Research Services is starting work on the next issue of UPEI’s research magazine InView. You may have seen a copy of our first issue from September 2025. 

While we are able to gather a list of funded active research projects, we know that there are certainly more projects that do not have an associated project account. We also understand that certain faculties have a number of faculty members currently working on doctoral degrees. These faculty members are welcome to submit their active doctoral research for consideration. 

Participation in the research magazine does not take much time or effort from faculty members. It involves a 30- to 60-minute recorded interview with Julie VanLeeuwen, Research Navigator, to get a good understanding of the project, a short photoshoot with the UPEI photographer (coordinated by Julie), and a review of the draft article. 

There are many factors that impact the selection of projects featured in InView. We want to ensure equitable representation of faculties and departments, gender, race, career-stage, research type, and signature areas of research excellence. The final list of featured projects will be approved by the Research Advisory Committee.  

If you are interested in having your project featured in the 2025-2026 issue, please send the following information to Julie VanLeeuwen, Research Navigator (jmvanleeuwen@upei.ca) by the end of the day on January 21, 2026. 

• Project title:
• Principal Investigator:
• Any UPEI Collaborators:
• Any External Partners:
• Number of students working on this project:
• Signature Area of Research Excellence (pick one of the following)
• Sustainable Development
• Environmental Stewardship
• Healthy Animals
• Healthy Communities
• Humanity, Justice, and Organizations 

Selected projects can expect to be contacted in February 2026. 

The following programs have been launched for Summer 2026 undergraduate research opportunities:

• NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards
• CIHR/NSERC/SSHRC Undergraduate Student Research Awards for Black Student Researchers
• UPEI Engineering Undergraduate Research Awards
• UPEI Science Undergraduate Research Awards
• UPEI Lévesque Undergraduate Research Awards in Human Health 

Guidelines and internal application forms can be found here: https://www.upei.ca/research/undergraduate-research-opportunities

Deadline for all programs: February 20, 2026, 4:00pm

An information session regarding undergraduate student research awards will be held on Friday, January 23, 2026, from 2:30 to 3:30pm in Kelley Building room 211. Students and supervisors are encouraged to attend. 

For more information, contact Leslie Cudmore, Research Grants Coordinator, at lcudmore@upei.ca or 902-566-0709. 

Kick off the semester by attending our networking event for the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program (HWMEP)! Join us on Wednesday, January 21 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm, in 201 Robertson Library.

This is the best opportunity before the competition officially starts for you to meet fellow competitors, find potential partners, and ask questions to CCCE staff about the competition before the application deadline of February 10, 2026! The networking event is open to any current UPEI student, regardless of interest in the HWMEP competition.

Register today!

The UPEI Health Research Network is inviting full-time and part-time undergraduate students to join the Connections Program. This is a research program focused on health and well-being for undergraduate students on campus. The program will begin last week of January OR the first week of February 2026 (will be confirmed soon).

Are you interested in meeting new people in a friendly, inclusive, and non-judgmental environment? In this program, you will learn about food, health, stress, coping strategies, and physical activity.

The Health Research Network is offering this free, eight-week program to help students learn about health and well-being while connecting with the student community. Participants must be able to complete the pre and post-screening assessments (completed before the program begins and also once more after the program finishes) and be able to attend all eight sessions.

The program includes:

• Eight weekly group sessions (2 hours each):
  • 1 hour with a Registered Dietitian and Health Educator
  • 1 hour of physical activity led by a Kinesiologist
• Optional open gym times
• All sessions take place in the lower level of the Steel Building
• Snacks are also provided at each session!

The sessions are student-centered, and all levels of experience and ability are welcome.

If you are interested, please email Anja and Laurie at connections@upei.ca to get more information or to book the required pre-program screening assessment.

Research Services is starting work on the next issue of UPEI’s research magazine InView. You may have seen a copy of our first issue from September 2025. 

While we are able to gather a list of funded active research projects, we know that there are certainly more projects that do not have an associated project account. We also understand that certain faculties have a number of faculty members currently working on doctoral degrees. These faculty members are welcome to submit their active doctoral research for consideration. 

Participation in the research magazine does not take much time or effort from faculty members. It involves a 30- to 60-minute recorded interview with Julie VanLeeuwen, Research Navigator, to get a good understanding of the project, a short photoshoot with the UPEI photographer (coordinated by Julie), and a review of the draft article. 

There are many factors that impact the selection of projects featured in InView. We want to ensure equitable representation of faculties and departments, gender, race, career-stage, research type, and signature areas of research excellence. The final list of featured projects will be approved by the Research Advisory Committee.  

If you are interested in having your project featured in the 2025-2026 issue, please send the following information to Julie VanLeeuwen, Research Navigator (jmvanleeuwen@upei.ca) by the end of the day on January 21, 2026. 

• Project title:
• Principal Investigator:
• Any UPEI Collaborators:
• Any External Partners:
• Number of students working on this project:
• Signature Area of Research Excellence (pick one of the following)
• Sustainable Development
• Environmental Stewardship
• Healthy Animals
• Healthy Communities
• Humanity, Justice, and Organizations 

Selected projects can expect to be contacted in February 2026. 

Effective December 2025, the Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) unit was shifted to operate within the Department of Human Resources (HR). Previously, HSE operated within the Office of the Vice-President Administration and Finance.

This change will strengthen collaboration and leverage expertise in both areas to cultivate more connection between occupational health and safety practices and employee well-being initiatives. 

The HSE team's current structure and office location at AVC 428S remain unchanged. Please refer to the Health, Safety, and Environment SharePoint site for more information about the team’s commitment to ensuring UPEI is a healthy and safe environment in which to work, study, and visit. 

The following programs have been launched for Summer 2026 undergraduate research opportunities:

• NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards
• CIHR/NSERC/SSHRC Undergraduate Student Research Awards for Black Student Researchers
• UPEI Engineering Undergraduate Research Awards
• UPEI Science Undergraduate Research Awards
• UPEI Lévesque Undergraduate Research Awards in Human Health 

Guidelines and internal application forms can be found here: https://www.upei.ca/research/undergraduate-research-opportunities

Deadline for all programs: February 20, 2026, 4:00pm

An information session regarding undergraduate student research awards will be held on Friday, January 23, 2026, from 2:30 to 3:30pm in Kelley Building room 211. Students and supervisors are encouraged to attend. 

For more information, contact Leslie Cudmore, Research Grants Coordinator, at lcudmore@upei.ca or 902-566-0709. 

Research Partnerships and Innovation is the new name for the Office of Commercialization, Industry and Innovation (OCII)! We are kicking off the new year with a renewed focus on our core mission and our role in the PEI innovation ecosystem. 

Research Partnerships and Innovation is a name that reflects the work that we do connecting UPEI researchers with industry, community, and government partners, contributing to economic and social development in the region. 

We are still the same team here to support you. Check out our website upei.ca/rpi to learn more about what we do. 

Graduate students are invited to come to the TLC on Feb. 5, 2026 at 12:00 to learn about creating an academic CV and some strategies for helping it grow as your career develops. If you are a Graduate Supervisor, consider encouraging your students to attend. 

The TLC is offering a series of workshops to support colleagues getting started on their file for tenure/permanency and/or promotion.  Refresh your understanding with our online resources for teaching philosophy statements and teaching dossiers and then bring your questions to the workshops.  

• Teaching Dossiers for Tenure/Permanecy or Promotion with Kathy Gottschall-Pass. Learn what needs to be included in your dossier under our current collective agreement. The session will look at the requirements and the options for documenting your teaching practice. Join us on Thursday January 15 (snow date Jan. 20) from 1:30 to 3:30.
• Writing YOUR Statement of Teaching Philosophy with Shannon Murray. A statement of teaching philosophy (STP) is an essential opening for most teaching dossiers, and it signals the central beliefs and practices to be found in your teaching dossier. This workshop will take participants through a variety of strategies for crafting an effective statement, looking at examples from across disciplines. Participants will leave with a sound basic structure for their STP.  Join us on Friday January 23 (snow date Jan. 30) from 2:00 to 4:00.
• Developing a clinical service dossier. This workshop is still in development but we plan to schedule a date soon.  
• Putting it all together with Sharon Myers, Bill Whelan and John VanLeeuwen. This panel of colleagues experienced in working with Tenure/Permanency and Promotion files will share advice about what to do and what to avoid. DATE TBD.  

Workshops will take place in Teaching and Learning Centre, Robertson Library, Roo 230. Virtual options to attend will be available by emailing TLC@upei.ca for the link. 

Kick off the semester by attending our networking event for the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program (HWMEP)! Join us on Wednesday, January 21 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm, in 201 Robertson Library.

This is the best opportunity before the competition officially starts for you to meet fellow competitors, find potential partners, and ask questions to CCCE staff about the competition before the application deadline of February 10, 2026! The networking event is open to any current UPEI student, regardless of interest in the HWMEP competition.

Register today!

If you missed out on the UPEI Open Educational Resource Grants, here's another opportunity for funding for OERs!

The Council of Atlantic Academic Libraries (CAAL-CBPA) is excited to announce the 2026 cycle of the AtlanticOER Development Grants. 

The AtlanticOER Development Grant program is intended to encourage and support educators in the Atlantic region in the adaptation, creation, and curation of Open Educational Resources (OER). These grants provide financial support to educators teaching credit-bearing courses at publicly funded post-secondary institutions who are interested in creating or adapting new educational resources for their classes. There are three tiers of funding that applicants can apply for, each of which represents a different scope and type of project.  

Applications for the 2026 cycle of the AtlanticOER Development Grant program open December 15, 2025 and are due on February 6, 2026. The applications are put through a single blind process and a committee of CAAL-CBPA members reviews and ranks the applications. Successful applicants will be notified in mid to late March 2026. 

An open webinar that goes over the application process will be occurring on January 13, 2026. Further information about the Grant program and application process can be found at https://atlanticoer-relatlantique.ca/grants/ . A list of past grant funded projects can be found at https://atlanticoer-relatlantique.ca/grant-projects/.  

The SSHRC Exchange Publication Award supports the publication of manuscripts, written or edited by UPEI faculty, by Island Studies Press (ISP). This award is being funded by a SSHRC Institutional Grant, therefore, the subject matter of the publication must be compatible with SSHRC’s mandate (see http://science.gc.ca/eic/site/063.nsf/eng/h_FEE7261A.html for more information). One (1) award is available for fiscal 2025-26.

The award of $7,000 will be disbursed to Island Studies Press to cover publication costs (including editing, photo and other permissions, design, printing, marketing, and other costs associated with publishing a book). Authors will be offered ISP’s standard publication contract, which ensures authorial copyright and includes a royalty structure. Authors will also see their manuscripts reviewed through a peer-review process where appropriate.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Eligible applicants must be Tenured, Tenure Track, Term or Sessional UPEI Faculty, who are employed by UPEI at the time of application.
• Manuscripts may be single- or multi-authored results of academic research projects; textbooks; edited proceedings of a conference; or works of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, or drama that pertain to the author(s)' discipline.
• The subject matter of the manuscript must meet SSHRC’s mandate.
• Past recipients of the SSHRC Exchange Publication Award or UPEI Internal Publication Award cannot apply for support for the previously funded manuscript.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 31, 2026

Submit documents electronically to Research Services, researchservices@upei.ca.

APPLICATION PROCESS: 

Applicants are to submit a package that includes:

• Book proposal/summary (maximum of one page)
• A completed or close-to-complete manuscript and a Table of Contents. Note: the manuscript must be complete no later than three months after winning the award
• A curriculum vitae that includes your credentials as author(s)/editor(s)
• Two letters of support (e.g., from your Department Chair, Dean, professional association)

Selection Committee: A selection committee comprised of the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Institute of Island Studies, plus two members of the ISP Publishing Committee, will assess the proposals and make a recommendation to the Associate Vice-President Research. The Managing Editor of the ISP will be a member of the Committee in a non-voting capacity.

To assist in making its recommendations, the selection committee will use a single-blind peer review of the submitted manuscript. Final decisions on publication remain with the Island Studies Press and the Institute of Island Studies.

Reporting: A copy of the book, along with a narrative outlining the publication process – prepared in collaboration with staff at Island Studies Press – must be submitted when the book is complete.

Previous recipients of the UPEI Internal Publication Awards include Lori Mayne, Department of English, Laurie Brinklow, Institute of Island Studies, Linyuan Guo, Faculty of Education, and Josh MacFadyen, Faculty of Arts.

For more information on the Publication Awards program, contact Dr. Laurie Brinklow at brinklow@upei.ca or 902-894-2881.

The deadline for Animal Care Protocol Submissions (new, renewal, or amendment) is Friday, February 6 for the February meeting. 

Please note that as of June 1, 2020 all animal user protocols must be submitted through UPEI Researcher Portal at https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/

For new protocols select ‘applications’ and for renewal or amendment protocols select ‘events’.

To view any UPEI ACC SOPs and Codes of Practice, they can be accessed through myUPEI at https://portal.upei.ca/facultystaff/administrativeservices/AVCAnimalCare/Pages/default.aspx. 

Those protocols received after the deadline will be reviewed the following month. The Committee requires at least one month for processing applications.

All faculty, students, and staff are invited to the next UPEI Research Breakfast, happening on Thursday, January 29, 2026, hosted by Research Partnerships and Innovation (formerly OCII).

The theme of this breakfast is “Climate Change and Society”. Two UPEI research chairs, Dr. Sara Sadri and Dr. Jean Mitchell, will give short presentations about their research. Presentations run from 8:00-9:00 am, with networking and a continental breakfast available at 7:30 am. This event is FREE, but space is limited. Please RSVP here.

Join us for a morning of knowledge-sharing and networking with fellow researchers and industry, community, and government partners over a delicious breakfast!

Research Partnerships and Innovation is the new name for the Office of Commercialization, Industry and Innovation (OCII)! We are kicking off the new year with a renewed focus on our core mission and our role in the PEI innovation ecosystem. 

Research Partnerships and Innovation is a name that reflects the work that we do connecting UPEI researchers with industry, community, and government partners, contributing to economic and social development in the region. 

We are still the same team here to support you. Check out our website upei.ca/rpi to learn more about what we do. 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to shine a light on their colleagues’ hard work and dedication in 2025. We are excited to continue the Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues program in 2026 and have some great ideas planned for the year ahead.

Want to start the new year with gratitude? Take a moment to recognize a colleague today!

Complete this short form: https://forms.office.com/r/766cg9JsT6 

You’ll be asked to share:

• Who are you recognizing? (Name and department/faculty)
• Why are you recognizing them? (A brief description of what they did or the impact they made)
• Your name

Forms may be submitted up to the last Friday of each month. Human Resources will collect the submissions and work with Communications to feature them in the Campus Connector.

Please note: there is a section on the Human Resources SharePoint page dedicated to Recognizing Remarkable Colleagues.

Not currently subscribed to Campus Connector? Click here to learn how to subscribe.

The deadline for the next issue is January 30, 2026.

If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at hrengage@upei.ca. Thank you for helping us celebrate and strengthen our campus community!

Increasingly, faculty are reporting exhaustion, overwork, and burnout as serious issues affecting their work lives.  Join Elizabeth Wells from Mount Allison University for this ONLINE session, where we will explore the landscape of burnout through the literature, and offer support and solutions to today’s overburdened academic. Register here to receive the Teams link for this session  on February 3 at 12:00 noon. 

The TLC is offering a series of workshops to support colleagues getting started on their file for tenure/permanency and/or promotion.  Refresh your understanding with our online resources for teaching philosophy statements and teaching dossiers and then bring your questions to the workshops.  

• Teaching Dossiers for Tenure/Permanecy or Promotion with Kathy Gottschall-Pass. Learn what needs to be included in your dossier under our current collective agreement. The session will look at the requirements and the options for documenting your teaching practice. Join us on Thursday January 15 (snow date Jan. 20) from 1:30 to 3:30.
• Writing YOUR Statement of Teaching Philosophy with Shannon Murray. A statement of teaching philosophy (STP) is an essential opening for most teaching dossiers, and it signals the central beliefs and practices to be found in your teaching dossier. This workshop will take participants through a variety of strategies for crafting an effective statement, looking at examples from across disciplines. Participants will leave with a sound basic structure for their STP.  Join us on Friday January 23 (snow date Jan. 30) from 2:00 to 4:00.
• Developing a clinical service dossier. This workshop is still in development but we plan to schedule a date soon.  
• Putting it all together with Sharon Myers, Bill Whelan and John VanLeeuwen. This panel of colleagues experienced in working with Tenure/Permanency and Promotion files will share advice about what to do and what to avoid. DATE TBD.  

Workshops will take place in Teaching and Learning Centre, Robertson Library, Roo 230. Virtual options to attend will be available by emailing TLC@upei.ca for the link. 

Join UPEI President Wendy Rodgers for casual "coffee chats" at the Fox and Crow in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre on Thursday, January 15 from 8:00-9:00 am.

These coffee chats offer a relaxed setting where any member of the UPEI community can drop by, grab a drink, and chat with Wendy about anything on your mind. Whether you want to share ideas, ask questions or simply say hello, these chats are a great way to connect with the president in a comfortable and informal environment.