Full Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, uOttawa Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) Research Chair in Black women’s health/HIV care
Participatory action research is a partnership approach to research, where the researchers work collaboratively with interest groups in communities that are affected by the work and the findings, allowing us to align science, society and policy imperatives to produce better health outcomes.
With the first Canadians getting the COVID-19 vaccine this week, the importance of effectively monitoring the rollout of vaccinations is coming to the fore. The federal government has recognized the importance of monitoring data, at least within federal jurisdiction, and the Prime Minister himself recently emphasized the federal government will “be a partner with the provinces …[for] better co-ordination of data.”
Faculty Affiliate, ISSP
Full Professor, Feminist and Gender Studies and Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, uOttawa
Will there be enough vaccine? Who will get it first? Will countries hoard it for their own citizens? These questions require attention, but a vaccine is a game-changer, right? Not so fast.
Canada Research Chair in Science and Society and Core Member of the ISSP
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences, uOttawa
With any technology there come gains as well as new ethical and social justice issues. We know this from historical experience, such as the widespread application of computer technologies, which has been enabling for some (e.g. allowing many “creative economy” workers to operate remotely) but disabling for others (e.g. technological unemployment for some labourers).
It seems that the world is awash these days in grand challenges. But perhaps grand challenges also present grand opportunities. For Canada’s Science and Technology community, let’s look at where the grand opportunities may lie.
Canada’s energy future will be very different than we know it today. The future will include both clean hydrocarbon energy and renewable resources. It is vital that our policy environment allows for diverse and inclusive pathways built through collaboration to achieve our Paris targets and beyond.
Vice-President, Indigenous Relations, Nuclear Waste Management Organization
Former CEO, Assembly of First Nations
Why should organizational leaders and managers care that their team members feel a sense of belonging and feel like they matter? In short, because pain, whether social or physical, has a negative impact on human performance. Inclusion is both a safety issue and a performance issue.
Faculty Affiliate, ISSP
Assistant Professor, Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, uOttawa
Despite its reputation as a more sustainable form of transport, long-distance passenger rail travel in Canada typically results in a higher carbon footprint per passenger than long-distance commercial air travel. This is what I discovered after diving into the emissions data (recently published in the journal Canadian Geographer). Here I explain why Canada’s long-distance rail services defy the ‘green’ reputation held by rail transportation globally, and offer some policy proposals for improving the situation.
Since the emergence of COVID-19, we have seen some clear and encouraging examples of how science and evidence-informed policy have shaped Canada's response to the pandemic. Public health officials have been given a platform, ensuring that scientists are actually delivering messages to the public and providing them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions. New tools are emerging to help governments find and use evidence more effectively.
When thinking about which trends will stick in an age of COVID-19, I see bad news and good news. Whether we should be more pessimistic or more optimistic remains deeply uncertain. But even if the pandemic can be brought under control (a mighty assumption), the knock-on effects are grim.
The opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ISSP or its staff.
