities to expand our linkages with Learning for a
Sustainable Future, and IRIS Executive Members, Prof. Emeritus David Bell and Pam
Schwartzberg. We will continue to support the Faculty of Science and Engineering and
the Faculty of Education’s YSTOP programme by providing sustainability-related
curriculum and teaching. We have established links with student-run organizations
such as greenpowercanada.org. We will also seek further opportunities to partner with
York’s ABEL – distance broad-band learning initiative
(www.yorku.ca/abelearn/index.html).
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Learning for a Sustainable Future has recently received $400,000 in funding for a
water education project in which IRIS-led International Polar Year (IPY) GAPS (Gas,
Arctic Peoples and Security) research will facilitate arctic-based outreach links to
further the educational objectives of the funding. We are also in talks with colleagues
at other research units about how to extend and expand the wide-ranging interest at
York in water-related research. Finally, IRIS is working with York International to
finalize an International Exchange Programme with Tromsø University, Norway.
POST-DOCS and VISITORS
IRIS has desk space to accommodate up to 10 faculty and students in addition to
the 5 work spaces used by Learning for a Sustainable Future. We will continue to offer
this space for specific periods to colleagues on a first-come, first-served basis. We
expect to continue to apply to the university’s surplus programme for equipment.
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Review of the Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability
Review of the Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability An Organised Research Unit at York University
The IRIS Senate Committee on Research Review Panel1
June 2008
Recommendation:
We recommend conditional renewal, based on addressing the following identified gaps:
1. the need to clarify the mandate and strategic objectives; 2. the need to define and implement an improved governance structure; 3. the need to develop a coherent, integrated research program with wide appeal to and supported by the university community; 4. the need to attract a critical mass of scholars (faculty and students) to participate in IRIS research and education undertakings; and 5. the need for adequate resources.
I. Introduction
The following report presents the findings of the review panel of the Senate Committee on Research charged with a review of York University’s Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS). According to the office of the Vice-President Research, the terms of reference for research centres (and, we presume, institutes) at York University are to:
• foster a vibrant and ongoing program of collaborative research; • have a critical mass of scholars for collaborative work; • have a clearly identified area of scholarship over an extended period beyond the life of collaboration on a specific project; • maintain high levels of scholarly activity and/or creative activity as defined by its mandate; • support teaching; • foster the training of future researchers, and • provide an environment for graduate student learning and research.
These objectives, which at least in principle inform performance criteria for review and assessment of centres and institutes, would seem to apply equally well to other administrative units. As such, they are not in themselves particularly useful for distinguishing expectations of centres and institutes from more traditional academic units such as departments and faculties.
1 The IRIS SCOR Review Panel members are Ann Dale (Royal Roads University), Scott Findlay (University of Ottawa) and Meg Luxton (York University)
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In the context of the IRIS review, we have chosen to structure our assessment and recommendations based on the aforementioned objectives as they relate to collaborative, interdisciplinary research, student training and teaching undertakings. It is our view that Centres and Institutes such as the Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability represent important vehicles to address some of the emergent issues currently affecting society, and to train students in interdisciplinary approaches and techniques, increasing their attractiveness to prospective employers. As governments and industry move towards more collaborative and cooperative approaches, for example, through, for example, total quality management (TQM) systems, virtual corporations, and increasing use of multi-stakeholder bodies, the ability to work in interdisciplinary research teams has become increasingly important and marketable.
Our report has been written in awareness of (a) the increasing restraints that all university administrations are facing and the intention of making better use of existing resources, rather than adding new resources; and (b) the (in our view) critical need to build upon York’s reputation for interdisciplinary research and education through its Faculty of Environmental Studies and IRIS to lead to greater cross-disciplinary interaction across the campus as a whole.
This is the overall context in which we have reviewed York University's Institute of Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS). We would like to commend our colleagues now working at the Institute, in particular Dr. Dawn Bazely, for her commitment and leadership in operationalizing the newly formed Institute. As we note below, Professor Bazley was required to “reinvent” the Centre when she became director. We commend her for doing an excellent job in trying circumstances. We are in agreement that IRIS has considerable potential and deserves enthusiastic support in the coming years.
II. Context of the Panel Report: Sustainability as interdisciplinary science
The intellectual issue that shapes our report is the challenge posed by the development of sustainable development as a necessarily interdisciplinary strategy. While definitions of sustainable development continue to be debated, most scholars recognize that the term inherently implies integration of economic and environmental values, with varying degrees of acceptance on the inclusion and relative importance of social equity. As such, sustainable development transcends the traditional disciplinary approach of post- secondary institutions, necessitating an interdisciplinary approach and methods of research. In addition, interdisciplinarity is particularly crucial in the environmental field, which deals with the interaction of human and natural systems. Some degree of interdisciplinarity is necessarily involved in professional application of academic insights to practical and political issues; in applied environmental work the necessary interdisciplinarity becomes quite extensive.
Such research, therefore, must be grounded in a rigorous attempt to develop some theoretical understanding of the inter-relationships among human and natural systems.
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This implies an attempt to combine some kind of integrated understanding of human activities (itself based on a wide range of social, scientific and humanistic understandings) with an equivalently integrated approach to biophysical phenomena, and the manifold forms of interaction among these. Experts may iterate between specialized work on crucial elements and broader, often co-operative consideration of systemic linkages.
In our view, it is this examination of the systemic linkages between elements of biophysical systems and socioeconomic systems that forms the epistemological core of sustainable development: unsurprisingly then, it is also our view that this should constitute the core of IRIS’ research and education agenda.
III. The IRIS history
IRIS was inaugurated as an interdisciplinary Organised Research Unit (ORU) at York in 2004 under the auspices of the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, a transmogrification of its predecessor the York Centre for Applied Sustainability (YCAS 1996-2003). From 2004-2006 IRIS was under the directorship of Professor Wheeler. During that period, IRIS established an executive, developed a five year plan and identified York faculty members with interests in sustainability. Professor Wheeler attracted extensive personal research funding, little of which was available for Centre operations. Professor Wheeler also developed a CURA application, an initiative which did not succeed and which did not continue after he left. It appears that the transition from his directorship to the next was not well planned; much of the institutional memory and many of the records were not readily available for the new director. As a result, the Centre, in effect, had to reinvent itself in 2006.
Professor Dawn Bazley took over as Director in July 2006. In her two years in office, she has pursued a number of research projects which have provided funding for support staff and project managers. The Centre is clearly a lively and intellectually challenging place for graduate students and it has generated a number of important research projects in the past year. It seems clear that the transition from a faculty to a university based centre (from YCAR to IRIS) has encouraged greater interactions between the Faculty of Environmental Studies, the natural sciences and social sciences and policy.
In our view, IRIS meets several of the terms of its mandate: its research supports teaching; it is fostering the education of future researchers in impressive ways; and it provides an excellent environment for graduate students’ learning and research. The task for IRIS now is to develop an on-going programme of collaborative research based on a critical mass of scholars and a high level of scholarly activity that can be sustained independently of the research interests of the director.
IV. Method This report is based on the background documentation we were given and by the data collected from the interviews we conducted over the two days of our review, May 5-6, 2008. Our report is structured around our basic recommendation, and our rationale is
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based on the information we obtained from the background material and our interviewees. We met with many colleagues from the Institute, staff, students and its Director, as well as its Executive, and university administrators, as detailed in Appendix A.
V. Findings
We recommend conditional renewal, based on addressing the following identified gaps:
1. the need to clarify the mandate and strategic objectives; 2. the need to define and implement an improved governance structure; 3. the need to develop a coherent, integrated research program with wide appeal to and support by the university community; 4. the need to attract a critical mass of scholars (faculty and students) to participate in IRIS research and education undertakings; and 5. the need for adequate resources.
V.1 Mandate
In our view, IRIS is hamstrung by the lack of a clear mandate and associated objectives. This (a) militates against objective assessment of performance; (b), makes for potentially uneasy relationships with other administrative units; (c) impedes IRIS’ ability to attract participation of faculty members in institute undertakings; and (d) may give rise to questions concerning the legitimacy and/or importance of IRIS undertakings from the perspective of the university as a whole.
A starting point for mandate review is to characterize the set of functions that IRIS wishes to sustain. This characterization should be sufficiently detailed so as to allow for objective assessment as to whether functional objectives have indeed been realized (i.e. facilitate bona fide performance assessment), and make clear how the set of functions so characterized differs from those sustained by other administrative units (thereby making clear IRIS is “value-added”).
In our view, there are three such classes (interrelated) of functions: (a) interdisciplinary collaborative research; (b) information transmission and communication; and (c) institutional reform functions. Mandate review should further refine these classes, specifying, for example, the types of research that will be prosecuted under IRIS’ auspices (domains of inquiry; methodological approaches, research objectives; skills, aptitudes and capacities to be inculcated in graduate training, etc), the types of information communicated, the nature of these communications, the implicated participants; etc. It is our view that particular attention ought to be paid to cross- departmental function (c): given IRIS’ history, it may well be in a position to catalyze wider institutional change, either within the university or beyond, by providing academic research, education and communication support. Indeed, IRIS is already developing initiatives in keeping with this function. One of its long-term projects is to facilitate York University’s Campus Sustainability project. Both the carbon neutral course kit project
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and efforts to “green” and retrofit Glendon are examples of the way IRIS provides academic support to York operations.
V.2. Governance
The governance structure of the Institute needs to be clarified, particularly the roles and responsibilities of the Executive. Executive members should be appointed primarily for their capacity and commitment to assist IRIS in sustaining the sets of functions articulated as part of the mandate review process, and deliberatively planned appointment should be made to compliment self-nomination. Nominations and appointments to the Executive need to be formalized, as do their terms of office. Given York University’s location in the province’s capital and its access to key (especially municipal, regional and provincial) civil society actors, IRIS may wish to revitalize its former Advisory Committee and strategically design an external multi-stakeholder body to provide on- going advice on its strategic research directions, emerging themes and policy relevance. This could perhaps be initiated and chaired by Karen Kraft-Sloan who could also provide ongoing contact between IRIS and the Vice-President, Academic, as well as serving as an effective conduit to the national and international environmental policy and law decision- making community.
V.3. The IRIS Research Program
Interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary programs play effective roles ostensibly by "tinkering at the edges" of the traditional disciplines, but really aspiring to have innovative capabilities. They are often fragile, however, and require a strong commitment by the central administration, or sponsorship by a prestigious champion well-respected by the university community. Because they are new, and must defend themselves from those individuals who resist change as a matter of principle, as well as those staunch proponents of the rigour and moral necessity of conventional disciplines. Because they lack bureaucratic underpinnings, however, these kinds of programs are often created and maintained by strong individuals, who work as quasi-volunteers, with limited resources. Over time, however, if sufficient incentives are not put in place, even the best of these programs wither away. They perform an important function within the university community, as evidenced by the quality and diversity of student scholarship they attract. As well, they act as an important catalyst to Schools, Programs and Departments to examine their curricula in light of their course offerings.
To date, the research activities of both IRIS and its predecessor appear to be very personality driven and part of this, of course, is influenced by the need to sustain their operations. Thus, many small contract-driven research and more narrowly defined research activities have been the norm. The lack of a coherent overarching clearly articulated research program is evident, and this affects the ability to promote cross- departmental collaboration, given the scale and focus of its current research activities. This renders IRIS vulnerable to personal sustainability of the Director, and does not meet the stated mandated university criterion to “have a clearly identified area of scholarship over an extended period beyond the life of collaboration on a specific project”.
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Given the above, it is crucial that IRIS articulate a coherent research program that (a) is largely independent of the personal research interests of the Director; (b) appeals to a broad constituency – both faculty and students – across the university; (c) provides institutional research and development capacity that complements existing expertise in other academic units; and (d) provides bona fide value-added by significantly increasing the R&D capacity of the university as a whole.
Although elaboration of this program is beyond the scope of our review, we offer the following recommendations:
1. IRIS develop a research program which involves active and ongoing collaboration between the physical/natural and social sciences and which is explicitly concerned with elucidating the causal relationships between, on the one hand, components of socioeconomic systems, and on the other, the biophysical systems in which they are embedded. One such example might be a research program that integrates experimental evidence on the impact of human activities on ecosystems and/or the ecological effectiveness of candidate mitigation/adaptation options with evidence on the effectiveness and efficiency of policy, regulatory, legal and economic instruments for motivating behavioural (individual to institutional) change. 2. Whatever the selected program or programs, training of researchers focus on the development of skills and aptitudes critical to the prosecution of effective interdisciplinary research, including, for example, the ability to communicate complex ideas from one discipline to those from other disciplinary backgrounds; to assess and evaluate evidence from disparate sources; and to distinguish normative from non-normative elements in decision-making, as well as the development of strong interpersonal skills related to conflict resolution and consensus building. 3. A coherent research program satisfying the criteria outlined above could, in our view, emerge from an IRIS-sponsored large-scale, multi-and interdisciplinary long-term research application founded on the principles of interdisciplinary research. Development of such a proposal would involve a scoping workshop, and that where possible, key individuals are identified as well as younger scholars who would be willing to assume responsibility and lead key parts of such a large- scale initiative, but with the Director of IRIS identified as the Principle Investigator. The anticipated new call for National Centres of Excellence with a focus on sustainable community development provides, in our view, a marvelous opportunity that IRIS might well take advantage of. 4. In the service of a coherent research program, IRIS develop a regular lecture series, perhaps to be held monthly, that would serve as a focal point for targeted discussion and debate. Another possibility is an annual conference/workshop, “Frontiers in sustainable development research” (or some such).
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V.4. Scholar engagement
In our view, the recommendations and suggestions above (particularly those outlined in section V.3) will have some salutary effects on faculty engagement if implemented. Other suggestions to enhance faculty engagement might be: (a) a regular in-house “brown bag” luncheon “brainstorming”, where faculty members are invited to present research ideas, not research results; (b) regular (brief) IRIS e-bulletins providing information on research and education undertakings, opportunities, invitations to participate in collaborative research ventures, etc; (c) an annual IRIS research forum, in which faculty members involved in IRIS research activities (and/or their students) present the results of their research; (d) providing physical space and infrastructural support for visiting scholars.
Student engagement is often a horse of a different colour. The response from student interviews was generally positive. In particular, students were unanimous about IRIS providing an intellectually welcoming, neutral and positive environment for discussions about and prosecution of interdisciplinary research and education initiatives. IRIS internships, popular dialogues on community development initiatives and the revised website were seen as particularly positive initiatives.
Nonetheless it is our view that student engagement can be improved. Potential avenues for increasing student engagement include:
1. reducing student involvement in purely administrative functions. At present, a significant amount of purely administrative support is provided by students. This not only creates problems with respect to, for example, accountability and institutional memory, but perhaps more importantly, does not represent a particularly effective or efficient use of student’s time and capacities; 2. development of a inventory of faculty members engaged in sustainability research and education (broadly construed) from across the university that would provide a description of research and education expertise, interests and contact information. 3. establishment of a student volunteer program, whereby students can contribute to the research and education activities of IRIS and receive volunteer credit for so doing. 4. better integration of IRIS activities with course curricula, either at the graduate or undergraduate level. Such integration might, for example, take the form of term projects in selected courses, the products of which would contribute directly to IRIS undertakings.
V5. Resources
We consider the lack of a permanent administrative staff person to be a problem, and suggest that use of a receptionist may not be an efficient allocation of scarce resources. We have also expressed our concerns about the problems involved in hiring graduates to
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provide short-term administrative support (see above). Funding for such a position must be a top priority in any grant applications. In the meantime, we urge the University to consider providing funding for an administrative staff person. At the present time, a full- time position is unwarranted, so perhaps such a person can be shared with another centre or institute as is done in other academic institutions.
If the Director is to fulfill the mandated criteria for a research centre, to be building a critical mass of scholarship, foster a vibrant and ongoing program of collaborative research, maintain high levels of scholarly activity and/or creative activity, it is clear they need the time to provide this leadership. As well, given the difficulties inherent in disciplinary silos for fostering and building support for interdisciplinary research, then the leadership role of the Director of IRIS needs to be supported and strengthened.
We strongly recommend that the Director be given the opportunity for full-teaching release if they chose, or whatever combination of teaching/research time they need to meet the obligations of leading the Institute. We suggest that if the Director opts to retain some teaching that it be at the graduate level only. We also suggest that this faculty release time could be allocated or shared with other faculty colleagues where desired.
VI. Conclusions
IRIS is poised to become a vibrant and exciting research centre, focusing on a topic of vital importance. We anticipate that the task of clarifying its mandate and administrative and executive structures will animate it further. Over the next two to three years, we expect that the Centre will generate several major grant applications, thus consolidating its position as an on-going and stable ORU.
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Appendix A
List of Interviewees
William Jenkins, SCOR Representative Dawn Bazely, Director, IRIS Stephan Wood, Nicole Arsenault, Annette Dubreil, Melissa Leithwood, Barbara Rahder, Ian Howard, Kevin McKague, David Bell, and Nadine Gudz, IRIS Executive Melissa Leithwood and Annette Dubreil, IRIS Staff Peter Victor, Former Dean, Faculty of Environmental Studies David Dewitt, Academic Vice-President Karen Kraft Sloan, Advisor to the Academic Vice-President Eric Abithol, Janet Fishlock, Tony Morris and Leslie Luxemburger, Graduate Students
SCOR Review Panel 9 IRIS Charter Application 75 IRIS Charter Application 76 IRIS Charter Application 77 IRIS Charter Application 78 -- "-t- IRIS Charter Application 79
YORK '"ii^'^
UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF THE Memo VICE-PRESIDENT
RESEARCH &
INNOVATION To: Nell Tenhaaf, Chair, Sub-Committee on ORUs
From: David Dewitt, AVP Research, Social Sciences & Humanities Fifth Floor,
York Research Tower
4700 Keele St. Date: May 31, 2010
Toronto ON Canada M3J 1P3 Subject: The Institute for Research and innovation in Sustainability - Administrative Review Tel 416 650-8207 Fax 416 650-8197 The Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) underwent an Administrative [email protected] Review during this academic year. The focus of this Administrative Review was on the Institute's progress with the recommendations of the 2008 six-year review of IRIS that the Senate Committee of Research felt were not adequately addressed in the Institute's response to the review recommendations. Specifically, the Institute was asked to clarify its mandate and strategic research objectives, develop a research program and more clearly define its governance structure.
The Institute's progress in these areas is outlined in the two appended documents - IRIS Strategic Plan 2010-2012 and IRIS Governance, April 1, 2010. As evidenced in these documents, the IRIS membership has articulated a vision and mission for the Institute, it has set goals for itself, and it has focused its work on four core theme areas. It has also defined and implemented an improved governance structure by identifying membership categories and the rules governing membership, as well as formalizing its decision-making structure.
A challenge that remains unresolved for IRIS is insufficient resources to fund a full-time coordinator position. The Institute currently does not receive enough external research income to support the cost of a full-time administrator and the Institute is making due with some part-time support. This is a challenge facing many of our social sciences and — humanities ORUs. The Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation (VPRI) will be proposing an alternative staffing model in its response to the final report of the Working Group to Review the ORU Model at York in an attempt to address this issue. In our proposal we will make the case that this model would create a more sustainable staffing model and would create greater efficiencies in the way we support researchers in ORUs. Additionally, I've urged the director to pursue funding from the University for the unfunded work that IRIS undertakes to support the campus sustainability program.
With the Institute addressing the gaps in its planning and structures, IRIS has a strong foundation on which to advance its research agenda. As noted in its last annual report it is steadily building its critical mass. In the years leading up to its six-year review, IRIS will need to continue in this direction and build its core faculty and associated graduate students in support of the four theme areas it has identified in its strategic research plan. I am confident that IRIS is on the right path to continue to be a leader internally and externally on sustainability initiatives and research.
cc: Professor Dawn Bazely, Director of IRIS ^ IRIS Charter Application 80 STRATEGIC PLAN
2010-2012
INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND IRIS INNOVATION IN SUSTAINABILITY IRIS Charter Application 81
STRATEGIC PLAN
2010-2012
INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND IRIS INNOVATION IN SUSTAINABILITY IRIS Charter Application 82
introduction
York University has a tremendous opportunity (1) To provide leadership within the univer- to lead the national and international discourse sity that enables and supports York University’s around campus sustainability by integrating leadership role. the University’s sustainability commitment with (2) To provide leadership in creating and model- the University’s broader goals. As a campus ling best practices for interdisciplinary research, hub for sustainability, the Institute for Research given that interdisciplinarity provides the frame- and Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) has the work for the creation of sustainable commun- potential to act in two capacities: ities, including those on university campuses. IRIS Charter Application 83
introduction
As an organized research unit, IRIS is able to formation within the university around sus- play a unique role in providing an interdisci- tainability through our mandate for engaging plinary space that houses innovative research with the entire campus community. Through projects. This includes on‐going research or this engagement, we are able to enhance stu- “self‐study” to encourage organizational reflex- dent, staff and faculty engagement, govern- ivity of York University, which in turn, improves ance, campus facilities and also, non-tradition- IRIS’ effectiveness to further campus sustain- al pedagogies. As the third largest university ability goals. IRIS provides a home for research in Canada, York University has made a commit- projects that cross disciplines. While they may ment to sustainability, and therefore must find initially emerge from different university de- ways of ensuring that its community is able partments, they develop in ways that transcend to achieve both a good comprehension of the traditional boundaries and which lead to new subject and be engaged in implementing and areas of research and collaboration. IRIS, as promoting sustainability. campus hub for sustainability research, also engages the community in research projects vision that aim to educate the public – both on cam- IRIS is a leader in the creation of a culture of pus and in the communities where we conduct sustainability within and beyond York Univer- our research. sity through engagement in practical, collabor- ative and interdisciplinary research and innova- IRIS provides leadership for cultural trans- tion that drives change. IRIS Charter Application 84
introduction
mission Engage with campus communities to IRIS promotes practical sustainability solu- create a “next generation” visible and collabor- tions that encompass environmental, social ative green curriculum at York University. and economic considerations at local, regional Serve as a leading source for policy and and global scales. Operating as a leading edge decision makers on a variety of sustainability interdisciplinary university wide research insti- issues which reflect the current interests of af- tute, IRIS is a hub for sustainability-related ac- filiated faculty and fellows. tivities at York University. In this role we bridge Engage students, staff and faculty in internal and external interests through a policy campus sustainability research and innovation of inclusivity, recognizing sustainability as a projects that include pursuing carbon neutrality universal goal. and implementing renewable energy to reduce York’s environmental footprint and sharing the The all-encompassing and multi-dimensionality knowledge with other sustainability offices na- of sustainability provide IRIS with a broad man- tionally. date for operating beyond traditional disciplin- Make IRIS an accessible jumping off ary boundaries, be they faculties, the broader point for people and organizations both within university or research fields. and outside of the York community to collabor- ate on sustainability research and related activ- goals ities. Provide leadership, integration and dis- Engage the broader community from lo- semination of interdisciplinary sustainability re- cal to international to effect change on sustain- search by championing the use of a trans-disci- ability by communicating meaningfully with plinary approach. different stakeholder groups. IRIS Charter Application 85
introduction
The following endeavours are examples of IRIS’ recent success:
Established a trans-disciplinary research pro- ject on human security. The International Polar Year GAPS (Gas, Arctic Peoples and Security) project in NWT combines the fields of ecology, health, social science and political science through the lens of human se- curity to justify the use of this framework, and includes graduate students as co-applicants.
impact and achievements Provided leadership for an international grant IRIS has gone through a major transition and in a new leading edge research field. growth period in the last three years, leading to Granted by the Social Sciences and Human- a new governance structure, a rationalized slate ities Research council project, this one million of programs and stronger engagement with the dollar project, Work in a Warming World, exam- university community. IRIS is now well pos- ines the impacts of climate change on employ- itioned to accomplish its goals and achieve a sig- ment and work in Canada—a new area of study nificant impact on the campus community. With bridging labour studies and climate change. the help of IRIS, York University can demonstrate its commitment to sustainable practices and be- come a leader for academic institutions. IRIS Charter Application 86 introduction
Improved campus sustainability through stu- dent-led action research. Campus-wide research involving, students, staff and faculty, was conducted by students on public perception and understanding of food sustainability. The final report was delivered to a number of campus groups, including the President’s Sustainability Council and a num- ber of recommendations were included in the Council’s report to the President.
Provided leadership in creating a cutting-edge ‘green’ curriculum. Showcased the issue of climate justice at an The International Summer School in Green international conference. Building Design emerged from partnerships IRIS applied for civil society observer status on with the World Green Building Council, York behalf of York University. Faculty, students and International and Faculty of Environment- staff participated actively at the United Nations al Studies. This innovative inter-disciplinary Framework Convention on Climate Change undergraduate course brought together stu- (COP15) in Copenhagen Demark in December dents from around the world to learn about 2009, where they launched the website www. green building. globalclimatejustice.net in partnership with ECOAR-Brazil. Demonstrated applicability of a forestry model that measures carbon storage at a small-scale IRIS Charter Application 87
introduction
IRIS conducted a study of the state of York Uni- compass some aspect of sustainability. Some versity Keele Campus’ urban forests using the of these projects may be in faculties and de- USDA Urban Forest Effect Model (UFORE), and partments that have an ongoing relationship scaled-down the model developed for munici- with IRIS through their faculty. These projects palities, towns and cities, to the campus, in a can be mapped onto a spectrum between pro- low-budget and low-tech approach. These re- jects held by a single faculty or researcher and sults are of international interest. typically focus on a specific field of research, and projects that are more inter-disciplinary, extent of work and therefore are best housed by an organ- The work that IRIS undertakes is rooted in its mission and goals. Acting as a hub, IRIS con- nects the campus’ research centres, the uni- versity institution and external organizations to stimulate collaboration in the field of sustain- ability. IRIS also plays an active role in facilitat- ing campus sustainability initiatives, by partici- pating in the President’s Sustainability Council, YORKW!SE and a host of other committees, providing support, connections and leadership, as needed.
Many faculties and departments at the univer- sity are involved in research projects that en- IRIS Charter Application 88
introduction
ized research unit that enables researchers to from other faculties in order to achieve its ob- reach across the university with as few barriers jectives. Aside from faculty members, research as possible. Depending on where a project fits projects may also involve a number of post- on this spectrum, IRIS may be directly involved doctoral fellows, research/graduate assistants administratively. Either way, both IRIS admin- and graduate/undergraduate students. stered projects and projects lead by faculty Other projects and programs may be led by members who chose to showcase their sustain- students or directly by IRIS. In these cases, ability research can be found on the IRIS web- there will be more direct involvement by IRIS site: www.irisyorku.ca/projects. staff members with support from graduate/ undergraduate students and volunteers. This is resource limitations true of the projects led by the Director of the In- Like all research centres, funding and human stitute. resources are the limiting factor. There are only a few full-time and part-time staff at IRIS who focus of work are responsible for providing all administrative In order to determine which projects and pro- and coordination functions. Occasionally, these grams receive access to its resources, IRIS uses staff may also be involved in project work. the following four criteria as a guide.
Considering its function as a hub, the majority themes of research work, although organized with the The Executive Board has chosen a series of help of IRIS, is actually undertaken by core fac- themes which all aim to solve large issues fa- ulty members. Typically, a core faculty mem- cing humanity, which are derived from IRIS’ ber will lead a project and work with members goals. Typically, a research proposal must touch IRIS Charter Application 89
introduction
on at least one of these themes in order to be tainability—environmental, social, and eco- pursued. Although the themes are more or less nomic—having multiple fields involved in mutually exclusive, it is possible that a project a project strengthens the research and its may cover more than one theme. applicability. The strongest projects include aspect of all three realms. scope As a university based research unit focused on sustainability, IRIS clearly has a mandate to ef-
fect change at multiple scales: on the campus themes and well beyond it. Some research projects may focus entirely on the broader needs of sustainability on a regional, national or global scale. Ideally, a project will be both relevant to communities at the same scale, as well as hav- research ing implications to a wider audience. scope diversity
research diversity IRIS aims to be an inter-disciplinary research unit supporting research that goes beyond the scope of a single faculty, and which ultimate- ly aims to be trans-disciplinary, yielding novel community research fields or solutions about sustainabil- impacts ity issues. Considering the broad nature of sus- IRIS Charter Application 90
community impact The following section describe further IRIS’ To have the widest possible impact and under- four themes. This is followed by a chart that take research that leads to action, it is neces- aims to provide a framework for visualiz- sary to branch out beyond academia into the ing how IRIS’ research projects relate to each community by providing results in multiple other, mapping theme scope and research di- forms, including plain language summaries. versity. It should be noted that a project may Other organizations have a wealth of informa- start out in one space and then move around tion and connections that can help turn sus- to different levels and locations. In this way, tainability research into action. When research we aim to illustrate the dynamic nature of col- is translated into policy, technology, new de- laborative, interdisciplinary research. velopment techniques, etc, the greatest impact is achieved. IRIS Charter Application 91
core themes climate change Climate Justice is a global issue As a complex global issue that drives the need which reflects the imbalance between the for sustainability, climate change is the largest Global North and South’s ecological footprint, issue facing the planet, and consequently is re- which will affect the lifestyles of all as climate flected as a theme or topic in many IRIS pro- change progresses. jects. On campus, IRIS aims to raise aware- Invasive species have a serious eco- ness of the issues surrounding climate change logical and socio-economic impact on com- through lectures, workshops and other events. munities by reducing biodiversity and affecting By sponsoring large interdisciplinary research ecosystems leading to global environmental projects, IRIS has enabled the university to change. tackle complex climate change issues that are As climate change progresses it will beyond the scope of individual faculties. have an increasing effect on work and employ- ment, as the environment affects the economy, leading to policy and cultural shifts. IRIS Charter Application 92
science-policy gap Despite significant research being undertaken in the area of sustainability, policy formulation based on research outcomes remains difficult to achieve. The complex and siloed nature of this research translates into many uncertainties, providing insufficiently synthesized information for policy makers.
• Supports policy development by improving access to structured information available for policy centres by focusing on re- search that encompasses and builds on previ- ous literature from multiple disciplines, for ex- ample, through knowledge-syntheses. • Provide expertise at regional and prov- campus sustainability incial forums and councils which aims to solve Making the campus more sustainable is a policy issues where there is a lack of consensus core objective of IRIS. In order to improve our on how to interpret and manage the science. understanding of the relevance of sustainabil- ity on campus, this theme can be broken down into five areas: administration, curriculum, re- search, operations and campus community. IRIS Charter Application 93
core themes
• York University is a teaching institution and within every subject there is a potential for including a sustainability perspective. Working within each faculty and in collaboration with the university governing bodies, IRIS aims to encourage innovations and additions to the curriculum.
• As a center for research, the university conducts research in many different areas. The principles of sustainability can provide new insights into how existing research fields can transform their approaches, for example by tak- ing on whole systems, inter- and trans-disci- plinary techniques. • The university is a complex organisation with many sub-units that need to collaborate • The day-to-day operations of the uni- with each other in order to function in a more versity—from buildings to waste management holistic and sustainable manner. IRIS engages practices—define its overall impact on the en- at multiple levels, from the President’s office vironment and the surrounding community, to individual students, and across many differ- and are therefore critical to campus sustain- ent faculties and departments in order to bring ability. IRIS supports student-led research into people together and encourage discussion on these aspects of campus sustainability and key issues. IRIS Charter Application 94
actively promotes improvements. IRIS is com- • IRIS interacts with the entire campus mitted to finding ways to support the creation community including students, faculty and of renewable energy projects on campus. The staff. This is reflected in the IRIS Executive first step is to support programmes that reduce board’s composition, which contains mem- energy consumption. Once the community has bers from each of these stakeholder groups, maximized its savings in this area, we will work and both the Keele and Glendon campuses. to move towards renewable energy sources. Consideration is also paid to the needs of the surrounding neighbourhoods. IRIS Charter Application 95
core themes
sustainable development security is only achieved with a strong society that respects cultural values and the local en- Sustainable development is a challenging as- vironment. pect of implementing sustainability that affects all bodies, including the formal and informal • Traditional economic thinking focuses on economies. IRIS projects seek to redefine eco- a single flow of cash focussing on concepts such nomic development to always include the en- as profit, GDP and annual growth. Moving to a vironmental and social realms. sustainable future requires a broader viewpoint that includes the social and environmental con- • Governance is a barrier to widespread sequences to economic activity, including happi- adoption of sustainability. IRIS explores the im- ness. It also includes new economic mechanisms, pact of alternative forms of governance such as such as social enterprises and microfinance. self-governance and community-led initiatives.
• Infrastructure is critical to development and hence sustainable development requires a shift in mindset towards green buildings, re- newable energy and urban planning.
• Human security is about more than na- tional security and safety. It encompasses a bottom-up approach of respecting security at the individual or community level. True human 96
JUSTICE
CONFERENCE
CLIMATE JUSTICE
GLOBAL CONFERENCE UN CLIMATE
, PORTAL
CLIMATE BIENNIAL
GAS GLOBAL WEB - PEOPLE
SECURITY
GAPS
IPY ARCTIC AND RESEARCH
DISCIPLINARY NATIONAL WORLD
SOLITUDES CONNECTING FOUR A
IN
TRANS RESEARCH
OF
WARMING WORK TAILED - EFFECTS
THE DEER WHITE DISCIPLINARY
REGIONAL INTER RESEARCH FOREST
HOUR
URBAN SYMPOSIUM EARTH
LOCAL / DISCIPLINARY
SUSTAINABILITY SERIES SCHOOL
BUILDING RESEARCH
MULTI RESEARCH CONTINUING EDUCATION CAMPUS DESIGN GREEN CAMPUS ACTION SPEAKER :
DIVERSITY CHANGE POLICY
SCOPE CLIMATE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SCIENCE GAP SUSTAINABILITY CAMPUS RESEARCH IRIS Charter Application Charter IRIS THEMES IRIS Charter Application 97 IRIS Charter Application 98
IRIS Governance – April 12, 2012
Membership ...... 1 Governance ...... 3
Membership At the heart of IRIS are the people who collectively make it work. IRIS has four membership categories: the administrative staff of the Institute, Core Faculty, Senior Fellows and Junior Fellows. These categories cut across IRIS’s core constituencies of faculty, students, staff, and members of the broader sustainability community.
1. Institute Membership Categories
1.1 IRIS Administrative Staff Administrative staff are those individuals employed on a full- or part-time basis by the Institute to develop and administer Institute projects and activities. The Institute has three staff positions at present: • IRIS Coordinator - administers IRIS-led initiatives, provides administrative support to the Executive Board, and administers IRIS research projects not delegated to Project Manager. • Project Manager (part-time) – administers specified research projects. Also takes on the role of IRIS Coordinator when the Co-ordinator is unavailable. • Web Co-ordinator (part-time) – maintains the IRIS website.
1.2 Core Faculty Core Faculty are York faculty members, engaged in sustainability-related research or innovation, who are integrally involved with the activities of the Institute. Core Faculty may serve on the Executive Board. They may also take leading roles in Institute programs or projects. Core Faculty are appointed by the Director, on the advice of the Steering Committee, for a two-year term. There is no limit to the number of Core Faculty or the number of times their membership may be renewed. IRIS’s goal is to have Core Faculty members from each York faculty.
1.3 Junior Fellows Junior Fellows are graduate and undergraduate students of York or another university who engage in IRIS-led or IRIS-supported projects. Junior Fellows are appointed by the Director, on the advice of the Steering Committee, for a two-year term or a shorter term reflecting the expected duration of their substantial relationship with the Institute (for example, students nearing completion of a degree). There is no limit to the number of Junior Fellows or the number of times their membership may be renewed, provided they meet the following eligibility criteria. To qualify as a Junior Fellow, a student must typically be receiving financial support through IRIS, for example as a Graduate Assistant, Research Assistant or Undergraduate Field Assistant. Students who are
1 IRIS Charter Application 99
conducting their own sustainability-focused research or innovation project, for example through course work, may also be appointed.
The activities of Junior Fellows may involve research, IRIS administrative support, and other kinds of collaborative work. Junior Fellows come to IRIS from a variety of academic disciplines. This diversity supports and gives meaning to the interdisciplinary nature of York University and IRIS.
1.4 Senior Fellows Senior Fellows are individuals, based at York or elsewhere, engaged in sustainability- related research or innovation, who maintain a substantial relationship with IRIS but do not fall into the category of Core Faculty or Junior Fellow. They may include faculty, post-doctoral fellows, staff, professionals, visitors to the Institute, and people working in government, the private sector or the voluntary sector. Senior Fellows are appointed by the Director, on the advice of the Steering Committee, for a two-year term or a shorter term reflecting the expected duration of their substantial relationship with the Institute (for example, individuals visiting IRIS for a single term or academic year). There is no limit to the number of Senior Fellows or the number of times their membership may be renewed.
2. Responsibilities Because building a collaborative community among individuals and organizations on the cutting edge of research and innovation in sustainability is part of IRIS’s mandate, every IRIS member is expected to maintain a substantial relationship with the Institute. This may take numerous forms, including active involvement in IRIS projects or programs, participation in IRIS governance, attendance at IRIS events such as conferences and Speaker Series, submission of research funding applications through IRIS, and participation in IRIS-administered research projects.
All Core Faculty and Junior Fellows are expected to be actively involved in at least one IRIS program or project at any given time.
3. Privileges Alongside the intangible advantages of involvement in a community of sustainability researchers and innovators, membership provides members with various privileges including administrative support, access to office space in certain circumstances, use of the IRIS website to disseminate information, the opportunity to apply for funding in association with the Institute, and the right to associate themselves publicly with the Institute and to use IRIS business cards. The details of these privileges are outlined in the Institute’s Policies and Procedures.
4. Membership review The Steering Committee monitors the IRIS membership to ensure that relevant constituencies are represented and members are fulfilling their responsibilities. At least once a year the Steering Committee reviews the membership of IRIS to determine:
2 IRIS Charter Application 100
• Whether each member is maintaining a substantial relationship with the Institute. If not, the Director takes appropriate action, which may range from friendly reminders to revocation of privileges and termination of membership. • Whether there are gaps in the current membership that should be filled by recruiting new members.
The results of these reviews are reported to the Executive Board.
5. Termination of membership An individual’s membership in IRIS may come to an end in three ways: • The member’s term expires and is not renewed. • The member withdraws before the expiry of his or her term, by giving written notice to the Director. Such withdrawal is effective no earlier than three months after notice is given. • The Director terminates the individual’s membership before the expiry of his or her term, in accordance with the Conflict Resolution policy, by giving written notice to the member. Such termination is effective no earlier than the date it is ratified by a decision of the Executive Board. Governance Decision-making at IRIS revolves around the Executive Board and the Steering Committee. The main executive officers of IRIS are the Director and Deputy Director. IRIS has an external Advisory Board to give it high-level advice and provide invaluable connections to the broader sustainability community.
1. Guiding Principles IRIS’s governance arrangements are: • Simple, avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy; • Flexible, responding to the changing interests and needs of its constituents, and fostering innovation and experimentation; • Collaborative, reflecting the Institute’s mandate to facilitate collaboration across academic disciplines and between academic and non-academic constituencies; and • Grassroots-Driven, fostering bottom-up initiative and reflecting the Institute’s voluntary nature.
2. Executive Board The Executive Board’s mandate is to approve the Institute’s policies, procedures, budgets, annual reports, and strategic plans, and oversee their implementation. The Board consists of 25 members, to reflect the diverse groups and sustainability initiatives at York University that IRIS engages with. Specifically the board consists of:
• The Director (ex officio) • The Coordinator (ex officio) • At least ten Core Faculty
3 IRIS Charter Application 101
• At least three Senior Fellows • At least three Junior Fellows,
up to a maximum of 25 Board members in total.
Core Faculty, Senior and Junior Fellow Board members serve two year terms. The Director is responsible to ensure that the terms of approximately half of the Board members in each category expire each year. There is no limit to the number of terms a Board member may serve.
Core Faculty, Senior and Junior Fellow Board members are appointed by the Director, on the advice of the Steering Committee. When appointing Board members, the Director seeks to ensure that the Board reflects as diverse a range of interests, experiences and constituencies as possible.
Only members of the Institute are eligible to serve on the Board. A member’s term on the Board is normally aligned with his or her Institute membership term. If an individual’s IRIS membership comes to an end before his or her Board term expires, his or her Board membership normally ceases at the same time unless the Board decides to allow the individual to serve the remainder of his or her Board term. The affected individual takes no part in this decision.
The Director chairs the Board. The Board normally reaches decisions by consensus, but votes may be held at the request of any two Board members. A vote is carried by a simple majority of Board members present and voting, with the Director casting the deciding vote in the event of deadlock.
The Board may create ad hoc or standing committees to assist in its work. Membership of these committees is not restricted to members of the Board. At present there are no such committees.
The Director reports to the Board twice yearly on the Institute’s finances.
3. Steering Committee The Steering Committee’s mandate is to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Institute, plan and coordinate fund-raising and project development, implement the Institute’s policies and procedures, nominate Executive Board members, and keep IRIS membership under review. Steering Committee members are appointed by the Executive Board upon the recommendation of the Director. Steering Committee members are appointed for a term of one year, normally coinciding with the academic year (July 1- June 30). There is no limit on the number of terms a Steering Committee member may serve. The Steering Committee consists of five members:
• The Director (ex officio) • The Coordinator (ex officio) • One Junior Fellow
4 IRIS Charter Application 102
• One Senior Fellow • One Core Faculty
The Director chairs the Steering Committee.
4. Director The Director provides overall leadership and day-to-day direction of IRIS. In addition to the responsibilities set out in this document, the Director’s responsibilities include: • Cultivating relationships with, and facilitating collaboration among, individuals and groups interested in sustainability within and outside York; • Promoting IRIS within and outside York; • Raising funds for IRIS activities; • Allocating IRIS research funds, in accordance with the policy on allocation of research funds; • Recruiting new IRIS members and taking appropriate action to ensure that members are fulfilling their responsibilities; • Hiring and firing IRIS administrative staff; • Discharging the Institute’s obligations to funders and the University, including SCOR reviews • Drafting annual reports.
5. Deputy Director The Director may appoint a Core Faculty member as Deputy Director. The Deputy Director performs the functions of the Director when the Director is unable to do so.
6. Advisory Board (proposed to be reconstituted) The Advisory Board is an external, arm’s-length group that provides high-level advice to the Institute on strategic direction, priorities and other matters. The Advisory Board meets two times per year. Note: Specific tasks need to be assigned to the Advisory Board prior to it being reconstituted.
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IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2011 - 2012 IRIS Charter Application 104
IRIS - the Institute for Research and Mandate Innovation in Sustainability IRIS promotes practical sustainability solutions that encompass environmental, social and economic con- siderations at local, regional and global scales. Operat- Director Stepan Wood, Acting ing as a leading edge interdisciplinary university wide research institute, IRIS is a hub for sustainability- Telephone 416-736-2100 x 33631 related activities at York University. In this role we bridge internal and external interests through a policy Email [email protected] of inclusivity, recognizing sustainability as a universal goal. Campus Address York University 349 York Lanes 4700 Keele St. Vision Toronto, Ontario IRIS is a leader in the creation of a culture of sustain- Canada M3J1P3 ability within and beyond York University through engagement in practical, collaborative and interdisci- Admin. Contact Annette Dubreuil plinary research and innovation that drives change. [email protected]
ORU Website www.irisyorku.ca Goals Provide leadership, integration and dissemina- 1 tion of interdisciplinary sustainability research by championing the use of a trans-disciplinary approach.
Faculty Representation Engage with campus communities to create 2 a “next generation” visible and collaborative Faculty of Education green curriculum at York University. Faculty of Environmental Studies Faculty of Fine Arts Serve as a leading source for policy and deci- Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies 3 sion makers on a variety of sustainability issues, Faculty of Science & Engineering which reflect the current interests of affiliated Glendon College faculty and fellows. Osgoode Hall Law School Schulich School of Business Engage students, staff and faculty in campus 4 sustainability research and innovation proj- Charter Dates ects that include pursuing carbon neutrality and implementing renewable energy to reduce First Charter: late 2004 York’s environmental footprint and sharing Last Renewal: October 2008 the knowledge with other sustainability offices nationally.
Make IRIS an accessible jumping off point 5 for people and organizations both within and outside of the York community to collaborate on sustainability research and related activities.
Engage the broader community from local to 6 international to effect change on sustainability by communicating meaningfully with different stakeholder groups. IRIS Charter Application 105
TABLE OF CONTENTS Director’s Message
Can it have been a year already? IRIS is such an active com- munity that we routinely find ourselves asking this question when the year-end reporting deadline rolls around. This Director’s Message ...... 1. year the answer is literally “No!” This report covers the ten Membership & Governance ...... 2 months from July 1, 2011 to April 30, 2012, as we switch to a Executive Membership new reporting cycle mandated by York University. Members Staff In this accelerated year, we have if anything accelerated our Core Faculty pace of interdisciplinary research and action oriented toward Senior Fellows advancing sustainability. My proudest moments this year Junior Fellows came in connection with the “Four Solitudes” project, which Iris Executive 2011-2012 ...... 5 examines the links between climate change and invasive spe- IRIS Steering Committee cies. First, an article in Biological Conservation on assisted ORU Reorganization Strategy Working Group migration of species threatened by climate change (lead Speaker Series Committee author Dr. Nina Hewitt) became the journal’s most-down- Policy Committee loaded article of late 2011. Then, an article in Environmental Summary of Activities for 2011-12...... 8 Reviews on invasive species’ predicted range changes under Objectives for upcoming year...... 16 climate change (lead author Dr. Andrea Smith) attracted na- Iris Statement of Operations------18 tionwide media attention. Produced by a highly diverse team We were also very busy with campus sustainability activities Appendix 1 : Activities of the Unit...... 19 of scholars, these articles represent IRIS’s collaborative, here at York. Continuing our highly regarded annual surveys Academic Research Projects...... 20 interdisciplinary, policy-relevant research at its best. on campus sustainability, we forged a new relationship with The Sustainability and Education Policy Network: Leading through Multi-Sector Access York to help conduct a survey on campus accessi- Learning (SEPN) We also celebrated when Prof. Steve Alsop and a team of co- bility. We inaugurated a new Focus on Sustainability Film Socio-Economic Considerations for Climate Change Adaptation in the Lake Simcoe applicants from across Canada secured a Social Sciences and Festival in partnership with Planet in Focus and the Osgoode Watershed Humanities Research Council of Canada Partnership Grant Environmental Law Society; held more IRIS Speaker Series Transnational Business Governance Interactions (TBGI) to create the Sustainability and Education Policy Network. events than ever before; helped launch the Glendon Campus Climate Change Adaptation in Africa IRIS will host the York University component of this impor- Project website; provided more paid student positions than Work in a Warming WOrld tant nationwide network. Other research projects hosted by ever before; and started a sustainable furniture design project Connecting Four Research Solitudes: The Impact and Implications of Climate Change or affiliated with IRIS were also highly productive. Profes- with the Jane-Finch Centre for Green Change. We continued for Invasive Species, Biodiversity and Society sor Ellie Perkins’ Climate Justice and Water Management to work closely with the President’s Sustainability Council, Ecologies on the Edge project continued its transformative work on climate justice Campus Services and Business Operations, and dynamic Gas, Arctic Peoples, and Security(GAPS) in Africa and beyond. The IRIS-affiliated Work in a Warm- student groups like Regenesis@York and Net Impact while Innovative Engagement Initiatives...... 25 ing World project continued its ground-breaking research forging links to new campus sustainability stakeholders such Community-Designed Sustainable Furniture for the Centre for Green Change on the complex relationship between climate change and as the Sustainability Coordinators, the Green Campus Co-op The Glendon Campus Project labour. Senior Fellow Jim MacLellan continued his work on and the Sustainable Energy Initiative. We also participated Climate Justice tools for modelling the impacts of climate change on water- actively in a complete overhaul of the university’s Policy on Campus Sustainability Action Agenda sheds. My own Transnational Business Governance Interac- Organized Research Units. Contributions to Teaching: Sustainability Curriculum Devlopment tions project, which looks (among other things) at non-state Events social and environmental certification schemes, got properly It has been an honour to work closely with such a dedicated, Events Supported IRIS underway. IRIS also held its first Research Showcase and energetic group of colleagues, students, staff and others this In-Kind Organizational Support continued (with generous support from the VPRI’s office) our year as Acting Director while IRIS Director, Professor Dawn IRIS E-Presence recent tradition of sending a delegation to the United Nations Bazely, has taken a well-deserved (if not restful, if we know Appendix 2: Individual Member Contributions ...... 30 Conference of the Parties on climate change. anything about her habits) sabbatical leave.
1 IRIS Charter Application 106 Membership & Governance
Librarians Schulich School of Business William Denton* JUNIOR FELLOWS CORE FACULTY Alan Richardson (TBGI) Andrew Crane (TBGI) Post-Docs Burkard Eberlein (TBGI) Andrea Smith (Invasive Species; 4 Solitudes) Core Faculty are faculty members of York or another Dirk Matten (TBGI) James MacLellan (4 Solitudes; Campus Sustainability) Junior Fellows are graduate and undergraduate stu- university, engaged in sustainability-related research or Irene Henriques* (W3; 4 Solitudes; President’s Sustain- Nicole Klenk (4 Solitudes; Climate Justice) dents at York or another university who engage in innovation, who are integrally involved with the activi- ability Council) Nina Hewitt (4 Solitudes) IRIS-led or IRIS-supported projects. Junior Fellows are ties of the Institute (as noted in brackets), including Wesley Cragg (TBGI) Rachael Hirsh* (Climate Justice) appointed by the Director for a term of two-years or serving on the Executive (indicated with an asterisk). shorter reflecting the expected duration of their sub- The Core Faculty category corresponds to the “Active Osgoode Hall York Faculty stantial relationship with the Institute, i.e. Graduate Members” category in the VPRI Annual Report tem- Peer Zumbansen (TBGI) Markus Biehl Assistantships, Work Study program, RAY program, plate. The following are the Core Faculty for 2011-2012: Stepan Wood* (Acting Director; W3; 4 Solitudes; IRIS Martin Bunch interns, or simply volunteers. The 2011-2012 Junior Fel- Steering Committee, PDG: Transnational Business Gover- Janet Fishlock lows include: Faculty of Fine Arts nance Interactions (TBGI)) Bill Found Arlene Gould* (WGBC Summer School Course Director) Charles Hopkins Graduate Assistants Pablo Idahosa Bahareh Toghiani Rizi – MES student, Environmental Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Lucia Lo Studies (Research) Carla Lipsig-Mummé* (W3) SENIOR FELLOWS Jocelyn Martel Elizabeth Lorimer (CCAA) David Doorey (TBGI, W3) Ian Martin Alex Todd (CCAA) David Szablowski (TBGI) Ikechi Maduka Mgbeoji Chun Nam Law – Master’s, Environmental Studies (Events) Gabrielle Slowey (GAPS Project) Senior Fellows are individuals, based at York or else- John Miller Mojan Jinafar – Master’s Environmental Studies (Student Nina Hewitt (4 Solitudes) where, engaged in sustainability-related research or David Morley Engagement Coordinator) Sheila Embleton* (former VP Academic; Climate Justice) innovation, who maintain a substantial relationship with Ananya Mukherjee-Reed Danielle Tucker – Master’s, Critical Disabilities Steve Tufts (W3) IRIS but do not fall into the category of Core Faculty or Rebecca Peterson Studies (Survey) Junior Fellow. They may include faculty, post-doctoral Barbara Rahder Jessica Reeve – Master’s, Environmental Studies Faculty of Education fellows, staff, professionals, visitors to the Institute, Robin Roth (Events Coordinator) Steve Alsop* (IRIS Speaker’s Series Committee, SEPN) and people working in government, the private sector Perry Sadorsky Prabin Sharma – Master’s, Environmental Studies (Survey) Donald Dippo (SEPN) or the voluntary sector. Executive members are indi- Catriona Sandilands cated with an asterisk. The following are IRIS’ active Richard Saunders Research Assistants Faculty of Environmental Studies 2011-2012 senior fellows: Joe Sheridan David Staples – MSc student, Science and Engineering (4 Anders Sandberg (SEPN) Adrian Shubert Solitudes, GAPS) Ellie Perkins* (Climate Justice; Campus Sustainability; Learning for a Sustainable Future (Community Part- Vincent Tao Julia Christensen – PhD Student, McGill University (GAPS) Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA)) ner in the SEPN ) Peter Victor Nora Saona – PhD student, Science and Engineering Jose Etcheverry* David Bell,* Chair Patricia Wood (GAPS). Completed Nov 2011. Justin Podur* Pam Schwartzberg,* Executive Director (W3) Paul Marmer – MSc student, Science and Kaz Higuchi* (Climate Justice; Campus Sustainability) York International Engineering (GAPS) Leesa Fawcett (SEPN) Carol Irving (WGBC Summer School) Mark Winfield* York University Larissa Strong (WGBC Summer School) Research at York (RAY) Students Timothy Leduc (SEPN) (Undergraduate Students) Campus Services and Business Operations Other Netta Untershats – Undergraduate student, Biology Faculty of Science & Engineering Anthony Barbisan Director of Food Services (Campus Eric Abitbol (Digital Archiving) Dawn Bazely* (IRIS Director; W3; 4 Solitudes; GAPS; Sustainability) Oana Branzei Sanaz Hojati – Undergraduate student, Biology Climate Justice; Campus Sustainability; IRIS Speaker’s Helen Psathas* Senior Manager, Environmental Design Ed Hanna (Digital Archiving) Series Committee; President’s Sustainability Council) and Sustainability (Campus Sustainability) Tatiana Koveshnikova Norman Yan (4 Solitudes) Meagan Heath, Waste Management Supervisor Melissa Leithwood Nicole Arsenault* Manager, Transportation Services, Susan McGeachie Glendon CSBO (Campus Sustainability) Benjamin Richardson Colin Coates* Steve Glassman* Director Printing and Bookstore Ser- Darin Rovere Stuart Schoenfeld* vices (Campus Sustainability) Bryan Smith
2 3 IRIS Charter Application 107
Work Study Students Hao Yang – Undergraduate student, Schulich (Events STAFF Coordinator) IRIS Executive 2011-2012 Khushpal Brar – Undergraduate student, Science and Engineering (Events Coordinator) Administrative staff those individuals employed on a Abeeha Batool – Undergraduate student, Schulich full- or part-time basis by the Institute to develop and (Graphic Designer and Communications Officer) administer Institute projects and activities. The Institute IRIS STEERING COMMITTEE Magdalena Baboula – Undergraduate student, has four administrative staff positions at present, plus a Environmental Studies (Website Coordinator) post-doc position. Enrique Miranda – Undergraduate student, Political Sci- Stepan Wood ence (Engagement Officer) Director*: Dr. Dawn Bazely (also Associate Professor, De- Jose Etcheverry Salman Islam – Undergraduate student, Environmental partment of Biology), 3-year term commencing July 2006, Nicole Arsenault Studies (Social Marketing and renewed for an additional 2-year term as of July 2009. On Annette Dubreuil Communications Coordinator) sabbatical from July 1, 2011, and will return for an ad- Junior Fellow - vacant ditional term. Stepan Wood, Acting Director from July 1, Interns : York-Sheridan Program in Design 2011- June 30, 2012. Dylan Belyk-Seymour Victoria Henderson Coordinator*: Annette Dubreuil (May 2009-present as ORU REORGANIZATION STRATEGY Heather Wimmi Coordinator; working with IRIS since October 2007). Kendra Boyles WORKING GROUP Webmasters: Rajiv Rawat (2007-present as Webmaster; working with IRIS since 2006), Matthew Carroll (Febru- Volunteers ary 2011- October 2011.) The IRIS Executive disbanded this working group, at its meeting held April 12th 2012. IRIS Executive W3 project Coordinator: Ann Kim (interim coordinator Stepan Wood Jacqueline Medalye* – PhD student, Liberal Arts & Pro- and RAY student April 2011-September 2011). Kausar Dawn Bazely fessional Studies (Climate Justice, Climate Change Blog) Ashraf (October 2011 to February 2012). Ann Kim interim Sheila Embleton Arun Vallappan* – MBA student, Schulich (Net Impact) coordinator and RAY student (February 2012 to present). Carla Lipsig-Mummé Pamela Schwartzberg Campus Sustainability (including Earth Hour, and W3 project Information Scientist: Liz Perry (2009-present) the Campus Sustainability Surveys) Kenny Mariasin CCAA Project Coordinator: Patricia Figueiredo (June Leandra Aguiar 2010-present) SPEAKER SERIES COMMITTEE Jennifer Spalton Lubna Abdool-Rahman Colvin Chan Pamela Schwartzberg Annette Dubreuil Climate Justice Chun Nam Law Ewa Modlinska – Graduate student, Liberal Arts & Profes- sional Studies Alex Todd – Graduate student, Geography POLICY COMMITTEE
In addition, IRIS acknowledges the volunteer work of all other student volunteers, including those who assisted Stepan Wood with Earth Hour activities and tabling for the Campus William Denton Sustainability surveys. Rachel Hirsch
Other Junior Fellows Kevin McKague – PhD Student (Former Executive Member) Andrew Watson – PhD Student (Former Executive Member) During 2011-2012, the IRIS Executive approved a Conflict Andrew Tanentzap Resolution Policy for IRIS and updated itsDuring Governance 2011-2012, and the IRIS Executive approved a Conflict Resolution Policy for Nadine Gudz Membership policy to reflect changes toIRIS its andSteering updated Com its- Governance and Membership policy to reflect changes to mittee governance. its Steering Committee governance.
4 5 IRIS Charter Application 108
Henriques, July 1 2011 - Faculty, Schulich School of Business Core Faculty 2006 Irene June 30 2013
As of April 30, 2012, the IRIS Executive was made up of the following board members: July 1 2011- Higuchi, Kaz Faculty of Environmental Core Faculty 2010 June 30 2013 NAME AFFILIATION MEMBERSHIP TERM EXECUTIVE SINCE July 1 2010 - Hirsch, Rachael Post-doc, Faculty of Environmental Studies Senior Fellow June 30 2012 2010 July 1 2011 - Alsop, Steve Faculty, Faculty Core Faculty 2006 of Education June 30 2013
Lipsig-Mummé, Faculty, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Profes- July 1 2010 - Core Faculty 2010 Carla sional Studies & Director of W3 June 30 2012 Arsenault, Ni- Manager, Transportation Services, CSBO / July 1 2011 - Senior Fellow 2007 cole/ Psathas, Senior Manager, Environmental Design and June 30 2013 Helen Sustainability, CSBO Medalye, Jac- PhD student, Faculty of Liberal Arts and July 1 2010 - Junior Fellow 2010 queline Professional Studies June 30 2012 Director IRIS & Faculty, Faculty of Science Staff N/A 2006 Bazely, Dawn and Engineering
July 1 2011 - Perkins, Ellie Faculty of Environmental Studies Core Faculty 2010 June 30 2013 July 1 2011 - Bell, David Chair, Learning for a Sustainable Future Senior Fellow 2006 June 30 2013
July 1 2010 - Podur, Justin Faculty, Faculty of Environmental Studies Core Faculty 2007 June 30 2012 July 1 2011 - Coates, Colin Canadian Studies Program Core Faculty 2010 June 30 2013
Schoenfeld, July 1 2010 - Faculty, Glendon Core Faculty 2004 Stuart June 30 2012 Denton, Wil- Web Librarian, Peter F Bronfman Business July 1 2010 - Senior Fellow 2010 liam Library June 30 2012
Schwartzberg, Executive Director, Learning for a Sustain- July 1 2010 - Senior Fellow 2004 Pam able Future June 30 2012 Dubreuil, An- IRIS Coordinator Staff N/A 2007 nette
Vallappan, July 1 2011 – MBA Student, Net Impact Junior Fellow 2004 Arun June 30 2012 Embleton, Faculty, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Profes- July 1 2010 - Core Faculty 2010 Sheila sional Studies June 30 2012
July 1 2011 - Wood, Stepan Faculty, Osgoode Hall Core Faculty 2004 June 30 2013 Etcheverry, July 1 2011 - Faculty, Faculty of Environmental Studies Core Faculty 2007 Jose June 30 2013
The following Executive members finished their term during the 2011-2012 year: Director, Printing and Bookstore Services, July 1 2010 - Glassman, Senior Fellow 2007 Steve CSBO June 30 2012 Winfield, Mark Faculty, Faculty of Environmental Studies Core Faculty 2007-2011
July 1 2010 - Gould, Arlene Faculty Associate, IRIS Core Faculty 2006 Figueiredo, Coordinator, CCAA Staff 2010-2012 June 30 2012 Patty
6 7 IRIS Charter Application 109
Summary of Activities for 2011-12
“For additional details on the Activities of the Unit see Appendix 1 and Appendix 2.”
a. Submitted Funding Proposals
Project Name IRIS Role Principal Investigator Affiliation Amount Requested Amount Awarded Status Funding Source and/or Type Peer Reviewed *assisted in Grant Preparation
SEPN: Sustainability and $1,964,996 Sub-Grant Administrator Steve Alsop (York portion) Core Faculty, Education $1,956,384 Successful SSHRC Partnership Grant Yes Education Policy Network* (Subgrant TBD)
Community-Designed Sus- $3,650 Fulbright Canada Eco- Lead- tainable Furniture for the Grant Administrator Stepan Wood Director $3,900 Successful No ership Program Grant Centre for Green Change*
Sustainable UpStarts* Grant Administrator Annette Dubreuil Staff - coordinator $30,461 $0 Denied Academic Innovation Fund Yes
Assessing the Impact of Peace and Conflict Impact Assessments (PCIAs): A Research Partner/Space Eric Abitbol Senior Fellow $59,791 ? Waiting IDRC Small Grants Yes North-South Participatory Research Project*
Coastal Zones of Bangladesh Grant Administrator Rick Bello Core Faculty, Geography $55,000 ? Waiting IDRC Small Grants Yes and Climate*
Socio-Economic Consider- ations for Climate Change Ontario Ministry of Environ- Grant Administrator James MacLellan Senior Fellow $20,000 $10,000 Successful No Adaptation in the Lake Sim- ment Contract coe Watershed*
Creation of a Digital Archive Parks Canada, and the for Wapusk National Park Grant Administrator Dawn Bazely Director (sabbatical) $5,000 ? Waiting Churchill Northern Studies No and Populated with Materi- Centre als from La Perouse Bay*
Towards a Sustainable Local Director, IRIS CEO, Green Grant Administrator Stepan Wood/Peter Middleton $100,000 $0 Denied Metcalf Foundation No Food Strategy for Ontario* Ed. Council 8 9 IRIS Charter Application 110
Total Non-York Attendance Attendees b. Event Name Type of Event Dates Location Sponsors Conferences, work- shops, exhibits or BMO Financial Group, other events hosted or What’s Worth Knowing: TransCanada, Vale, HP, November BMO Institute for Learn- Health and the Environment Symposium 120 110 Suncor, York, OTIP, Cha- organized 16, 2011 ing, Toronto Symposium rtwells, Manitoba Educa- tion, CCNM, Orion
Symposium at the Transcending Interdisciplin- annual mee-ting ary Research Barriers: Best of the American February Vancouver, BC Practices for Mobilizing Association for 18, 2012 Knowledge the Advancement of Science
Climate Justice and Water Durban, South Africa & Management in Durban, Annual Meeting August 2011 IDRC CCAA Project Maputo, Mozambique Maputo and Nairobi
Youth, Climate Change, & February York University, Toronto 13 high school SSHRC Dissemination Workshop Jobs Institute 4-5, 2012 ON students Grant, W3
Saving The Planet And Cre- September St. Thomas University, Forum W3 Grants ating Jobs Atlantic Forum 29-30, 2011 Fredericton, NB
Greening Work in a Chilly Bram & Bluma Appel Salon International November Climate: Canadian Challenges at the Toronto Reference W3 Grants Panel 17, 2011 & International Perspectives Library, Toronto, ON
Researchers Workshop: November Greening Work in a Chilly Workshop Toronto, ON W3 Grants 18-19, 2011 Climate
IRIS, CCRAI, TRCA, Focus on Sustainability Film March 19, Film Festival Toronto, ON 25 2 Osgoode Environmental Festival: Water 2011 Law Society, CHR
IRIS, CHR, McLaughlin All day sympo- March 28, Earth Hour Toronto, ON 150 3 College, Founders Col- sium 2011 lege, W3
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Total Non-York Attendance b. Event Name Type of Event Dates Location Attendees Sponsors Conferences, work- shops, exhibits or Film Festival/ Toronto, ON with satellites Inuit Film Festival September other events hosted or IRIS Speaker in Arviat NU, Victoria, BC, 30 20 IRIS 27, 2011 organized (cont’d) Series and Sackville NB
Climate Justice and Politics Workshop/ IRIS October 26, Toronto, ON 25 5 IRIS Workshop Speaker Series 2011
Glendon Campus Project IRIS Speaker October 27, Glendon Campus, Toronto 15 2 IRIS Website Launch Series 2011
Dr. Anne Russon: Orangutan IRIS Speaker November Research and Rainforest Toronto, ON 50 5 IRIS Series 10, 2011 Protection in Borneo
IRIS Speaker November Peter Sale: Our Dying Plant Toronto, ON 25 3 IRIS Series 22, 2011
Environmental Cooperation IRIS Speaker March 15, Toronto, ON 8 1 IRIS and Israel-Palestinian Peace Series 2012
IRIS Speaker March 8, IRIS Research Showcase Toronto, ON 25 0 IRIS Series 2012
Mari Kira: Sustainable Work IRIS Speaker February 16, Organizations and Sustain- Toronto, ON 7 1 IRIS Series 2012 able Work
Climate Justice Workshop. Workshop/ IRIS February 13, Toronto, ON 35 2 IRIS, Faculty of Science Miriam Duailibi, ECOAR Speaker Series 2012
Lecture/ IRIS January 12, COP-17 Debrief Toronto, ON 20 3 IRIS Speaker Series 2012
12 13 IRIS Charter Application 112
Facilitating faculty Grant Preparation – see section a
or student research Workshops – See Climate Change and Climate Justice Workshops in section b through mentorship, Mentorship – 6 GAs and 9 Work Study or development or sup- RAY students
port programs or Funded 2 graduate students to attend COP17 Forged new partnerships associated with the (thanks to VPRI funding) events in section b: services (eg in-house Financially supported four events organized by 4 a. Focus on Sustainability Film Festival workshops, grant prep- other groups at York Partners: Osgoode Environmental Law Society, Climate Consortium for Re- d. aration support) In-kind organizational support via provision search Action Integration (CC-RAI) of space to Learning for a Sustainable Future (national charity) and Regenesis @ York 3rd Annual Earth Hour Partners: Centre (student club). b. for Human Rights, Regenesis @ York, BESSA – Bachelor of Environmental Studies Student Association, Red Zone, Glendon Roots and Shoots, the Presi- Conceived the UpStarts program. Have begun dent’s Sustainability Council Student Contributions to teach- fundraising Sub-Committee. ing (e.g delivery Continue to support the Green Building Course Collaborated with the Nanisiniqu with Arlene Gould c. Arviat History Project and members of or creation of certifi- the Khomani San to bring the voices of LSF continues to deliver the Sustainability and indigenous people to COP 17 in Durban, cate, diploma, gradu- Education Academy with the Faculty of Edu- South Africa. e. cation and the UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Knowledge mobilization/engage- ate, or continuing edu- Teacher Education. c. ment/outreach/technology transfer Continued to disseminate the findings from pre- cation programs) Acting Director Stepan Wood developed and vious Campus Sustainability Surveys on Food taught an advanced seminar on Global Corpo- activities and accomplishments: and Waste. Worked with Food Services and rate Social Responsibility Standards: Competi- 5 Aramark to create Earth Hour specials (March tion and Cooperation in Transnational Private We were cited in the national media numerous 22-30), including a successful Local Lasagna Law-Making in the law faculty at Bar Ilan times (print, TV and radio) for our Environmen- Day on March 28th. University (Nov.-Dec. 2011), as part of the tal Reviews article “Effects of climate change TBGI project. 1 on the distribution of invasive alien species in Canada: a knowledge synthesis of range change projections in a warming world”. Working with Access york, conducted the 2011- 2012 Campus Sustainability Survey Continued to make use of the IRIS website, on Accessibility. social media, York media relations resources 6 (e.g. YFile) and other channels to showcase Other research leader- For other research activities affiliated with IRIS 2 sustainability-related research projects by IRIS Faculty, see Appendix 2 members and York faculty and students. This Received funding from the RBC-Fulbright ship activities of the year we added blogs by IRIS member Professor Canada Eco-Leadership Award (S. Wood) to Mark Winfield. co-host 1-2 public workshops in Fall, 2012, on unit (identify the ORU 7 sustainable furniture design and construction Continued to advocate for enhanced campus in partnership with the Jane-Finch Centre for member(s) who served sustainability by sitting on the President’s Sus- Green Change initiative. f. 3 tainability Council as academic lead for the activity)
14 15 IRIS Charter Application 113
Objectives for Upcoming Year c. Continue to advocate for enhanced cam- b. Increase the funds available to sponsor d. Inaugurate an annual IRIS lecture fea- pus sustainability by engaging with the student participation in conferences turing a high profile speaker, to increase University administration and the York and support sustainability events at Funding proposals anticipated for the profile of sustainability and IRIS at community at large York University York and in the broader GTA community. submission by April 30, 2013 by active (target audience: entire York community, d. Continue to disseminate the findings from c. Continue to support IRIS members with 1 and the general public, GTA) our previous Campus Sustainability Sur- preparation of grant applications members of the ORU: veys on Food, Waste and Engagement. Host the second annual IRIS Research a. Increase the total number and value e. Celebration event to showcase IRIS’s e. Release and publicize the report of the (ie. total funds requested) of funding innovative, interdisciplinary, collabora- 2011-2012 Campus Sustainability Sur- applications submitted through IRIS tive research efforts (target audience: vey on Accessibility. compared to the past year interested students and faculty from Contributions to teaching: York and beyond) f. Conduct the 2012-2013 Campus Sustain- Submit at least one major ($500,000 ability Survey, on a topic to be determined b. or more) funding application through 6 IRIS. The Work in a Warming World pro- f. IRIS Speaker Series - host between 6-10 a. Plan for the Sustainable UpStarts gramme may potentially submit an appli- events, e.g. book launches, film screen- g. Continue to collaborate closely with the non-degree course which will focus on cation for a SSHRC Partnership Grant. ings and panel discussions. (target audi- President’s Sustainability Council, the developing business plans for sustain- ence: entire York community) Sustainability Coordinators, York stu- able enterprise start-ups dent clubs and organizations, and other g. Host 2nd annual Focus on Sustainabil- relevant campus stakeholder groups, to Continue to support the Design for Sus- Conferences, workshops, exhibits or ity Film Festival - in partnership with advance campus sustainability b. tainability in the Built Environment: In- other events to be hosted or orga- Planet in Focus, the Osgoode Environ- teractive Workshop (Course Instructor mental Law Society and CC-RAI (target h. Establish an IRIS Certificate of Partici- IRIS Executive member Arlene Gould) 2 nized by April 30, 2013, and target audience: entire York community) pation and an IRIS Certificate of Engage- audience: ment, to encourage student participation Institution building and administra- Host 4th annual Earth Hour event - in in IRIS sustainability initiatives and h. partnership with local environmental research tion: a. Transnational Business Governance sustainability and social justice clubs 7 Interactions Project (PI: Stepan Wood): and organizations on campus (target i. Co-host 1-2 public workshops in Fall, host an international academic workshop audience: York students) 2012, on sustainable furniture design and construction in partnership with Expand the IRIS membership, including Work in a Warming World (PI: Carla Plan a second Ecojustice conference at the Jane-Finch Centre for Green Change a. students, staff, faculty, and community b. Lipsig-Mummé): i. York University for 2014, on the topic of initiative, in the context of S. Wood’s RBC members climate justice, building on partnerships -Fulbright Canada Eco-Leadership Award. Host another cohort of the Climate with activists and academics from the Change, Youth, and Jobs Institute in Global South (target audience: invited b. Increase the number of Faculties repre- August 2012. Target audience is high- researchers, entire York community) sented on the IRIS Executive Board school students. Visitors invited or anticipated: Knowledge mobilization/engagement/ Host a W3 Workshop in November. c. Develop a Board policy or policies on Target audience is programme partners outreach/technology transfer activi- 4 IRIS’s role in preparation of funding ap- and researchers. 3 ties planned: a. Host 2 visitors over the course of the year plications and grant administration, and on recognition of IRIS’s support for affili- c. Climate Justice and Water Manage- ated researchers and organizations. ment project (PI: Ellie Perkins): host a a. Continue to make use of the IRIS web- 4-5 day final meeting in Nairobi, Kenya site, social media, York media relations d. Increase efforts to secure more financial sup- in November of this year, including field resources (e.g. YFile) and other chan- Facilitating faculty or student re- port for administrative and overhead costs visits to informal settlements in Nairobi. nels to showcase sustainability-related search through mentorship, develop- (target audience: academics, students, research projects by IRIS members and ment or support programs or services: and CSO representatives from Durban York faculty and students 5 (South Africa), Maputo (Mozambique), and Nairobi (Kenya)) b. Double the number of IRIS blog postings a. Continue to fund IRIS members to at- tend conferences and other events of significant importance, e.g. the climate change conferences (COPs) 16 17 IRIS Charter Application 114
IRIS STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS 2011-2012 2010-2011
Total Revenue 562,889 754,388 Internal Funding 48,274 36,671 APPENDIX 1 - ACTIVITIES OF THE UNIT Government Funding 509.979 717,717
Broadly, IRIS’s activities in 2011-2012 can be divided between, academic re- Corporate/NGO/ search projects (limited-term) and innovative engagement programs (ongoing). Personal Giving 4,636 -
Contracts - - Total Expenses 417,452 589,730 ACADEMIC RESEARCH PROJECTS Research Expenses 414,829 589,730 SEPN | SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN THE LAKE SIMCOE WATERSHED | TRANSNATIONAL BUSINESS GOVERNANCE INTERACTIONS (TBGI) | CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN AFRICA | WORK IN A WARMING WORLD | CON- Supported Events at York 2,623 - NECTING FOUR RESEARCH SOLITUDES: THE IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE FOR INVASIVE SPECIES, BIODIVERSITY AND SOCIETY | ECOLOGIES ON THE EDGE | GAS, ARCTIC PEOPLES, AND SECURITY (GAPS) Surplus for the current year 145,437 164,658
Carryforward from 463,359 298,700 2010-2011 INNOVATIVE ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES
Carryforward from 608,796 463,359 COMMUNITY-DESIGNED SUSTAINABLE FURNITURE FOR THE CENTRE FOR GREEN CHANGE | THE GLENDON CAMPUS PROJECT | CLI- 2012-2013 MATE JUSTICE | CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY ACTION AGENDA | CONTRIBUTIONS TO TEACHING: SUSTAINABILITY CURRICULUM DEVEL- OPMENT | EVENTS | EVENTS SUPPORTED BY IRIS | IN-KIND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT | IRIS E-PRESENCE
18 19 IRIS Charter Application 115
of socio-economic impacts, examples of adaptation strate- As these initiatives multiply within and across issue areas During 2011-2012, IRIS housed and led numerous limited-term (1-5 years) academic research projects, including: Transnational Busi- gies, and familiarity with comparative analytical techniques, and industry sectors, they interact with one another and with ness Governance Interactions; Climate Change Adaptation in Africa; Work in a Warming World; Connecting the Four Research Soli- are limited. Support is therefore required for science and so- state-based regulation. Such transnational business gover- tudes; and Gas, Arctic Peoples and Security. The following projects are listed in order of completion, with the most recently started cial science research to improve understanding and analysis nance interactions have substantial implications for business projects listed first and those completed listed last. In 2012 we will welcome a new project to IRIS, the SEPN: The Sustainability and of regional and local scale risks, adaptation options and op- strategy and public policy. Yet little is known about the forms Education Policy Network: Leading through Multi-Sector Learning, led by Professor Steve Alsop. portunities. This project is intended as a partial step towards and dynamics of these interactions, how they constitute identifying and addressing these limitations. larger regulatory formations, or their implications for society, economy or environment. When do these initiatives cooper- The overall objective of this project is to identify the key ate? When do they compete? Do they race one another to the socio-economic considerations in the development of a top or to the bottom? Do their institutions and content con- THE SUSTAINABILITY AND EDUCATION comprehensive Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (CCAS). verge or diverge over time? Why do some initiatives achieve The environmental context for this exercise is the Lake Sim- quasi-monopoly status in their fields while others languish POLICY NETWORK: LEADING THROUGH coe Watershed, but results are intended to be applied generi- in obscurity? Do their interactions reinforce or undermine MULTI-SECTOR LEARNING (SEPN) cally across the province. Specific project objectives are: ecological sustainability, prosperity, innovation, and human rights? And how can policy actors orchestrate these interac- To establish a socio-economic baseline tions to promote positive outcomes? a. for the Lake Simcoe Watershed, against The Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN) is Other IRIS Core Faculty members on the grant include which future climate change scenarios Four university partners and a leading association of social a partnership between academic research institutions and na- Donald Dippo, Leesa Fawcett, Timothy Leduc, and L. Anders can be projected. and environmental standards-setting bodies are partnering tional policy and environmental organizations that addresses Sandberg. This project has not yet been publicly announced to create an international research network on transnational the current lack of coordinated analysis of educational policy by SSHRC. To assess relative, sectoral, socio-eco- business governance interactions, conduct collaborative and practice in relation to Canadian environmental issues. b. nomic impacts in a comparative frame- interdisciplinary research, create policy-relevant knowledge It proposes to develop new models for policy and practice to work for the watershed as a whole. and mobilize knowledge in support of innovative and effec- improve how environmental sustainability is taught and prac- tive policy solutions. ticed in educational institutions within Canada and around SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS the world. To inform climate change adaptation FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN C. planning across Ontario. The partner institutions are York University, Arizona State As concern with environmental issues expands across Cana- THE LAKE SIMCOE WATERSHED University, the London School of Economics and Political dian society, environmental sustainability policy and prac- Science, the Baldy Centre for Law and Social Policy of the tice in education has remained largely unexplored. Growing Progress in 2011/2012: The Final Report was delivered to the State University of New York at Buffalo, and the Interna- numbers of provincial Ministries of Education as well as Ontario Ministry of Environment in December 2011. tional Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling university administrations are engaging with sustainability In December 2007, the Province of Ontario appointed an ex- (ISEAL) Alliance. issues, which are timely given the United Nations (UN) pert panel on climate change adaptation to provide the govern- Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005- ment with advice on how to protect the health, environment, The project aims to make substantial 2014). However, little coordinated research exists that infrastructure, and economy from climate impacts in Ontario. TRANSNATIONAL BUSINESS strides in improving knowledge of the examines the range of sustainability policies and practices One of their recommendations (2009) was to undertake a pilot important yet largely ignored dynamics of being developed, implemented, and experienced in these planning exercise for the Lake Simcoe watershed, with the view GOVERNANCE INTERACTIONS interaction in transnational business gov- educational contexts. of extending insights derived from the process to the province (TBGI) ernance, and in mobilizing this knowledge as a whole. in support of innovative policy solutions that promote social, environmental and In effect, Canada’s decentralized system of education dis- Consistent with this recommendation, the Province of On- Transnational Business Governance Interactions is funded economic goals. courages educational research across provincial and com- tario committed to developing a Climate Change Adaptation by a three-year, $200,000 Partnership Development Grant munity contexts, both in relation to K-12 and post-secondary Strategy (CCAS) for the Lake Simcoe Watershed through a from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council In 2011-2012, TBGI worked on two major publications that education. As well, while the literature advocates the impor- partnership of the Ministry of the Environment, the Lake of Canada. follow a workshop held at the European University Institute, tance of community consultation in developing policy or as- Simcoe Conservation Authority, the Ministry of Natural in Florence, Italy, in May 2011: a special issue of the journal sessing its impacts, little research to date has been undertaken Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Af- Professor Stepan Wood, Acting Director of IRIS at York Regulation and Governance, and an edited book (publication that engages the community when evaluating and enhancing fairs, and various other members. The CCAS was intended to University (www.irisyorku.ca), is leading the international expected in late 2012). The project has also worked to orga- existing sustainability policy directions in education. increase the resilience of the Lake Simcoe Watershed to the research project on the forms and dynamics of interaction nize its first workshop funded by the grant (3rd workshop of impacts of climate change and to ensure that the long-term among transnational business governance initiatives. The the overall project), “Interactions in Transnational Business health of lake is restored and protected both now and project investigates a development that has largely escaped ac- Governance: Assessing Impacts on Regulatory Capacity and The SEPN is funded by a $1,964,996 million Partnership in the future. ademic attention but is increasingly a fact of life for transna- Performance” which will be taking place May 16, 2012 at the Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research tional companies, standards-setting groups and governments. Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. Council of Canada. IRIS is hosting the York University com- Critical to the effectiveness of the CCAS is the consideration From accounting standards to sustainable forestry certifica- ponent of this grant, which is led by Professor Steve Alsop, of changes in socio-economic conditions, both in terms of tion, more and more of the norms and standards that govern Core Faculty and IRIS Executive member. The Principal impacts and adaptation responses. Unfortunately, indicators business emanate not from conventional state institutions, but Investigator is Professor Marcia McKenzie of the University from an array of private and multi-stakeholder institutions of Saskatchewan. operating in a dynamic, transnational regulatory space.
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Researchers Workshop: Greening Work in a Chilly In 2011, W3 added a SSHRC Public c. Climate, Nov 18th-19th, 2011 Outreach Grant to its portfolio. The pro- W3 ject titled “Engaging the Community: We are mapping the impact of climate change on Canada’s work world and the challenge employment, assessing Canadian government CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION In August 2011, project partners travelled of climate change” will engage five non- policy in comparison with other OECD countries, IN AFRICA to Durban, South Africa and Maputo, academic communities. exploring the intersection of gender, work and Mozambique for the project’s second an- In 2011-2012 W3 hosted the following events: climate change, working with unions and other or- nual meeting. This meeting provided an ganisations to introduce green transition to collec- “Strengthening the role of civil society in water sector gover- opportunity for project partners to discuss September 29/30 2011: Saving The Planet And tive bargaining. This Workshop is for researchers, nance towards climate change adaptation in African cities— their contributions to the project and a. Creating Jobs Atlantic Forum, St. Thomas Univer- policy makers, educators, community activists, and Durban, Maputo, Nairobi” is a three-year research project sup- sity, Fredericton, New Brunswick graduate students. W3’s Graduate Student Network ported by the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) identify and discuss goals for the continuation of the project. will also meet during the workshop. program, a joint initiative of Canada’s International Develop- In addition, partners had a chance to fine-tune the project’s The Atlantic Forum invited participants from the ment Research Centre (IDRC) and the United Kingdom’s De- methodology, and compare notes on climate change, water four Atlantic provinces and New England to discuss http://www.workinawarmingworld.yorku. partment for International Development. This project—housed governance, and related community-based initiatives in each initiatives by labour and government to fight climate ca/2011/10/researchers-workshop/ at IRIS, at York University in Toronto, Canada—links univer- of the three cities. change while creating jobs not losing them. The focus sity researchers partners at the University of KwaZulu-Natal was on “inspiring stories” to encourage those in the in Durban, the University of Nairobi, Eduardo Mondlane Uni- In December 2011, some project partners participated in the Maritimes to pursue a bigger goals, especially in the Climate Change, Youth, & Jobs Workshop @ York versity in Maputo, and York University in Toronto, along with 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17), which took place in area of coalition-building between the labour and d. U, February, 2012 local environmental and community-based NGOs in Durban, Durban, South Africa. Alex Todd was a member of the York environmental movements. The two-day conference Nairobi and Maputo. The project’s main development goal is University delegation. focused on Atlantic Canada the first day, and New On Saturday February 4th and Sunday February to strengthen the capacity of civil society to influence water England and cross border initiatives during 5th, thirteen high school students from across sector governance towards climate change adaptation in the 3 In early April 2012, Professor Ellie Perkins, the project’s the second. the Greater Toronto Area came together at York African cities. Principal Investigator, and Patricia Figueiredo, the project University for the Youth, Climate Change, and Jobs coordinator, published a paper entitled Women and Water http://warming.apps01.yorku.ca/wp-content/up- Institute hosted by the Work in a Warming World The following is a brief summary of this project’s activities Management in Times of Climate Change: Positive Processes loads/W3-Atlantic-Forum-Booklet.pdf (W3). The two-day Institute consisted of four half- from July 2011 to April 2012: in the Journal of Cleaner Production special issue on “Wom- day workshops created and facilitated by York Uni- en, Water, Waste, Wisdom and Wealth. versity Professors Dr. Steven Tufts and Dr. Dawn During this period, project partners—academic institutions b. International Panel – Greening Work in a Chilly Bazely and Matthew Carroll. Workshops included: and civil society organizations (CSO) in Durban, Maputo, and Climate: Canadian Challenges & International Climate Science 101, Greening Workplaces, a criti- Nairobi—carried out a series of community workshops on Perspectives, Nov 17th, 2011 cal analysis of a variety of perspectives on climate community mapping, climate change and water, community WORK IN A WARMING WORLD change including various levels of climate deniers gardening, climate debt, etc. Climate change is of intense concern to Canadians and responders to the climate crisis. The fourth and today, but its growing impact on existing jobs and final workshop was a panel session of guest speak- In June 2011, Elizabeth Lorimer and Alex Todd, Masters Work in a Warming World (W3) is in its third year of a five- on the next generation of workers is almost absent ers on the topic of climate change and work. The students in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York year SSHRC-funded Community-University Research Alli- from the agendas of public policy, business and institute concluded with a certificate ceremony and University, travelled to Durban, where they stayed for three ance (CURA) that addresses the challenge of climate change labour. OECD governments of all political stripes celebration of the accomplishments of the months interning at partner civil society organizations, and response to climate change, for Canadian employment and are crafting ambitious national policies that include students involved. Umphilo waManzi and the South Durban Community Envi- work. This collaborative research initiative bridges two tra- the work world, to reduce their carbon footprint. In ronmental Alliance. Prior to going on these exchange trips, ditional solitudes: between environmental, policy and labour contrast, the political climate in Canada is decid- http://www.workinawarmingworld.yorku. both students prepared papers on equity aspects of climate market organizations; and between academic and practitioner edly chilly. But the world of work may be the most ca/2011/10/researchers-workshop/ and water in Toronto. In addition, Elizabeth and Alex have research. It brings together 43 organizations and researchers effective site for reducing Canada’s GHG emissions, blogged on their experiences in South Africa, as well as the in 10 universities and 3 countries. and transitioning to a greener economy. What can impacts of climate change in this country—their blogs can we learn from China, EU, the US, and from around now be found on the project’s website at http://ccaa.irisyorku.ca/. The purpose of W3 is to better understand the present and Canada? What role can labour play in national cli- potential role of employment and work organization in mate policy? How can the work world take leader- Two University of Nairobi students also undertook short Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy and to develop ship in reducing GHGs? What works, in greening field visits to Durban to present on water and climate change and deploy practical strategies and tools for adapting employ- workplaces? Sectors? Occupations? Education and adaptation challenges and practices in Nairobi as well as to ment and work to the warming world. This is a new research training? What can we learn from green restructur- learn about comparable situations in Durban. area in Canada. Adapting work organization and employment ing of hard-hit industrial communities in the EU? patterns can contribute powerfully to Canada’s efforts to slow The US? Canada? The International Panel discus- These four students presented their findings at a student global warming. Our goal in this CURA is to produce new re- sion with experts from the UK, the US, and Canada, symposium, which was held at the Centre for Civil Society search that informs widely and brings to its partner organiza- discussed these challenging issues. (CCS) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in late August. tions practical, creative tools to adapt their practice. This is the time to craft tools and strategies for that contribution. http://www.workinawarmingworld.yorku. ca/2011/10/greening-work-in-a-chilly-climate/
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CONNECTING FOUR RESEARCH ECOLOGIES ON THE EDGE During 2011-2012, IRIS sought to innovatively engage the public through a variety of initiatives, including: launching the Glendon SOLITUDES: THE IMPACT AND The Ecologies on the Edge Research Programme brings to- Campus Project website, leading a delegation to the 17th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on gether scholars from the social and natural sciences, including Climate Change; running several campus sustainability initiatives at York University, including the 3rd Annual Earth Hour event, and IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE sociology, anthropology, ecology, law, geography and political 1st Annual Focus on Sustainability Film Festival; hosting its annual speakers series; supporting other organizations through commit- FOR INVASIVE SPECIES, BIODIVERSITY science to investigate key processes affecting vulnerable ecolo- gies in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Arctic. tee representation, event sponsorship, or providing work space; and increasing its e-presence. AND SOCIETY It builds on several interdisciplinary research clusters at Connecting Four Research Solitudes was a one-year knowledge York University and is a joint initiative of the York Centre for COMMUNITY-DESIGNED SUSTAIN- CLIMATE JUSTICE synthesis project. Climate change and Invasive Alien Species Asian Research (YCAR), the York Centre for International ABLE FURNITURE FOR THE CENTRE FOR (IAS) are major drivers of global environmental change and and Security Studies (YCISS) and the Institute for Research From its establishment, IRIS has recognized climate justice as both have already had profound impacts on different parts of and Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS). The research team GREEN CHANGE a core issue. Since then, it has conducted numerous research Canadian society. With this Canadian Foundation for Climate submitted a SSHRC-MCRI letter of intent in January 2009 project and engagement initiatives related to climate justice, and Atmospheric (CFCAS) funded project, IRIS is helping and was successful in obtaining an MCRI development grant In December 2011, IRIS Acting Director Ste- such as hosting an Ecojustice Conference in April 2009 and at- researchers to connect the four solitudes of climate change, later that year. A workshop was held at York University in pan Wood was awarded a Fulbright Canada tending the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties climate change invasive species, biodiversity loss and society, more effectively. July 2009 and included scholars from across Canada. Eco-Leadership Grant. Working with the conferences. Centre for Green Change, this grassroots The researcher’s knowledge synthesis will help to operation- During 2011-2012, a workshop was held “Changing Fron- community-university project will design During the summer of 2011 a Climate Justice Website, www. alize these connections by assessing (1) which invasive spe- tiers of Ecological Knowledges: A Critical Dialogue on Asian sustainable furniture for the Centre located in climatejustice.irisyorku.ca was added to our website pres- cies are expected to spread the most with climate change, (2) Ecologies on the Edge”, on the 12-13th of October 2011 at the Jane-Finch community. ence, to showcase our climate justice initiatives. During the implications of efforts to combat climate change through York University. The two-day interdisciplinary workshop, 2011-2012, the climate justice work expanded to include a the development of alternative fuel sources (biofuels), and organized by YCAR, addressed how new strategies of docu- number of climate justice related events: (3) how proposed efforts to assist threatened and rare spe- menting, monitoring and evaluating environmental change The new community hub will house the growing environ- cies, by physically moving them to new locations for example, have led to a proliferation of ecological knowledge in Asia. mental education and green employment programs of the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Film Festival may cause more invasions. The potential impacts of these The event will drew attention to the transformations in Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre’s Green Change a. September 27, 2011 issues for trade, legislation and policy, work and employment, environmental management that are currently underway and Project, serving one of Toronto’s most ethnoracially diverse as well as education and training will be addressed. Knowl- how it has produced new inequalities in access to knowl- and marginalized communities. The Centre’s furniture will Climate Justice and Politics Workshop edge pertaining to each of each of these questions, including edge and decision-making. The workshop was funded by the be designed and created by community members with help b. October 26, 2011 knowledge attained through community consultation, will Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, from York University students and faculty. Using sustain- be explored in a synthesis report. All three themes will be the York University Ad-hoc Conference Fund, the Institute able design principles and recovered or recycled materials, Not the time to COP out: Sheila Watt-Cloutier Live combined and synthesized in a final report. To date, two of for Research and Innovation in Sustainability and the York community members will both furnish the new Centre and c. Webcast – November 29, 2011 the knowledge synthesis reports has been published: Centre for Asian Research. Read more about the Workshop. acquire valuable skills. d. COP 17 Debrief January 12, 2012 a. Taking stock of the assisted migration debate. GAS, ARCTIC PEOPLES AND SECURITY Biological Conservation 144: 2560-2572. THE GLENDON e. How do we move forward from COP 17? (GAPS) CAMPUS PROJECT February 13, 2012 b. Effects of climate change on the distribution of invasive alien species in Canada: a knowledge syn- “Impacts of oil and gas activity on peoples in the Arctic Using thesis of range change projections in a warming a Multiple Securities Perspective” (or Gas, Arctic Peoples and UNFCCC COP17 world. Environmental Review 20: 1-16. This paper Security) is a Canadian-Norwegian collaboration funded the The Glendon Campus Project, supported by IRIS as part of its received significant media attention, being sited International Polar Year Program, involving researchers from mandate for campus sustainability, is a website that contrib- Two York graduate students attended the United Nations Cli- on radio, online and print. For example: York University, McGill University, University of Victoria, utes to the common culture of those who work and study there, mate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa as non-vot- and the University of Tromsø in Norway. to the York community and to the broader community who use ing delegates with observer status: Ewa Modlinska, an MES i. Alien invasion: study says non-native species the forest and the upper campus as recreational space. The student in environmental studies, and Alex Todd, an MA threaten due to climate change, Winnipeg Free Press The Canadian GAPS project is focused on diverse aspects of project began in September 2010 and was officially launched candidate in geography. They were joined by Curtis Kuunuaq human security such as introduced species movements along October 27, 2011 at Glendon in the Senate Chamber. Konek and Jordan Konek from the Arviat Youth Project; and ii. Climate change brings alien species to Canada: the proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, hidden homeless- Andreier Orogab Kruiper (Toppies) and Izak Kruiper from study, CTV News ness, mental health workers, and governance issues. By ex- The project documents and shares knowledge about the the Khomani San who represented communities from the Des espèces étrangères envahissent le Canada, ploring the effects of oil and gas activity, and its interactions unique environmental features of the Glendon campus. The Southern Region, including Botswana, Namibia and Angola. iii. Métro Montréal with climate change, on the human security of Arctic peoples, upper campus features a botanical garden and a heritage Ewa and Alex received funding from the Vice President Re- GAPS will further understanding and knowledge of 1) the property. Most of the lower campus is forest along the West search & Innovation at York University to attend, while the iv. Canada lags behind in studying alien species and science of climate change impacts and adaptation, and 2) the Don river, integrated into the ravine system of the Toronto other delegates were partially funded by IRIS. climate change: study, Global News health and well-being of Northern communities. Parks. As well the project documents the history and current state of environmentalism at Glendon, with a focus on the The group shared a booth about how climate change is affect- v. Invaders pose threat, Lethbridge Herald This five-year project has come to the end of its funding. campus conservation committee, student environmental ac- ing Arviat, along with University of British Columbia del- Three students continue work on their theses, including hid- tivism and related initiatives. The Masters Program in Public egates April Dutheil and Professor Frank Tester. den homelessness and grasses with microscopic fungus that and International Affairs provided two graduate assistants to can be toxic to mammals. The project has created a summary the project. Web-space is provided by IRIS. 24 of its project findings. 25 IRIS Charter Application 118
CONTRIBUTIONS TO TEACHING: SUSTAINABILITY CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY As a pedagogical institution, the University is actively ACTION AGENDA involved in teaching a wide variety of subjects. IRIS aims to include elements of sustainability in existing curricula and to create new curricula that take a broad approach to sustain- IRIS has conducted an annual campus sustainability sur- ability as a discipline or specifically focus on the application of veys since 2007. The very first IRIS survey gathered the York sustainability to a particular subject matter. community’s thoughts on climate change. The results of the Sustainability and Education Academy (SEdA) survey then lead to the introduction of carbon neutral course Sustainable UpStarts kits. Other additional surveys have emphasized on the York community’s thoughts and opinions on campus food offerings, The purpose of the Sustainable UpStarts project is to stimu- SEdA offers a comprehensive program for leaders in educa- behaviours, and attitudes regarding the waste found on cam- late the creation of student-run, sustainable, start-up enter- tion across Canada. The program aims are to inspire, cre- pus, and campus engagement. prises at York and beyond by creating a hands-on experiential ate and support a culture of sustainable development in all course in starting up a sustainable enterprise, combined aspects of the education system. SEdA has a national and EVENTS Once a theme has been selected, IRIS works closely with with an annual competition to select the top business plans international group of advisors who are leaders in ESD to the relevant faculties, departments and operational units to emerging from the course. The project will advance experien- provide advice and ideas on current and successful practices develop the action agenda. Each year, we conduct a survey on tial education in a pan-university, interdisciplinary context around the world. Focus on Sustainability Film Festival the annual theme, which is complemented by other engage- and will enhance the university’s reputation for preparing ment initiatives such as presentations, interactive activities, the leaders of a sustainable economy. The Academy’s program was designed by faculty at York In 2012, IRIS and Planet in Focus with the Osgoode Environ- and tailored reporting to relevant parties throughout the University’s Schulich School of Business, the Faculty of mental Law society and Climate Consortium for Research University. During 2011-2012, the selected theme was The course and competition will be operated by IRIS, an uni- Education, the UNESCO Chair on Reorienting Teacher Action Integration (CC-RAI) presented the first annual Fo- Campus Accessibility. versity-wide ORU and hub for sustainability-related research Education to address Sustainability and the NGO, Learning cus on Sustainability Film Festival. The premier theme was and action on campus. The course will be offered each sum- for a Sustainable Future. The development process included water and was held March 19th at the Keele Campus. This Engagement mer to York students and interested individuals from outside ongoing collaboration with education leaders in school sys- entertaining and educating experience featured domestic the university. Building on York’s expertise in business and tems as well as business leaders who are champions in this and foreign documentaries, a panel discussion with filmmak- In the year of 2010-2011 IRIS conducted its fourth annual sustainability, it will be taught by a team of experts from York area. Grants from Environment Canada and Suncor Energy ers, activists and academics, as well as prizes provided by survey, which addressed volunteerism and engagement on and beyond. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams to Foundation funded the development of the program Mountain Equipment Co-op. The films screened during the the campus. The holistic objective was to allow members of learn the fundamentals of sustainability, entrepreneurship inaugural event were Water on the Table, White Water, Black the community to express a desire to explore campus volun- and business planning, and prepare a plan for a start-up sus- The flagship offering of the Academy is the Education Leader Gold, Carbon for Water, and The Clean Bin Project. teerism and engagement as a means to improve campus sus- tainable enterprise—a business whose mission is to advance Seminars. Each Seminar is a 2 1/2 day intensive, residential, tainability. Through the surveys, IRIS was able to establish social or environmental sustainability at York or beyond. informative and motivational event for education leaders. Earth Hour Symposium the York community’s core values, interests, and engagement Seminar workshops provide participants with the knowledge with campus groups. One of the main findings is that stu- IRIS applied for funding via the Academic Innovation Fund and strategies needed to transform school systems into sus- Earth Hour began in 2006 when the World Wildlife Fund dents want to volunteer more, but they feel they have a lack (AIF) in 2012. While the funding request was turned down, tainable organizations. (WWF) in Sydney, Australia introduced the plan to turn of time to do so. These surveys allow IRIS to build a channel IRIS plans to secure other sources of funding to make this off lights for an hour to take a stand against climate change. of communication with the York community and ensure that course a reality. The next SEdA is planned for June 7 & 8 in Since 2008, Earth Hour has become an international event; everyone is aware of sustainability and its significance in Regina, Saskatchewan. Toronto was the first city outside of Sydney to adopt Earth today’s society. The engagement report will be released in the International Summer School in Green Building Design Hour! Earth Hour is a day of celebration and recognition for summer of 2012. Global Corporate Social Responsibility Standards: greater innovation in sustainability. IRIS is working with the university to integrate green build- Competition and Cooperation in Transnational Private Campus Accessibility ing principles into the curriculum and the campus envi- Law-Making IRIS hosted its 3rd Annual Earth Hour Event in collabora- ronment. In 2008, IRIS facilitation led to a memorandum tion with human rights and environmental groups from In the year of 2010-2011 IRIS conducted its fourth annual of understanding with the World Green Building Council Acting Director Stepan Wood developed and taught an ad- both Keele and Glendon Campus. It was held on Wednesday, survey, which addressed volunteerism and engagement on (WGBC), which in turn led to the International Summer vanced seminar on Global Corporate Social Responsibility March 28th in Founders Assembly Hall. Presenters included the campus. The holistic objective was to allow members of School in Green Building Design, launched in summer 2009, Standards: Competition and Cooperation in Transnational the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, Earth Rangers and the community to express a desire to explore campus volun- with York International. The intention of the course is to Private Law-Making in the law faculty at Bar Ilan University the Sustainable Urban Development Association as well as teerism and engagement as a means to improve campus sus- foster literacy in green building strategies in an international (Nov.-Dec. 2011), as a vehicle to develop and disseminate various York University professors. A sustainability clubs fair tainability. Through the surveys, IRIS was able to establish context. The undergraduate course is offered through the knowledge and ideas about transnational business gover- was also held, as was a lantern-making workshop. This was the York community’s core values, interests, and engagement FES by IRIS Core Faculty and Executive Board member nance interactions, as part of the TBGI project. a free event, with lunch and dinner provided. The evening with campus groups. One of the main findings is that stu- Arlene Gould. ended with live music and an open mic talent show! dents want to volunteer more, but they feel they have a lack Continuing Education of time to do so. These surveys allow IRIS to build a channel Now in its fourth year, the Summer 2012 course will again This year’s Earth Hour partners included the Centre for of communication with the York community and ensure that have more spaces made available to FES students and be run IRIS continues to explore opportunities to create non-degree Human Rights, Regenesis @ York, BESSA – Bachelor of Envi- everyone is aware of sustainability and its significance in at cost. The course continues to be open to multiple fields— courses about sustainability. Look for more from IRIS on ronmental Studies Student Association, Red Zone, Glendon today’s society. The engagement report will be released in the remaining one of the few inter-disciplinary undergraduate courses in the near future. Roots and Shoots, and the President’s Sustainability Council summer of 2012. Student Sub-Committee. 26 27 IRIS Charter Application 119
f. COP-17 Debrief On January 12, 2012, IRIS hosted a debriefing of 2011 What’s Worth Knowing: Health and the IRIS E-PRESENCE 2011/2012 Speakers Series c. COP-17 with the delegation from York University Environment Symposium and the youth delegation from Nanisiniq: Arviat On November 16, 2011, Learning for a Sustainable With a diversity of well-recognized speakers covering a broad History Project to share their experiences at this Future held a symposium which mobilized knowl- The IRIS website, www.irisyorku.ca continues to be hosted range of topics, the annual IRIS speaker series has proved year’s COP talks in Durban, South Africa. edge about the links between health, the economy by Ethical Hosting, which is powered by 100% renewable to be popular in past years. During the 2011-2012 academic and the environment while positioning education energy provided through Bullfrog Power and Planetair. year, IRIS hosted speakers on a broad range of sustainability Climate Justice Workshop as a vehicle for continuously improving the lives of The website is constantly updated to remains current and issues, including: climate justice, the Glendon Forest, sus- g. On February 13, 2012, IRIS hosted a Climate Justice citizens. Key areas of inquiry included health issues a user-friendly resources. In addition to profiling its many tainable organizations, orangutans and more! The intention workshop for interested students and staff. The pertaining to toxins, food, air quality, technology and projects, initiatives, and members, the website is also a hub of these events is to engage with students and reach out to participants included COP-17 delegates as well as social inequality. This event culminated in recom- for discussing sustainability issues (through our frequent alumni and the community, in spreading awareness and pro- previous Climate Justice workshop participants mendations for curriculum and education policy de- and thought provoking blog posts). This year we added blogs viding a space for conversation and networking. This year’s and interested staff, faculty and students. velopment. These recommendations were detailed by IRIS member Professor Mark Winfield. The website also speaker series featured the following presentations: in a white paper that was released in early 2012. advertises a host of local sustainability events. IRIS contin- ues to also utilize Facebook (IRIS - Institute for Research a. Inuit Film Festival h. Mari Kira: Sustainable Work Organizations and Workshop: Changing Frontiers of Ecological and Innovation in Sustainability) and Twitter (irisyorku) for On September 27, 2011, IRIS privided students Sustainable Work d. Knowledges: A Critical Dialogue on Asian Ecolo- social media purposes. We continue our monthly newsletter, with an opportunity to learn more about the Inuit On Feb 16, 2012, IRIS hosted Dr. Mari Kira and gies on the Edge highlighting key news items and upcoming events. knowledge and climate change. The event was fol- she presented her research on two interconnected On October 12 and 13, 2011, the York Centre for lowed by a life video Q&A with the community of topics: sustainable work organizations and sustain- Asian Research (YCAR) hosted a two-day interdis- Arviat and filmmaker Ian Mauro. able work. Her research on relating organizational ciplinary workshop to address how new strategies of change and development for sustainability, and the documenting, monitoring and evaluating environ- Climate Justice and Politics Workshop design and development of work for sustainability. mental change have led to a proliferation of ecologi- b. On October 26, 2011, IRIS hosted a discussion cal knowledge in Asia. panel on several topics including: climate change i. IRIS Research Showcase event and hybrid ethics, capitalism, climate change, the On Thursday, March 8, 2012, IRIS hosted the annual discourse of ecological modernization, and much research showcase event. This year’s theme was IN-KIND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT more. It provided an opportunity for participants Transcending Interdisciplinary Research Barriers: to meet and share ideas with like-minded climate Best Practices for Mobilizing Knowledge. IRIS provides office and meeting space to the following organi- justice activists and academics. zations. j. Environmental Cooperation and Israel-Palestin- ian Peace c. Glendon Campus Project Website Launch On March 15, 2012, Professor Stuart Schoenfeld Learning for a Sustainable Future On October 26, 2011, IRIS hosted the Glendon from Glendon and Eric Abitbol from the University website launch. The website was designed to share of Bradford (UK) presented and discussed Environ- Since 2004, IRIS has housed the not-for-profit organization the knowledge about Glendon campus more widely mental Cooperation and Israel-Palestinian Peace. Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF). During 2011-2012 and to document the history and current state of LSF continued to expand its programs for elementary and environmentalism at Glendon. secondary students to take action. The Resources for Re- EVENTS SUPPORTED BY IRIS thinking database continue to grow and house more exem- Dr. Anne Russon: Orangutan Research and Rain- plary classroom resources that are thoroughly reviewed to d. In addition to IRIS-led initiatives and events, IRIS has pro- forest Protection in Borneo meet the highest sustainability and pedagogy principles. In vided speakers, financial and/or administrative support for On November 10, 2011, IRIS hosted Dr. Anne Rus- November 2011, LSF hosted the What’s Worth Knowing: the following events over the past year: son and the Borneo Orangutan Society of Canada Health and the Environment Symposium. To learn more (BOS Canada). This event provided interested stu- about LSF, visit their website: www.lsf-lst.ca dents and faculty with an opportunity to learn about a. New Growth: Dialogues on the Tree the work of BOS Canada in Kutai National Park, an On March 31, 2012 the Art History Graduate Stu- Regenesis @ York incredibly unique and threatened wilderness. dents Association held their 11th Annual Sympo- sium at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection Since the summer of 2010 IRIS has provided a home to Peter Sale: Our Dying Plant in Kleinburg. Regenesis @ York. Regenesis @ York has four core projects e. On November 22, 2011, IRIS hosted Peter Sale’s that we’re currently focusing on - Farmers Market and Food book tour at York University. This event provided b. Battle Lines Drawn: Resisting Ableism Through Education, Cycling Advocacy and Infrastructure, Future of students and faculties a chance to engage in a Creative Intervention Our Forest and our Primary Education Initiative. Regenesis discussion of the current environmental crises. Our On February 7, 2012. Access York hosted Jeff Pres- @ York’s focus areas include: Farmers Market and Food Edu- Dying Planet is about how and why our planet is dy- ton, a disability advocate specializing in creative cation, Cycling Advocacy and Infrastructure, Future of Our ing and this does not have to happen. intervention, for a discussion about his fight for Forest: Glendon Forest, and Primary Education Initiative. disability rights.
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DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTIONS Stepan Wood* (Acting Director; W3; 4 Solitudes; APPENDIX 2 – INDIVIDUAL MEMBER IRIS Steering Commmittee, PDG: Transnational Business Governance Interactions (TBGI)) CONTRIBUTIONS Academic & Professional Positions *2011 NOTE: “Starred items are IRIS contributions. Visiting Professor, Bar-Ilan University, Faculty Starred individuals sit on the IRIS Executive.” of Law, Ramat Gan, Israel (November-December)
2010- Jean Monnet Fellow, Robert Schuman Centre 2011 for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence ( Until August 31) 2011 Visiting Professor, Monash University, Faculty of Law, Prato Law Program, Prato, Italy (July)
Honours & Awards
*2011 Fulbright Canada-RBC Eco Leadership Grant for project to design sustainable furniture for the Centre for Green Change in the Jane-Finch com- munity of Toronto (C $3 650)
2011 Short-listed for Canadian Political Science As- sociation’s DONALD V. SMILEY PRIZE for best book in Canadian politics, for A Perilous Imbal- ance: The Globalization of Canadian Law and Governance (UBC Press, 2010, co-authored with Stephen Clarkson).
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Research Funding Papers “Transnational Voluntary Climate Change Initia- 2010- Other Presented tives by and for Local Governments,” workshop Member of the expert Reference Group to the Cli- 2011 on Local Climate Change Law: The Role of Local mate Bonds Initiative’s Climate Bonds Standards Governments, Faculty of Law, University of Brit- Project Source & Purpose Year Amount My Role Status ish Columbia, 22-23 October 2009- Founder and co-chair, Willms & Shier Environ- Public “Business and Human Rights: The Case for Le- mental Law Moot Court Competition, Lectures verage-Based Responsibility,” Global Governance www.willmsshier.com/moot * Towards a Sustainable Local Food Strategy for *2012 Colloquium, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin 2012 $100,00 Co-PI with Peter Middleton Denied Ontario (23 February) 1999- Canadian delegate, International Organization for Standardization, Technical Committee 207 “The Case for Leverage-Based Business Respon- (International committee responsible for devel- * Fulbright Canada-RBC Eco-Leadership grant sibility for Human Rights: Broadening the Ruggie oping and maintaining international standards on to support a grassroots community-university Framework,” COERB Responsible Business environmental management) project to design sustainable furniture for the Dialogue, Centre of Excellence in Responsible Centre for Green Change in the Jane-Finch 2011 $3,650 Principal Investigator In Progress Business, Schulich School of Business, York Uni- Subcommittee 1 (Environmental Management community of Toronto, in partnership with the versity, Toronto (31 January) Systems standards): Head of Canadian delegation, York Institute for Research and Innovation in 2008 (Bogotá), 2009 (Cairo); Canadian delegate, Sustainability “ISO 26000 and Leverage-Based Responsibility,” 2000 (Stockholm), 2001 (Kuala Lumpur), 2004 Ryerson Institute for the Study of Corporate So- (Buenos Aires), 2005 (Madrid); Expert, Work- Principal investigator (with cial Responsibility, Ryerson University, Toronto ing Groups 1 and 2 (responsible for revising ISO * Social Sciences and Humanities Research co-applicants Kenneth Ab- (27 January) 14001 and ISO 14004 environmental manage- Council of Canada, Partnership Development bott, Arizona State Univer- ment systems standards), 1999-2004; Convener, 2011 $200,000 In Progress Grant, “Competing, Coordinating, Co-opting...? sity; Julia Black, London “Avoiding the Spiderman Syndrome: When ISO 14004 Working Draft Editing Group, 2001; Interactions in School of Economics; Should Corporate Power Give Rise to Corporate Expert, Working Group 3 (responsible for devel- Burkard Eberlein, York Responsibility?” McLaughlin College and Centre oping ISO 14005 guide for phased implementa- for Practical Ethics, York University, Toronto (12 tion of an environmental management system), January) 2008-2009; Expert, SC1 Joint Technical Coor- University; Errol Meidinger, dination Group Mirror Committee (responsible SUNY Buffalo; Alan Richard- for providing input on alignment and integration Transnational Business Regulation” (2011- son, York University; Sasha *2011 “The Case for Leverage-Based Corporate Human of ISO Management Systems Standards), 2008- 2014) Courville, ISEAL Alliance; Rights Responsibility,” Law Department, Bar-Ilan 2009; Member, Working Group 4 (environmental plus 25 collaborators from 18 University, Ramat Gan, Israel (28 November) communications), 2004-05; Member, NGO Task universities in 7 countries) Group, 2001-03; Member, Working Group 5 (ISO Teaching Global Corporate Social Responsibility Standards: 14001 revision), 2011-present. Competition and Cooperation in Transnational European University Institute, Robert Schuman Private Law-Making (advanced seminar in the Member, Canadian Standards Association, Tech- Centre for Advanced Studies, Jean Monnet Fel- €24,000 undergraduate law program, Bar Ilan University, nical Committee on Environmental Management lowship 2010-2011, “ISO 26000 and the Legiti- 2010 Sole applicant Completed (approx.) Faculty of Law) (Nov.-Dec. 2011) and Related Activities (Responsible for develop- mation of Transnational Governance Authority ing and maintaining Canadian National Standards in the Field of Corporate Social Responsibility” Service Osgoode Hall Law School on environmental management) 2011- Editor-in-Chief, Osgoode Hall Law Journal Co-applicant with Carla Vice-Chair, Subcommittee on Environmental * Social Sciences and Humanities Research Lipsig-Mummé of York Member of the Executive, Osgoode Hall Faculty Management Systems, 2004- Council of Canada, Community-University C$1 mil- University (Principal Inves- Association Research Alliance, “Work in a Warming World: 2009 In Progress lion tigator) and others from ten Member, Standards Council of Canada, Canadian Adapting Canadian Employment and Work to universities and 20 partner Advisory Committee on ISO/Technical Commit- the Challenges of Climate Change” York University organizations *2011-12 Acting Director, Institute for Research and Inno- tee 207 (National mirror committee responsible vation in Sustainability (IRIS), www.irisyorku.ca for providing Canadian input on ISO 14000 series Co-applicant with Dawn of international environmental management * Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmo- Bazely of York University *2011- Member, President’s Sustainability Council standards) spheric Sciences Knowledge Synthesis Grant, (Principal Investigator) and “Connecting four research solitudes: the impact 2009 C$80,000 four York University col- In Progress Member, Standards Council of Canada, Canadian and implications of climate change for invasive leagues in Biology, Business, Advisory Committee on ISO/TC 207, Sub-Com- species, biodiversity & society” Environmental Studies and mittee 1 (National mirror committee responsible Sociology for providing Canadian input on ISO environmen- tal management systems standards) Vice-Chair, 2004-
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FACULTY OF FINE ARTS Gabrielle Slowey (GAPS Project) (with assistance from Neil Gold, André Lapierre 2012 “Climate Change and Employment: Australian Per- and Michael Stevenson), commissioned report Arlene Gould * (WGBC Summer School spectives”, Keynote, Macquarie University, April 30. Conference Presentation & Participation “Canada’s International Education Strategy: Focus Course Director) on Scholarships”, August 2011. Conference `Can the World of Work Save the Environment?”, Paper “Fractured Politics .” Canadian Political Science Papers Lipsig-Mummé, C. , J. Calvert, C. Campbell, J. 2012 Association Meetings. June. Edmonton, AB. “Developing Higher Education Internationaliza- FACULTY OF LIBERAL ARTS & PROFES- 2012 Holmes, E. Perry with T.J. Albrecht 30th Inter- tion Policies: Options for the university commu- SIONAL STUDIES national Labour Process Conference, Stockholm, Panelist “Breaking Barriers: New Directions and Strategies nity”, in The Race to Globalize Higher Education in March 26-29. 2012 in Aboriginal Governance.” Centre for Global Chal- Canada, Mark Rosenbaum (ed.), 2011 (in press). Carla Lipsig-Mummé * (W3) lenges. Glendon College, York University. 12 April. ‘Modelling the Future : International and Austra- review of Alok Mukherjee, ‘This Gift of English”, lian modelling studies on climate change, work and Speaker *Symposium Speaker/Presentation, “Oil and Gas Word (to appear). Grant *Principal Investigator, ‘Canada’s Work World jobs’, Lipsig-Mummé, C. , J. Calvert, C. Campbell, J. 2012 Development: Dealing with a Necessary Evil,” 2011 and the Challenge of Climate Change: Engaging Holmes, E. Perry with T.J. Albrecht AIRAANZ 2012 Transcending Interdisciplinary Research Barri- review of Sebastian M. Rasinger, ‘Quantitative the Community”, SSHRC Public Outreach Grant. Conference, Australia, February 2012. ers: Best Practices for Mobilizing Knowledge. The Research in Linguistics. An Introduction’, Word $88,000 CAD. Canada. Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustain- (to appear). 2011 “The Future of Work: A review of international ability (IRIS) Speaker Series. York University. Book Rethinking Work for the Warming World. Carla studies of climate change and jobs”, Lipsig- 8 March. review of Silvia Luraghi and Vit Bubenik (eds.), 2012 Lipsig-Mummé, ed. Fernwood Books.[Contract Mummé,C., J. Calvert, C. Campbell, J. Holmes, E. ‘Continuum Companion to Historical Linguistics’, December 2011.] Perry with T.J. Albrecht Panelist “Aboriginals in Canada: Tackling a Legacy of Op- Diachronica (to appear). W3 Research Workshop, Toronto, November 17-19. 2012 pression.” York University. Toronto, ON. 5 March. review of Elisabeth Waugaman, ‘Women, Their Book “New Carpetbaggers and Old Dreams: Russia Lipsig-Mumme, C. ‘Adapting Canadian Employ- Speaker *Symposium Speaker/Presentation, “Oil and Gas Names, and the Stories They Tell (Where We’ve Chapters between the Union and the Commonwealth”, D. S. ment and Work to the Challenges of Climate 2012 Development: Dealing with a Necessary Evil,” Been, Where We Are, Where We Are Going)’, Ono- 2012 McClelland, ed., Eyewitness to History: the Soviet Change’, Canadian Labour Congress Environment Transcending Interdisciplinary Research Barriers: mastica Canadiana (to appear). Union on the Eve of Collapse. April. Meeting, Ottawa, November 8. Best Practices for Mobilizing Knowledge. AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of review of Joy Damousi, ‘Colonial Voices. A Cultural “Trade Union Strategy and Industrial Democracy: Conference Stream Organiser (joint), Work, Labour Climate Science). Vancouver, BC. 16-18 February. History of English in Australia 1840-1940’, Cana- Convergences, East and West”, D. S. McClelland, ed., /Workshop Change, 25th Conference of Association of Indus- dian Woman Studies (to appear). Eyewitness to History: the Soviet Union on the Eve Organising trial Relations Academics of Australia and New of Collapse. April. 2012 Zealand, Queensland, Australia, 2012. Nina Hewitt (4 Solitudes) Grants final year of SSHRCC Standard Research Grant, with Dorin Uritescu, $100,997, “The Romanian Lipsig-Mummé, C. and E. Webster in “Reconnec- Online Dialect Atlas II”. tions: Labour Sociologies in a Globalizing Era”, A. 2011 Lead Organiser, International Panel on Greening *Hewitt, N., N. Klenk, A.L. Smith, D.R. Bazely, N. Sales, ed., Sociology Today: Social Transformations Work in a Chilly Climate, Toronto, November. Yan, S. Wood, J.I. MacLellan, C. Lipsig-Mumme York Ad Hoc conference travel to LSA/ANS in a Globalizing World, Sage. January. and I. Henriques. 2011. Taking stock of the as- [Linguistic Society of America/American Name sisted migration debate. Biological Conservation Society] Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon, Scholarly *‘The Effects of Climate Change on the Distribu- 144:2560-2572. January 2012. Articles tion of Invasive Alien Species in Canada knowledge Lead Organiser, Researchers’ Workshop, Toronto, 2012 synthesis of range change projections in a warming November 18-19 *Andrea L. Smith, Nina Hewitt, Nicole Klenk, Contracts Special advisor to the CEO of Mitacs, Vancouver. world”, (A. L. Smith, N. Hewitt, N. Klenk, D.R. Ba- Dawn R. Bazely, Norman Yan, Stepan Wood, Irene Expert Consultant, Education Practice, Stoakley- zely, N. Yan, S. Wood, I. Henriques, J. I. MacLellan, Grant Lead Investigator, “Adapting Canadian Workplaces Henriques, James I. MacLellan, Carla Lipsig- Dudley Consultants, Inc., Toronto. C. Lipsig-Mummé), Environmental Reviews, v.20, Applications to Climate Change”, SSHRC Partnership Grant Let- Mummé. 2012. Effects of climate change on the Associate, Directions Evidence and Policy Re- #1.Published online January 19,2012.16 p. 2012 ter of Intent, February. distribution of invasive alien species in Canada: a search Group, LLP, Vancouver knowledge synthesis of range change projections in Illuminate Consulting Group, Santa Clara, Califor- 2011 2011 *“Taking Stock of the Assisted Migration De- Lead Investigator, “Responding to Climate Change a warming world. Environmental Reviews 20: 1-16. nia, Member of ISAFM Advisory Board [Interna- bate”, (N. Hewitt, A. L. Smith, D.R. Bazely, N. Klenk, 2011 in the World of Work”, Ontario Research Fund, tional Student Analytics and Forecasting Model] N. Yan, S. Wood, I. Henriques, C. Lipsig-Mummé, October. Programme terminated during application Sheila Embleton* (Former VP Academic; J. MacLellan) Biological Conservation, v.144, #11 process. Climate Justices) pp.2560-2672. Publications (with Dorin Uritescu and Eric Wheeler), “Effective Keynotes *“Greening Work in a Chilly Climate”, International Comparisons of Geographic and Linguistic Dis- 2011 Panel on Work and Climate Change, Toronto, No- David Doorey (TBGI, W3) tances”, in XXX (Fs. NNN), ed. Gabriel Altmann, vember 17. Peter Grzybek, Sven Naumann et al. 2012, pages 225-232. [details still confidential] *“Work in Canada’s Warming World: Wicked Prob- David Szablowski (TBGI) lems and New Alliances”, Keynote, The Atlantic “Comment on Eric W. Holman et al.’s “Automated Forum , St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Dating of the World’s Language Families Based on Brunswick, Sept. 28. Lexical Similarity”, Current Anthropology, volume 52, number 6, December 2011, p. 867. 34 35 IRIS Charter Application 123
DFAIT (with assistance from Neil Gold, André Panel presentation on “Moving Towards Corporate Lapierre and Michael Stevenson), commissioned Universities”, CII (Confederation of Indian Indus- report “Canada’s International Education Strategy: tries) conference, Delhi, India, November 14-15, Focus on Scholarships”, August 2011. 2011. Panel is November 14, 17:00-18:30. Member of 3 Royal Society of Canada working 2012 Applying TIEDI’s Knowledge Mobilization DFAIT, Member, Focus India Working Group. (with Natasha Scollard) “What is Mitacs?”, Inaugu- groups, representing Academy I. Model to Immigrant Cities in Canada. Presentation ral conference of ACCRU (Association of Canadian to 14th National Metropolis Conference February Funding Have applied for a SSHRCC grant for 2012-15. Comprehensive Research Universities), Ottawa. Member of the Board, CBIE [Canadian Bureau for 30, Toronto, ON Proposals Have been part of 4 teams bidding for contracts November 29, 13:45-15:00. International Education], Mprime Networks Inc., with higher education institutions and/or federal and various subcommittees of each. 2012 Secondary Data Sets and the Impact of Settle- government and/or provincial governments, and “University 101”, Mitacs Annual Team Meeting, ment Services on Labour Market Integration. Pre- advisor on 3 confidential bids for major Vancouver, November 30, 13:00-14:30. Member of Advisory Committee, Chanchlani India sentation to “The Impact of the Sector Serving Im- funding initiatives. Policy Centre, University of Waterloo. migrants: A Critical Introduction”. 14th National Other Associate Senior Fellow, Massey College, Univer- Metropolis Conference February 29, Toronto, ON Presenta- (with Dorin Uritescu and Eric Wheeler) “Defining Activites & sity of Toronto. Member of Reference Group on Accessibility for tions Dialect Regions with Interpretations: Advancing Outputs People with Disabilities: Information and Commu- *2012 The Nature of Hospitality and Worker Re- the Multidimensional Scaling Approach”, Methods President, Canadian Friends of Finland Education nications Working Group, and of Working Group sponse to Climate Change Paper presented at the in Dialectology 14, University of Western Ontario, Foundation on Implications of the Accessible Information and Annual Meeting of the Association of American London, Ontario, August 3, 2011. Communications Standards for the University Sec- Geographers, February 24, New York, NY Referee for 12 journal articles, abstracts for two tor, COU [Council of Ontario Universities]. “Driving Opportunities for Canada-India Research conferences, one US promotion case, and 3 major *2012 What Will Work in a Warming World Look and Education Partnerships”, Canada India Forum, grant applications. Like? Presentation in Symposium “Transcending University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Steve Tufts (W3) Interdisciplinary Research Barriers: Best Practices October 18, 2011. Member of 2 grant referee panels. for Mobilizing Knowledge” Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Sci- (with Roopa Desai Trilokekar) “Access, Social Evaluator for Research Assessment Exercise, Ro- Publica- 2011 Renewal from Different Directions: The Case ence (AAAS), February 18, Vancouver Equity and the Challenges of Internationalizing manian National University Research Council and tions of UNITE-HERE Local 75. In V. Shalla (ed) Work- Higher Education: Implications for Canada & Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, 2011 ing in a Global Era, Canadian Perspectives Sec- *Tufts S, Milne S 2011 The Shift towards Green India”, CSSHE [Canadian Society for the Study of Development and Innovation Funding (Assess- ond Edition. CSP, Toronto, Chapter 14 2012. Can Hotels and Fair Labour Practices, in Canada, US, Higher Education] Conference on “Higher Educa- ment domain – Philology), Bucharest, Romania, Labour Precipitate a ‘Useful Crisis’ at Air Canada? Ireland, and Australia. Paper presented and the tion, Globalization, and Social Justice”, Vancouver, 2010-2011 (site visits in Bucharest and Iasi, August The Bullet - Socialist Project • E-Bulletin No. 618, Sustainable Community Business Conference. November 3, 2011. 30 - September 2, 2011). April 17, www.socialistproject.ca July 15, Sydney, NS
with Rod Skinkle), “International Student Pros- Invited expert assessor, University of Göttingen, *2011. Greening Work in an Age of Uncertainty: pect Survey – India Cohort 2011”, CBIE Annual German Excellence Initiative – Institutional Is There Something Worse than Climate Change Exhibits & 2011 Renewal from Different Directions: The Case Conference, Ottawa, November 21, 2011. Strategies, September – December 2011 (site visit Denial? The Bullet - Socialist Project • E-Bulletin Other of UNITE-HERE Local 75. In V. Shalla (ed) Work- December 19-21, 2011). No. 579, December 13, www.socialistproject.ca Activities & ing in a Global Era, Canadian Perspectives Sec- (with André Lapierre), “Canada’s International Outputs ond Edition. CSP, Toronto, Chapter 14 2012. Can Education Strategy: Focus on Scholarships / La Member of 5 conference organizing committees. Tufts, S and Thomas M 2011 Worker Power in an Labour Precipitate a ‘Useful Crisis’ at Air Canada? Stratégie Internationale en Matière d’Éducation: Associate Editor, Review Editor, Member of Edito- Age of Uneven Austerity. The Bullet -Socialist The Bullet - Socialist Project • E-Bulletin No. 618, Les Bourses d’Études”, CBIE Annual Conference, rial Board for 6 journals, and 5 book series. Project • E-Bulletin No. 541, September 5, www. April 17, www.socialistproject.ca Ottawa, November 23, 2011. socialistproject.ca Member of Executive of International Linguistic Invited Lectures to Academic Institutions: “Names in India”, American Name Society An- Association; and of International Quantitative Funding Thomas, M (Principal Investigator) Tufts S (Co- nual Meeting, Portland, Oregon, January 6, 2012. Linguistics Association. Proposals Applicant) Insight Development 2012 Non-stop Flights to Nowhere? What’s Up [invited key note address] Grant Proposal submitted January 2012 with Air Canada? Invited panelist on York LA&PS President, International Council of Onomastic Sci- “York Speaks Out...” Series, March 28 “Internationalization Alliances: Canada-India Col- ences, until September 2011. Presenta- *2012 Work in a Warming Urban World. Presenta- laborations in Post-Secondary Education” Policy tions tion to Re-imagining our Cities: Toward a Com- 2012 Hospitality unionism and labour market Formation in Post-Secondary Education: Issues President, Canada India Education Council, 2011- prehensive Strategy for the Urban Economies of adjustment in an era of uncertainty. Presentation and Prospects in Turbulent Times, Toronto, March 2012. Southern Ontario. Discussion Forum hosted by to Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies 17, 2012. [invited] the New Democratic Party of Canada and the City Research Matters Speaker Series “The Future of Chair of the Board of Directors, LACUS (Linguistic Institute at York University, April 13, Toronto Work”, York University, January 5 Panel presentation on “Internationalization”, Association of Canada and the US). FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Com- Tufts, S and Thomas M 2012 Worker Power in an 2011 Hotel workers, labour crisis, and the struggle merce and Industry), Delhi, India, Co-Chair, SSHRCC Aid to Workshops and Scholar- Age of Uneven Austerity. Alternate Routes Confer- for the city. Presentation to MA Program in Ge- November 11-12, 2011. ly Conferences in Canada Adjudicating Committee. ence - The Global Economic Crisis and Canada: ography, Brock University, St Catharines, Ontario 3 conference sessions chaired. Perception Versus Reality, March 23, Ryerson November 23 University, Toronto 36 37 IRIS Charter Application 124
Articles in *Forthcoming “International synergies to “International synergies to address climate FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL Refereed address climate change: participatory com- change: Participatory community organizing in Lectures to Professional Organizations: Journals munity organizing in Toronto and the Baixada Canada and Brazil” by Patricia E. Perkins and Ana STUDIES (FES) Fluminense, Brazil,” co-authored with Ana Louise Tavares Leary; presented by Ana Tavares Leary Tavares Leary, in The Global Studies Journal, vol. at the Global Studies Conference, Rio de Janeiro, 2012 The Strategic Importance of Air Canada. 4, 2012. Brazil, July 18-20. Presentation to Solidarity YYZ Anders Sandberg (SEPN) (Unions at Pearson Airport), April 16 *Forthcoming “Women and water management in times of climate change,” co-authored with Addresses, *Panel member, IRIS workshop on “COP17 de- Media Appearances Ellie Perkins* (Climate Justice; Campus Sustain- Patricia Figueiredo, in the Journal of Cleaner Pro- Panels & brief”, January 12. ability; Climate Change Adaption in Africa(CCAA)) duction special issue on Women, Water, Waste, Talks Media Appearances and Extra-University Commu- Wisdom, and Wealth, accepted February 18, 2012. 2012 *Panel member, IRIS open discussion on “How nity Service (pro bono publico) Community *2011-2012 Co-organizer, with the York Institute doe we move forward from COP17?”, Feb. 13. & Gov- for Research and Innovation in Sustainability, Papers 2012 Interviewed by Rachel Osborne on CHRY ernment of several virtual forums on climate justice both *“Gender justice and climate justice: building Presented News, March 26, 2012 Service before and after York’s delegation of graduate stu- women’s economic and political agency in times 2011 Moderator of “Women and labour: contributors’ dents and community members attended COP17 in at Confer- of climate change,” at the conference of the In- panel discussion,” Women and Environments 2012 Interviewed by Laura Di Battista on CBC Durban, South Africa. ences ternational Association for Feminist Economics International 35th anniversary celebration and Here and Now, “City, Union Butt Heads as Sunday 2012 (IAFFE), Barcelona, Spain, June 16-17. launch, November 24. Deadline Looms” February 3, 2012 Grants & 2011 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Contracts Council of Canada, Public Outreach grant, *Various panels and presentations, Cupula dos *“Climate justice and community resilience in $100,000: “Community-based environmental Povos (People’s Summit), Rio+20 conference on Durban, Maputo and Nairobi,” presented as part education and mobilization in marginalized urban sustainable development and poverty reduction, of a panel on “Climate Justice: Perspectives from FACULTY OF EDUCATION communities for equitable watershed governance.” Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 15-20. the Margins,” in the “Exclusion, Expulsion and Extraction” lecture series, Faculty of Environ- Steve Alsop* (IRIS Speaker’s Series 2011 York SSHRC travel grant, $282.60 for travel mental Studies, York University, November 8. Committee, SEPN) to Boston, MA for a conference on “Innovation, *“Climate justice, redistribution, and ecologi- diversity and sustainable development in areas of cal economics,” at the International Society for *Panel moderator, student-led Climate Justice Donald Dippo (SEPN) social vulnerability,” Nov. 17-18. Ecological Economics (ISEE) conference, Rio de and Politics Workshop on “Bringing a Democratic Janeiro, Brazil, May 29-June 1. Canadian Perspective to the Climate Change Con- 2011 FES conference travel grant, $1,075, for travel ference in South Africa: Taking Action on Climate Book Don Dippo, “Pre-Service Teaching and Pedagogies to Boston, MA for a conference on “Innovation, *“Watersheds as geographical spaces for political Change,” Institute for Research and Innovation in Chapters of Transformation”, in Rosalyn McKeown and Vic- diversity and sustainable development in areas of organizing in climate change adaptation: fractals, Sustainability, York University, October 26. tor Nolet (Eds.), Schooling for Sustainable Devel- social vulnerability,” Nov. 17-18. veins and feedbacks,” in panel on “Water gov- opment in Canada and the United States, Berlin: ernance organizing and climate change adapta- Springer (forthcoming). Chapters *Forthcoming “Climate justice partnership tion across scales in Southern Africa,” and other in Books linking universities and community organizations panels/presentations, at the Initiative on Climate Papers in Don Dippo, Marcela Duran and Ranu Basu, “Settle- in Toronto, Durban, Maputo, and Nairobi,” co- Adaptation Research and Understanding through Jose Etcheverry* Refereed ment and Schooling: The Unique Circumstances authored with Ana Louise Tavares Leary, in book the Social Sciences (ICARUS) III conference, May Journals of Refugees and Forced Migrants”, International on Sustainable Development at Universities: New 18-20, New York City. Justin Podur* Migration, (in review). Horizons, edited by Walter Leal (Frankfurt: Peter Lang Scientific Publishers, 2012) “Degrowth, equity, and local/global redistribu- Kaz Higuchi* (Climate Justice; Campus Presenta- Don Dippo and Negin Dahya, “Social Age and Edu- tion,” at Montreal Degrowth conference, May Sustainability) tions cation: A Focus Group Discussion with WUSC Stu- *Forthcoming “Social vulnerability and climate 13-19. dents from Dadaab”, Age and Generation in Migra- justice: community-based strategies for political tion Contexts Seminar Series, Centre for Refugee engagement.“ Submitted December 2, 2011 for Leesa Fawcett (SEPN) Studies, York University, Toronto, October 2011. publication in A Global Survey of Sustainable De- “Degrowth, equity, and feminism,” in panel on velopment in Areas of Social Vulnerability, edited “Occupy Earth: Ecofeminist perspectives II” at Mark Winfield* (Until the end of 2011) External SSHRC Partnership Development Grant (w/ We- by Adenrele Awotona. the Left Forum, Pace University, Mar. 16-18. Research nona Giles) “The Provision of Higher Education Timothy Leduc (SEPN) Funding for Long Term Refugees in Dadaab Camps, Kenya”, Forthcoming “Environmental activism and 2011 *“Social vulnerability and climate justice: Com- 2011-2013 -- $225,912. gender.” Submitted December 1, 2011 for publica- munity-based strategies for political engage- tion in Gender and Economic Life, edited by Debo- ment,” presented at the workshop on “Innovation, Master Card Foundation (w/Wenona Giles) “Reach- rah Figart and Tonia Warnecke (Northampton, Diversity and Sustainable Development in Areas ing Higher: The Provision of Higher Education for MA: Edward Elgar). of Social Vulnerability,” University of Massachu- Long Term Refugees in Dadaab Camps, Kenya”, setts Boston, November 18-19. 2011-2012 -- $249,663.
38 39 IRIS Charter Application 125
FACULTY OF SCIENCE & ENGINEERING Presenta- *Environmental Cooperation and Israel-Pales- tions tinian Relations, Speakers’ Series – Institute for Dawn Bazely* (IRIS Director; W3; 4 Solitudes; Gaps; Research and Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS), Climate Justice; Campus Sustainability; IRIS York University, Toronto, Canada; March 15, 2012 Speaker’s Series Committee; President’s Sustain- ability Council Transboundary Water Governance and the Israel- Palestinian Conflict, University for Peace, Depart- SCHULICH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ment of Environment, Peace and Security (DEPS), *Hewitt, N., N. Klenk, A.L. Smith, D.R. Bazely, N. San José, Costa Rica – on Skype; March 7, 2012 Yan, S. Wood, J.I. MacLellan, C. Lipsig-Mumme Alan Richardson (TBGI) and I. Henriques. 2011. Taking stock of the as- L’eau, la paix et le conflit Israëlo-palestinien, Uni- sisted migration debate. Biological Conservation Burkard Eberlein (TBGI) versité du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Départe- 144:2560-2572. ment de sociologie, pour la Professeure Élisabeth Abergel, Montréal, Canada; 2 février 2012 *Andrea L. Smith, Nina Hewitt, Nicole Klenk, Dirk Matten (TBGI) Dawn R. Bazely, Norman Yan, Stepan Wood, Irene Water, Peacebuilding and the Israel-Palestinian Henriques, James I. MacLellan, Carla Lipsig- Irene Henriques* (W3; 4 Solitudes) Conflict, Trent University, Department of Politics Mummé. 2012. Effects of climate change on the and the Department of International Develop- distribution of invasive alien species in Canada: a *Hewitt, N., N. Klenk, A.L. Smith, D.R. Bazely, N. ment Studies, Peterborough, Canada; knowledge synthesis of range change projections Yan, S. Wood, J.I. MacLellan, C. Lipsig-Mumme January 24, 2012 in a warming world. Environmental Reviews and I. Henriques. 2011. Taking stock of the as- 20: 1-16. sisted migration debate. Biological Conservation 144:2560-2572. Rachel Hirsch
Norman Yan (4 Solitudes) *Andrea L. Smith, Nina Hewitt, Nicole Klenk, *Tracking Arctic climate change research to policy integration Dawn R. Bazely, Norman Yan, Stepan Wood, Irene from the bottom-up *Hewitt, N., N. Klenk, A.L. Smith, D.R. Bazely, N. Henriques, James I. MacLellan, Carla Lipsig- Yan, S. Wood, J.I. MacLellan, C. Lipsig-Mumme Mummé. 2012. Effects of climate change on the and I. Henriques. 2011. Taking stock of the as- distribution of invasive alien species in Canada: a I have been engaged in a pilot project working sisted migration debate. Biological Conservation knowledge synthesis of range change projections with Gwen Healey of the Qaujigiartiit Health 144:2560-2572. in a warming world. Environmental Reviews Research Centre (QHRC) in Iqaluit, Nunavut 20: 1-16. since July 2010. This project aims to identify how *Andrea L. Smith, Nina Hewitt, Nicole Klenk, community-based knowledge (Inuit and non- Dawn R. Bazely, Norman Yan, Stepan Wood, Irene Inuit) is integrated into climate change and health Henriques, James I. MacLellan, Carla Lipsig- Wesley Cragg (TBGI) policy developments, with a focus on food secu- Mummé. 2012. Effects of climate change on the rity, at multiple scales. Data collection (question- distribution of invasive alien species in Canada: a naire interviews) in Iqaluit and Ottawa is now knowledge synthesis of range change projections complete and two graduate research assistants in a warming world. Environmental Reviews SENIOR FELLOWS from the University of Guelph and York Univer- 20: 1-16. sity have been hired to help with analysis. A main Eric Abitbol objective of this research is to test the feasibil- ity of a knowledge tracking tool developed with GLENDON Contracts Consulting Researcher, Developing a Virtual Iqaluit-based partners from a methods workshop Community of Practice (VCOP), National Col- hosted in March 2011. Our long-term goal is to Colin Coates* laborating Centre on the Determinants of Health contrast Arctic food security policy communica- (NCCDH), St. Francis Xavier University, Antigon- tions across the Canadian Inuit Nunangat (‘home- Stuart Schoenfeld* ish, Canada; January-March 2012 land’). This project has already been awarded over $39,000 in research grants and other support from SSHRC, ArcticNet, and York University. Prelimi- OSGOODE HALL Funding *’Assessing the Impact of Peace and Conflict nary results have now been presented at the 2012 Proposals Impact Assessments (PCIAs): A North-South International Polar Year Conference and the first Peer Zumbansen (TBGI) Participatory Research Project’ submitted to paper on this project has been re-submitted as IDRC - Small Grants for Innovative Research and part of a special issue to Polar Geography. Knowledge Sharing, April 2012 *IRIS collaborators on SSHRC grant (Dawn and Gabrielle)
40 41 IRIS Charter Application 126
Conferences & Workshop Presentations doi:10.1139/A11-020 (covered by the Canadian Press and Global News online Jan. 19-21 2012, Climate justice virtual events and COP 17 Submitted Castro, D., Lesins, G., Hirsch, R., & Higuchi, K. Hirsch, R., Healey, G., Shirley, J., Durdle, J., Svo- and Scientific American March 23 2012). Manuscripts Cooperative food sharing in Sheshatshiu: Uncov- boda, M., Noah, J., & Edmunds-Potvin, S. (2012, Dr. Hirsch coordinated several virtual events fall ering scenarios to support the ‘emergent capacity’ April). A message from Nunavut: Tracking Arctic Other Activities & Outputs: 2011, including a Inuit knowledge film festival and of Northern communities. Submitted for review climate change research to policy integration a climate justice workshop, hosted by York Uni- with Yale University Press in Ali, S. H., & Pincus, from the bottom-up. To be presented at the Inter- versity’s Institute for Research and Innovation in R (Eds.), Polar Diplomacy: Energy, the Environ- national Polar Year Conference, Starting in April 2011 I began working with Sustainability (IRIS) and the Association of Polar ment, and Emergent Cooperation in the Arctic Montréal, Québec. CAISN (the Canadian Aquatic Invasive Species Early Career Scientists (APECS) in preparation and Antarctica [Chapter 14]. Network), examining Canada’s preparedness to for the 17th United Nations Framework Conven- Castro, D., Lesins, G., Hirsch, R., & Higuchi, K. deal with aquatic invasive species through policy, tion on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Hirsch, R., & Baxter, J. Avoiding neighbourhood (2011, December). Simulating food sharing in education, and public awareness. I’ve been on a 6 the Parties in Durban, South Africa (COP 17). The conflict: A narrative policy analysis of residents’ Sheshatshiu, Labrador: Modelling household month secondment (Oct 2012-Mar 2012)with the aim of these events was to provide a virtual forum urban pesticide policy preferences in Halifax and versus community level cooperation. Copresented Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, conduct- for dialogue and democratic action highlighting Calgary. Manuscript being revised for resubmis- with Kaz Higuchi at the Annual Meeting of the ing a review of federal and Ontario legislation on the views of Canadian students, youth, and Inuit. sion to Environmental Politics. Canadian Mathematical Society, invasive species for the provincial government. Network objectives are to: connect Canadians Toronto, Ontario. [Invited] This has involved extensive consultation with who have something to say or share about their Hirsch, R., Durdle, J., Edmunds-Potvin, S., Healey, government staff, and review of legislation, regu- experiences within a changing world; and, work G., Noah, J., Shirley, J., & Thomas, M. E. Sharing Perkins, E., Hirsch, R., & Konsmo, E. (2011, No- lations, and associated plans, and will culminate together to voice the important issues that should research findings in Nunavut: A tool to track the vember). Climate Justice: Perspectives from the with a final report presented to the Ministry at the be the focus of climate politics at the COP 17 use and integration of communitybased knowl- Margins. Presented with a panel as part of the end of April 2012. meetings in Durban, South Africa, and thereafter. edge about food (in)security. Revision submitted Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) Lecture Dr. Hirsch also coordinated activities for York’s to Polar Geography as part of a special issue on Series, York University, COP 17 delegation including submitting a suc- local knowledge and data management. Toronto, Ontario. [Invited] Perry Sadorsky cessful exhibit booth application hosted by two Inuit youth from Arviat, Nunavut association with Hirsch, R., & Saint-Charles, J. Ecosystem ap- Hirsch, R., Edmunds-Potvin, S., Durdle, J., Healey, Book Sadorsky, P. (2012). Green Financing After the the Nanisiniq History Project. proaches to health communication: At the G., Noah, J., Shirley, J., & Thomas M. E. (2011, Chapters Global Financial Crisis, in Paul Shrivastava and sciencepolicy interface in a socially networked November). Sharing research findings in Nuna- Refereed Matt Statler (editors) Learning From The Fi- Other Collaborator with Damian Castro (Memorial world. Revision submitted to Ecohealth [Student vut: A tool to track the use and integration of nancial Crisis: Creativity, Reliability, Stanford Projects University), Glen Lesins (Dalhousie University), Dialogues Section]. community-based knowledge about food (in)se- University Press. and Kaz Higuchi (Environment Canada and York curity. Presented at the ELOKA Workshop, “Data University [IRIS and FES]) on a project titled: Manuscript in Preperation Management and Local Knowledge: Building a Sadorsky, P. (2011). Modeling Renewable Energy “Cooperative food sharing in Sheshatshiu: Uncov- Network to Support Community- Based Research Consumption For A Greener Global Economy, in ering scenarios to support the ‘emergent capacity’ Collaborator with Damian Castro (Memorial and Monitoring,” University of Colorado, Boulder. Planet Earth 2011 - Global Warming Challenges of Northern communities”. This work has been University), Glen Lesins (Dalhousie University), and Opportunities for Policy and Practice, Edited Workshop Participation submitted for publication as a book chapter with and Kaz Higuchi (Environment Canada and York by E.G. Carayannis, InTech Publishers. MIT University Press through the Institute for University [IRIS and FES]) on a project titled: Environmental Diplomacy and Security at the “Cooperative food sharing in Sheshatshiu: Uncov- November 2011 Data Management and Local http://www.intechweb.org/books/show/title/ University of Vermont. ering scenarios to support the ‘emergent capacity’ Knowledge Workshop: Building a Network to Sup- planet-earth-2011-global-warming-challenges- of Northern communities”. This work has been port Community-Based Research and Monitoring and-opportunities-for-policy-and-practice 2. Dr. Hirsch is the co-chair of the Climate submitted for publication as a book chapter with hosted by the Exchange for Local Observations Consortium for Research Action Integration MIT University Press through the Institute for and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA) at the Uni- Journal Sadorsky, P. (2012) Energy Consumption, Output (CC-RAI) working group on interdisciplinary Environmental Diplomacy and Security at the versity of Colorado, Boulder, United States. The Articles And Trade In South America, Energy Economics, collaboration based at York University (IRIS is a University of Vermont. goals of this three-day workshop included a re- Refereed 34, 2, 476-488. collaborator on this project). During the fall 2011, view of projects, discussion of key issues, and the climate change researchers on campus at York Major Scholarships, Fellowships & Grants formation of a network focused on local knowl- Basher, S. A. Haug, A. and P. Sadorsky (2012). Oil University were sent a link to an online survey edge and data management. I hosted Madeleine Prices, Exchange Rates and Emerging Stock Mar- that Dr. Hirsch helped to develop in order to deter- 2012 Labrador Institute and Faculty of Arts (Geog- Redfern, the Mayor of Iqaluit, as a guest attendee. kets, Energy Economics, 34, 1, 227-240. mine who is interested in and how they would like raphy), Memorial University of Newfoundland to collaborate on climate change research at York. Postdoctoral Fellowship $38,000 Sadorsky, P. (2012) Correlations And Volatility Andrea Smith Spillovers Between Oil Prices And The Stock Refereed Hirsch, R., & Baxter, J. (2011). Context, cultural 2011- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Coun- Prices Of Clean Energy And Technology Compa- Articles bias, and health risk perception: The ‘everyday’ 2012 cil (SSHRC) Standard Research Grant (Principal nies, Energy Economics, 34, 1, 248-255 nature of pesticide policy preferences in London, Investigator) $30,261 Publica- *Smith, A. L., N. Hewitt, N. Klenk, D. R. Bazely, N. Calgary, and Halifax. Risk Analysis, 31(5), 847-865. tions Yan, S. Wood, I. Henriques, J. I. MacLellan and C. Sadorsky, P. (2012) Modeling Renewable Energy Lipsig-Mummé. 2012. Effects of climate change Company Risk, Energy Policy, 40, 39-48. on the distribution of invasive alien species in Canada: a knowledge synthesis of range change Sadorsky, P. (2011) Some Future Scenarios For projections in a warming world. Environmental Renewable Energy, Futures, 43,10, 1091-1104. Reviews 20: 1-16. 42 43 IRIS Charter Application 127
Sadorsky, P. (2011) Trade And Energy Consump- tion In The Middle East, Energy Economics, 33, 5, 739-749.
Invited Oil prices and the carbon market, presented at, Presenta- Workshop on Carbon Market Design: Issues and tions Opportunities, sponsored by USDA, National Farm Foundation and Commodity Futures Trad- ing Commission, Washington DC, Jan. 31 – Feb. 1, 2011.
JUNIOR FELLOWS
Kevin McKague
Grants SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship ($81,000) to work with Aneel Karnani at the University of Michigan Ontario Graduate Scholarship ($15,000)
Publica- McKague, K. (2012). Bangladesh’s Rural Sales tions Program: Towards a Scalable Rural Sales Agent Model for the Distribution of Socially Beneficial Goods to the Poor. Social Enterprise Journal. Vol. 8, No 1.
McKague, K. (2011). Dynamic Capabilities of Institutional Entrepreneurship. Journal of Enter- prising Communities, Vol. 5, No. 1: 11-28.
Case “Value Chain Development: CARE Kenya’s Chal- Study lenge to Make Markets Work for the Poor.” Part (A), Part (B) and Teaching Note. Ivey Business School Publishing. 2012.
Book Realizing Socially Inclusive and Sustainable Chapter Development in Africa (with David Wheeler and Aneel Karnani) in the forthcoming book, Sustain- able and Social Innovation in Africa, edited by Ralph Hamman and Martin Hall.
Andrew Watson
OGS scholarship 2011/12
CO-chair of Online Environment History Student Workshop; Place & Placelessness (http://virtualeh.wordpress.com/)
Graduate Student Representative, Local Organiz- ing Committee, 2013 American Society of Environmental History annual confer- ence (Toronto, April 2013)
Keynote Speaker, Muskoka Stewardship Confer- ence (Bracebridge, Ont, April 2012) IRIS Charter Application 128
IRIS Conflict Resolution Policy
Adopted by the Executive Board 27 October, 2011
1. Scope 1.1. This Policy applies to all persons performing paid or unpaid work for IRIS, including but not limited to students, faculty, staff and volunteers. It applies to conflicts that may arise among co-workers or between workers and superiors, in relation to IRIS as a workplace. 1.2. For clarity, this Policy does not apply to conflicts in relation to • the governance and governing organs of IRIS, including the Executive Board and Steering Committee; • membership in IRIS; or • relations with or activities of partner organizations, other organs of the University, IRIS- affiliated programs or research projects, or individual researchers conducting research in association with IRIS;
except to the extent that they also raise issues relating to IRIS as a workplace.
2. Policy
IRIS is committed to providing a working environment that fosters inclusion, collaboration, trust, mutual respect, and conflict prevention. It strives to maintain a workplace in which everyone who performs work for IRIS
• Understands the rights, responsibilities, roles and reporting relationships relevant to their work; • feels safe from workplace intimidation and harassment; • feels empowered to raise legitimate workplace-related concerns and complaints without fear of retaliation; and • is confident that such concerns and complaints will be handled in a respectful, discreet, timely and fair way. 3. Definitions 3.1. A minor conflict is a minor dispute between two or more parties in the workplace, which the parties are unable or unwilling to resolve on their own. Sources of minor conflicts may include but are not limited to arguments, rudeness, unwillingness to share shared office resources, small-scale misappropriation of office property, inappropriate pranks, and minor disagreements over the nature or fulfillment of tasks. 3.2. A major conflict is a major dispute between two or more parties in the workplace. Sources of major conflicts may include but are not limited to loss of temper, shouting, verbal abuse, bullying, discriminatory speech or action, major disagreements about work performance, or the cumulation of unresolved minor conflicts. 3.3. A severe conflict is a dispute involving conduct by one or more parties that should be brought to the attention of the University, law enforcement officials, or both. Sources of severe conflicts IRIS Charter Application 129
may include but are not limited to harassment, physical violence, theft, destruction of property, and threats of bodily harm. Note: The lines between the preceding levels may be blurry and difficult to draw, and the examples given under each level are illustrative only. Depending on the circumstances, examples listed for one level may constitute a more serious level of conflict. 3.4. A mutual superior is, in the case of conflicts among co-workers, a person who has authority to assign tasks to or supervise the work of all parties to the conflict, or to whom they all report. In the case of conflicts between worker(s) and superior(s), a mutual superior is a person who has authority to assign tasks to or supervise the work of the superior, or to whom the superior reports, in relation to the work relationship at issue. 4. Conflict Resolution Process 4.1. Conflict identification. 4.1.1. Any party to a conflict, or any other person who believes a conflict exists, may identify the existence of a conflict. If no party to the alleged conflict believes a conflict exists, the Director shall determine whether a conflict exists. 4.1.2. If all parties to the conflict agree on the level of conflict, the level is as agreed unless the Director, acting reasonably, considers it to be a different level, in which case it shall be the level determined by the Director. 4.1.3. If any party to the conflict considers the conflict to be major, it is a major conflict unless the Director, acting reasonably, considers it to be a different level, in which case it shall be the level determined by the Director. 4.1.4. In both of the preceding situations, the Director shall not classify a conflict as a lower level than that identified by any party to the conflict unless convinced that there is no reasonable basis for classifying the conflict as a higher level. 4.1.5. If any party to the conflict or any person with knowledge of the circumstances considers the conflict to be severe, it is a severe conflict. 4.2. Preference for informal approaches. Except in cases of severe conflict, IRIS’s policy is to pursue informal, flexible approaches to conflict resolution in the first instance, which seek to restore harmony in the workplace without resorting to formal procedures. 4.3. Expectation of self-help. Parties to conflict are expected to make efforts to resolve the conflict themselves, amicably and respectfully, before invoking the procedures set out below, unless they have good reason not to. Such reasons may include but are not limited to situations where a party to a conflict feels unable to raise the issue with another party because, for example, the other party is in a position of power or authority over him or her. Whenever a party to a conflict invokes the procedures described below, the mutual superior or Director shall first ask what the party or parties have done to resolve the conflict or the reasons for not doing so, and may decline to initiate the procedures if he or she believes, on reasonable grounds, that the parties should do more to resolve the conflict between them. 4.4. Minor conflict resolution. 4.4.1. When a minor conflict is identified, any party to the conflict or any other person who believes the conflict exists may bring it to the attention of a mutual superior, who shall IRIS Charter Application 130
consult with the parties with a view to facilitating a resolution to the satisfaction of everyone concerned. 4.4.2. Such consultation may be conducted in person or otherwise, and need not take place in the presence of all parties to the conflict. In the latter situation, the superior shall make a special effort to be even-handed and fair, and to avoid any impression of bias or impropriety. 4.4.3. The mutual superior may • listen to and help to analyze the parties’ concerns; • investigate the conflict; • identify and explain relevant policies, procedures and practices; • help define and evaluate options and strategies; • help resolve problems informally and expeditiously; • make referrals to other campus and community resources; and • with the consent of the parties, enlist the good offices of a neutral third party to help facilitate a resolution of the conflict. 4.4.4. If the mutual superior is unable to facilitate a resolution of the conflict either alone or with the assistance of a neutral third party, s/he or any party to the conflict may ask the Director to intervene. In this case, the procedures for major conflicts set out in the next paragraph shall apply. 4.5. Major conflict resolution. 4.5.1. When a major conflict is identified, the Director shall consult with the parties with a view to facilitating a resolution to the satisfaction of everyone concerned. 4.5.2. Such consultation may be conducted in person or otherwise, and need not take place in the presence of all parties to the conflict. In the latter situation, the Director shall make a special effort to be even-handed and fair, and to avoid any impression of bias or impropriety. 4.5.3. The Director may, if s/he sees fit, require parties to put their concerns and views in writing, and may require each party to complete a conflict resolution form for that purpose, in a form prescribed by the Director. 4.5.4. The Director may • listen to and help to analyze the parties’ concerns; • investigate the conflict; • identify and explain relevant policies, procedures and practices; • help define and evaluate options and strategies; • help resolve problems informally and expeditiously; • make referrals to other campus and community resources; and • with the consent of the parties, enlist the good offices of a neutral third party to help facilitate a resolution of the conflict. 4.5.5. If the Director is unable to facilitate a resolution of the conflict either alone or with the assistance of a neutral third party, s/he may decide upon a resolution after affording all parties an opportunity to be heard. All parties shall accept and abide by the decision. If IRIS Charter Application 131
the Director finds that a party was at fault or engaged in inappropriate conduct, s/he may impose any sanctions that within his or her authority, provided that such sanctions are reasonably commensurate to the misconduct and reasonably likely to further the objectives identified in section 2.1. 4.5.6. There is no appeal from the Director’s decision under the previous paragraph. 4.6. Severe conflict resolution. When a severe conflict is identified, York University’s Policies, Procedures and Regulations, and in appropriate circumstances official law enforcement procedures, shall take the place of this Policy. York University’s policies on workplace violence and workplace harassment can be found on the University website, www.yorku.ca. 4.7. Director’s Involvement in Conflict. If the Director is a party to a conflict, any duties assigned by this Section to the Director shall be performed by another member of the Steering Committee who is not a party to the alleged conflict. Such member shall be chosen by a majority of the Steering Committee members, excluding the Director, with the Director taking no part in the selection process. If all members of the Steering Committee are parties to the alleged conflict, IRIS shall seek the good offices of a neutral third party to perform the duties assigned to the Director. 5. Competence and Awareness
The Director shall make best efforts to ensure that
• all persons performing work for IRIS, and all persons who are in positions of authority in relation to such persons in the performance of this work, are aware of this Policy; • all persons who are in positions of authority in relation to persons performing work for IRIS are competent to perform the roles contemplated for them in this Policy; and • relevant members and staff of IRIS have access to information, training and other resources available to them within the University in relation to conflict resolution. 6. Record-keeping
Whenever the procedures in sections 4.4, 4.5 or 4.6 are engaged, the mutual superior (in the case of section 4.4) or the Director (in the case of sections 4.5 and 4.6) shall make a record of the particulars. Such records shall be kept confidential and secure, and shall be retained and/or destroyed in accordance with any applicable records retention policies.
7. Relation to other rules
This Policy does not displace any rights, responsibilities, rules, procedures or remedies applicable to any conflict by virtue of any York University policy or collective agreement. Such other rights, responsibilities, rules, procedures or remedies shall prevail in the event of conflict with this Policy.
8. Review
This Policy shall be reviewed at least every three years. IRIS Charter Application 132 IRIS Charter Application 133 IRIS Charter Application 134
ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013 IRIS Charter Application 135 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013
Director Dawn Bazely IRIS Telephone 416-736-2100 ex. 33631 Institute for Research and Email [email protected] Innovation in Sustainability Address York University 349 York Lanes 4700 Keele St. Toronto, Ontario Canada M3J 1P3 Administration Annette Dubreuil [email protected] Mandate Goals
ORU Website www.irisyorku.ca IRIS carries out research into diverse aspects of sustainabil- 1 Provide leadership, integration and dissemination of ity. While the definition and academic meaning of sustain- interdisciplinary sustainability research by champion- ability remains contested in certain quarters of academia, ing the use of a trans-disciplinary approach. some of the core principles and concepts have become 2 Either lead or support research projects related to mainstream, and have been taken up by diverse sectors. sustainability, funded by diverse agencies, ranging There is general agreement, dissension, notwithstanding, from federal, provincial and municipal funding agen- that sustainability encompasses environmental, social and cies, to private foundations. economic aspects. Increasingly, ethics is seen as a key factor that frames and drives sustainability discourses and 3 Engage with campus communities in the creation of a research. The complexity and multi-factorial nature of the “next generation” visible and collaborative green cur- sustainability concept, makes defining research into sus- riculum at York University. Faculties with Active Members tainability both simultaneously difficult to define narrowly, 4 Serve as a leading source for policy and decision mak- Faculty of Education (2) and also refreshingly easy to make relevant for diverse ers on a variety of sustainability issues, which reflect Faculty of Environmental Studies (8) publics. To this end, one of the chief activities of IRIS that the current interests of affiliated faculty and fellows. Faculty of Fine Arts (2) has emerged since 2004, has been to promote practical 5 Engage students, staff and faculty in campus sustain- Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (8) sustainability solutions that encompass environmental, ability research and innovation projects that include Faculty of Science and Engineering (3) social and economic considerations at local, regional and pursuing carbon neutrality and implementing renew- Glendon College (2) global scales. Operating as a leading edge interdisciplinary able energy to reduce York’s environmental footprint Osgoode Hall Law School (2) university wide research institute, IRIS is a hub for sustain- and sharing the knowledge with other sustainability Schulich School of Business (7) ability-related activities at York University, that functions as a portal for groups both within and external to the univer- offices nationally. Total: 34 sity. In this role we bridge internal and external interests 6 Make IRIS an accessible jumping off point for people through a policy of inclusivity, recognizing sustainability as Partnership with the York Institute and organizations both within and outside of the York a universal goal. for Health Research (YIHR) community to collaborate on sustainability research and related activities. Faculty of Health (2) Vision 7 Engage the broader community from local to inter- national to effect change on sustainability by com- municating meaningfully with different stakeholder Charter Dates IRIS is a leader in the creation of an evidence-based culture groups. Effective knowledge mobilization is key to of sustainability within and beyond York University through First Charter: late 2004 this activity. Last renewal: October 2008 engagement in practical, collaborative and interdisciplinary Charter end date: June 30, 2014 research and innovation that drives change, supported by effective knowledge mobilization and uptake.
2 IRIS Charter Application 136 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013
table of contents
4 Director’s Message 5 Membership and Governance Core Faculty Senior Fellows director’s message Junior Fellows Staff IRIS Executive Board IRIS Steering Committee Speaker Series Committee Policy Committee Dr. Pieter De Frenne, Dr. Simon Smart, Professor Dawn Bazely, and Dr. Keith Kirby (left to right) 12 IRIS Statement of Operations 13 IRIS Activities for 2012-2013 25 Objectives for the Upcoming Year 27 Appendix I: Additional information about progress in fulfilling mandate
27 Academic Research Projects This is the penultimate Annual Report, for which I will have Whom are we educating and teaching? Frankly, it is the Community-Based Environmental Education and Mobilization in the honour of writing a Director’s Message. entire York community, the residents of Toronto, Ontario, Marginalized Urban Communities for Equitable Watershed Governance Canada and the world. People both outside of and within The Churchill Community of Knowledge Since I first, naively, assumed the directorship of IRIS in the Ivory Tower need constant reminding of what evidence- the Sustainability and Education Policy Network: Leading through Multi-Sector Learning (SEPN) 2006, I have felt like I am hiking along one very long, uphill based policy based on the best research looks like. When Transnational Business Governance Interactions learning curve. At times, the slope has been steep, and I it comes to sustainability, like the closely-related field of Climate Change Adaptation in Africa have felt like I am climbing a mountain. At other times, the ecological sciences, many of the evidence-based messages Connecting Four Research Solitudes: The Impact and Implications of Climate Change terrain has been gently sloping, and I have felt quite fit and emanating from this scholarly field, challenge prevailing for Invasive Species, Biodiversity and Society able to handle the demands of the trail. At NO time have I political paradigms relating to consumption, capitalism and Gas, Arctic Peoples and Security (GAPS) felt as if the journey had a downhill slope! models of unfettered economic growth. 36 Innovative Engagement Initiatives Along the way, I have learned an enormous amount from I am delighted that research projects based in and sup- Unconferences: Are YoU a Climate/Water/Food Zombie? colleagues, students and friends who have been taking ported by IRIS which are collaborative and interdisciplinary, Community-Designed Sustainable Furniture for the Centre for Green Change this “sustainability hike” with me. During my sabbatical, a recognize and engage with these kinds of uncomfortable Climate Justice colleague at Harvard Forest commented that I have clearly edges. After all, not only is sustainability about constant Campus Sustainability Action Agenda completed what amounts to a doctorate in the study of learning and teaching, but also about learning to like being Contributions to Teaching: Sustainability Curriculum Development sustainability, and science-policy-politics research. I am not uncomfortable, because of the challenge to every day think- Events sure that I entirely agree: for me, it has been much more of ing that sustainability brings with it. University Service an on-the-job training in education. Education is really what In-kind Organizational Support sustainability is about; the continual need to educate and IRIS E-Presence teach, and repeat these efforts ad nauseum. Dawn Bazely 45 Appendix 2: Individual Member Contributions Director
3 4 IRIS Charter Application 137 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013
Senior Fellows
membership Senior Fellows are individuals, based at York or elsewhere, engaged in sustain- ability-related research or innovation, who maintain a substantial relationship with IRIS but do not fall into the category of Core Faculty or Junior Fellow. They may include faculty, post-doctoral fellows, staff, professionals, visitors to the Institute, and people working in government, the private sector or the voluntary Core Faculty sector. Executive members are indicated with an asterisk.
Core Faculty are faculty members of York or another university, engaged in The following are IRIS’ active 2012-2013 senior fellows: sustainability-related research or innovation, who are integrally involved with the activities of the Institute (as noted in brackets), including serving on the Executive (indicated with an asterisk). The Core Faculty category corresponds to the “Active Project Partners Schulich School of Business Members” category in the VPRI Annual Report template. Eric Abitbol – PCIA Conference Nancy Sutherland – Associate Director, Business & Peter Middleton – Glendon Forest initiatives the Sustainability Program, Schulich School of Business and The following are the Core Faculty for 2012-2013: Associate Director, Centre of Excellence in Responsible Busi- Learning for a Sustainable Future ness, Schulich School of Business Community Partner in the SEPN Project: Faculty of Fine Arts Faculty of Science and Engineering David Bell* – Chair York Faculty Arlene Gould* Graphic Design Internship Course & Dawn Bazely* IRIS Director; W3; 4 Solitudes; GAPS; Pam Schwartzberg* Executive Director (W3) – – – Markus Biehl Barbara Rahder WGBC Summer School Course Director that is listed by Climate Justice; Campus Sustainability; IRIS Speaker’s Martin Bunch Robin Roth Faculty of Environmental Studies Series Committee; President’s Sustainability Council York University Janet Fishlock Perry Sadorsky Ian Garrett Blogging Muhammad Yousaf COP18/UNFCCC – – Charles Hopkins Richard Saunders Norman Yan 4 Solitudes – Office of the President Pablo Idahosa Joe Sheridan Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies Lucia Lo Adrian Shubert Glendon Andrew Plunkett – Sustainability Project Coordinator Carla Lipsig-Mummé* – W3 Pavel Graymason – Sustainability Engagement Coordinator Jocelyn Martel Vincent Tao David Doorey – TBGI, W3 Colin Coates* Ian Martin Peter Victor David Szablowski – TBGI Stuart Schoenfeld* Campus Services and Business Operations Ikechi Maduka Mgbeoji Mark Winfield Gabrielle Slowey* – GAPS Project John Miller Patricia Wood Anthony Barbisan – Director of Food Services Idil Boran – COP18/UNFCCC Osgoode Hall Ananya Mukherjee-Reed (Campus Sustainability) Nina Hewitt – 4 Solitudes Peer Zumbansen – TBGI Helen Psathas* – Senior Manager, Environmental Design Sheila Embleton* – former VP Academic; Climate Justice York Faculty Emeritus Stepan Wood*Acting Director until June 20, 2012; and Sustainability (Campus Sustainability) Steve Tufts – W3 4 Solitudes; IRIS Steering Committee, PDG: Transnational Meagan Heath – Waste Management Supervisor Bill Found Business Governance Interactions (TBGI) Faculty of Education (Campus Sustainability) Rebecca Peterson Nicole Arsenault* – Manager, Transportation Services, CSBO David Morley Schulich School of Business Steve Alsop* – SEPN (Campus Sustainability) Donald Dippo – SEPN Alan Richardson – TBGI Steve Glassman* – Director, Printing and Bookstore Services York International Note, Alan moved to the University of Windsor this year. (Campus Sustainability) Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) Carol Irving – WGBC Summer School Andrew Crane TBGI – Larissa Strong – WGBC Summer School Anders Sandberg SEPN Burkard Eberlein TBGI York University Libraries – – Rachael Hirsh* – Climate Justice Catriona Sandilands – Earth Hour Dirk Matten – TBGI William Denton* Ellie Perkins* – Climate Justice; Campus Sustainability; Irene Henriques* – 4 Solitudes; President’s Sustainability Other Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA Council; W3 Post-docs Jose Etcheverry* Kevin McKague – Sustainable Value Creation Speaker Series Oana Branzei Benjamin Richardson Andrea Smith – Invasive Species; 4 Solitudes Justin Podur* Wesley Cragg – TBGI Ed Hanna Darin Rovere James MacLellan – 4 Solitudes; Campus Sustainability Kaz Higuchi* – Climate Justice; Campus Sustainability Tatiana Koveshnikova Bryan Smith Nicole Klenk – 4 Solitudes; Climate Justice Leesa Fawcett – SEPN Melissa Leithwood Nadine Gudtz
Timothy Leduc* – SEPN Susan McGeachie
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Junior Fellows
Junior Fellows are graduate and undergraduate students at Other Student Roles York or another university who engage in IRIS-led or IRIS- Netta Untershats – Undergraduate student, Biology supported projects. A student may be recognized as a Junior (Digital Archiving) Fellow through 20 hours of volunteer or paid service. Junior Fellows are appointed by the Director for a term of two- Interns years or shorter reflecting the expected duration of their substantial relationship with the Institute, i.e. Graduate York-Sheridan Program in Design Assistantships, Work Study program, RAY program, interns, or volunteers. Amelia Houghton Chelsea Nelson Evan Winland-Gaetz The 2012-2013 Junior Fellows include: Jane Kim Namkyeong Cho Graduate Assistants Wyndym Jubis-Hameluck Moving Transportation into the 21st Century Diane Whitelaw – CCAA Annual Campus Sustainability Survey: Danielle Tucker – Master’s, Critical Disabilities Studies Volunteers (Accessibility Survey) Research Team IRIS Executive Prabin Sharma – Master’s, Environmental Studies Christina Persad (Accessibility Survey) Harkirat Takk* – MBA student, Schulich (Net Impact) George (Yiyang) Liu Staff Yinuo (Yvette) Guo – Master’s, Environmental Studies Jacqueline Medalye* – PhD student, Liberal Arts & Anthony Dionigi (Transportation Survey) Professional Studies (Climate Justice, Climate Change Blog) Yeon-Ju Heo Administrative staff those individuals employed on a full Jessica Reeve – Master’s, Environmental Studies Michael Long* – PhD student, Osgoode Hall Law School Kimisha Ghunowa or part-time basis by the Institute to develop and adminis- (Events Coordinator) Samantha Point* – Bachelor of Environmental Studies ter Institute projects and activities. The Institute has four Darnel Harris – Master’s, Environmental Studies University of Toronto Engineering Students Earth Hour administrative staff positions at present, plus a post-doc (Events Coordinator) Electric Vehicle Charging options Kareem Racco (Master of Ceremonies) position. Research Assistants (Graduate Students) Abhijit Kambalapally Justin Canton Poetry Workshop Facilitators Anqi Wu Laura Marcela Pineros Director*: Dr. Dawn Bazely (also Associate Professor, De- David Staples – MSc student, Science (4 Solitudes, GAPS) Elana Santana Anton Blochtchinski Olga Bondarev partment of Biology), 3-year term commencing July 2006, Julia Christensen – PhD Student, McGill University (GAPS) Andrea McGavin Arash Taheri Raad Rihani renewed for an additional 2-year term as of July 2009. On Melanie Goral – PhD Student, Science Hannah Glow Chris Shin Risitha Tennakoon- sabbatical from July 1, 2011, and returned for an additional Paul Marmer – MSc student, Science (GAPS) Anne Wordsworth Christina Mo Mudiyanselage two terms (July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2014. Stepan Wood, Act- Guo Xiaoyang Victor Ko Research at York (RAY) Students Focus on Sustainability Film Festival – Food ing Director from July 1, 2011- June 30, 2012. Huanning Wang Yi Ji Allen Kuo James Grech Yung-Han Yen Undergraduate Students Ecaterina Pascariu Coordinator*: Annette Dubreuil (May 2009-present as Coor- Jimmy Tieu Bianca Bell LLB student, Osgoode and Environmental Law dinator; working with IRIS since October 2007). Sanaz Hojati – Undergraduate student, Biology – Society (ELS) (Planning Committee) (Digital Archiving) In addition, IRIS acknowledges the volunteer work Webmaster: Rajiv Rawat (2007-present as Webmaster; work- Bart Danko – MES student, Environmental Studies of all other student volunteers, including those who ing with IRIS since 2006). (Planning Committee) Work Study Students assisted with Earth Hour activities and tabling for Kevin Thompson – LLB student, Osgoode/ELS the Campus Sustainability surveys. CCAA Project Coordinator: Patricia Figueiredo (2010-2013) Undergraduate Students (Planning Committee) Natalie MacDonnell – LLB student, Osgoode/ELS Hao Yang – BBA, Schulich (Events Coordinator) Green Change Programmer: Jennifer Chan (November (Planning Committee) Other Junior Fellows Enrique Miranda – Political Science, LAPS 2012-present) (Engagement Officer) Note: Jessica Reeve, Michael Long, Mitra Alizadeh and Andrew Watson – PhD Student Campus Sustainability Surveys: Betty Ing (October Jennifer Evola – Theatre student, Fine Arts (Graphic Designer) Annette Dubreuil also served on the committee. (Former Executive Member) 2012-present) Bushra Noureen – BES (Events Coordinator) Andrew Tanentzap Mitra Alizadeh – Psychology, Health (Communications Coordinator)
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Name Affiliation Membership Term Since
governance Henriques, Irene Faculty: Schulich School of Business Core Faculty July 1, 2011 - 2006 June 30, 2013 IRIS Executive Board As of April 30, 2013, the IRIS Executive was made up of the following board members: Higuchi, Kaz Faculty of Environmental Studies Core Faculty July 1, 2011 - 2010 June 30, 2013
Name Affiliation Membership Term Since Hirsch, Rachael Post-doc, Faculty of Environmental Studies Senior Fellow July 1, 2012 - 2010 June 30, 2014
Arsenault, Nicole/ Manager, Transportation Services, CSBO. Senior Fellow July 1, 2011 - 2007 Psathas, Helen Senior Manager, Environmental Design & June 30, 2013 Leduc, Timothy Faculty of Environmental Studies Core Faculty July 1, 2012 - 2012 Sustainability, CSBO. June 30, 2014
Bazely, Dawn Director IRIS & Faculty Staff N/A 2006 Lipsig-Mummé, Carla Faculty, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Core Faculty July 1, 2012 - 2010 Faculty of Science and Engineering Professional Studies & Director of W3 June 30, 2014
Bell, David Chair, Learning for a Sustainable Future Senior Fellow July 1, 2011 - 2006 Long, Michael PhD Student, Osgoode Hall Junior Fellow July 1, 2012 - 2012 June 30, 2013 June 30 2013
Coates, Colin Canadian Studies Program Core Faculty July 1, 2011 - 2010 Perkins, Ellie Faculty of Environmental Studies Core Faculty July 1, 2011 - 2010 June 30, 2013 June 30 2013
Denton, William Web Librarian, Peter F Bronfman Business Library Senior Fellow July 1, 2012 - 2010 Plunkett, Andrew/ Sustainability Project Coordinator/ Sustainability Senior Fellow July 1, 2012 - 2012 June 30, 2014 Graymason, Pavel Engagement Coordinator, Office of the President June 30, 2014
Dubreuil, Annette IRIS Coordinator Staff N/A 2007 Point, Samantha Green Coop Board member Junior Fellow July 1, 2011 - 2012 and BES student June 30, 2013
Embleton, Sheila Faculty, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Core Faculty July 1, 2012 - 2010 Schwartzberg, Pam Executive Director, Learning for Staff July 1, 2012 - 2007 Professional Studies June 30, 2014 a Sustainable Future June 30, 2014
Etcheverry, Jose Faculty, Faculty of Environmental Studies Core Faculty July 1, 2011 - 2007 Slowey, Gabrielle Faculty, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Profes- Core Faculty July 1, 2011 - 2012 June 30, 2013 sional Studies June 30, 2014
Glassman, Steve Director, Printing and Bookstore Senior Fellow July 1, 2012 - 2007 Sutherland, Nancy Associate Director, Business & the Sustainabil- Senior Fellow July 1, 2012 - 2012 Services, CSBO June 30, 2014 ity Program, and of the Centre of Excellence in June 30, 2014 Responsible Business, both at Schulich
Gould, Arlene Faculty Associate, IRIS Core Faculty July 1, 2012 - 2006 June 30, 2014 Takk, Harkirat MBA Student, Net Impact Junior Fellow July 1, 2012 - 2012 June 30, 2013
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Name Affiliation Membership Term Since
Wood, Stepan Faculty, Osgoode Hall Core Faculty July 1, 2011 - 2004 iris statement of operations June 30, 2013
The following Executive members finished their term during the 2012-2013 year: 2012-2013 2011-2012 Name Affiliation Membership Years Served Total Revenue 255,708 562,889 Alsop, Steve Faculty, Faculty of Education Core Faculty 2006 - 2012
Internal Funding 36,709 48,274 Medalye, Jacqueline PhD student, Faculty of Liberal Arts Junior Fellow 2010 - 2012 and Professional Studies
Government Funding 211,771 509,979 Podur, Justin Faculty, Faculty of Environmental Core Faculty 2007 - 2012 Studies
Corporate/NGO/Personal Giving 7,228 4,636 Schoenfeld, Stuart Faculty, Glendon Core Faculty 2004 - 2012
Contracts - - Vallappan, Arun MBA Student, Net Impact Junior Fellow 2011 - 2012
Total Expenses 352,191 417,452
Speaker Series Committee Dawn Bazely Research Expenses 352,191 414,829 Annette Dubreuil Darnel Harris Hao Yang Supported Events at York - 2,623 Policy Committee Dawn Bazely William Denton Surplus for the current year ( 96,483 ) 145,437
IRIS Steering Committee Dawn Bazely Carryforward from Previous Year 314,566 463,359 Sheila Embleton Helen Psathas Annette Dubreuil Michael Long Carryforward for the Next Year 218,083 608,796
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iris activities for 2012-2013 Annual Progress in Fulfilling Mandate
A Submitted Funding Proposals
Conferences, workshops, exhibits or other events B hosted or organized
Knowledge mobilization/engagement/outreach/technology C transfer activities and accomplishments
Facilitating faculty or student research through mentorship, D development or support programs or services (eg in-house workshops, grant preparation support)
Contributions to teaching (eg delivery or creation of certifi- E cate, diploma, graduate, or continuing education programs)
F Other research leadership activities of the unit
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Submitted Funding Proposals A For large scale or team activities in which (A) the PI is an active member of the ORU or (B) the ORU will play a role in the project (for example as grant administrator, re- search partner, provider of space or other resources, or in some other capacity); in- dicate outcome of proposals if known; indicate peer reviewed or non-peer reviewed.
Project Name IRIS Role Principal Investigator Affiliation Amount Amount Status Funding Source and/or Type Peer Reviewed Requested Awarded
Assessing the Impact of Peace and Conflict Research Partner/ Eric Abitbol Senior Fellow $59,791 $25,519 Successful IDRC Small Grants Yes Impact Assessments (PCIAs): A North- Space through a sub- South Participatory Research Project* award agreement
Coastal Zones of Bangladesh and Climate* Grant Administrator Rick Bello Core Faculty, $55,000 $0 Denied IDRC Small Grants Yes Geography
Creation of a Digital Archive for Grant Administrator Dawn Bazely Director $6,000 $6,000 Successful Parks Canada, and the Churchill No Wapusk National Park and Populated Northern Studies Centre with Materials from La Perouse Bay*
Winnipeg Youth Forum Grant Administrator Dawn Bazely Director $25,000 $24,950. Successful Public Health No Agency of Canada
Lessons learned for climate change Grant Administrator Dawn Bazely Director $44,8650 - Waiting Natural Resources Yes adaptation from monitoring and Canada assessment networks in Ontario*
Protecting the West Don River at Glendon Grant Administrator Dawn Bazely Director $25,000 - Waiting Great Lakes Guardian Community No Campus - Streambank Restoration, Forest Fund - Ministry of the Environment Naturalization and Engagement*
Yes Living with Climate Change: Mapping Research Institute Michaela Hynie Core Faculty $197,171 - Waiting SSHRC Partnership Development Experience and Adaptation in the Partner Grant Global South and North*
* Assisted in Grant Preparation
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Conferences, workshops, exhibits or other events hosted or organized B (indicate total numbers in attendance and total number of participants from outside York University, outside Ontario and outside Canada)
Event Name Type of Event Date(s) Location Total Attendance Non-York Attendees Sponsors
Greening University Campuses: IRIS Speaker Series May 18, 2012 Toronto, ON 20 17 IRIS, UNESCO Reorienting Teacher A Global Perspective (Paul Rowland, AASHE) Education to Address Sustainability
TBGI: Interactions in Transnational Business Governance (TBG): Workshop May 2012 Berlin, Germany 25 scholars from 23 TBGI Project and Hertie School of Governance Assessing Impacts on Regulatory Capacity and Performance 8 countries
From Soft to Hard Law: Exploring the Role of Transnational Panel Session June 2012 Law and Society 20 20 TBGI Project Business CSR Standards Association Annual Meeting in Honolulu
Research Open House – 3rd Floor York Lanes IRIS Speaker Series September 25,2012 Toronto, ON 30 0 IRIS, TUBMAN, CBERN, MITACS, YIHR (MCRI)
Design and Build Furniture for the Centre for Green Change Community Workshop October 15, 2012 Toronto, ON 30 26 IRIS, Fulbright Canada Foundation, RBC
Youth Rountable on Responsible Citizenship Roundtable October 15, 2012 Toronto, ON 26 20 LSF
Redefining water governance in Nairobi in times of climate Speaker Series October 18, 2012 Toronto, ON 8 1 IDRC-CCAA, IRIS change" a talk by Stephen Otieno
Green Development Law in Canada: IRIS/ JD/MES Speaker October 25, 2012 Toronto, ON 50 1 IRIS, FES, Osgoode New Forms of Property or the Same Old Dirt? Series
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Event Name Type of Event Date(s) Location Total Attendance Non-York Attendees Sponsors
Are YoU a Climate Zombie? Unconference October 25, 2012 Toronto, ON 45 1 IRIS, CHR, Office of the President
CCAA project’s final meeting Project Final Meeting November 5 to 8, Nairobi, Kenya IDRC-CCAA 2012
Analyzing Competition, Coordination and Conflict in IRIS Speaker Series November 21, 2012 Toronto, ON 20 2 IRIS, Osgoode, Schulich Transnational Business Regulation
David Miller - Nations Talk. Cities Act. IRIS Speaker Series November 22, 2012 Toronto, ON 120 0 IRIS, Kaz Higuchi’s class
Doing Business with the Poor – Tal Delhtiar IRIS/Sustainable January 29, 2013 Toronto, ON IRIS, Schulich School of Business Value Creation Speaker Series
Innovations in Education and Sustainable Development: IRIS/Sustainable January 29, 2013 Toronto, ON 30 0 IRIS, Schulich School of Business The Uganda Rural Development and Training Program - Value Creation Dr. Bryan Smith Speaker Series
COP-18 Debrief Lecture/ IRIS February 4, 2013 Toronto, ON IRIS, Kaz Higuchi’s class Speaker Series
Innovations in Global Health and Grand Challenges Canada: IRIS/Sustainable February 5, 2013 Toronto, ON IRIS, Schulich School of Business Dr. Ken Simiyu Value Creation Speaker Series
Financing Inclusive Business for Sustainable IRIS/Sustainable February 26, 2013 Toronto, ON IRIS, Schulich School of Business Development and Poverty Alleviation - Hany Assaad Value Creation Speaker Series
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Event Name Type of Event Date(s) Location Total Attendance Non-York Attendees Sponsors
Focus on Sustainability Film Festival: Food Film Festival March 1, 2013 Toronto, ON 70 15 IRIS, Osgoode Environmental Law Society, CHR, Food Services
Are YoU a Food Zombie? Unconference March 4, 2013 37 0 RIS, CHR, Office of the President Toronto, ON
Transforming the Corporate Gift Market to Create Sustainable IRIS/Sustainable Value March 5, 2013 Toronto, ON IRIS, Schulich School of Business Employment and Empowerment in Poor Communities: Creation Speaker Series Angie Drascovic
IRIS Research Showcase IRIS Speaker Series March 13, 2012 Toronto, ON 11 2 IRIS
Jobs for the Poor: Reducing Poverty through Impact Sourcing - IRIS/Sustainable March 19, 2013 Toronto, ON IRIS, Schulich School of Business Karim Harji Value Creation Speaker Series
Earth Hour Half day symposium March 20, 2013 Toronto, ON 150 2 IRIS, CHR, McLaughlin College, Prof. Cate Sandilands
Are YoU a Water Zombie? Unconference March 25, 2013 Toronto, ON 15 0 IRIS, CHR, Office of the President
Learning from Failure - Ashley Good IRIS/Sustainable March 26, 2013 Toronto, ON IRIS, Schulich School of Business Value Creation Speaker Series
Transnational Business Governance Interactions, Part 1: Drivers, Conference April 4, 2013 San Francisco, CA 11 presenters 48 TBGI Project Mechanisms, Dynamics and Outputs and Transnational Business Panels from 4 countries Governance Interactions, Part 2: Outcomes and Impacts, panel plus audience of sessions at International Studies Association Annual Meeting approx. 50
Annual General Meeting and Potluck AGM and Social April 30, 2013 Toronto, ON 70 15 IRIS, Osgoode Environmental Law Society, Event CHR, Food Services
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Knowledge mobilization/engagement/outreach/ C technology transfer activities and accomplishments: 1 Our article in Environmental Reviews, “Effects of Facilitating faculty or student research through climate change on the distribution of invasive alien D mentorship, development or support programs species in Canada: a knowledge synthesis of range or services (eg in-house workshops, grant prepara- change projections in a warming world” is currently on tion support) the Top 5 Most Read list of the month for the journal. 1 Grant Preparation – see section a 2 Continued to make use of the IRIS website, social 2 Mentorship – 4 GAs and 6 Work Study or RAY students media, York media relations resources (e.g. YFile) and other channels to showcase sustainability-related re- 3 Coordinated 2 professors, Idil Boran and Mohammad search projects by IRIS members and York faculty and Yousaf, to attend COP18 in Doha, Qatar students. This year we added blogs by IRIS member 4 In-kind organizational support via provision of space Professor Ian Garrett. to Learning for a Sustainable Future (national charity) 3 Continued to advocate for enhanced campus sustain- and Regenesis @ York (student club) 5 Continued to disseminate the findings from previous ability by sitting on the President’s Sustainability Campus Sustainability Surveys on Food and Waste. Council 6 Working with CSBO, conducted the 2012-2013 Campus Contributions to teaching (eg delivery or creation of 4 Forged new partnerships associated with the events in Sustainability Survey “Moving Transportation into the certificate, diploma, graduate, or continuing educa- section b: E 21st Century” tion programs)
i Hosted two events with Kaz Higuchi’s FES classes: 7 Using funding from the RBC-Fulbright Canada Eco- 1 Continue to support the Green Building Course led by the David Miller event and COP 18 Debrief. Leadership Award (S. Wood) we co-hosted public work- Arlene Gould shops in Fall, 2012, on sustainable furniture design ii Hosted the Sustainable Value Creation Speaker Se- and construction in partnership with the Jane-Finch 2 LSF continues to deliver the Sustainability and Educa- ries with Kevin McKague from Schulich. This series Centre for Green Change initiative. We then did a field tion Academy with the Faculty of Education and the included 7 lecturers from practitioners working in trip to Professor Emeritus David Wood’s farm to select UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Teacher Education. the Global South. The course associated with this the wood to create a harvest table, which will be built series, MGMT 6500, is cross-listed by both the Cen- on May 1, 2013. tre of Excellence in Responsible Business and the Other research leadership activities of the unit Nonprofit Management Leadership specializations 8 We were featured in a TFO segment on plastic bag ban F (identify the ORU member(s) who served as at the Schulich School of Business. in Toronto. “Les sacs en plastique seront interdits academic lead for the activity) à Toronto à partir du 1er janvier 2013. Quel en sera iii Hosted three unconferences with the Centre for Hu- l'impact sur les habitudes des consommateurs?” See 1 For other research activities affiliated with IRIS Faculty, man Rights and the Sustainability Coordinators. The http://www1.tfo.org/360/video/l-interdiction-des- see Appendix 2 topics for the unconferences held: Climate Change, sacs-en-plastique-a-toronto Food, Water.
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objectives for upcoming year Knowledge mobilization/engagement/outreach/ 4 Visitors invited or anticipated: 3 technology transfer activities planned: 1 Host 2 visitors over the course of the year 1 Continue to make use of the IRIS website, social media, York media relations resources (e.g. YFile) and other Facilitating faculty or student research through channels to showcase sustainability-related research Funding proposals anticipated for submission by 5 mentorship, development or support programs projects by IRIS members and York faculty and students. 1 April 30, 2014 by active members of the ORU: or services: 2 Double the number of IRIS blog postings 1 Increase the total number and value (ie. total funds 1 Continue to fund IRIS members to attend conferences 3 Continue to advocate for enhanced campus sustainabil- requested) of funding applications su;bmitted through and other events of significant importance, e.g. the ity by engaging with the University administration and IRIS compared to the past year climate change conferences (COPs). the York community at large Submit at least one major ($500,000 or more) funding 2 Increase the funds available to sponsor student par- 2 4 Continue to disseminate the findings from our previ- application through IRIS. ticipation in conferences and support sustainability ous Campus Sustainability Surveys on Food, Waste events at York University. and Engagement, Accessibility and Transportation. 3 Continue to support IRIS members with preparation of 5 Release and publicize the report of the Campus Sus- grant applications. tainability Surveys on Engagement, Accessibility and Transportation. Conferences, workshops, exhibits and other events 6 Conduct the 2013-2014 Campus Sustainability Survey, 6 Contributions to Teaching: 2 to be hosted or organized by April 30, 2014 and on a topic to be determined. target audience: 1 Plan for the Sustainable UpStarts non-degree course 7 Continue to collaborate closely with the President’s which will focus on developing business plans for Sustainability Council, the Sustainability Coordinators, 1 Transnational Business Governance Interactions Project 5 Continue to host the Unconferences jointly with the sustainable enterprise start-ups. York student clubs and organizations, and other rel- (PI: Stepan Wood): host a major, two-day international Centre for Human Rights and Office of the President evant campus stakeholder groups, to advance campus 2 Continue to support the Design for Sustainability in academic workshop on transnational business gover- sustainability staff (target audience: entire York sustainability. the Built Environment: Interactive Workshop (Course nance inter-actions at York University (target audience: community) Instructor IRIS Executive member Arlene Gould) invited researchers, interested York faculty and stu- 8 Continue to use the IRIS Certificate of Participation 6 Host 3rd annual Focus on Sustainability Film Festival dents). Organize TBGI panel session, Law and Society and an IRIS Certificate of Engagement, to encourage 3 Continue to pursue sustainability continuing education - in partnership with Planet in Focus, the Osgoode En- Association, Boston, May 2013. student participation in IRIS sustainability initiatives courses. vironmental Law Society and CC-RAI (target audience: and research. 2 Continue to host an annual IRIS lecture featuring a high entire York community) profile speaker, to increase the profile of sustainability 9 Co-host the harvest table finishing workshops in May, Institution building and administration: 7 Host 5th annual Earth Hour event - in partnership with 7 and IRIS at York and in the broader GTA community. 2013, in partnership with the Jane-Finch Centre for local environmental sustainability and social justice (target audience: entire York community, and the gen- Green Change initiative, in the context of S. Wood’s 1 Expand the IRIS membership, including students, clubs and organizations on campus (target audience: eral public, GTA) RBC-Fulbright Canada Eco-Leadership Award and staff, faculty, and community members York students) E. Perkins SSHRC grant. 3 Host the third annual IRIS Research Showcase Celebra- 2 Increase the number of Faculties represented on the 8 Plan a second Ecojustice conference at York University tion event to showcase IRIS’s innovative, interdisciplin- 10 Participate in the Canadian Society for Ecological IRIS Executive Board for 2014, on the topic of climate justice, building on ary, collaborative research efforts (target audience: Economics (CANSEE) which is to be held at York, partnerships with activists and academics from the 3 Develop policies or guidelines to manage the rela- interested students and faculty from York and beyond) November 1-2, 2013. Global South (target audience: invited researchers, tionship between IRIS and IRIS-affiliated research (target audience: interested students and faculty from entire York community) projects, including funding applications, grant admin- York and beyond) istration, conflict resolution, and recognition of IRIS’s 9 Open House at the Centre for Green Change to launch 4 IRIS Speaker Series: host between 6-10 events, e.g. support for affiliated researchers and organizations. the harvest table on the Fulbright grant. Part of the book launches, film screenings and panel discussions. celebration for the Centre for Green Change. (target 4 Increase efforts to secure more financial support for (target audience: entire York community) audience: Jane and Finch community, York community) administrative and overhead costs
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appendix 1 Additional Information about Progress in Fulfilling Mandate
Broadly, IRIS’s activities in 2012-2013 can be divided In 2012-2013 the project’s programming was developed As concern with environmental issues expands across between, academic research projects (limited-term) and and a pop-up space was created at 2999 Jane Street with Canadian society, environmental sustainability policy and innovative engagement programs (ongoing). the Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre while the practice in education has remained largely unexplored. permanent home for the programming, the Centre for Green Growing numbers of provincial Ministries of Education as Academic Research Projects Change is under construction. The pop-up space has already well as university administrations are engaging with sus- During 2012-2013, IRIS housed and led numerous limited- run some workshops, including furniture restoration that tainability issues, which are timely given the United Nations term (1-5 years) academic research projects, including: Com- are connected to the Sustainable Furniture Project; the (UN) Decade of Education for Sustainable Development munity-based environmental education and mobilization in wood for the harvest table was cleaned and prepared by (2005-2014). However, little coordinated research exists that marginalized urban communities for equitable watershed youth participating in the pop-up workshops. Additionally, examines the range of sustainability policies and practices governance, Churchill Community of Knowledge, SEPN: The on November 30th, community consultations with local being developed, implemented, and experienced in these Sustainability and Education Policy Network Transnational NGOs on how the programming could better serve commu- educational contexts. Business Governance Interactions; Climate Change Adapta- nity partners and residents. In effect, Canada's decentralized system of education tion in Africa; Connecting the Four Research Solitudes; and The Churchill Community of Knowledge discourages educational research across provincial and Gas, Arctic Peoples and Security. The following projects are An online resource of data and media about the Town of community contexts, both in relation to K-12 and post-sec- listed in order of completion, with the most recently started Churchill, its people, Wapusk National Park, and the exten- ondary education. As well, while the literature advocates the projects listed first and those completed listed last. sive research supported by the Churchill Northern Studies importance of community consultation in developing policy Community-Based Environmental Education and Centre. This Digital Archive is hosted by the Yorkspace Insti- or assessing its impacts, little research to date has been Mobilization in Marginalized Urban Communities for tutional Repository, York University, Toronto. The first collec- undertaken that engages the community when evaluating Equitable Watershed Governance tion in the project celebrates the life and work of Professor and enhancing existing sustainability policy directions in This project will utilize existing university-community Bob Jefferies, who carried out field research in ecology in education. partnerships to develop, test, improve and disseminate and near Churchill, for 30 years. In 2012-2013 the archive The SEPN is funded by a $1,964,996 million Partnership arts- and science-base methods and materials for increasing continued to be populated, and was launched a the Annual Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research democratic watershed management and civic engagement IRIS Research Showcase on March 13, 2013. Council of Canada. IRIS is hosting the York University com- amongst adults and senior citizens in marginalized com- ponent of this grant, which is led by Professor Steve Alsop, munities in Canada. The project will employ a participatory The Sustainability and Education Policy Network: Core Faculty member. The Principal Investigator is Professor methodology focusing on urban watershed issues and Leading Through Multi-Sector Learning (SEPN) Marcia McKenzie of the University of Saskatchewan. challenges as identified by community members. Expected The Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN) is policy outcomes include the potential for improved en- a partnership between academic research institutions and Other IRIS Core Faculty members on the grant include vironmental governance through increased participation national policy and environmental organizations that ad- Donald Dippo, Leesa Fawcett, Timothy Leduc, and L. Anders by civil society; greater knowledge and understanding of dresses the current lack of coordinated analysis of educa- Sandberg. practical ways to meet the challenge of public ignorance tional policy and practice in relation to Canadian environ- mental issues. It proposes to develop new models for policy and apathy about the importance of watershed governance; In 2012-2013 SEPN had four Graduate Assistants associated contributions to community cohesiveness and resilience, and practice to improve how environmental sustainability is taught and practiced in educational institutions within with the project: Masters students Andrea McGavin, Hannah confidence, and leadership in marginalized communities; Glow, Sinead Rafferty, as well as PhD student Ana Martinez. and tested, practical strategies for advancing sustainable Canada and around the world. development in Canada.
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Transnational Business Governance Interactions (TBGI) In 2012-2013 the TBGI project hosted or participated in the following knowledge creation/mobilization activities:
Transnational Business Governance Interactions is funded by a three-year, $200,000 Partnership Development Grant Berlin Workshop TBGI panel sessions, International Studies Association from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council May 2012 March 2013 of Canada. We held an international workshop at the Hertie School of We organized two standing-room only panel sessions at Governance in Berlin, in May 2012, entitled “Interactions the International Studies Association Annual Meeting in Professor Stepan Wood, Acting Director of IRIS at York in Transnational Business Governance (TBG): Assessing San Francisco, in April 2013 to showcase TBGI research by University (www.irisyorku.ca), is leading the international Impacts on Regulatory Capacity and Performance.” This a number of young scholars. The first panel on the drivers, research project on the forms and dynamics of interaction one-day workshop brought together 25 scholars from eight mechanisms, dynamics and outputs of TBGI, starting with a among transnational business governance initiatives. The countries. Each participant circulated a short memo in ad- framing paper by the TBGI Project steering committee, fol- project investigates a development that has largely escaped vance addressing a common set of questions. The workshop lowed by four research papers by Anne Flohr, Luc Fransen, academic attention but is increasingly a fact of life for trans- itself took the form of a day-long brainstorming session that Christopher Kaan & Nicole Helmerich, and Christian Thauer. national companies, standards-setting groups and govern- explored the complexities of the subject and laid concep- Ken Abbott chaired and Tim Büthe of Duke University was ments. From accounting standards to sustainable forestry tual, theoretical and methodological foundations for future the discussant. The second panel examined outcomes and certification, more and more of the norms and standards research. The workshop was made possible by generous impacts of TBGI. It featured papers by Burkard Eberlein & that govern business emanate not from conventional state financial and logistical support from the Hertie School of Dieter Kerwer, Luc Fransen, Olga Malets, Stepan Wood and institutions, but from an array of private and multi-stake- Governance. Like the Florence workshop, the Berlin work- Melanie Zimmer. Errol Meidinger chaired and Tim Bartley holder institutions operating in a dynamic, transnational shop featured many participants who were new to the TBGI (Ohio State) was the discussant. regulatory space. project, and allowed us to forge strong connections with numerous global governance researchers in Germany and Julia Black gave a public lecture on “Transnational Business As these initiatives multiply within and across issue areas elsewhere in Europe. Governance Interactions: Analyzing Competition, Coordina- and industry sectors, they interact with one another and tion and Conflict in Transnational Business Regulation,” with state-based regulation. Such transnational business TBGI panel session, Law and Society Association with commentary by Burkard Eberlein, Errol Meidinger and governance interactions have substantial implications for June 2012 Stepan Wood, at Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto, Novem- business strategy and public policy. Yet little is known about ber 21, 2012. the forms and dynamics of these interactions, how they con- Working with project collaborator Kernaghan Webb (Ryerson University), we organized a panel session at the Law and So- stitute larger regulatory formations, or their implications for Burkard Eberlein made a poster presentation about the ciety Association Annual Meeting in Honolulu in June 2012. society, economy or environment. When do these initiatives TBGI project at the Schulich School of Business’s Research Entitled “From Soft to Hard Law: Exploring the Role of Trans- cooperate? When do they compete? Do they race one an- Celebration Day, Toronto, January 30, 20 national Business CSR Standards,” the session featured other to the top or to the bottom? Do their institutions and four papers that explored the processes by which voluntary content converge or diverge over time? Why do some initia- CSR standards may evolve into “harder” legal forms. The tives achieve quasi-monopoly status in their fields while session was chaired by Errol Meidinger and sponsored by others languish in obscurity? Do their interactions reinforce the Regulatory Governance and Transnational Legal Orders or undermine ecological sustainability, prosperity, innova- tion, and human rights? And how can policy actors orches- collaborative research networks. trate these interactions to promote positive outcomes?
The partner institutions are York University, Arizona State University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, the Baldy Centre for Law and Social Policy of the State University of New York at Buffalo, and the Interna- tional Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling (ISEAL) Alliance.
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In addition, the TBGI project produced or worked on the following publications during the 2012-13 reporting year
We published eleven papers in the TBGI Project Sub-Series of the respected Osgoode Hall Law School/Comparative Law and Political Economy Research Paper Series on the Social Sciences Research Network (SSRN):
Leonhard Dobusch & Sigrid Quack, “Transnational Copy- Tony Porter, “Transnational Business Governance Interac- A TBGI-themed Special Issue of the peer-reviewed journal right: Misalignments between Regulation, Business Models tions and Technical Systems in Global Finance,” Osgoode Regulation & Governance, forthcoming in 2013, includ- and User Practice,” Osgoode Hall Law School Comparative Hall Law School Comparative Research in Law and Political ing: Burkard Eberlein, Kenneth Abbott, Julia Black, Errol Research in Law and Political Economy Research Paper No. Economy Research Paper No. 19/2012, TBGI Project Sub- Meidinger and Stepan Wood, “Transnational Business 13/2012, TBGI Project Subseries No. 1, available at http:// series No. 7, available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2143678 Governance Interactions: Conceptualization and Framework ssrn.com/abstract=2116334. (earlier version presented at May 2011 Florence workshop). for Analysis;” Christine Overdevest and Jonathan Zeitlin, “Assembling an experimentalist regime: Transnational gov- Luc Fransen, “The Embededdness of Responsible Business Fabrizio Cafaggi, “The Architecture of Transnational Pri- ernance interactions in the forest sector”; Benjamin Cashore Practice: National Institutional Environments and Corporate vate Regulation,” Osgoode Hall Law School Comparative and Michael W. Stone, “Does California Need Delaware? Social Responsibility ,” Osgoode Hall Law School Compara- Research in Law and Political Economy Research Paper No. Revisiting Vogel’s ‘Trading-up’ Hypothesis through the case tive Research in Law and Political Economy Research Paper 20/2012, TBGI Project Subseries No. 8, available at http:// of legality verification”; Lars Gulbrandsen, “Dynamic Gover- No. 14/2012, TBGI Project Subseries No. 2, available at ssrn.com/abstract=2144407 (earlier version presented at nance Interactions: Evolutionary effects of state responses http://ssrn.com/abstract=2116337. May 2011 Florence workshop). to non-state certification programs”; Tim Bartley, “Com- mentary: Legality, Sustainability, and the Future of Transna- Graeme Auld & Jessica Green, “Unbundling the Regime Com- Kernaghan Webb, “ISO 26000: Bridging the Public/Private tional Forest Governance”; Tony Porter, “Technical Systems plex: The Effects of Private Authority,” Osgoode Hall Law Divide in Transnational Business Governance Interactions,” and the Architecture of Transnational Business Governance School Comparative Research in Law and Political Economy Osgoode Hall Law School Comparative Research in Law Interactions”; and Graeme Auld, “Emerging Private Gover- Research Paper No. 15/2012, TBGI Project Subseries No. 3, and Political Economy Research Paper No. 21/2012, TBGI nance: The Challenges of Choosing a Policy Focus.” Earlier available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2116296 (earlier ver- Project Subseries No. 9, available at http://ssrn.com/ versions of most of these pieces were first presented at a sion presented at May 2011 Florence workshop). abstract=2144420 (Earlier version presented at May 2011 TBGI project workshop at the European University Institute Florence workshop). in Florence, Italy, in May 2011. Christine Overdevest & Jonathan Zeitlin, “Assembling an ex- perimentalist regime: Transnational governance interactions Graeme Auld. Emerging Private Governance: The Challenges A peer-reviewed collection of other papers presented at in the forest sector,” Osgoode Hall Law School Comparative of Choosing a Policy Focus. Osgoode Hall Law School Com- the May 2011 Florence workshop, tentatively planned for Research in Law and Political Economy Research Paper No. parative Research in Law and Political Economy Research publication with Hart Publishing, including John Biggins & 16/2012, TBGI Project Subseries No. 4, available at http:// Paper No. 39/2012, TBGI Project Subseries No. 10, available Colin Scott, “Extending and Contracting Jurisdictions in a ssrn.com/abstract=2116339 (earlier version presented at at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2174016 Transnational Private Regulatory Regime: Efficiency, Le- May 2011 Florence workshop). gitimacy, ISDA and the OTC Derivatives Markets;” Fabrizio Burkard Eberlein, Kenneth Abbott, Julia Black, Errol Cafaggi, “The Architecture of Transnational Private Regula- Andrew S. Walker, “Process vs. Performance Standards for Meidinger and Stepan Wood. Transnational Business Gov- tion”; David Doorey, “A System of Transnational Business Sustainable Meeting and Event Management,” Osgoode Hall ernance Interactions: Conceptualization and Framework for Interactions: The Case of the Living Wage”; David Szablow- Law School Comparative Research in Law and Political Econ- Analysis. Osgoode Hall Law School Comparative Research ski, “Mimetic diffusion and the potential for interlocking omy Research Paper No. 17/2012, TBGI Project Subseries No. in Law and Political Economy Research Paper No. 29/2012, regulation: the IFC performance standards and the extrac- 5, available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2116342. TBGI Project Subseries No. 11; SUNY Buffalo Legal Studies tive industries”; Kernaghan Webb, “ISO 26000: Bridging the Research Paper No. 2013-017; available at http://ssrn.com/ Public/Private Divide in Transnational Business Governance Virginia Haufler, “Transnational Business Governance and abstract=2152720. Interactions”; Stepan Wood, “Uneasy Alliances in Transna- the Management of Natural Resources,” Osgoode Hall Law tional Business Governance: ISO, the ILO and the Making School Comparative Research in Law and Political Economy of ISO 26000”; Virginia Haufler, “Transnational Business Research Paper No. 18/2012, TBGI Project Subseries No. 6, Governance and the Management of Conflict Minerals”; and available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2143388. an introduction by Stepan Wood, Ken Abbott, Julia Black, Fabrizio Cafaggi, Burkard Eberlein and Errol Meidinger.
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Climate Change Adaptation in Africa On Thursday, October 18, 2012 Stephen Otieno (MA candi- Chapters in Books date at the University of Nairobi, CIGI Scholar, and Visiting Forthcoming: Social vulnerability and climate justice: “Strengthening the role of civil society in water sector Scholar at FES) gave a talk titled "Redefining water gover- community-based strategies for political engagement.“ Sub- governance towards climate change adaptation in African nance in Nairobi in times of climate change". This presenta- mitted December 2, 2011 for publication in A Global Survey cities—Durban, Maputo, Nairobi” is a three-year research tion was jointly hosted by the project and IRIS. of Sustainable Development in Areas of Social Vulnerability, project supported by the Climate Change Adaptation in edited by Adenrele Awotona. Africa (CCAA) program, a joint initiative of Canada’s Interna- The project’s final meeting was held in Nairobi, Kenya from tional Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the United November 5 to 8, 2012. In both formal presentations and 2012. “Climate justice partnership linking universities and Kingdom’s Department for International Development. This informal conversations, partners shared information and community organizations in Toronto, Durban, Maputo, and project—housed at IRIS, at York University in Toronto, Cana- compared situations and views. We reported to each other Nairobi,” co-authored with Ana Louise Tavares Leary (second da—links university researchers partners at the University of on the project's challenges and successes, made plans author). In Sustainable Development at Universities: New KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, the University of Nairobi, Eduardo for further dissemination of the project's results. Partners Horizons, edited by Walter Leal. Mondlane University in Maputo, and York University in To- from Maputo and Durban were able to visit the sites where ronto, along with local environmental and community-based the Nairobi team has been working, in Kibera and Huruma, Articles in Refereed Journals NGOs in Durban, Nairobi and Maputo. The project’s main and speak with local people, officials, and students about development goal is to strengthen the capacity of civil so- climate change, sanitation and water governance. Please “Urban water management in Africa in times of climate ciety to influence water sector governance towards climate click on the following link to access the meeting’s complete change: the importance of equitable public engagement,” change adaptation in the 3 African cities. report: http://ccaa.irisyorku.ca/wp-content/uploads/ co-authored with Mary Galvin, Elias Manjate, Simphiwe Noji- ccaa/2013/04/Final-Meeting-Report-09-Apr-13-small.pdf yeza, Elizabeth Lorimer, Stephen Otieno, Nilza Matavel, and The following are some of the “Strengthening the role of Romanus Opiyo, Water vol. 5 no. 1, special issue on Ecologi- civil society in water sector governance towards climate Major Research Papers: “Some, for all, forever – A Case cal Watershed Management, submitted for review May 2013. change adaptation in African Cities – Durban, Maputo, and Study of Participation in Water Management in South Afri- (Submitted for review) Nairobi,” Project and Professor Patricia E. Perkins’s Contri- ca’s Umgeni River Catchment” by Elizabeth Lorimer (Doctor- butions to IRIS for 2012-2013: al dissertation, Faculty of Environmental Studies in partial “Women and water management in times of climate fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in change,” co-authored with Patricia Figueiredo, in the Journal Environmental Studies, York University) and; “Responding of Cleaner Production special issue on Women, Water, to Water Insecurity in Durban, South Africa” by Alexander Waste, Wisdom, and Wealth, accepted February 18, 2012. Todd (Doctoral dissertation, Faculty of Environmental Stud- (Forthcoming) ies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Environmental Studies, York University). Both Papers Presented at Conferences available at: http://ccaa.irisyorku.ca/?page_id=799 “Climate justice partnership linking universities and com- munity organizations in Toronto, Durban, Maputo and On April 12, 2013 Prof. Patricia E. Perkins presented a paper Nairobi” by Patricia E. Perkins and Ana Louise Tavares Leary, entitled ”Women, Watershed Governance, and Climate presented by Ana Leary at the Symposium on Sustainable Change” (co-authored by Patricia Figueiredo Walker) at the Development at Universities (WEED-U 2012), Rio de Janeiro, Association of American Geographers (AAG) Annual Meeting Brazil, June 5-6, 2012. in Los Angeles “Climate justice, redistribution, and ecological economics,” On April 14, 2013 Routledge published Water and Climate presented at the International Society for Ecological Eco- Change in Africa: Challenges and community initiatives in nomics (ISEE) conference, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 16-19, Durban, Maputo and Nairobi, a book edited by Prof. Patri- 2012. cia E. Perkins, containing chapters by project partners. For more information and to purchase the book, please click on “Women, watershed governance, and climate change,” pa- the following link: http://www.routledge.com/books/de- per presented at the Association of American Geographers tails/9780415822039/ conference, panel on Feminist Political Ecology of Water- sheds, April 9-13, 2013 Los Angeles, California.
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Connecting Four Research Solitudes: Gas, Arctic Peoples and Security (GAPS) The Impact and Implications of Climate Change for Invasive Species, Biodiversity and Society “Impacts of oil and gas activity on peoples in the Arctic Us- ing a Multiple Securities Perspective” (or Gas, Arctic Peoples Connecting Four Research Solitudes was a one-year knowl- and Security) is a Canadian-Norwegian collaboration funded edge synthesis project. Climate change and Invasive Alien the International Polar Year Program, involving researchers Species (IAS) are major drivers of global environmental from York University, McGill University, University of Vic- change and both have already had profound impacts on dif- toria, and the University of Tromsø in Norway. The Cana- ferent parts of Canadian society. With this Canadian Founda- dian GAPS project is focused on diverse aspects of human tion for Climate and Atmospheric (CFCAS) funded project, security such as introduced species movements along the IRIS is helping researchers to connect the four solitudes of proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, hidden homelessness, climate change, invasive species, biodiversity loss and soci- mental health workers, and governance issues. By exploring ety, more effectively. The researcher’s knowledge synthesis the effects of oil and gas activity, and its interactions with will help to operationalize these connections by assessing climate change, on the human security of Arctic peoples, (1) which invasive species are expected to spread the most GAPS will further understanding and knowledge of 1) the with climate change, (2) the implications of efforts to com- science of climate change impacts and adaptation, and 2) Innovative Engagement Initiatives Community-Designed Sustainable Furniture For bat climate change through the development of alternative the health and well-being of Northern communities. The Centre For Green Change fuel sources (biofuels), and (3) how proposed efforts to as- During 2012-2013, IRIS sought to innovatively engage the In December 2011, IRIS Acting Director Stepan Wood was This five-year project has come to the end of its funding. Two sist threatened and rare species, by physically moving them public through a variety of initiatives, including: launching awarded a Fulbright Canada Eco-Leadership Grant. Working students continue work on their theses, including grasses to new locations for example, may cause more invasions. a series of Unconferences, leading a delegation to the 18th with the Centre for Green Change, this grassroots communi- with microscopic fungus that can be toxic to mammals. The The potential impacts of these issues for trade, legislation Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework ty-university project is designing and building sustainable project has created a summary of its project findings. and policy, work and employment, as well as education and Convention on Climate Change; running several campus furniture for the Centre located in the Jane-Finch community. training will be addressed. Knowledge pertaining to each sustainability initiatives at York University, including the 4th The new community hub will house the growing environ- of each of these questions, including knowledge attained Annual Earth Hour event, and 2nd Annual Focus on Sustain- mental education and green employment programs of the through community consultation, will be explored in a ability Film Festival; hosting its annual speakers series; Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre’s Green Change synthesis report. All three themes will be combined and syn- supporting other organizations through committee repre- Project, serving one of Toronto’s most ethnoracially diverse thesized in a final report. To date, three of the knowledge sentation, event sponsorship, or providing work space; and and marginalized communities. The Centre’s furniture is be- synthesis reports has been accepted or published: increasing its e-presence. ing designed and created by community members with help from York University students and faculty. Using sustainable Taking stock of the assisted migration debate. Biologi- design principles and recovered or recycled materials, com- cal Conservation 144: 2560-2572. Unconferences: Are You a Climate/Water/Food Zombie? This year the President’s Sustainability Council’s Social munity members are both furnishing the new Centre and acquiring valuable skills. Effects of climate change on the distribution of inva- Justice and Human Rights Workging Group’s members col- sive alien species in Canada: a knowledge synthesis of laborated to host three Unconferences at York. Together with During 2012-2013 the project held a community workshop range change projections in a warming world. Environ- IRIS, the Centre for Human Rights and Office of the Presi- on October 15 to brainstorm ideas on what furniture should mental Review 20: 1-16. dent sustainability staff hosted “Are YoU a Climate Zombie? How can we walk together” on October 25, “Are YoU a Food be built for the new Centre for Green Change. From these ideas, the idea of building a harvest table for the Centre was Second generation biofuels and bioinvasions: An Zombie? How do we make better choices?” on March 4th, born. Outreach to community members resulted in designer evaluation of invasive risks and policy responses in the and “Are YoU a Water Zombie? How can we be water wise?” Lubo Brezina and refurbisher Emanuel Calleja from Old- United States and Canada. Renewable and Sustainable on March 25th. An unconference uses ‘open space technol- Fashioned Restoration who agreed to design and finish the Energy Reviews (in preparation for resubmission). ogy’ to host a conference that allows participants to deter- mine the agenda themselves at the start of the day within table with Jane/Finch community members. The wood for The Environmental Review article, in addition to being wide- the scope of a particular topic. So YoU set the agenda! The the table was donated by Professor Emeritus David Wood ly published in the Canadian media last year, is currently on purpose of the unconferences was to create a forum for stu- (Atkinson/LA&PS) from 120+ year-old lumber on his Simcoe the Top 5 Most Read list of the month. dents, staff, and faculty to have open conversations around County farm. The wood was cleaned and restored during social justice, human rights, and sustainability related to Centre for Green Change pop-up workshops in February climate change, food and water issues. The end goal was to and March 2013. The table will be built by members of the create opportunities to work together in order to take action Jane-Finch and York communities in the Faculty of Fine Arts’ both personally and here at York University. carpentry workshop on May 1, 2013.
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Climate Justice Campus Sustainability Action Agenda Campus Accessibility From its establishment, IRIS has recognized climate justice IRIS, in consultation with York Access has conducted the IRIS has conducted an annual campus sustainability sur- as a core issue. Since then, it has conducted numerous re- fifth annual campus sustainability survey. The 2011-2012 veys since 2007. The very first IRIS survey gathered the York search project and engagement initiatives related to climate survey's topic was on Campus Accessibility and the survey community’s thoughts on climate change. The results of justice, such as hosting an Ecojustice Conference in April looked to identify accessibility issues at York. York Univer- the survey then lead to the introduction of carbon neutral 2009 and attending the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties sity is committed to principles of respect, inclusion and course kits. Other additional surveys have emphasized on climate change conferences. During the summer of 2011 equality of all persons with disabilities across campus. the York community’s thoughts and opinions on campus a Climate Justice Website, www.climatejustice.irisyorku. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) food offerings, behaviours, and attitudes regarding the ca was added to our website presence, to showcase our issued by the Ontario government aims to make Ontario waste found on campus, campus engagement, accessibil- climate justice initiatives. fully accessible to persons with disabilities by 2025 and this ity, and transportation. Once a theme has been selected, During 2012-2013, the following climate justice initiatives survey will help prepare York University for the new law. IRIS works closely with the relevant faculties, departments were held: Because of the age of buildings and the size of the Univer- and operational units to develop the action agenda. Each sity, the work to reduce barriers and increase accessibility is year, we conduct a survey on the annual theme, which is Are YoU a Climate Zombie? — Unconference expected to take place over several years. By completing the complemented by other engagement initiatives such as pre- October 25, 2012 anonymous survey, York students, staff and faculty helped sentations, interactive activities, and tailored reporting to identify needs and priorities. The collected information will COP 18 Conference relevant parties throughout the University. Since 2010, the help shape plans and identify concerns, reduce barriers and *attended by Idil Boran and Mohammad Yousaf surveys have been funded by the Vice-President Finance and increase accessibility at York University. A final report for November 26 – December 8 Administration, and we have worked closely with Campus Idil Boran the University will also be prepared by IRIS, and it will be Services and Business Operations in determining the survey COP 18 Debrief available in the summer of 2013. February 4, 2013 theme. During 2012-2013, the selected theme was “Moving Transportation into the 21st Century”. Transportation During 2012-2013, IRIS’s survey theme was “Moving Trans- UNFCCC COP18 Engagement portation into the 21st Century”. York University is one of Two York professors attended the United Nations Climate In the year of 2010-2011 IRIS conducted its fourth annual the greenest universities in Canada. In a continuous effort Change Conference in Doha, Qatar as non-voting delegates survey, which addressed volunteerism and engagement on to promote more sustainable transportation and a cleaner with observer status: Idil Boran, a philosophy professor the campus. The holistic objective was to allow members environment, the University is investigating the interest in in LA&PS, and Mohammad Yousaf, a chemistry professor of the community to express a desire to explore campus electric vehicle (EV) ownership. This will assist in planning in Science. Professor Boran found her recent experience volunteerism and engagement as a means to improve cam- for providing electrical vehicles charging stations. The sur- at COP18 in Doha, Qatar, illuminating and informative. “I pus sustainability. Through the surveys, IRIS was able to vey also sought input in planning for other transportation place real value in backing theory with practice,” she says. establish the York community’s core values, interests, and initiatives, including the Yonge-University-Spadina subway Attending the 18th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the engagement with campus groups. One of the main findings expansion to York, parking, as well as assist in building a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is that students want to volunteer more, but they feel they carpooling culture and improving cycling infrastructure. In (UNFCCC) allowed Boran to witness negotiations in real time, have a lack of time to do so. These surveys allow IRIS to addition to conducing a survey, IRIS worked with first year thanks to IRIS, which secured accredited spots. “I thought build a channel of communication with the York community engineering students from the University of Toronto on it would be really important for a philosopher to see the ac- and ensure that everyone is aware of sustainability and its some designs of possible installations of electric vehicles at tual conference where the deliberations between sovereign significance in today’s society. The engagement report will York. These ideas will help inform the report of the survey states take place.” She returned with so much more useful be released in the summer of 2013. information than she ever expected and is now determined results, which will be available in the summer of 2013. to share it with other researchers at the University and beyond. “I would like to think ahead to what the research community could do with it.”
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Contributions to Teaching Sustainability Curriculum Development
As a pedagogical institution, the University is actively Design for Sustainability Workshop course, Summer 2012 Sustainability and Education Academy (SEdA) involved in teaching a wide variety of subjects. IRIS aims to SEdA offers a comprehensive program for leaders in educa- IRIS is working with the university to integrate green building include elements of sustainability in existing curricula and to tion across Canada. The program aims are to inspire, cre- principles into the curriculum and the campus environment. create new curricula that take a broad approach to sustain- ate and support a culture of sustainable development in all In 2008, IRIS facilitation led to a memorandum of understand- ability as a discipline or specifically focus on the application aspects of the education system. SEdA has a national and ing with the World Green Building Council (WGBC), which in of sustainability to a particular subject matter. international group of advisors who are leaders in ESD to turn led to the International Summer School in Green Building provide advice and ideas on current and successful practices Design, launched in summer 2009, with York International. Sustainable UpStarts around the world. The intention of the course is to foster literacy in green build- The purpose of the Sustainable UpStarts project is to stimu- ing strategies in an international context. The Academy’s program was designed by faculty at York Uni- late the creation of student-run, sustainable, start-up enter- versity’s Schulich School of Business, the Faculty of Educa- prises at York and beyond by creating a hands-on experiential In June, 2012, the Design for Sustainability workshop course tion, the UNESCO Chair on Reorienting Teacher Education to course in starting up a sustainable enterprise, combined was held for the fourth consecutive year. The workshop, un- address Sustainability and the NGO, Learning for a Sustain- with an annual competition to select the top business plans der the direction of part-time faculty member and IRIS Execu- able Future. The development process included ongoing col- emerging from the course. The project will advance experi- tive Board member, Arlene Gould, is an intensive full-credit laboration with education leaders in school systems as well ential education in a pan-university, interdisciplinary context course that brings together students from various disciplines as business leaders who are champions in this area. Grants and will enhance the university’s reputation for preparing the to explore the art and science of sustainable building and from Environment Canada and Suncor Energy Foundation leaders of a sustainable economy. strategies for sustainable community development. The funded the development of the program course was founded in 2009 by IRIS and York University in col- The course and competition will be operated by IRIS, an uni- laboration with the World Green Building Council. It is hosted The flagship offering of the Academy is the Education Leader versity-wide ORU and hub for sustainability-related research by the Faculty of Environmental Studies, and IRIS Director Seminars. Each Seminar is a 2½ day intensive, residential, and action on campus. The course will be offered each sum- Dawn Bazely is part of the teaching team. informative and motivational event for education leaders. mer to York students and interested individuals from outside Seminar workshops provide participants with the knowledge the university. Building on York’s expertise in business and The hands-on workshop format gives students the oppor- and strategies needed to transform school systems into sus- sustainability, it will be taught by a team of experts from York tunity to collaborate in small groups and to practice the use tainable organizations. and beyond. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams to of design methodologies and tools for visioning, scenario learn the fundamentals of sustainability, entrepreneurship building, stakeholder engagement and environmental assess- The 7th SEdA seminar was held in June in Regina Saskatch- and business planning, and prepare a plan for a start-up sus- ment. Ontario green building experts present guest lectures ewan in partnership with the UNESCO Chair in Reorienting tainable enterprise—a business whose mission is to advance and lead field trips. The course culminates with a one-day Teaching for sustainable development and the Faculty of social or environmental sustainability at York or beyond. design charrette. In 2012, the course engaged the Jane /Finch Education at York University. community and the Centre for Green Change in a charrette for IRIS applied for funding via the Academic Innovation Fund the students, tower residents, the City’s Tower Renewal team Continuing Education (AIF) in 2012. While the funding request was turned down, and local experts. The event brought 60 people together at IRIS continues to explore opportunities to create non-degree IRIS plans to secure other sources of funding to make this the San Romanoway community centre for a day of knowledge courses about sustainability. Look for more from IRIS on course a reality. sharing and collaborative brainstorming. courses in the near future.
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Events
Focus on Sustainability Film Festival In 2013, IRIS and Planet in Focus with the Osgoode Environ- mental Law society and Climate Consortium for Research Ac- tion Integration (CC-RAI) presented the second annual Focus on Sustainability Film Festival. The 2013 theme was food and was held March 1st at the Nat Taylor Cinema, Keele Campus. This entertaining and educating experience featured domes- tic and foreign documentaries, a panel discussion with film- 2012/2013 Speakers Series makers, a lawyer, and activists, as well as prizes provided by host of restaurants in Toronto. The films screened during the With a diversity of well-recognized speakers covering a broad range of topics, the inaugural event were Bitter Seeds, Love Meat Ender, Urban annual IRIS speaker series has proved to be popular in past years. During the 2012- Roots, Teo in Toronto, and Sushi: The Global Catch. 2013 academic year, IRIS hosted speakers on a broad range of sustainability issues The intention of these events is to engage with students and reach out to alumni Earth Hour Symposium and the community, in spreading awareness and providing a space for conversation Earth Hour began in 2006 when the World Wildlife Fund and networking. This year’s speaker series featured the following presentations: (WWF) in Sydney, Australia introduced the plan to turn off lights for an hour to take a stand against climate change. Since 2008, Earth Hour has become an international event; Toronto was the first city outside of Sydney to adopt Earth Hour! Earth Hour is a day of celebration and recognition for greater innovation in sustainability. Mayor David Miller: Nations Talk, Cities Act. 2012 IRIS hosted its 4th Annual Earth Hour Event in collaboration with human rights and environmental groups. It was held on Wednesday, March 20th at Michelangelo’s Restaurant. Pre- senters included the York’s Director of Energy, Brad Cochrane Greening University Campuses: A Global Perspective (Paul School of Economics and Political Science spoke about and Rob Shirkey, Executive Director of Our Horizon. A sus- Rowland, AASHE) – On May 18, 2012, Paul Rowland, execu- TBGIs. The interdisciplinary TBGI Project, co-led by Stepan tainability clubs fair was also held, as was a lantern-making tive director of the Association for the Advancement of Sus- Wood (Osgoode), is housed by IRIS. workshop. This was a free event, with dinner provided. The tainability in Higher Education (AASHE), discussed making Green Development Law in Canada: New Forms of Property evening ended with live acoustic music and smores! universities green at the Institute for Research & Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) speakers’ series. or the Same Old Dirt? - On October 25, 2012, Professor In addition, this year a poetry workshop was held. “Poetic Deborah Curran, Hakai Professor in Environmental Law Energy: Writing in a Warming World” was a poetry writing Research Open House – 3rd Floor York Lanes. On September and Sustainability at the University of Victoria spoke about workshop in which participants were asked to reflect on the 25, 2012, IRIS along with the projects and groups on the 3rd green development case studies, focusing on the legal inno- role of reading and writing poetry in environmental activism, Floor of York Lanes host an open house. Guest Lecture by vations and burdens that sustainable development offers for particularly dealing with issues of climate change, social jus- Michael Johnny from the Knowledge Mobilization Unit. both the public interest and private property. The talk was tice, and sustainability. The Poetry Workshop was delivered hosted by JD/MES Joint Program Coordinators. David Miller: Nations Talk. Cities Act. – On November 22, by grad students under the direction of Prof. Cate Sandilands. 2012, IRIS hosted former city of Toronto mayor David Miller COP 18 Debrief – On February 4, 2013, Idil Boran, Philoso- This year’s Earth Hour partners included the Centre for Human who spoke on the challenges facing cities today, and the phy professor from FES gave a debriefing on her experience Rights, Regenesis @ York, BESSA – Bachelor of Environmen- steps he took to combat this while he was mayor. The pre- at COP 18 in Doha, Qatar. tal Studies Student Association, McLaughlin College, and the sentation had a specific focus on Toronto city plans and how IRIS Research Showcase – On March 13, 2013 IRIS held President’s Sustainability Council Student Sub-Committee. they are driving action on combatting climate change. View David Miller’s presentation. its 2nd Annual Research Showcase. The focus was on the Churchill Communities of Knowledge, an online resource of Transnational Business Governance Interactions (TBGI): data and media about the Town of Churchill and its people. Analyzing Competition, Coordination and Conflict in The Showcase featured the Churchill Communities of Knowl- Transnational Business Regulation – On Wednesday, No- edge: Mobilizing Ecological Knowledge through Yorkspace, vember 21, 2012, Julia Black, Professor of Law at the London our Open Access Institutional Repository panel.
41 42 IRIS Charter Application 156 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013
Sustainable Value Creation Speaker Series This joint Speaker Series was organized by IRIS and Schulich Course Director Dr. Kevin McKague and his MGMT 6500 Sustainable Value Creation course (Business Model Innovation for Poverty Alleviation), which is cross-listed by both the Centre University Service of Excellence in Responsible Business and the Nonprofit Management Leadership IRIS participated on the following University bodies: specializations at the Schulich School of Business. The 2013 series included seven lectures: President’s Sustainability Council (PSC) was created in 2008 by President Shoukri with broad representation from across January 15th Doing Business with the Poor the University to provide input on how to address sustain- Guest Speaker: Tal Dehtiar, Founder and CEO, Oliberté and one ability issues on a pan-University level. IRIS has a seat at of Fast Company’s Most Creative Business People of the Year. the Council and contributes to provide critical input. Dawn Bazely and Annette Dubreuil shared a seat on this commit- January 29th Innovations in Education and Sustainable Development: tee in 2012-2013. The Uganda Rural Development and Training Program Guest Speaker: Dr. Bryan Smith, President, Broad Reach Innovations Inc. and Council of Research Directors (CRD) is a forum for the discus- advisor, URDT. sion of operational and support issues with respect to the smooth functioning and development of ORUs. Further, the Regenesis@York February 5th Innovations in Global Health and Grand Challenges Canada CRD also provides an opportunity for the VPRI to seek the Since the summer of 2010 IRIS has provided a home to Guest Speaker: Dr. Ken Simiyu, Program Officer, Grand Challenges Canada advice of ORU directors as a group with respect to the stra- Regenesis@York. Originally, Regenesis@York had four tegic development of research at York. core projects areas: Farmers Market, Cycling Advocacy and February 26th Financing Inclusive Business for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Future of Our Forest and an Environmental Poverty Alleviation Education Initiative. Since then, Regenesis@York’s activities Guest Speaker: Hany Assaad, Co-founder Avanz Capital. In-Kind Organizational Support have expanded to include developing the following initia- IRIS provides space to the following organizations: tives: World Garden (Urban Agriculture), York Community March 5th Transforming the Corporate Gift Market to Create Sustainable Employment and & Sustainability Projects Fund, York Community Kitchen, Empowerment in Poor Communities Learning for a Sustainable Future Community Arts Gallery, York U Free Store, Free bike share Guest Speaker: Angie Drascovic, Founder and CEO Zoë Alliance. Since 2004, IRIS has housed the not-for-profit organiza- network, Glendon Greenhouse, Glendon Outdoor Ice Rink. tion Learning for a Sustainable Future (LSF). During 2012- March 19th Jobs for the Poor: Reducing Poverty through Impact Sourcing 2013 LSF continued to expand its programs for elementary Guest Speaker: Karim Harji on Impact Sourcing, Co-Founder Venture Deli, and secondary students to take action. The Resources for IRIS E-Presence Co-Founder of SocialFinance. ca and Social Entrepreneurship Mentor Rethinking database continues to grow and house more ex- and Instructor emplary classroom resources that are thoroughly reviewed The IRIS website, www.irisyorku.ca continues to be hosted to meet the highest sustainability and pedagogy principles. by Ethical Hosting, which is powered by 100% renewable March 26th Learning from Failure In 2012 LSF added the review of Children’s Literature re- energy provided through Bullfrog Power and Planetair. The Guest Speaker: Ashley Good, Engineers without Borders and Founder sources for Kindergarten through grade 5. During 2012-2013 website is constantly updated to remains current and a user- Admitting Failure IRIS worked with LSF to secure a grant of $25,000 from the friendly resources. In addition to profiling its many projects, Public Health Agency of Canada to support an EcoLeague initiatives, and members, the website is also a hub for discussing sustainability issues (through our frequent and Supported Events Youth Forum in Winnipeg. IRIS also supported LSF with a let- ter of support from the successful Enterprising Non-Profits thought provoking blog posts). This year we added blogs During 2012-13 IRIS participated in the following events: Toronto grant that LSF received to conduct market research by IRIS member and Fine Arts Professor Ian Garrett. The to expand their professional development services. LSF’s website also advertises a host of local sustainability events. The RBC Collaborating for Impact Conference – February 1, 2013: Organized by the Executive Director, Pamela Schwartzberg, sits on the Board IRIS continues to also utilize Facebook (IRIS - Institute for Nonprofit Management Association, Core Faculty Ellie Perkins and project partner of the Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN), Research and Innovation in Sustainability) and Twitter (iri- Clara Stewart-Robertson (Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre) were part of for which IRIS houses the York University portion of that syorku) for social media purposes. We continue our monthly a panel on “Collaboration at a Local Level: Creating change in our Communities”, SSHRC Partnership Grant funded project, which is led out newsletter, highlighting key news items and upcoming which was moderated by IRIS Coordinator Annette Dubreuil of the University of Saskatchewan. Finally, IRIS Core Faculty events. Finally, this year we added sustainability theme but- member Norm Yan is working with LSF on an invasive spe- tons to the website – to help users navigate to our research Glendon Roots and Shoots Eco-Conference – March 22, 2013: IRIS Coordinator An- cies project, which resulted from discussions at this year’s projects more easily. The 6 themes are: Shifting Policies, nette Dubreuil presented about IRIS’ Campus Sustainability Surveys 3rd Floor York Lanes Open House. To learn more about LSF, Biodiversity & Invasives, Arctic & Northern, Climate Change, visit their website: www.lsf-lst.ca Social Justice, and Campus Sustainability.
43 44 IRIS Charter Application 157 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013
Assisted migration for a fragmented (forest) nation? With and Climate Change Workshop co-sponsored by W3 and G. Larocque and D. Bazely. Graduate Student Colloquium the SFU Morgan Centre for Labour Research, Simon Fraser Appendix 2 Series, Geography, York University, Jan 2013 (invited). Harbour Centre Campus, Vancouver, Friday, September 21. Smith, A.L., N. Klenk, S. Wood, N. Hewitt, I. Henriques, Individual Member Contributions N. Yan, D.R. Bazely. Second generation biofuels and Faculty of Education bioinvasions: An evaluation of invasive risks and policy responses in the United States and Canada. Renewable and Steve Alsop* (SEPN) Sustainable Energy Reviews (Revised and resubmitted). Board Member and York University lead on the Sustainability Sheila Embleton * (Former VP Academic; Climate Justice) and Education Policy Network (SEPN) Core Faculty Members Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, November 2012. Donald Dippo (SEPN) “Scholarships for Study in Canada”, A World of Learning: Faculty of Fine Arts Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies Don Dippo, “Pre-Service Teaching and Pedagogies of Canada’s Performance and Potential in International Transformation”, in Rosalyn McKeown and Victor Nolet Arlene Gould* (WGBC Summer School Course Director) Carla Lipsig-Mumme* (W3) Education / Un monde à apprendre: resultants et potential (Eds.), Schooling for Sustainable Development in Canada du Canada en matière d’éducation internationale, and the United States, Berlin: Springer 2012. Served on the IRIS Executive. Climate@Work, edited by Carla Lipsig-Mumme, (Fernwood ed. Jennifer Humphries, Ottawa: Canadian Bureau for Publications), was published in April 2013. Don Dippo, “Sustainability and Professional Development Rethinking Ontario Place – In December, 2012, Arlene Gould International Education, 2012, page 68. in Teacher Education”, Seventh Meeting of the UNESCO organized a design charrette for Toronto creative leaders David Doorey (TBGI, W3) “Importance of Scholarships to International Eduwacation”, International Network for Reorienting Teacher Education to and students to explore an alternative vision for Ontario A World of Learning: Canada’s Performance and Potential Address Sustainability, Toronto, May 2012. Place that would preserve the site as an iconic public David Doorey, “A System of Transnational Business in International Education / Un monde à apprendre: space. The charrette was co-hosted by the Design Industry Interactions: The Case of the Living Wage”. TBGI Edited resultants et potential du Canada en matière d’éducation Advisory Committee, the Martin Prosperity Institute and book of Florence workshop papers - While some of the internationale, ed. Jennifer Humphries, Ottawa: Canadian the Ontario Public Service Employees Union. http://www. Florence workshop papers will appear in the Regulation & Bureau for International Education, 2012, pages 30-32. rethinkingontarioplace.com/2012/12/ Governance special issue, others are being finalized for
inclusion in an edited volume under consideration at Hart (with Dorin Uritescu and Eric Wheeler) “Defining Taught the Summer 2012 edition of the Design for Publishing. Dialect Regions with Interpretations: Advancing the Sustainability Workshop course Multidimensional Scaling Approach”, Literary and Linguistic David Szablowski (TBGI) Computing: Journal of Digital Scholarship in the Humanities, Ian Garrett volume 28, number 1, 2013. 10 pages. Free access to PDF at David Szablowski, “Mimetic diffusion and the potential for Blogs for IRIS, under the Arts & Culture Blog Category. http://llc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/fqs048?ijkey=Nzo interlocking regulation: the IFC performance standards and VKzEF9cRtmO3&keytype=ref the extractive industries”. TBGI Edited book of Florence
workshop papers - While some of the Florence workshop (with Dorin Uritescu and Eric Wheeler) “Continuum et
papers will appear in the Regulation & Governance special fragmentation géolinguistiques d’après l’Atlas linguistique
issue, others are being finalized for inclusion in an edited de la Crişana en ligne”, in Actes del 26é Congrés de
volume under consideration at Hart Publishing. Lingüística i Filologia Romàniques (València, 6-11 de
setembre de 2010), Emili Casanova Herrero and Cesáreo Gabrielle Slowey (GAPS Project) Calvo Rigual (eds.), Berlin, Walter de Gruyter, 2013, 116-126.
Served on the IRIS Executive Steve Tufts (W3)
Idil Boran (COP18) Hall, S and Tufts S 2013 Work, Climate Change and Young Workers. Paper presented at the United Association for Attended COP18 Labour Education Annual Conference. April 17-20, Toronto. Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) Speaker at the COP18 Debrief – February 4, 2013 Carey, J and Tufts S 2013 'Greening Work' in Lean Times: Andres Sandberg (SEPN) Nina Hewitt (4 Solitudes) The Amalgamated Transit Union and Eco-socialization of
Canadian Transportation Systems. Paper presented at the 2013 (Sandberg, A., S. Bocking, C. Coates, and K. Spontaneous tree migration and the dilemma of assisted W3 Workshop, January, Toronto. Cruikshank) (eds.) Urban Explorations: Environmental colonization. With G. Larocque, D. Greene, D. Bazely. Annual Histories of the Toronto Region. Hamilton, ON: L.R. Wilson Meeting of the Association of American Geographers, Los Tufts, S 2012 Work in a Warming Urban World: Some Institute for Canadian History, McMaster University. Angeles, April 2013. Reflections on Toronto Vancouver. Paper presented Work
45 46 IRIS Charter Application 158 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013
2013 (Sandberg, A., G. Wekerle, and L. Gilbert) The Oak Articles in Refereed Journals 2012 The Case of the Mimic Octupus: Agency and World Poster Presentation: Gordon Research Conference – Plant- Ridges Moraine Battles: Development, Sprawl, and Nature Making. Antennae: Animal Influence, 21 (Summer), Herbivore Interactions, Ventura, California –with Andrew “Urban water management in Africa in times of climate Conservation in the Toronto Region. Toronto: University of pp. 58-66. Tanentzap. (February) change: the importance of public engagement,” co- Toronto Press. Timothy Leduc (SEPN) authored with Mary Galvin, Elias Manjate, Simphiwe Invited talk at University of New Brunswick, Fredericton Nojiyeza, Elizabeth Lorimer, Stephen Otieno, Nilza Matavel, in February. Catriona Sandilands Books/Monographs and Romanus Opiyo, Water vol. 5 no. 1, special issue on Mentored gradate students who performed a Poetry Ecological Watershed Management, submitted for review Draft Completed (with D. Morley). Four Decades of Mohammad Yousaf Workshop at Earth Hour Environmental Studies at York: Sustaining an Educational March 2013. (Submitted for review). Attended the UNFCCC COP18 Climate Change conference in Innovation in an Emerging Field. (Submitting manuscript for Women and water management in times of climate change,” Doha, Quatar. Ellie Perkins * (Climate Justice; Campus Sustainability; Faculty review in Spring 2013)-SSHRC SEPN grant informed co-authored with Patricia Figueiredo, in the Journal of Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA)) this research Cleaner Production special issue on Women, Water, Norman Yan (4 Solitudes) Book Waste, Wisdom, and Wealth, accepted February 18, 2012 Proposal (accepted). A Canadian Ecology of Mind: From Smith, A.L., N. Klenk, S. Wood, N. Hewitt, I. Henriques, (Forthcoming) the Fur Trade to the Tar Sands and Beyond. McGill-Queens N. Yan, D.R. Bazely. Second generation biofuels and Water and Climate Change in Africa: Challenges and University Press (to be submitted Spring 2014). bioinvasions: An evaluation of invasive risks and policy Community Initiatives in Durban, Maputo and Nairobi. Jose Etcheverry* responses in the United States and Canada. Renewable and London/New York: Routledge/Earthscan. Journal Articles/Review Essays Sustainable Energy Reviews (Revised and resubmitted). Served on the IRIS Executive In Press (with S. Crate). ‘Reflexive Shifts in Climate Research Etcheverry, J. (2012) A sustainable deployment of and Education: Towards Re-localizing Our Lives’. Nature + photovoltaics: What is wrong with current policy and Culture (summer 2013). Glendon technology focus? The Electricity Journal, 25 (2), 24-31.
Book Chapters (Refereed) Colin Coates* Justin Podur* 2013. ‘Ancestral Climate Wisdom: Return to a Thoughtful Served on the IRIS Executive Served on the IRIS Executive until the end of his term (June Etiquette’. In M. Schönfeld (ed.), Global Ethics on Climate 30, 2012). Stuart Schoenfeld* Change: The Planetary Crisis and Philosophic Alternatives. Routledge. Kaz Higuchi* (Climate Justice; Campus Sustainability) Served on the IRIS Executive until the fall 2012. Accepted (book in progress). ‘Critical Land Changes IRIS Speaker Series event featuring David Miller, which in Ecological Thought: A Pedagogical Place for Urban was conjunctly a guest lecture in his ENVS 3400 course on Osgoode Hall Experience’. In S. Bocking and R. O’Connor (eds.), The Great climate change and policy; organised and supported by IRIS Green North. University of Calgary Press (tentative for 2014). Peer Zumbansen (TBGI) IRIS Speaker Series featuring Idil Boran giving a COP-18 debriefing, held conjunctly with his ENVS 5502 course on Law and Legal Pluralism: Hybridity in Transnational climate change mitigation and adaptation; organised and Faculty of Science and Engineering Governance, in: Regulatory Hybridization in the supported by IRIS Transnational Sphere (Poul Kjaer, Paulius Jurcys, and Ren Dawn Basely * (IRIS Director; W3; 4 Solitudes; GAPS; Yatsunami eds., The Hague: Brill, 2013), 49-70 [Refereed] Leesa Fawcett (SEPN) Climate Justice; Campus Sustainability; IRIS Speaker’s Transnational Private Regulatory Governance: Ambiguities Series Committee; President’s Sustainability Council) of Public Authority and Private Power, in: Law and Chapters in Books Smith, A.L., N. Klenk, S. Wood, N. Hewitt, I. Henriques, Contemporary Problems (2012), forthcoming, available at: 2012 “Three Degrees of Separation: Accounting for N. Yan, D.R. Bazely. Second generation biofuels and Chapters in Books http://ssrn.com/abstract=2185031 (OHLS CLPE Research Naturecultures in Environmental Education Research bioinvasions: An evaluation of invasive risks and policy Paper 45/2012) “Environmental activism and gender.” Submitted December Issues.” In M. Brodey, J. Dillon, R. Stevenson & A. Wals responses in the United States and Canada. Renewable and 1, 2011 for publication in Gender and Economic Life, edited (eds.) International Handbook of Research on Environmental Sustainable Energy Reviews (Revised and resubmitted). Stepan Wood * (Acting Director; W3; 4 Solitudes; IRIS by Deborah Figart and Tonia Warnecke (Northampton, MA: Education. Washington, DC: AERA/Routledge. Steering Committee; PDG: Transnational Business Speaker and session moderator: Terrestrial Invasive Plants Edward Elgar). (Forthcoming). Governance Interactions (TBGI)) 2012 (with C. Russell) “Moving Margins in Environmental Conference, Sault St. Marie, Ontario. Session: Current State “Social diversity, globalization, and sustainability in Education Research.” In M. Brodey, J. Dillon, R. Stevenson of Invasive Plants in Ontario. Lecture in this session: “Kudzu Smith, A.L., N. Klenk, S. Wood, N. Hewitt, I. Henriques, community-based economies.” In Women in a Globalizing & A. Wals (eds.) International Handbook of Research on has arrived! So why aren’t people more freaked out?” N. Yan, D.R. Bazely. Second generation biofuels and World: Transforming Equality, Development, Diversity and Environmental Education. Washington, DC: AERA/Routledge. (August) bioinvasions: An evaluation of invasive risks and policy Peace, edited by Angela Miles (Toronto: Inanna Publications responses in the United States and Canada. Renewable and 2012, Speaker at the second International Polar Year GAPS and Education), pp. 515-524). (2013). Articles in Refereed Journals Sustainable Energy Reviews (Revised and resubmitted). Project Workshop, Tromsø, Norway. (June)
47 48 IRIS Charter Application 159 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013
Burkard Eberlein, Kenneth Abbott, Julia Black, Errol Research in Law and Political Economy Research Paper No. Conference Papers Bill Found Meidinger and Stepan Wood. Transnational Business 29/2012, TBGI Project Subseries No. 11; SUNY Buffalo Legal “Environmental Management Practices and Performance Served on the IRIS Executive Governance Interactions: Conceptualization and Framework Studies Research Paper No. 2013-017; available at http:// in Canada”, Workshop on Innovative Approaches to for Analysis. Osgoode Hall Law School Comparative ssrn.com/abstract=2152720. Served on the IRIS Policy Committee Environmental Policy in Canada, University of Ottawa, Research in Law and Political Economy Research Paper No. TBGI panel sessions, International Studies Association, April September 17-18, 2012. Found, W. and M. Berbés-Blázquez, “The Sugar Cane 29/2012, TBGI Project Subseries No. 11; SUNY Buffalo Legal 2013: paper featured. Landscape of the Caribbean Islands: Resilience and the “The Role of Financial Institutions in Encouraging Social Studies Research Paper No. 2013-017; available at http:// Changing Plantation Social-Ecological System”, chapter Burkard Eberlein, Kenneth Abbott, Julia Black, Errol Entrepreneurs”, Workshop on The Financial Sector’s Impact ssrn.com/abstract=2152720; revised version forthcoming 10 in D. Plieninger and C. Bieling (eds.), Resilience and the Meidinger and Stepan Wood, “Introduction: Transnational on Sustainable Development, Balsillie School for Global in Regulation & Governance Special Issue on Transnational Cultural Landscape: Understanding and Managing Change Business Governance Interactions: Conceptualization and Governance, University of Waterloo, October 4-5, 2012. Business Governance Interactions. in Human-Shaped Environments, Cambridge, Cambridge Framework for Analysis.” TBGI Edited book of Florence Eberlein, Burkard, Kenneth Abbott, Julia Black, Errol University Press, 2012, pp. 164-184. workshop papers - While some of the Florence workshop Wesley Cragg (TBGI) Meidinger and Stepan Wood, eds. Forthcoming 2013. papers will appear in the Regulation & Governance special Transnational Business Governance Interactions. Special CBERN hosted its 2012 Annual Conference on the theme Steve Glassman issue, others are being finalized for inclusion in an edited of “Leadership, Ethics and Energy” (May 9-12, 2012) at the issue of Regulation and Governance. Served on the IRIS Executive volume under consideration at Hart Publishing University of Calgary Wood, Stepan and Kevin Thompson. 2012. Transnational Voluntary Climate Change Initiatives for Local Governments: Dirk Matten (TBGI) CBERN co-hosted the PRI-CBERN 2012 Academic Network Peter Middleton Conference: “Evolution of Responsible Investment: Key Variables, Drivers and Likely Effects. In Benjamin J. K. Bondy, J. Moon, D. Matten * An institution of corporate Through his role as the CEO of the Green Education Council Navigating Complexity” at York University (October 1-3 Richardson (ed.) Local Climate Change Law: Environmental social responsibility (CSR) in multi-national companies (an alliance of universities, colleges and other organizations 2012). Regulation in Cities and other Localities. Cheltenham, UK: (MNCs): form and implications, Journal of Business Ethics, committed to accelerating sustainability both on campus Edward Elgar. Vol. 111 (2012), No. 2, 281-299 CBERN received a $22,129 SSHRC Connection grant for the and in the community at large), Peter has worked with IRIS 2013 PhD Winter Research Meeting and Webinar Series held (York University is a Founding Partner of the Council) to bring Wood, Stepan. 2012. The International Organization for S. Brammer, G. Jackson, D. Matten* Corporate Social Standardization. In Darryl Reed, Peter Utting and Ananya at York University (March 22-24 2013). forward a number of sustainability initiatives, including Responsibility and Institutional Theory: New Perspectives on possible collaborations in the Glendon community. Mukherjee-Reed, eds., Business Regulation and Non-State Private Governance, Socio Economic Review, Vol. 10 (2012), Wesley Cragg published an edited volume titled “Business Actors: Whose standards? Whose development? 81-94. No. 1, 3-28 and Human Rights” (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012) Helen Psathas New York: Routledge. Irene Henriques * (W3; 4 Solitudes) Served on the IRIS Executive Senior Fellows Served on the IRIS Steering Committee Schulich School of Business Journal Articles Alan RIchardson (TBGI) Eric Abitbol Served on the planning committee for the “Are YoU a Henriques I. P. Sadorsky (forthcoming) Environmental Climate Zombie? How can we walk together?” unconference Organizing the Assessing the Impact of Peace and Conflict “Merging the Profession: A Historical Perspective on Management Practices and Performance in Canada, held October 25, 2012 Accounting Association Mergers in Canada” (with E. Kilfoyle) Canadian Public Policy. Impact Assessments (PCIA) conference at York University, to be held at York May 22-24th. Liaison with CSBO for the Annual Campus Sustainability Accounting Perspectives V11 N2 (2012): 77-109 Henriques I., Husted, B.W. & Montiel, I. (2013) Spillover [DOI: 10.1111/j.1911-3838.2012.00033.x] Survey. This year’s topic was “Moving Transportation into effects of voluntary environmental programs on greenhouse David Bell the 21st Centurey”. Continued support on last year’s topic of Andrew Crane (TBGI) gas emissions: Lessons from Mexico. Journal of Policy accessibility. Analysis & Management 32(2): 296-322. Served on the IRIS Executive Crane, A. (2013), ‘Modern slavery as a management practice: Member of the Education Sectoral Commission of the Support IRIS students and researchers with questions about exploring the conditions and capabilities for human Perez-Batres L.A., V.V. Miller, M.J. Pisani, I. Henriques Canadian Commission for UNESCO the campus. exploitation’. Academy of Management Review, vol. 38 (1): and J.A. Renau-Sepulveda (2012) Why do firms engage 49-69. in national sustainability programs and transparent Keynote address to the AQPC (prof association of the reporting? Evidence from Mexico’s Clean Industry Program. 17,000 CEGEPS profs in Quebec) in Gatineau, June 1012: Burkard Eberlein (TBGI) Management International Review, 54 (1): 107-136. "The Challenge of Sustainability and the Role of Higher Burkard Eberlein made a poster presentation about the Smith, A.L., N. Klenk, S. Wood, N. Hewitt, I. Henriques, Education" TBGI project at the Schulich School of Business’s Research N. Yan, D.R. Bazely. Second generation biofuels and Chaired 5 LSF Roundtable sessions on Responsible Celebration Day, Toronto, January 30, 2013. bioinvasions: An evaluation of invasive risks and policy Citizenship held in Edmonton, Winnipeg, toronto (2) and responses in the United States and Canada. Renewable and Burkard Eberlein, Kenneth Abbott, Julia Black, Errol Halifax (April to Oct 2012) Sustainable Energy Reviews (Revised and resubmitted). Meidinger and Stepan Wood. Transnational Business Presented the work of LSF to the ESD Steering Committee of
Governance Interactions: Conceptualization and Framework the 54 nation UN Economic Commission for Europe meeting for Analysis. Osgoode Hall Law School Comparative in Geneva (March 2013)
49 50 IRIS Charter Application 160 IRIS ANNUAL REPORT 2012-2013
Andrea Smith Smith, A. 2012. Review of federal and Ontario legislation on invasive alien species prevention, early detection and rapid response. Report to MNR. 50 pp + 248 pp Appendix. Smith, A. 2012. Summary Report: Review of federal and Ontario legislation on invasive alien species. Report to MNR. 10 pp. Presentations Smith, A. Tackling invasive plants in Ontario: What’s in our legislativetoolbox? Ontario Invasive Plant Council Annual General Meeting, Guelph, October16 2012. Smith, A. Review of federal and Ontario legislation on terrestrial invasive plant species. Terrestrial Invasive Plant Species Conference, Sault St. Marie, August 21 2012. Smith, A. Review of federal and Ontario legislation on aquatic invasive species. CAISN AGM, Montreal, May 2 2012.
Nancy Sutherland Served on the IRIS Executive Benjamin Richardson Liaison between IRIS and the Centre of Excellence in Fiduciary Law and Responsible Investing: In Nature’s Trust. Responsible Business at the Schulich School of Business Series: Routledge Research in Finance and Banking Law. Published April 18th 2013 by Routledge. Helps to promote IRIS events and activities to the Schulich School of Business Community Richard Saunders Received funding from UNRISD, Geneva for a 2-year Zimbabwe case study in the multi-country research phase of the “Politics of Domestic Resource Mobilisation for Social Development” project
Awarded FLA&PS Internationalisation Seed Grant to support convening of a labour-civil society network on miningrestructuring in Southern Africa, based in Cape Town Developed multi-country, multi-partner project proposal for submission to IDRC-Nairobi, on “Women’s Ecohealth in East Africa” (co-applicant) Convened seminars by visiting scholars, including Prof David McDonald (Queens) and Dr. Firoze Manji (Pambazuka/ Fahamu, CODESRIA), and a special doctoral public seminar, “Excavating Development: resource extraction, social classes and the new ‘Developmental State’” External Examiner, Graduate Programme in Development Studies, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
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CONTACT US
Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability (IRIS) 349 York Lanes, York University 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Tel: (416) 736-2100 x 33631 www.irisyorku.ca | [email protected] facebook.com/irisyorku twitter.com/irisyorku IRIS Charter Application 162 IRIS Charter Application 163 IRIS Charter Application 164
Appendix F - Proposed Membership Confirmations
164