SSHRC Clusters Mid-term Report Form Part 1 SSHRC Clusters … · Form V2 (2006) STRATEGIC KNOWLEDGE CLUSTERS (CLUSTERS) MID-TERM REPORT _____ CLUSTERS MID-TERM REPORT As stated in

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada

350 Albert Street Ottawa, Canada K1P 6G4

Personal information will be stored in the personal information bank for the appropriate program. Form V2 (2006)

STRATEGIC KNOWLEDGE CLUSTERS (CLUSTERS) MID-TERM REPORT

_______________

CLUSTERS MID-TERM REPORT As stated in the original Notice of Award, funding for remaining years of the Cluster is contingent on a successful review at mid-term. As a condition of their grants, holders of Strategic Knowledge Clusters (SKC) were expected to provide an initial Milestone Report, and must also provide annual financial reports, a Mid-term Report and a Final Research Report. In addition to providing information on the overall performance of the Clusters program (as per the program’s performance evaluation framework), these reports will also provide an opportunity for Clusters to report on the progress, outputs and outcomes of their activities, as per the performance indicators they identified at the formal application stage. The Mid-term Report asks grant holders to reference their earlier Milestone Report and to report on the activities delivered thus far, their value in reinforcing the objectives of the Cluster and any best practices drawn from the experience to inform the last phases of the grant period. These updates are provided relative to: Cluster team members and partnerships; training and development; knowledge synthesis; knowledge mobilization; and, performance measurement and evaluation. For each of these areas, grant holders must comment on activities undertaken and outputs realized to date. Flexibility is built into the program in response to changing realities, either in order to meet original objectives or to adjust based on what is learned in the early life of the Cluster. Noteworthy results pertaining to that facet of the Cluster’s work are of great interest, although we understand that it may be premature to harvest information on particular impacts or results. Specifically, the purpose of the Mid-term Report is to:

update key information provided in the formal application stage and in the Milestone report;

help the evaluation committee to determine which activities are on, ahead or behind schedule and establish the status of planned activities, outputs and generally to assess progress achieved during the first half of your Cluster grant in relation to the objectives cited in your Milestone Report and originally outlined in your application;

provide constructive support to assist Clusters in meeting their milestone objectives if some targets have proved difficult to meet;

understand how the Cluster may have evolved, or overcome challenges and readjusted plans to maintain objectives.





Objectives in the original program include:

• synthesis and application of humanities and social sciences research knowledge in areas in which Canadian researchers demonstrate strength and that have importance for Canadian society within a global context;

• collaborative knowledge partnerships able to leverage external funding that will support new research in the

humanities and social sciences; • enhancement of the international impact of Canadian social sciences and humanities research;

• focus on issues, themes, and content areas on which Canada offers both an existing critical mass of expertise

and specific opportunities for research and research training; • facilitate intellectual exchange and cross-fertilization of ideas among Canadian and foreign researchers;

• facilitate the work of researchers and users of research in the non-profit, public and private sectors who are

collaboratively seeking solutions to complex issues;

• catalyze new understanding of, and perspectives on, critical intellectual, cultural, social and economic issues as well as new practices that effectively respond to them;

• add value to research projects already supported through other SSHRC programs;

• involve students and new researchers;

• provide for the geographic mobility of participants (students and researchers);

• secure financial and in-kind contributions from a range of partnering organizations, including the host

institution;

• extend and enhance international connections at all levels.

Cluster grant holders successful under the Management, Business and Finance (MBF) special call of 2007 are asked to keep broad MBF objectives in mind in providing this progress report. The overall goal of the MBF call was to contribute toward innovative management, entrepreneurship and sustainable economic development practices in Canada through internationally-recognized research and training. Specific MBF objectives:

• to enhance understanding of management, innovation, entrepreneurship, labour markets and sustainable

economic development across sectors through research; • to enhance the capacity of Canadian post-secondary students to do research, develop professional

relationships and gain valuable work experience through management, business and finance initiatives; • to increase capacity for the mobilization of knowledge in priority areas between academe, the private sector,

policymakers and not for profits.

Given the importance of the Mid-term Report, the Council expects that the Principal Investigator will ensure that core members of the Cluster team review the Mid-term Report at the draft stage and that all members of the Cluster team endorse the report’s content and commitments. Please ensure that the report is read and signed by one representative of the governing board and at least two co-applicants. For questions requesting qualitative explanations, please provide responses in the body of the form keeping answers to 2 pages maximum length. Grant holders may additionally include supportive documentation as annexes when appropriate. The completed Mid-term Report should be no more than 20 pages in length (excluding appended documents).





Note: SSHRC is well aware of the diversity of models of Clusters, of the varying ways in which answers to the questions in this report can be provided, and of the burden that reporting can represent. If you find that the reports asks for something that you have provided in a previous or subsequent report section, or that is clearly stated in an appended document, you may choose to provide a detailed reference in lieu of a response. It is your responsibility to ensure that SSHRC staff and adjudicators are able to easily locate the referenced information. When and how to submit: The submission deadline for this report is May 31, 2011 by e-mail to Bryde Kelly e-mail address: Bryde.Kelly@ sshrc-crsh.gc.ca Please include “Strategic Knowledge Clusters” in the subject line. Alternatively, you can provide the report on a CD-Rom by mail to: Att: Ms. Bryde Kelly, Program Officer Strategic Knowledge Cluster Program Knowledge Mobilization and Program Integration Division SSHRC 350 Albert Street P.O. Box 1610 Ottawa ON K1P 6G4





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Milestone Report (for Cluster grant holders)

1. Identification File Number 857 -2006-0012

Title of Cluster Situating Science: Cluster for the Humanist and Social studies of Science in Canada

Report completed by: Family Name McOuat

Given Name Gordon

Initials R.

Primary telephone number Country Area Number Extension 902 422 1271 200

Primary E-mail [email protected]

Date Submitted (dd/mm/yyyy): 04/07/2011 (extension granted)

2. Formal Application Follow-up

2.1 If applicable, briefly describe any additional actions taken since providing the Milestone Report, regarding issues raised by the adjudication committee at the time of the grant decision. If they were not resolved in time for the Milestone Report deadline, how have these issues been addressed?

At the twice-annual management meetings in spring and fall over the course of the Cluster program, co-applicants outline actions related to the expansion and concentration of the Cluster activities (with all managers meeting in the spring). These have been reported in the following documents.





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3. Clustering and Partnerships 3.1 Using the two tables below, identify any Cluster team members (university researchers, partners, students, knowledge users, etc…) that have either left or joined the Cluster since the time of the Milestone report submission in late summer of 2009. Add rows as needed. Team Members who have withdrawn:

Name (last, first, title) Affiliation (name of organization, province/state, country)

Role in Cluster (partner, collaborator, student, other – specify)

Other information about this person you would like to communicate to SSHRC

PLEASE SEE APPENDIX #1

New Team Members:

Name (last, first, title) Affiliation (name of organization, province/state, country)

Role in Cluster (partner, collaborator, student, other – specify)

Other information about this person you would like to communicate to SSHRC






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3.2 Referring to questions 3.2 to 3.7 under the Clustering and Partnerships section of the Milestone Report,

please describe the key activities and outputs undertaken to date. Please comment on the delivery in relation to established targets and provide some insight into the value of chosen activities in optimizing partnerships and knowledge sharing. If applicable, include an explanation of the rationale for changes and how they have impacted your work.

Please use the following headings in your report:

1. Activities and outputs related to engagement and integration of participants; Cluster Synthesizing Projects In accordance to the goals set out by the Situating Science Business Plan (appended to the Milestone Report), the Cluster of scholars in the fields of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) focuses its participant engagement and integration efforts by means of a set of complementary activities, which are held on a regular basis throughout the term of the grant. Each Cluster event addresses issues falling within one or more of the four Cluster themes: 1) Historical epistemology and ontology; 2) Material Culture and Scientific/Technological Practices; 3) Scientific Communication and its Publics; 4) Geography and the Sites of Knowing. The main types of Cluster synthesizing activities are conferences, workshops, node activities, and national events involving scholar traveling. Please see our knowledge synthesis projects as presented in Appendix #2: “Knowledge Synthesis Table”. Where available, final reports for conferences and workshops as well as addendums are viewable on the website, www.situsci.ca. 1. Conferences: Conferences thus far at the University of Alberta, Montreal, UBC and Atlantic Nodes were successful in attracting international participants, initiating collaborative publications and activities, and involving many postdoctoral fellows and/or students as either participants or organizers. In 2009, the management committee decided to hold conferences on alternate years, where possible, and to increase each conference fund from 10,000$ to 20,000$ for three of the conferences held after “La grande rencontre” in 2008, with the continued expectation that Nodes secure in-kind and external support. Past conferences were: “Putting Region in its Place: An Interdisciplinary Conference on Health, Healing, and Place.” (Theme: Geographies and Sites of Knowing. UofA Node, October 26-28, 2007. Supported with 2, 000$ from the Cluster Design grant); “La Grande Rencontre: dialogue science et société.” (Theme: Science and its Publics. UQAM, Nov. 12-14, 2008. Supported partially with surplus funds); “Circulating Knowledge, East and West” (Theme: Geographies and Sites of Knowing. Centre/Atlantic Node, July 19-21, 2010. Invitational workshop-based conference supported primarily with the SSHRC International Opportunity Fund); “Objectivity in Science: What is it? Why does it Matter?” (Theme: Historical Epistemology and Ontology. UBC, June 17-20, 2010.). Conferences planned for the Toronto and Montreal Nodes are: Theme: Material Culture and Scientific/Technological Practices (York University in 2012-13); Theme: Geography and Sites of Knowing (McGill University in 2013-14). 2. Workshops: At least two major workshops are funded each year (10, 000$ each, funded from the Centre) as a result of the Cluster’s annual call for workshop proposals. In accordance with the Business Plan, the workshop organizers effectively leverage external funding for workshops as well as other events. In 2010, the management committee agreed to encourage workshop organizers to include a pedagogical component to the workshop, such as a 1 or 2-day institute. Some Nodes have also supported local workshops with Node Activity funds (see below). Workshops funded through the annual tendering process include: “Critical Debates in Evidence-Based Medicine: where we’ve been and where we’re going” (Theme: Historical Epistemology and Ontology. Nov 14-16, 2008, University of Toronto); “Varieties of Empathy in Science, Art and Culture” (Theme: Historical Epistemology and Ontology. University of British Columbia, October 10-11, 2009); “Reassessing Governance of Clinical Trials: Preventing real world risks at the gates” (Theme: Scientific Communication and its Publics/ Material Culture and Scientific/Technological Practices. March 9-10, 2009, Dalhousie University); “Health Legacies: Militarization, Health and Society” (Theme: Material Culture and Scientific/Technological Practices. University of Alberta, September 18-19, 2009); “Current Issues in Darwinian Theory” (Theme: Historical Epistemology and Ontology. Dalhousie University, October 14-17, 2009); “Scientific Models and Simulations (4)” (Theme: Scientific Communication and its Publics/ Material Culture and Scientific/Technological Practices/ Geography and Sites of Knowing. University of Toronto, May 7-9, 2010); “Science Without Data: The Role of Thought Experiments in Empirical Investigations” (Theme: Historical Epistemology and Ontology. Dalhousie University, June 18-19, 2010); “The Makers’ Universe: Science, Art and Instruments in Early Modern Europe” (Theme: Material Culture and Scientific/Technological Practice. McGill University, September 23-25, 2010); “Intersections: New Approaches to Science and Technology in 20th C. China and India” (Theme: Geography and Sites of Knowing. York University, April 8-10, 2011); “Scientific Authority within Democratic Societies” (Theme: Scientific Communication and its Publics. University of British Columbia,





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June 27-28, 2011); “The Politics of Care in Technoscience” (Theme: Historical Epistemology and Ontology. York University, Spring, 2012. Institute: The Cluster is proud to have helped launch the Canadian Science and Technology Museum (CSTM) annual Summer Institute in Reading Artifacts in 2009 with Cluster support. In light of the Cluster’s mandate to fund differently themed workshops, the Cluster has sought alternate Summer Institute plans. After careful consideration of some logistics and finances of the planned 2010 Cluster Summer Institute, the management committee decided that a pedagogical institute would be best organized around existing workshops. 3. Node activities: In light of a budget surplus after the first two years of the Cluster, Nodes were allocated Node Activity funds (6 Nodes x 10,000$/year x 4 years) to help build upon Cluster-related activities and support training and networking within their Nodes thus broadening the participation of the Cluster. Activities include panels, public lectures, local workshops, lecture series, salons, cafés, etc. In most cases, visiting speakers participated in other Node activities or travelled to other Nodes to help disseminate knowledge within the Cluster. 4. National events: The Cluster has been very successful in collaborating with various partners and leveraging funds for national events that travel scholars such as the national lecture series “Trust in New Sciences” and “Science and its Publics”. In the coming years, the Cluster plans to support a visiting scholar to work with Nodes and partners to build upon nodal strengths and invest in networking opportunities. Please see Appendix #3: “Budgetary Targets, Support and Resources” for an account of levied funds.

2. Activities and outputs related to governance of the partnership; Cluster Team Organisation Only slight changes have been made to the Cluster organization since the Milestone Report. The Cluster team is organised as follows: • A Director at the Centre: Dr. Gordon McOuat (University of King’s College) • A Management Committee associated with six Regional Research Nodes.

Nodes continue to serve as the bases for integrating Cluster participants in the carrying out of activities and network-building: Atlantic Node: Management transferred from Gordon McOuat in January 2010 to relieve him for Director tasks. The following are acting Co-managers: Drs. Melanie Frappier (University of King’s College), Letitia Meynell (Dalhousie University), Ford Doolittle (Dalhousie University), Kregg Heterington (Dalhousie University). Dr Farah Huzair (Dalhousie University) acted as Co-manager 2009-10 before leaving for the UK.

• Montreal Node: Dr. Nicholas Dew (McGill University, Co-applicant), Dr. Yves Gingras (UQAM, Co-applicant) Toronto Node: Dr. Bernard Lightman (York University, Co-applicant). Co-manager: Anjan Chakravartty (University of Toronto) University of Saskatchewan Node: Dr. Larry Stewart (University of Saskatchewan, Co-applicant) University of Alberta Node: Dr. Robert Smith (University of Alberta, Co-applicant) University of British Columbia Node: Dr. Alan Richardson (UBC, Co-applicant) Co-applicant at large: Dr. Lesley Cormack (University of Alberta, Co-applicant, transferred from Simon Fraser University in 2010)

• An advisory committee, drawn from the regional centres, partners, and other interested community members. Changes in the Advisory Committee include the retirement of Randall Brooks from the Canadian Science and Technology Museum and the passing of Margaret Osler from the University of Calgary. The Advisory Committee membership has been extended beyond the original two-year term.

• A Project Manager (aka Project Coordinator so as to distinguish from Cluster managers) at the Centre: June 2010-present: Emily Tector. Oct. 2009-June 2010: Andrew Fenton. 2007-Oct. 2009: Greta Regan.

• Partners: Since the Milestone Report, the Cluster activities have gained the support of several co-sponsors and partners. These are outlined in the Members list (Appendix #1) and in Appendix #3. 3. Assessment of progress to date in relation to your target objectives;

The stated purpose of the Strategic Knowledge Cluster program is to nurture the development of interdisciplinary networks in areas in which Canada has the potential to become a world-leader. Our first year was taken up building up the Centre and establishing the grounds of the network and Business Plan (and building the initial database of STS/HPS scholarship in Canada). The second year was spent establishing the local workshops, an international engagement in Montreal (“La Grande Rencontre” conference), and a detailed business plan for the Cluster. The third and fourth years were devoted to national exchange and building of up of local activities and nodes. Through networking, conferences, workshops, lecture series, and other activities, the Cluster has been active in exploring its





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four Cluster themes; themes which have strategically advanced our understanding of the underlying structures and authority of science and technology and their places in, and relationships to, society and place. Nodes successfully serve as centres for information exchange with other Nodes and with the national and international communities through the means of the new Situating Science website (www.situsci.ca). Among the site’s features are searchability, updated opportunities and resources, live stream and recorded videos of Situating Science events, plus a searchable “Network Directory” of STS-HPS scholars in Canada. More information on Node events can be found under “Network Nodes”. As indicated by our detailed Knowledge Synthesis Table, Member List and partner support (Appendices #1, 2, and 3), the Cluster has grown in breadth and depth considerably since the Milestone Report and plans on building upon network strengths in future years.

4. Best practices or lessons that can be applied to enhancing partnerships in future phases of the Cluster’s work.

The Cluster has been very active and successful in creating partnerships for various collaborative events as evidenced in the “Knowledge Synthesis Table” (Appendix #2) and in the list of partner support (Appendix #3). The Cluster now must work on maintaining and building upon such linkages to move forward with strengthening the network to establish long-term sustainability beyond the 7 years of the Cluster. In the remaining years, managers will focus on the three goals below and plan to apply for various grants to support future activity (as outlined in Appendix #3). Establishing sustainability: For the remainder of the project, the Situating Science Cluster will move forward with plans to sustain networks in science and technology studies and history and philosophy of science beyond its seven years and seek guidance for plans to establish a permanent Centre or Institute for Science Studies in Canada. It will do so by seeking advice and support from Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), SSHRC, Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) and independent fundraising councils. The management committee has set to work on a timeline and requirements for the institute tendering process. Building upon international linkages: The Cluster will continue to cultivate international partnerships with Asian and Southeast Asian countries, building upon the relationships that have been initiated with Indian partners during the Canadian-led international invitational conference/workshop “Circulating Knowledge, East and West” (University of King’s College and Dalhousie University, July, 2010) and the workshop “Intersections: New Approaches to Science and Technology in 20th C. China and India” (York University, April, 2011). These events centered around the particular issues of the “circulation” and “translation” of knowledge across borders. As a follow-up, we are actively seeking independent funding for a workshop in India that will explore key themes in international STS/HPS by focusing on accounts of nature and methods of science in Southeast Asia and India from ancient to modern, in close comparison with accounts of similar and contrasting developments in the “West”. The Director has applied for support funds to revisit India to facilitate partnership plans. In addition, the Cluster is presently confirming plans for inviting an internationally renowned visiting scholar (see below). Increasing scholar and student travel and mobilisation: As indicated in the Knowledge Synthesis Table (Appendix #2), the Cluster has been active in traveling national and international scholars to and between Nodes. As a way to encourage mobilization of students, the Management Committee agreed to dedicate a portion of Research Initiatives Travel budget line to travel grants for students to travel to Cluster events. We recognize interdisciplinarity is a fundamental aspect of our work. The Cluster has facilitated boundary-crossing in all of our activities and this has proved very fruitful in catalyzing collaboration in ways otherwise not possible without the organizational support of the Cluster program. Taking into account the networking focus of the Cluster, we have encouraged our workshop and conference organizers to work toward the dissemination of their results and to hold (and, when possible, record) a public event, thus bringing the event subject into wider public discussion.





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4. Training and Development 4.1 Indicate the number of staff (students, partners, etc.) having participated or participating in the Cluster to date. Please provide actual figures below of numbers of staff employed or engaged in Cluster work.

STUDENTS Paid # Canadian #Foreign Undergraduate* 4 Masters 2 Doctoral 5 Postdoctoral 2 5 Unpaid** # Canadian #Foreign Undergraduate 10 Masters 14 Doctoral 24 Postdoctoral 3

*Note: Includes students who provided services such as photography or videography for some Cluster events. **Note: Students accounted for under “unpaid” include volunteers, students whose travel costs were covered by the Cluster for Cluster events, as well as students who participated in Cluster activities but were paid by partner, not Cluster, funds. This table does not include all student event attendees. Please see Members List (Appendix #1) for list of student event organizers and active participants.

PARTNERS AND OTHER STAFF Provenance of staff member (partner organization, etc.)

Paid or Unpaid?

Role of staff member (coordinator, project manager, technician, etc.)

#

Situating Science Cluster Paid Cluster Project Coordinator 1 Student, University of King’s College

Paid Webmaster 1

Duffus Romans Kundzins Rounsefell Architects Limited

Paid Architects (for Institute plans) 1

Professional videography, incl. Keoni Digital and institutional videography services

Paid Videography 4

Momentum IT Paid Web Design 1 presti.digi.tation (Paul Williams) Paid Web, Banner, Poster Design 1 Cody Petruk Design Paid Logo Design 1

If the response diverges substantially from the Milestone Reports numbers, please provide a brief explanation for why plans have changed or evolved. The Cluster has been very active in establishing the Cluster network in the first half of the project, thus demanding more staff support.





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4.2 Use the table below to indicate () what specific networking and knowledge synthesizing and

mobilization skills staff were able to acquire through their participation in the Cluster.

Skills Students Partners and other Staff Under-

graduate Masters Doctoral Postdoctoral

Project Design Participate in designing project Write grant proposals Data Collection & Analyses Fact sheets and other synthesis Analyse content Manage databases Mobilization Present at conferences Publish Produce performance/exhibit Organize knowledge mobilization event Administrative Tasks Develop/monitor budgets Provide admin support Application of Specific Skills Design websites / programming Specific skills (language, software) Translate/edit/proofread Interactions Organise conferences, workshops Mentor/supervise other students Liaise with stakeholders Participate in mtgs. co-researchers Participate in mtgs. partners Work in interdisciplinary environment Other(s): Please specify: _______________________





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4.3 and 4.4 Training and Development Referring to questions 4.3 and 4.4 of the Milestone Report, please describe your activities to date in facilitating meaningful participation and/or mentorship opportunities of students, partners, staff or others in terms of expanding their knowledge, expertise and networking skills. You may include any additional opportunities not outlined in the Milestone Report, which have provided unique learning opportunities to Cluster participants and any outputs generated by their involvement. Please elaborate on your progress using the following headings:

1. Activities and outputs related to training and development of staff, students and partners; Students and Staff: In following with the Cluster Business Plan, the Cluster funds PhD and MA students and post-doctorate fellows to support Nodal, national and international activities. Students participate in Node activities such as the speaker series, Works-in-Progress sessions and lecture series. The Technoscience Salon (Toronto Node) is a predominantly student-run and student-based monthly series in the field of STS/HPS. The informal series encourages student participation, conceptual development and experiment. Two graduate students help organize the sessions and run a graduate student reading group that accompanies the salon. In addition, students have been enlisted to help organize and participate in workshops, conferences and Nodal projects as well as update Node webpages. For instance, nearly half of the participants (20) in the “Models and Simulations” workshop (UofT, May 2010) were graduate students and four graduate students were hired to assist with event planning. Out of 22 participants at the recent “Scientific Authority within Democratic Societies” workshop (UBC, June 2011), seven were graduate students and nearly a dozen students attended. Students have also gained valuable training as hired editorial assistants for events such as the “Science Without Data” and “Circulating Knowledge” workshop and conference. To facilitate student mobilization, the Cluster has designated travel funds for students to attend Cluster events. The Centre also continues to support the Canadian Science and Technology Museum (CSTM) Reading Artifacts Summer Institute student travel, broadening its student and scholar participation in the process. Composed of faculty and students from Canada and abroad, the CSTM Summer Institute is a unique intensive hands-on learning experience. Atlantic Node co-manager Melanie Frappier was trained at the Cluster-sponsored CSTM Reading Artifacts Summer Institute in 2009. Cluster events have also afforded students the chance to build upon their service experiences with some event organizing, design, videography and photography work. Visiting speakers of international note have also taken time to visit classrooms and seminars with students. Moreover, the Cluster Project Coordinator has gained valuable experience in web management, event planning and logistical preparations. The webmaster, who is also a student in the STS/HPS field, gained new skills working with the web design company to transfer the website to a user-friendly interface. Partners: The Cluster has been catalytic in the development of other organizations like the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs, the Science Media Centre of Canada and the Canadian Science and Technology Museum (CSTM). Through our national lecture series, the Cluster helped meet their knowledge mobilization goals of partners such as the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Genome Atlantic, Alberta and BC, Making Publics Project, Nova Scotia Institute of Science, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Alzheimer Saskatchewan and other local organizations and institutional departments. It was also instrumental in enabling the national launch of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs and regional launch of the Science Media Centre of Canada. Please see Appendix #5 for a letter from the Science Media Centre of Canada offering thanks for the national lecture series, Science and its Publics. The Cluster was also instrumental in launching the annual Can. Science and Technology Museum Summer Institute on Reading Artifacts in 2009 and continues to help the Summer Institute create new linkages with participants as far as the North West Territories (Northern Life Museum) and parts of Europe. Relatedly, plans for a pilot project on the inclusion of scientific artifacts in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) emerged as a result of Dr. Pantalony’s (Can. Science and Technology Museum) presentation in the 2011 Science and its Publics national lecture series. The Cluster has been active in bringing the “Evolution Studies Group” into national and international prominence, since it was one of the co-sponsors of the 2009 “Current Issues in Darwinian Theory” workshop (co-supported by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research).

2. Assessment of progress to date in relation to your target objectives; The Cluster has met and exceeded planned objectives with respect to networking, outreach, partnerships and dissemination. We have been quite successful in our strategy to cosponsor local and national events and series,





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bringing the Cluster into multilevel collaboration, partnerships and public presence. The Cluster has shown initiative in making new possibilities arise. Students and Post-doctoral fellows: The Cluster students and fellows have been very important contributors to the success of various Node events. Recognizing that it took time to establish Nodes and in light of recent funding and development of Nodal activities, Nodes plan to reserve unused Research Initiative student salaries from the first year, which have been protected in carry-forward, in the coming years to support greater training and collaboration. Partners: National and Node events have greatly facilitated collaboration between disciplines, institutions and other partners for each Node. The Centre will continue to build upon established partner relations and seek new partnership opportunities.

3. Best practices or lessons that can be applied to enhancing training and skills relevant to your Cluster for future phases of the project.

Pleasantly surprised at the extent of interest in Cluster activities, the Cluster used this interest to expand activities and nurture skills. The Cluster will take advantage of new opportunities that have arisen as a result of student involvement in the second half of its enterprise. We hope to extend training programs with students and post-doctoral fellows now that the national and local infrastructure of the Cluster is strengthened. Planned student-assisted projects include virtual research groups using the database of scholars, Nodal and cross-Nodal research initiatives that align with each Node’s research activity plans, as well as workshops and conferences. It is expected that student involvement will increase in the remaining years of the Cluster in part because more Nodes will hire Cluster PhD and MA students with protected budget carry-forward. Recognizing the importance of fruitful collaborations in expanding the network in Canada and in planning for sustainability, the Cluster will continue to seek to engage local and national partners for joint projects.





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5. Knowledge Synthesis Please refer to questions 5.1 – 5.5 in the Milestone report to report on any activities and outputs linked to knowledge synthesis targets and originally proposed objectives.

1. Please provide your assessment of the feasibility of meeting the Cluster’s objectives given available resources.

Given the available resources, the Cluster has been able to extend its network and support a multitude of collaborative activities over the past four years. We have been successful at leveraging significant co-funding and in-kind support for all of our knowledge synthesis activities such as workshops, conferences, national lecture series and Nodal events. We have been most successful when we have partnered for knowledge synthesis activities and our partnerships have greatly expanded the resources available for Cluster-related events and activities. We have exceeded all of our expectations in our activities, as many events have sparked new initiatives with collaborators and members from various fields, disciplines, and regions. The networking resulting from workshops and conferences, for instance, has triggered collaboration on new projects and publications of event proceedings. For instance, inspired by the scientific artifact recording work of visiting scholar Roland Wittje (University of Regensburg), the Atlantic Node plans to follow-up with a virtual scientific artifact collection using local academic and museum sources. The success of the Atlantic Node activities also strengthened their bid to host the International History of Philosophy of Science conference in 2012. The McGill University and UBC Node speaker series, the Works-in-Progress and Technoscience Salon events and the many international and national visiting speakers continue to facilitate interdisciplinary knowledge synthesis and transfer to diverse audiences. Canada has hosted national conferences of the leading international societies for the history, philosophy and sociology of science, and the global community is realising that Canada’s strength and successes in those fields are to be emulated internationally. Involvement in Cluster work has indirectly strengthened STS and HPS departments as in the case of the UBC establishment of a new graduate STS program for 2012 as well as the new research institute and graduate program in STS at York University, which was established in 2009. York University also plans to establish an STS department (likely in 2011) in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Science. Furthermore, McGill University, (Montreal demi-Node) will be closely allied to the forthcoming program in Science Technology and Public Policy, which is being prepared in connection with the new Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy. Please see the Knowledge Synthesis Table (Appendix #2) for event information, including relation to project-level objectives and collaborative workshop and conference publications and outcomes.

2. Provide an assessment of progress to date in bringing about intellectual exchange and cross-fertilization of appropriate collections of knowledge in relation to the Cluster’s original goals. Please comment on the Cluster’s progress in facilitating, enhancing the work of researchers and users of research.

The Cluster has been successful in the past few years in bringing scholars together for exchanges as a result of our annual workshop tendering process, visiting speakers, conferences and national projects that all serve to strengthen the field of STS and HPS in Canada with partner support. One way the Cluster has enhanced the work of researchers and users of research is by supporting Post-graduate research and publication. Please see Members List (Appendix #1) for post-doctoral work supported by the Cluster. Workshops have been pivotal in initiating follow-up events and publications. Workshops like “Intersections: New Approaches to Science and Technology in 20th Century China and India” (York University, 2011) act as a midwife to a series of international collaborations. In the latter instance, participants utilized online collaboration tools to facilitate co-written research on core problems in the history of modern science through the lens of China and India. The results of this and other workshops build upon the international collaborative objectives of the Cluster. Node activity funds also supported research initiatives such as the Atlantic Node Research on Research project on the cost efficiency of scientific research at Canadian universities (2010-11) and the Toronto Node Tyndall Correspondence project (ongoing), which collaborates with over ten universities in Canada, the United States, Britain, and New Zealand. The Tyndall Correspondence Project has held two workshops in the last two years (Leeds and York), and will be sponsoring a third workshop at the University of Montana in 2012. Inspired by the networking success of the human experimentation workshops of 2008 and 2009, the University of Saskatchewan Node plans to initiate follow-up workshops on the topic. Members of the Atlantic Node have initiated a network of multidisciplinary scholars to pursue a research program on the concept of animality in art, society, science and humanities. The Montreal Node (McGill) collaborated with the SSHRC MCRI funded Making Publics project for the Science and its Publics national lecture series. The UQAM Montreal Node manager is in touch with colleagues to assist in organizing networking activities around the Montreal meeting of the Paris-based French





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society of philosophy of science in 2012. University of Alberta and Calgary members have initiated collaboration and plan to continue supporting joint research initiatives. The Atlantic Node also plans to extend their Works-in-Progress sessions to include members from different institutions in Atlantic provinces and facilitate participation via online streaming.

3. Please report briefly on any best practices or lessons that can be applied to enhancing knowledge synthesis activities in future phases of your Cluster’s work.

The Cluster has done very well in building upon Nodal strengths to engage in knowledge synthesis activities. To move forward with strengthening the network to establish long-term sustainability beyond the 7 years of the Cluster, Cluster managers will work to maintain and build upon established research plans and connections. While the Cluster goes forward with an institute tendering process, the Cluster will consider sources of sustainable support. The Director and Project Coordinator plan to build upon preliminary consultations with members of Canada Foundation for Innovation, SSHRC, and Networks of Centres of Excellence. Moreover, as a result of increasing national focus on STS/HPS, many of our local Nodal institutions are well poised to apply for Canada Research Chairs in this field and will be encouraged to strategize towards these.





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6. Knowledge Mobilization

Referring to questions 6.1 – 6.4 in your Milestone report, please describe the activities undertaken and emerging outputs that correspond to Knowledge Mobilization objectives.

1. Please describe knowledge mobilization mechanisms, tools or vehicles that have been employed or

that are anticipated to be used referring to your target objectives. If possible, please provide comments on any available outputs or outcomes from these initiatives and their value to the Cluster’s objectives.

Website: In July, 2010, the Cluster launched a revamped website that allows for online audio-video streaming, multiple users and a searchable online Network Directory (database) of STS-HPS scholars in Canada. The website and the associated social media Facebook group keeps the interdisciplinary network as well as the public informed about events and research updates for each Node. The website helps track publications, videos and podcasts, opportunities, and Cluster news. The number of queries and requests for information has increased significantly with the remodeling of the website. Videos, podcasts and live streaming In 2010, the Cluster live streamed several events and also made recordings available on the website, thus allowing a wider national and international audience participate in our events. All of the “Trust in Science” and “Trust in New Sciences” lecture series were recorded and posted online. The “Science and its Publics” national lecture series parts were live streamed, recorded and posted online (video postings in process). The Centre also recorded 4 and streamed 3 Cluster lectures in 2010-11. Live stream participants were able to have their questions posed during question and answer periods at certain events. Aside from some technical mishaps at the beginning, the streaming has been successful at increasing our virtual reach. For instance, there were 300 online viewers of the public lecture at the “Circulating Knowledge, East and West” conference/workshop and there were, on average, 10 online viewers for the “Science and its Publics” national lecture series events. Nodes have been encouraged to employ technical help in achieving greater dissemination. With wider advertising and engagement, the Cluster expects the number of online attendees to increase, boosting national and international participation in the Cluster’s events. In addition, “Trust in Science” videos have been made available on iTunes, Centre Interuniversitaire de Recherche sur la Science et Technologie (CIRST) partner events are available to view on iTunes U, and CCEPA partner events are available to view on www.ccepa.ca. Several public presentations from workshops and performances are also available online. Media: - Part 1 of Science and its Publics national lecture series was broadcast in two parts on CBC radio 1 Maritime Noon show. CBC radio has also expressed interest in broadcasting future events of public interest. - Cluster Co-applicant Yves Gingras appears regularly on issues of science and technology for Radio Canada. He has a monthly chronicle on the show "les années lumière" on Radio-Canada and his chronicles are accessible on his web site (www.chss.uqam.ca). - The conference, “La grande rencontre: science et société" was widely covered in La Presse et Le Devoir and was covered in video blogs. - The CBC Radio 1 program “The Current” interviewed Dr. Brain, following-up on the "Varieties of Empathy in Science, Art, and Culture" workshop at UBC Oct. 10-11, 2009. - The Director, Dr. McOuat was interviewed on a local radio program, CKDU, for the “Circulating Knowledge, East and West” conference/workshop at the Atlantic Node, July 2010. - The Globe and Mail Canadian University Report 2011 has (on p. 32) a list of “arts programs you may not know about but should” that includes “Science, Technology, and Society” and lists Alberta where you can pursue such programs. - “Trust in New Sciences” and “Science and its Publics” national lecture series events were broadcast on Eastlink TV - The “Trust in Science” lecture series helped to inspire the CBC radio 1’s Ideas program series “How to Think about Science”. Online database/ “Network Directory”: A database of Canadian scholars working in STS and HPS was compiled by researchers and students at York University and posted online in 2010. The Project Coordinator, with assistance from Cluster students, manages the database, making additions and editing information. For the remainder of the project, the Cluster plans on hiring a student to work specifically on creating virtual research groups using Canadian scholars in the online database. These groups would then act to help launch new projects in the field of STS and HPS.





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Performances: - In conjunction with the Cluster’s “Current Issues in Darwinian Theory” workshop, and in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s publication of The Origin of Species, organizers partnered with CBC radio, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Dalhousie University, University of King’s College, NS Dept. of Tourism, Culture, Heritage, and the Australian Government arts funding and advisory body, to showcase award-winning concert of “Origin Cycle”. This was a specially commissioned piece where six contemporary composers set fragments of Darwin's great book to chamber music and soprano voice. “Origin Cycle” won Performance of the Year at the Australian ART Music Awards, 2011. The piece was broadcast on CBC radio, and according to rights agreements, remained as one of their Concerts on Demand for a year. Selections can be heard via a link on our website. - The Cluster partnered with the Halifax Independent Filmmaker’s Festival (HIFF) for the festival’s opening in April, 2011. In partnership with the Atlantic Film Cooperative, HIFF and its many associated sponsors, the Dalhousie University English Department, the University of King’s College History of Science and Technology Program, the Cluster screened the Fritz Lang classic Metropolis with live musical accompaniment to a packed crowd of over 300 people. An audio recording is in process and will be available on our website. Collections and Educational Aids: - Virtual scientific artifact collection project: Following-up on the work of the 2009 Visiting Scholar, Roland Wittje (University of Regensburg), the Atlantic Node plans to levy funds to support a virtual scientific artifact collection from local academic and museum sources. The physical and online collection would then serve pedagogical and research purposes. - Public events: For each workshop or conference, we have encouraged the event organizers to incorporate public components to inform a broader public. For instance, two public panels were held in conjunction with the “Objectivity in Science” conference at UBC in June, 2010 and three public presentations and a musical performance of Darwin’s Origin of Species were held during the “Current Issues in Darwinian Theory” workshop in Oct., 2009 to a strong showing of over 400 people. The Cluster recognizes that public events help to garner strong and enthusiastic partnerships for various events.

2. Please describe a) main receptors, noting any additional communities not previously cited in the Milestone; b) the receptor input and influence on the Cluster’s knowledge synthesis and knowledge mobilization; and c) your progress in tracking impacts of knowledge mobilization on receptor communities.

a) Main receptors remain as: 1. Academic and Other receptors, 2. International Research Communities, 3. Students: Undergraduate-Graduate. Additional communities remain the same. b) Receptor input and influence: Members of receptor groups continue to become involved in strategic planning and organization, thus broadening and strengthening network participation. In the event planning process, organizers are careful to strategize mainly according to academic expertise as well as national and international linkages and opportunities afforded for student training. c) Tracking Impact: A variety of assessment methods help track the impact of knowledge mobilization, including annual meetings in the spring and fall, partner and media follow-up, website updates, Node reports and Cluster workshop final reports. Many partners have communicated that Cluster events have helped strengthened or build new connections for future plans. Receptors have drawn on interdisciplinary contacts in Cluster activities. Several event participants have asked to be added to the Network Directory or to Node membership or newsletter lists. The Centre assists in directing queries relating to interested participation in new knowledge synthesizing events. Audience feedback for the 2010-11 national lecture series was tracked using evaluation forms. Please see Appendix #4 for detailed feedback evaluation summaries.

3. Please relate any best practices, lessons learned from your knowledge mobilization activities that can be applied to enhancing future phases of this aspect of the project.

The Cluster is encouraged by the general positive feedback from receptors at national lecture series events as well as the impact and findings from visiting speakers, workshops and conferences. Recognizing the general success in reaching a wider audience with the use of live streaming in 2010-11, the Management Committee will continue to record and broadcast events online, when and where possible, as well as continue with existing evaluation methods.

4. If available, please provide a summary of any emerging perspectives on critical intellectual, cultural, social and economic issues that have resulted directly from the Clusters knowledge mobilization activities and any new policies or practices that may be emerging from this work.





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We have kept close track of emerging issues in the public sphere related to the domain of our expertise and have responded quickly to new challenges. The national lecture series has itself instituted cross-disciplinary engagement on scholarly, cultural and policy issues that have sustained debate past the Cluster. The workshops are strategically designed particularly to open new vistas on engagement on crucial issues. We are responsible for emerging issues in interdisciplinary context in the field rather than simply responding to them, thus opening perspectives in public and private life. We are starting to work with science policy groups, engaging our field with such national concerns. In our structure of planned activities, we have introduced online streaming of events and dialogue, planning to normalize this type of academic and public engagement in the 2nd half of the project. Overall, we have insisted that the complex social, historical and philosophical aspects of modern scientific controversies need to be taken seriously in understanding our present condition, and need to be discussed in the public arena.





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7. Performance Measurement and Evaluation

Provide a brief overview of the Cluster’s monitoring and evaluation plan. Discuss the performance and progress of the Cluster to date using the monitoring and evaluation plan outlined in the Milestone Report. In your comments please include:

• any changes to performance indicators; • how performance information was measured, monitored and reported on; and, • any evaluation activities that were conducted.

Please describe how information drawn from the performance measurement and evaluation framework was used by the Cluster and its management structure (i.e., decision-making, improvements/changes to Cluster etc.). Performance Indicators, Measurement, Monitoring and Reporting: The monitoring plan has, for the large part, remained the same. The Cluster’s activities, particularly the workshops and conferences, have thus far succeeded in broadening participation and engaging with local, national and international partners, which are key performance indicators. The Cluster recognizes the need to continue to build upon these successes with follow-up events, particularly with cross-Nodal exchanges. The Director, Project Coordinator and co-applicants continue to evaluate, measure and report on Cluster progress during two annual meetings: A spring management meeting held during the Congress for Humanities and Social Sciences and a fall teleconference management meeting. The latter is timed in conjunction with the co-applicants’ evaluations of the submissions for the annual call for workshop proposals. At the spring annual meeting, each Node manager submits a Node Report to account for activities past and present, student involvement, partnerships and a brief expense report, when available. On occasion, the members of the Advisory Committee have been and will continue to be contacted to discuss plans for scholar exchange and plans for sustainability. Each Cluster workshop and conference organizer is asked to submit a final report of the workshop 6 months to a year after the event. The organizers are asked to include an account of impact and findings, student participation, partnerships, and an expense report.!The new website has facilitated the tracking of activities, and final reports or Cluster workshops are posted when available. ! Evaluation Activities: The performance of the Director and Project Manager were reviewed by co-applicants at the last management meeting June 1, 2011. The reviews noted that managers were confident in their capabilities thus far. For the 2010-11 national lecture series, Situating Science and its series partner, Can. Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs (CCEPA) solicited audience evaluations. These are summarized in Appendix # 4. Workshop and conference organizers evaluate their performance in final reports, as noted above.





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8. Budgetary Targets, Support and Resources Please describe activities carried out related to leveraging financial or in-kind support. Provide an update of the project’s additional sources of funding or in-kind support (including institutional support, cash and in-kind) informing of any anticipated shortfall or additional support and their impact on plans in an explanation accompanying the chart below.

Source (Organisation or Person Name)

Role in Cluster (partner, collaborator, other specify)

Nature (Financial, intellectual, in-kind, other- specify)

Amount (for $ contributions only)

Is support confirmed (C) or anticipated (A)?


Budget justification • Using the annex accompanying this form, please provide a review and update of the project’s budget

(including the total of promised support from other sources), providing information on any anticipated shortfall or additional support and their impact on plans. This section should include details about forecasted and actual expenditures to date.

• Provide a detailed budget justification for any major changes over the remaining period of the project. Total Promised Support from Others: Please see Appendix #3. The Cluster has been able to leverage just under 500, 000$ to support Cluster conferences, workshops, lecture series and the CSTM Summer Institute for which the Cluster was a main partner. This is in addition to funds levied for Node activities supported with surplus funds allocated to each Node after the second year (see “Managing Surplus” below), thus bringing partner support funds to a gross total just over 850, 000$. Nodes will continue to work with partners to leverage funds to support national, Nodal, and cross-Nodal exchanges. Budget Justification: The Cluster has worked well to meet our targets with available funds as outlined in the Business Plan submitted with the Milestone Report. The cumulative total of expenditures for the past four years (1,036,872.88$) reached approximately half of the budgeted costs for the duration of the seven-year Cluster (2,064,249.00$). The annex “SSHRC Clusters Budget Part 2” has been modified to show original Business Plan budget lines alongside expenditures for each year to date. The Cluster has protected certain budgeted funds in the yearly carry-forwards to ensure that select unused funds get used in future years. Protected funds include student and post-doctoral salaries, RTSs, and funds for a SSHRC Site visit. The Cluster therefore expects that protected amounts will be spent during the remainder of the project in addition to budgeted expenditures. Since the Milestone Report, there have been a few adjustments to the original budget to compensate for surpluses, plans and spending patterns. These are noted below and should be taken into consideration when viewing the annex. Over-expenditures on some budget lines, as in the case of Yr. 4, 2009-10, have in large part been attributed to timing of payments for events or post-doctoral positions, which did not always align with the fiscal year. The following decisions were made by the Management Committee with regards to adjustments to the budget: 2008: Create a budget line for Mobilization for 2, 000$/yr. Increase Director Travel budget line to 20, 000$ from yr. 1 budget surplus for Cluster-related expenses, 2008-2009. 2009: Increase conference fund budgets for the three remaining conferences to 20, 000$, thus keeping within the original 70, 000$ allotted to conferences over 7 years. Given additional surplus, the Centre agreed to budget 20, 000$ towards the Circulating Knowledge, East and West conference/workshop, which levied primary support from the SSHRC International Opportunities Fund. Managing Surplus: After a delay in establishing Nodes and organizing activities in the first year, the Cluster reported a sizable carry-forward. In 2008, the Management Committee agreed to use the surplus to fund Node activities (2,500$ x 6 Nodes). In 2009, the Committee agreed to use a surplus of 240, 000$ to fund Node activities for four years (10, 000$ x 6 Nodes x 4 years from 2009 to 2013). Nodes submit Node reports to account for yearly activities. 2010: Increase Mobilization budget line to include Centre Discretionary funds (15, 000$), drawing from some unused Director Release funds to help the manage national initiatives and facilitate knowledge mobilization. Allocate 6, 000$





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within the Research Initiatives Travel line for awarding 500$ travel grants to students traveling to Cluster activities, to be allotted at the discretion of Node managers and workshop organizers. Increase number of PhD salaries for duration of the Cluster to 6 from 51/2, using unused STS/HPS Site budget line funds starting in 2011. Allocate a portion of unused STS/HPS Site budget line to support technical assistance with new website transition. Rationalizing Budget: A Budget Committee was formed consisting of Co-applicant-at-Large Lesley Cormack, Director Gordon McOuat and Project Coordinator Emily Tector. The Committee reviewed the budget to forecast spending in light of surpluses and protected budget line figures. 2011: Maintain Centre Discretionary budget line: The Centre is currently working to determine a reasonable Centre Discretionary budget line for future years considering that there will be no surplus from the Director Release budget line in coming years. Other Budget Lines of Note: Research Initiatives – Student Salaries: Nodes plan to use any unused MA and PhD student salaries, which have been protected, in the second half of the project when more Node and Cross-Nodal activities are planned. As a result, it is expected that the Research Initiatives Travel line will be accessed more than in previous years. STS/HPS Database: Now that the database of Canadian scholars is online, the Cluster can move ahead to hire a student to organize virtual research groups at the national and/or Nodal level.





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9. Letters of support Please append letters of support (a minimum of two) from your Cluster’s stakeholders, students and/or partners. Please see letters from: Chris Stover, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs; David Pantalony, Canadian Science and Technology Museum; Sue Couselan, Genome Atlantic; Megan Dean, Atlantic Node MA student; Dani Hallett, UBC Node MA student. 10. Signatures The undersigned accept the terms and conditions as outlined in the corresponding program description, the instructions provided with this form, and any conditions applied to a grant pursuant to this application Note: Please see attached scanned copy of signatures. Applicant name (print) - Dr. McOuat, Director

Signature

Date

Name of a Member of the Governing Board (print) - Dr. Meynell, Atlantic Node co-manager

Signature

Date

Co-applicant name (print) - Dr. Lightman, Co-applicant and Toronto Node manager

Signature

Date

Co-applicant name (print) - Dr. Cormack, Co-applicant-at-large

Signature

Date

Documents

SSHRC Clusters Mid-term Report Form Part 1 SSHRC Clusters … · Form V2 (2006) STRATEGIC KNOWLEDGE CLUSTERS (CLUSTERS) MID-TERM REPORT _____ CLUSTERS MID-TERM REPORT As stated in