About Mobilize for Impact! Senior Leadership Directory Faculty Contacts

Institutional Research Programs

The Institutional Research Programs Team provides expertise, guidance, and leadership to support major institutional and strategic research programs at Western to assist in the growth and development of Western’s health sciences, life sciences, social sciences, engineering and humanities research portfolio. We provide pre-award and grant development support as well as institutional post-award support and centralized research project management services for large, complex grants.

Research funding programs supported by our team include:

Canada Research Chairs (CRC)
Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC)
Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) programs including the John R. Evans Leaders Fund and the Innovation Fund
Genome Canada/ Ontario Genomics
Horizon Europe
New Frontiers in Research Fund – Transformation
New Frontiers in Research Fund – International
NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE)
SSHRC Partnership Development Grants
SSHRC Partnership Grants
Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence (ORF-RE)
Ontario Early Researcher Awards (ERA)

For other periodic institutional or strategic funding opportunities not listed, contact our team at irp@uwo.ca, your faculty research office, or consult the ROLA Funding Opportunities page.

Team contacts

General inquiries and pre-award support: irp@uwo.ca
Research project management and institutional post-award support: irp.pm@uwo.ca

Team Members

Carolyn Paterson

Director, Institutional Research Programs

Telephone: 519-661-2111, ext. 82262
Email: carolyn.paterson@uwo.ca

Contact me if you have general questions about the IRP team portfolio or management and processes for institutional programs including Canada Research Chairs and Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Sahana Mazumder

Insitutional Research Programs Specialist (Post-Award)

Telephone: 519-661-2111, ext. 84658
Email: smazumd2@uwo.ca

Contact me if:

You need assistance with online application forms or other troubleshooting;
You have questions about submitting annual progress reports for CRC, CFI, ORF-RI or ERA;
You have questions about the CFI Infrastructure Operating Fund; or
You are unsure who on the IRP team can assist you and need me to direct your inquiry.

Pre-Award & Grant Development Support

Our team of Institutional Research Programs Specialists can help researchers and their teams identify funding opportunities, plan collaborative research with partners, and develop plans to obtain research funding. For specific funding opportunities in the IRP portfolio, we can support research teams by:

Discussing the fit of potential funding opportunities for a proposed project;
Supporting application development including providing detailed feedback on proposal drafts and guidance on sponsor portals and forms;
Coordinating review and signature for institutional letters of support; and
Facilitating final application review and submission to sponsors.

Claire Harvey

Institutional Research Programs Specialist

Telephone: 519-661-2111, ext. 82209
Email: claire.harvey@uwo.ca

Contact me if you have questions about:

The Canada Research Chairs program;
The Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity, or
The Canada Excellence Research Chairs program.

Kathy Laid

Senior Institutional Research Programs Specialist

Telephone: 519-661-2111, ext. 88701
Email: klaid@uwo.ca

Contact me if you have questions about:

The New Frontiers in Research Fund – Transformation;
The Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Innovation Fund; or
The Canada Excellence Research Chairs programs.

Suramya Mihindukulasuriya

Institutional Research Programs Specialist

Telephone: 519-661-2111, ext. 88161
Email: smihindu@uwo.ca

Contact me if you have questions about:

NSERC CREATE;
Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence;
Natural Resources Canada;
Genome Canada/Ontario Genomics;
FedDev; or
Other industry-aligned programs.

Elizabeth Russell-Minda

Institutional Research Programs Specialist

Telephone: 519-661-2111, ext. 84337
Email: elizabeth.minda@uwo.ca

Contact me if you have questions regarding:

Horizon Europe and other European Union funding programs;
New Frontiers in Research Fund—International; or
SSHRC Destination Horizon programs.

Deanne van Tol

Institutional Research Programs Specialist

Telephone: 519-661-2111, ext. 84337
Email: dvantol2@uwo.ca

Contact me if you have questions regarding:

CFI John R. Evans Leaders Fund; and
Ontario Research Fund – Research Infrastructure programs.

Currently Vacant

Institutional Research Programs Specialist

Telephone:
Email:

Contact irp@uwo.ca if you have questions about:

SSHRC Partnership Development Grants;
SSHRC Partnership Grants; or
Select Brain Canada programs, including Platform Support Grants.

Institutional Post-Award Support & Research Project Management

Our Institutional Research Project Managers provide post-award support to institutional programs such as

Canada Foundation for Innovation;
Ontario Research Fund – Research Infrastructure;
Ontario Research Fund – Research Excellence; and
U.S. federal funding,

as well as expert advice for initiating major research projects and strategic initiatives, including budget development & award finalization. We also offer centralized research project management services to large and complex funded research projects on request. If you are unsure where to direct your enquiry, contact our Project Management team at irp.pm@uwo.ca.