About Us
Under the guidance of the Vice-President (Research), Western Research allocates resources and aligns strategies to ensure Western’s researchers, scholars and artists have the tools and support they need to have impact by:
- Advocating for research by promoting, celebrating and highlighting the importance of research, scholarship and creative activity from all disciplines to internal and external audiences;
- Enabling research success by providing comprehensive professional administrative and financial support to build research capacity and success, and to ensure research integrity; and
- Building a culture of research excellence at Western that is built on a shared, integrated research vision.
Our team of professionals is highly dedicated, knowledgeable and demonstrates an exceptional focus on service. We strive to set our scholars up for success, reduce the institution’s risk and help advance Western’s reputation. Please see below for details about supports available to Western's research enterprise through our unit and those with whom we partner closely. We look forward to working with you.
Core Western Research Units
Animal Care & Veterinary Services
Animal Care & Veterinary Services (ACVS) promotes excellence in research through excellent animal care and use. It supplies veterinarians, animal care technicians, managers and office staff to facilitate ethically sound and groundbreaking research using animals.
Innovation and Strategic Partnerships
Innovation and Strategic Partnerships (ISP) provides leadership to existing Western Research Parks and WORLDiscoveries teams, while helping connect research and industry, governments, community organizations and social enterprise to commercialize new ideas in a new strategic-partnership group. Services include:
- Western Research Parks promotes and supports private and public-sector research and development appropriate to the research activities and interests of the University and to the economic and social goals of the region, the province and the country. Research and development activities in the Parks' campuses (London, Sarnia and the Advanced Manufacturing Park) also frequently involve collaboration with faculty members of the University and associated research personnel.
- WORLDiscoveries is the business development arm of London’s extensive research network and the bridge between local invention and global industry. Born out of a partnership between Western, Robarts Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute, WORLDiscoveries draws upon a mix of industry connections, sector-specific market knowledge and business development expertise to help researchers and local inventors commercialize their discoveries through licensing and new company spin-offs.
Office of Research Services
The Office of Research Services helps scholars gain a competitive edge by providing support at all stages of a research project or program, including pre- and post-award grant processes; partnership development, contract and agreement negotiation; human and animal ethics requirements; and communications, knowledge exchange and EDI planning.
Please visit our staff directory for detailed contact information. Services include:
- Animal research ethics: Contact us to ensure research, personnel and facilities engaging animal models meet mandatory institutional, federal (Canadian Council on Animal Care) and provincial (Ontario Animals in Research Act) standards and guidelines.
- Communications: Contact us to tell your research story and to develop communications tactics and strategies ensuring Western's research story is heard locally, nationally and internationally.
- Contracts and partnership agreements: Contact us if you are a researcher or partner seeking to negotiate technical service agreements, confidentiality agreements, material transfer agreements, research contracts, grant agreements, sub-grants, sub-contracts and inter-institutional agreements.
- Equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization: Contact us to promote, recognize, celebrate and engage various voices around campus to create a more equitable, diverse and inclusionary Western Community.
- Grant development: Contact us to gain a competitive edge for external, internal and international funding proposals.
- Human research ethics: Contact us to ensure research involving human participants at Western and its affiliated hospitals is compliant with all related research ethics and integrity policies and guidelines.
- Indigenous initatives: Contact us to increase Indigenous voices and presence across all levels of work, study and research to build collaborative & community-engaged partnerships and support campus partners in implementing Western’s Indigenous Strategic Plan.
- Knowledge mobilization: Contact us to develop and integrate knowledge exchange (KT/KMb) into grant applications, to build and operationalize research programs, for help with program evaluation and research impact descriptions, for education and training and to find ways to share your research with different audiences.
- Research Compliance: Contact us for information related to research compliance, the university’s controlled goods program, contract security program, education and training related to research compliance, controlled substances oversight and post-approval monitoring.
- Research Integrity: Contact us for information related to research integrity, how allegations of research misconduct are addressed and best practices for conducting responsible research and its corresponding policies, procedures and standards.
Shared Responsibilities with Western Research
Bone and Joint Institute
Western's Bone and Joint Institute is a university-wide institute seeking to promote and facilitate transdisciplinary research approaches that develop solutions and medical innovations in the research areas of arthritis, trauma and spine. Its goal is to improve the quality of life of millions of people of all ages living with MSK conditions.
BrainsCAN
BrainsCAN is a neuroscience research initiative that aims to transform the way brain diseases and disorders are understood, diagnosed and treated. Through its innovative funding programs and core infrastructure, BrainsCAN is accelerating effective solutions for maintaining a healthy brain.
Institute for Earth & Space Exploration
Western's Institute for Earth & Space (Western Space) is Canada's leading organization for Earth and space exploration research and training. Its mission is to lead in interdisciplinary research and innovation in Earth and space exploration, and to strengthen and grow the Canadian Earth and space exploration communities through inspiring and training the next generation of scientists, engineers, social scientists and entrepreneurs.
Rotman Institute of Philosophy
Founded in 2008 as a result of a donation by Dr. Joseph L. Rotman, Western's Rotman Institute for Philosophy builds upon world-renowned strengths in philosophy of science and supports projects that bring together philosophers, scientists, policy-makers, and the public at large.
Western Academy for Advanced Research
The Western Academy for Advanced Research brings together interdisciplinary and international teams of scholars to address major issues facing humanity through periods of dedicated focus. To make these solutions a reality, The Western Academy presents themes on which Western Fellows, Visiting Fellows, postdoctoral scholars and graduate students focus their research over focused periods of enquiry.
Western Institute for Neuroscience
The Western Institute for Neuroscience Research seeks to unlock the mysteries of the brain for societal benefit. Its overarching goal is to elevate and accelerate impactful neuroscience research that would otherwise be impossible without a unifying organization. To that end, the Institute integrates the region’s neuroscience expertise into a coordinating body that provides leadership related to vision, alignment and advocacy.
Core Partners
Associate Deans (Research) & Faculty Research Officers
Associate Deans (Research) are a faculty's signing authority and are responsible for research officers (available in most faculties), helping increase Western's research capacity by facilitating researchers with grant proposals, and aiding in the search for funding opportunities beyond Tri-Council support.
Research Finance
Research Finance is part of the department of Financial Services and plays an integral role in supporting Western's research enterprise. Research Finance provides expert advice, financial accountability, and ongoing management of all research funds. It works closely with researchers, administrative units, funding sponsors and Research Western to ensure adherence to funding guidelines and policies. It also manages the post-award functions for all research grants and contracts at the University. This includes monitoring cash flows and expenditures, communicating with funding sponsors, and completing financial reporting.
Procurement Services
Procurement Services works with researcher and supplier communities at the grant approval and post-approval stages to ensure quotations for required goods and services are complete and competitive. Researcher always control the specifications and ultimately makes the final decision, but Procurement Services provides valuable assistance to ensure costing is accurate and the best value is realized.