SSHRC Research network for innovation research proposed

More than 50 researchers from a dozen universities across Canada are banding together to propose a multidisciplinary research effort into Canadian innovation systems. Tentatively entitled the Innovations Systems Research Network, the initiative has made the initial cut under the Major Collaborative Research Initiatives (MCRI) program funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The program is offering a maximum of $2.5 million over five years.

The network will have five regional nodes at the Univ of Ottawa, Univ of Toronto, Laval Univ, Univ of New Brunswick and Univ of British Columbia in conjunction with Simon Fraser Univ. The researchers hope to build on the contacts and accomplishments of a more modest three-year grant awarded previously under another SSHRC program, and which expires next April.

"We hope to achieve an advancement statistically of how the New Economy is doing," says Dr John de la Mothe, a professor with the U of O's faculty of administration and that institution's regional node leader. "It's an excellent opportunity and at the end of the day we will know a lot more about Canadian innovation."

Cross fertilization

The wide variety of disciplines proposing to collaborate under the initiative covers political science, industrial geography, communications, education, administration business and health and public administration. De la Mothe asserts that it's precisely this diversity which makes the proposal so compelling.

"We're all talking about a single basket of problems and challenges with different methodologies," he says. Each node has a collection of academics across disciplines but they also include government and industry. It's truly cross sectoral."

Winning proposals under the MCRI program will also benefit from strong institutional support from Statistics Canada and the National Research Council, providing access to data and expertise relevant to Canadian innovation systems.

The Innovation Systems Research Network is one of 10 proposals vying for about two awards, which should be announced late this year or early in 2001.

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