Research Ethics Board (REB) applications involving "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full UPEI REB. The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, September 1, 2023, for review at the September meeting.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve more than minimal risk, renewals, and amendments, may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary materials are received.

All research compliance applications, including for REB, must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal (https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/). Instructions for using the site are available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca for more information about the Researcher Portal, or the REB application, review, and approval process.

The UPEI Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) department has moved to AVC 4th floor South (428S). When you come in the main entrance of AVC, head right toward ITSS and turn left to take the South stairs or elevator to the fourth floor. If you require elevator access, please give us a call at (902) 566-0901 or (902) 213-3183. This is a temporary measure. All contact information for HSE remains the same so you may continue to email hse@upei.ca or call the staff (check out the UPEI HSE website for individual contacts). You can also come see our new location.

The UPEI Department of Biology invites the campus community to a research seminar on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, at 1:30 pm in the Duffy Science Centre, Room 204.  Dr. Catherine Ivy, NSERC Banting Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biology, Western University, will present "Breathing and oxygen sensing in challenging environments." Dr. Ivy is a candidate for a tenure-track faculty position in the Department of Biology.

The SSHRC Exchange Publication Awards support the publication of manuscripts, written or edited by UPEI faculty, by Island Studies Press (ISP). These awards are 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 2023.

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: October 1, 2023

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 completed 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; Dr. Laurie Brinklow, Institute of Island Studies; Dr. Linyuan Guo-Brennan, Faculty of Education; and Dr. 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.

New Student Orientation (NSO) is set to take place the first week of September!

NSO provides the opportunity for new students to get familiar with the campus through various events, activities and information sessions.

We hope to provide an eventful NSO that will leave lasting impressions on the new students and show them what it means to be a Panther!

With the recent release of the Rubin Thomlinson report, the University has coordinated two new confidential processes to support faculty and staff who have experienced harm from harassment, sexual violence, or discrimination at UPEI.

Confidential personal counselling

The UPEI Health and Wellness Centre has engaged a psychologist, who is bilingual (English and French), to meet individually with faculty and staff Tuesday and Wednesday mornings throughout the summer.

Employees may email Caylin Jenkins at cbjenkins@upei.ca, indicating “Appointment required” in the subject line. Caylin will coordinate their appointment with the psychologist and confirm the location of the appointment.

Making a confidential disclosure

People have asked about the process for making disclosures of incidents of harassment or discrimination by senior executive members of the University. The University has established an independent third-party process to address any such issues with Resonance Inc., a multidisciplinary human resources firm, based in Saint John, NB, that specializes in workplace assessments. The contact person at Resonance is Trisha Perry, who may be reached at tperry@resonanceinc.ca or (506)799-0412.

The Scholarships and Awards Office is accepting applications for the 1st Semester (Fall) Award Cycle!

Students can now access the Scholarship and Award Application portal by clicking the link provided here or in the UPEI Forms section of their MyUPEI account. Students are encouraged to review the four-step instructions and submit their electronic application through the portal by the October 1, 2023, deadline to be considered for over 100 scholarships and awards.

Not only can students apply to numerous awards through the Scholarship and Award Application portal, but there are also dozens of awards with a separate application process conveniently listed on the 1st Semester (Fall) Award Cycle webpage. Deadlines for the separate application awards vary across the Fall semester, and awards are listed beneath their deadline month. Be sure to click the links, review the award criteria, and submit in time for the deadline.

If you have questions about the application processes, award criteria, or deadlines, please contact scholarships@upei.ca or visit us in Dalton Hall, room 202. Best of luck to all who apply!

Many of us are diving into learning about generative artificial intelligence (genAI) as we prepare for the start of the fall semester. The number of blogs and articles around genAI can be overwhelming so the TLC has been checking them out and curating a short list for your consideration. Here are a couple of blog posts to start with. For a post focused on ways to address ChatGPT with students, check out CHATGPT AND ALL THAT FOLLOWS. And here's another on Teaching AI Ethics. 

The last two sessions for Let's Talk Teaching are set for Friday, August 25, in-person in the TLC (RL 230) at 11:00 and online at 1:30.

More than 100 international students have applied for the Study & Stay PEI program! If you're an international student in your final year/semester at the University of Prince Edward Island, Holland College, or Collège de l'Île, don't miss your chance to apply now at https://studypei.ca/.

Applications close this Friday, August 25, 2023, at 11:59 pm. Selected students will be notified by Friday, September 5, 2023.

For inquiries, email us at studyandstaypei@upei.ca

Please help us spread the word and share with your network. Thank you.

UPEI and ACENET are pleased to announce that Kaitlin Newson has joined the ACENET team as a research consultant.

Based at UPEI, Kaitlin will support researchers and their teams in the use of the digital research tools available through ACENET and its national partner, the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. These include high-performance and cloud computing, large file storage and transfer, and research data management. Kaitlin will work with clients both new and experienced in using these tools throughout the lifecycle of their projects, helping with problems small and large. She will also deliver workshops that teach the skills necessary to use digital research tools effectively.

While based at UPEI, Kaitlin is also able to tap into ACENET’s other research consultants when needed, each with their own specialties, including cloud, big data, molecular dynamics, computational fluid dynamics, humanities and social sciences, cybersecurity, and machine learning.

Kaitlin joined ACENET from Scholars Portal, where. as the Digital Projects Librarian, she supported research data management, scholarly publishing, and web services for Canadian university libraries. She was also chair of the Public Knowledge Project’s Documentation Interest Group. Kaitlin has a Master of Information degree from the University of Toronto and a Certificate in Computer Coding from Toronto Metropolitan University, and she is a certified Carpentries instructor.

If you would like to discuss your digital research needs with Kaitlin, drop by her office at room 261 in Robertson Library, or email kaitlin.newson@ace-net.ca.

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, September 1, 2023. These applications will be reviewed at the September 21 meeting.

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the UPEI  Researcher Portal. Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Research Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal, or about the biosafety application, review, and approval process.

Research Ethics Board (REB) applications involving "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full UPEI REB. The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, September 1, 2023, for review at the September meeting.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve more than minimal risk, renewals, and amendments, may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary materials are received.

All research compliance applications, including for REB, must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal (https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/). Instructions for using the site are available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca for more information about the Researcher Portal, or the REB application, review, and approval process.

IT Systems and Services will be performing network maintenance on Sunday, August 27, from 8:00-10:30 am. During this time, there will be intermittent connectivity on the campus network.

If you are off campus, many services such as Microsoft solutions (including email), Google, Zoom, upei.ca, Moodle, etc., that are in the cloud will not be impacted. However, VPN service will be unavailable.  

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.

UPEI Professor Emeritus Karem J. Simon will officially launch his album, Solitary Clarinet, on Saturday, August 26, 2023, at 10:30 am, beginning at UPEI’s new Performing Arts Centre Theatre. Admission is free. All are welcome.

If you are looking for a few ideas for revising assignments this fall in light of the presence of generative AI tools, here's a blog that walks you through an “assignment makeover” for a reading response assignment, Assignment Makeovers in the Age of AI: Reading Response Edition, and an essay assignment, Assignment Makeovers in the AI Age: Essay Edition. The posts suggest ideas and questions to consider as you rethink your assignments for the fall. 

Remember that TLC team members are available to talk with instructors about course and assignment design that integrates or mitigates the use of generative AI. You’re welcome to reach out by email at TLC@upei.ca, or you can book an appointment with one of our instructional designers

Book an appointment with Joel MacDonald
Book an appointment with Jason Hogan

Let's Talk Teaching is another option to discuss the issues with colleagues. Join us for one of the three sessions:

In-person in the Teaching and Learning Centre, RL 230 

• Thursday, August 24 at 10:00 am
• Friday, August 25 at 11:00 am

On-line: 

•  Friday, August 25 at 1:00 pm (Register here for the link.)

More than 100 international students have applied for the Study & Stay PEI program! If you're an international student in your final year/semester at the University of Prince Edward Island, Holland College, or Collège de l'Île, don't miss your chance to apply now at https://studypei.ca/.

Applications close this Friday, August 25, 2023, at 11:59 pm. Selected students will be notified by Friday, September 5, 2023.

For inquiries, email us at studyandstaypei@upei.ca

Please help us spread the word and share with your network. Thank you.

The McCall MacBain Scholarships bring together exceptional students who strive to engage in positive change by taking on meaningful leadership roles. McCall MacBain Scholars connect with mentors and participate in an interdisciplinary leadership program while pursuing a fully funded master’s or professional degree at McGill University. Applications are now open for September 2024 admission, and students have until September 27, 2023, to submit their applications. Information sessions for interested applicants can be found at https://apply.mccallmacbainscholars.org/register/?id=9c425f80-1d39-4d15-a7fe-db306e2888b9.

Up to 30 full scholarships as well as 100 entrance awards from $5,000 and $10,000 will be granted for 2024 to candidates who demonstrate exceptional character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, academic strength, and intellectual curiosity. Two-thirds of these scholarships are for Canadian students, and one-third for international students. Interested students are encouraged to visit the webpage for more information: https://mccallmacbainscholars.org/.

UPEI and ACENET are pleased to announce that Kaitlin Newson has joined the ACENET team as a research consultant.

Based at UPEI, Kaitlin will support researchers and their teams in the use of the digital research tools available through ACENET and its national partner, the Digital Research Alliance of Canada. These include high-performance and cloud computing, large file storage and transfer, and research data management. Kaitlin will work with clients both new and experienced in using these tools throughout the lifecycle of their projects, helping with problems small and large. She will also deliver workshops that teach the skills necessary to use digital research tools effectively.

While based at UPEI, Kaitlin is also able to tap into ACENET’s other research consultants when needed, each with their own specialties, including cloud, big data, molecular dynamics, computational fluid dynamics, humanities and social sciences, cybersecurity, and machine learning.

Kaitlin joined ACENET from Scholars Portal, where. as the Digital Projects Librarian, she supported research data management, scholarly publishing, and web services for Canadian university libraries. She was also chair of the Public Knowledge Project’s Documentation Interest Group. Kaitlin has a Master of Information degree from the University of Toronto and a Certificate in Computer Coding from Toronto Metropolitan University, and she is a certified Carpentries instructor.

If you would like to discuss your digital research needs with Kaitlin, drop by her office at room 261 in Robertson Library, or email kaitlin.newson@ace-net.ca.

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, September 1, 2023. These applications will be reviewed at the September 21 meeting.

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the UPEI  Researcher Portal. Information about the Researcher Portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Research Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the Researcher Portal, or about the biosafety application, review, and approval process.

Research Ethics Board (REB) applications involving "more than minimal risk" must be reviewed by the full UPEI REB. The next deadline for submitting these protocols is Friday, September 1, 2023, for review at the September meeting.

Other ethics protocol submissions, including new applications that do not involve more than minimal risk, renewals, and amendments, may be submitted at any time. They will be sent for delegated review as soon as all necessary materials are received.

All research compliance applications, including for REB, must be submitted through the UPEI Researcher Portal (https://upei.researchservicesoffice.com/Romeo.Researcher/). Instructions for using the site are available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca for more information about the Researcher Portal, or the REB application, review, and approval process.