Our Carleton Leader Strategic Impact Group focused on the wicked problem of how to create an environment at Carleton that maximizes the research engagement and productivity of faculty members. Given the importance of research in determining university funding under the next Strategic Mandate Agreement with the province, it is important to consider whether Carleton University has the necessary supports and incentives in place to ensure a high level of research performance. We interviewed Dr. Rafik Goubran, Vice President (Research and International) to gain a better understanding of the surveys and analyses carried out to date and to gain his perspective on the topic. Next, we met with Associate Deans of Research in several faculties to get their thoughts on the topic. Specifically, we asked for their perspectives on the importance of different categories of incentives and supports for research at each stage of a faculty member’s career (pre-tenure, early post-tenure/associate professor, later post-tenure/associate professor, early full professor, later full professor), and for their thoughts on what has worked well in their Faculties.
We will present a synthesis of this feedback as well as our own analysis of what types of supports and incentives may be effective in terms of maximizing research engagement and productivity of faculty members at different career stages. We will discuss differences across Faculties in the value and impact of various incentives and supports. Recommendations will be made for ways to explore this important issue in more detail.
- JoAnne LeFevre, Director, Institute of Cognitive Science
- Perry Legakis, Director, Awards and Financial Aid
- Scott Mitchell, Chair, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
- Ben Schmidt, Manager, Academic Computing, ITS
- Christopher Worswick, Associate Dean (Research and International), FPA
- Amy Wyse, Manager, Labour Relations (Academic)