Beyond Research

In this episode, we discuss research funding organizations that are challenging the traditional status-quo to fill gaps in the system and support work that is uncertain, but if true, will lead to significant shifts and tackle big societal problems.

Research Nova Scotia and Speculative Technologies lead two different initiatives that fit under this umbrella of “coordinated research programs.” We explore the similarities and differences between their programs, the structures of them and the key players, the risks and challenges, as well as the strengths and possibilities.

Find the transcript here: https://researchns.ca/beyondresearch-coordinated-research-programs-tackling-complex-problems/ 

In Coordinated Research Programs: Tackling Complex Problems, we cover: 

01:11 – Introducing our guests and their organizations: Speculative Technologies and Research Nova Scotia

02:32 – The “middle” space both these organizations are working in 

08:10 – Some of the common challenges that comes with working in a less occupied space

11:52 – Different funding models

13:15 – Convergent Research’s Focused Research Organizations inspired Focused Research Investments (FRI)

16:22 – Research Nova Scotia’s FRI pitch

18:52 – Defining the value of FRIs

22:19 – The need for ideas that need investment to know if it’s even worth pursing

23:47 – Organizational and incentive structures

32:57 – Documenting lessons learned

Thank you to our guests:

Ben Reinhardt is the Founder and CEO of Speculative Technologies.

Stefan Leslie is the CEO of Research Nova Scotia.

Ben also has a podcast! Check out Idea Machines where he has conversations with experts in different innovation systems. 

The Beyond Research Podcast is produced by Podstarter. It is available wherever you get your podcasts.

If you liked this episode, check out our episodes Gaps & Opportunities in the Current Research System and Addressing the Gaps: Focused Research Investments. 

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In this episode, we discuss a successful, but often overlooked, model for research: The College Model. Listen as we discuss the types of research projects colleges undertake, and how it differs from traditional university-based research. We also explore student involvement and
workforce preparation; the principles of partner- and challenge-driven research, serving the problem-solving needs of communities; as well as the stereotypes and barriers facing college research.

Find the transcript here: https://researchns.ca/beyondresearch-partner-amp-challenge-driven-research-the-college-model/

In Season 3, Episode 9 – Partner & Challenge-Driven Research: The College Model, we cover:

01:55 – Introducing our guests and their backgrounds with university and college research models
05:36 – The College Model of research and how it differs from the traditional university-based research model
10:17 – Structure of colleges that lends itself to challenge-driven, partner-driven, and applied research
13:54 – Business led R&D
15:54 – Challenges and barriers facing college research and accessibility of research funding
20:10 – Government, industry, and community interest in the college model of research
23:43 – College enrollment increases and the value of colleges
25:17 – Collaborative research relationships between colleges and universities
31:23 – Aspirations for the future

Thank you to our guests:

Dr. Jeff Taylor is the Associate Vice President of Applied Research and Innovation at Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC).
Pari Johnston is the President and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan).
Stefan Leslie is the CEO of Research Nova Scotia.

The Beyond Research Podcast is produced by Podstarter. It is available wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode, we consider how our environments can help or hinder the health of our population and discuss research aimed to understand the environmental factors influencing population health. We also explore the broader implications of creating supportive environments for chronic disease prevention, contributing to the well-being of communities and society at large.

Find our transcript here: https://researchns.ca/beyondresearch-informing-supportive-environments-for-a-healthier-population

In Season 3, Episode 8 – Informing Supportive Environments for a Healthier Population, we cover:

02:56 – High rates of chronic disease and the influence of our environments
04:16 – Dr. Kirk’s background and the research that led to the UpLift Partnership
12:39 – What is the UpLift Partnership
16:01 – An example of how the UpLift Partnership works and how community gets involved
21:47 – Broader impact on healthcare
22:42 – Broader teachings for youth
24:11 – Aspirations for the future

Thank you to our guests:

Dr. Sara Kirk is a Professor of Health Promotion at Dalhousie University, Scientific Director of the Healthy Populations Institute, and co-lead on the UpLift Partnership.

Shali Manuel is a Youth Engagement Coordinator for the UpLift Partnership. The UpLift Partnership is co-led by Dr. Sara Kirk and Dr. Camille Hancock Friesen. It focuses on promoting youth-engaged leadership for a healthier Nova Scotia. They deliberately target rural schools, contributing to health equity in traditionally underserved communities and engage government departments and community partners to embed a health culture in schools and surrounding communities.

The Beyond Research Podcast is produced by Podstarter. It is available wherever you get your podcasts.

If you like this episode, be sure to hit the subscribe button and leave us five stars. You can also follow us on social:

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In this episode, we continue our thought-provoking conversation with Stefan Leslie and Dr. Melissa Flagg. If you missed the last episode, Gaps; Opportunities in the Current Research System, you might want to listen to it first. It set the context for this discussion on a new initiative in Nova Scotia, Focused Research Investments (FRI).

Listen as we discuss the challenges and opportunities inherent in reshaping the research landscape, with a particular emphasis on salient, collaborative research, community engagement, and the pursuit of impactful solutions for society – solutions that address immediate problems but also have applicability in other ways and areas.

We hope you enjoy the conclusion of this insightful discussion.

Find our transcript here: https://researchns.ca/beyondresearch-addressing-the-gaps-focused-research-investments

In Season 3, Episode 7 – Addressing the Gaps: Focused Research Investments, we discuss:

01:10 – What are Focused Research Investments?
03:59 – Selecting and defining problems and outcomes
18:31 – The importance of collaborative and community-engaged research
23:06 – Key ingredients of Focused Research Investments and how they’re unique from other funding opportunities
29:30 – Challenges and opportunities inherent in reshaping the research landscape

Learn more about Focused Research Investments: https://researchns.ca/fri/ 

Thank you to our guests:
Dr. Melissa Flagg is the founder and president of Flagg Consulting LLC, a fellow at the Acquisition Innovation Research Center (AIRC), a visiting fellow at the Perry World House, and a senior advisor to the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown
University. Prior to this, she served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research, responsible for policy and oversight of Defense Department science and technology programs. Dr. Flagg has served on numerous boards including the National Academy of Sciences Air
Force Studies Board and the Department of Commerce Emerging Technology Research Advisory Committee. She is currently on the Advisory Board for the Andrew W. Marshall Foundation. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

Stefan Leslie is the CEO of Research Nova Scotia. Prior to this, he served as Executive Director of the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network, or MEOPAR, a national oceans research network. He has also worked for Fisheries and Oceans Canada and
the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries. 

The Beyond Research Podcast is produced by Podstarter. It is available wherever you get your podcasts.

If you like this episode, be sure to hit the subscribe button and leave us five stars. You can also follow us on social:

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This episode is a conversation between Dr. Melissa Flagg and Stefan Leslie that explores the challenges of tackling wicked and super wicked problems at both global and local scales, and the importance of understanding problems and the environments in which they exist.

They talk about gaps in the current research system, and how to experiment with different ways to support research. Melissa will talk about how important it is to understand the constraints that conditions what research should be done – and how that makes the research better.  Stefan will explore the value of supporting research that solves problems but creates knowledge that is valuable in other circumstances or situations.

If you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to listen to part two of the discussion coming soon. In the next episode, we will explore a new proactive and accountable investment in research funding created to better serve our communities and address the challenges faced by society.

Find our transcript here: https://www.researchns.ca/beyondresearch-gaps-and-opportunities-in-the-current-research-system

In Season 3, Episode 6 – Gaps & Opportunities in the Current Research System, we discuss:

09:15 – The research systems deviation toward the big, flashy, and novel
14:21 – Profit vs Production vs Prestige
21:12 – Research that solves problems and defining specific societal outcomes
39:42 – Discussing and envisioning a possible system to address some of the gaps

Thank you to our guests:

Dr. Melissa Flagg is the founder and president of Flagg Consulting LLC, a fellow at the Acquisition Innovation Research Center (AIRC), a visiting fellow at the Perry World House, and a senior advisor to the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown University. Prior to this, she served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research, responsible for policy and oversight of Defense Department science and technology programs. Dr. Flagg has served on numerous boards including the National Academy of Sciences Air Force Studies Board and the Department of Commerce Emerging Technology Research Advisory Committee. She is currently on the Advisory Board for the Andrew W. Marshall Foundation. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

Stefan Leslie is the CEO of Research Nova Scotia. Prior to this, he served as Executive Director of the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network, or MEOPAR, a national oceans research network. He has also worked for Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries. 

The Beyond Research Podcast is produced by Podstarter. It is available wherever you get your podcasts.

If you like this episode, be sure to hit the subscribe button and leave us five stars. You can also follow us on social:

Instagram: @beyondresearchpodcast
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In this episode, we explore a deep relationship where a utility and researchers work in partnership to identify and work on a range of water research challenges in water quality, water treatment, and stormwater management.

Our guests, Dr. Graham Gagnon at Dalhousie University and Dr. Wendy Krosek at Halifax Water discuss how they work together, where future
water supply and treatment may lie, and the key ingredients to a successful collaboration, with Stefan Leslie, CEO of Research Nova Scotia.

Find our transcript here: https://www.researchns.ca/beyondresearch-teaming-up-to-manage-water

In Season 3, Episode 5 – Teaming Up to Manage Water, we cover:
03:30 – Understanding the research partnership
05:51 – Importance of water
06:46 – Challenges impacting water and the research need
12:15 – Key ingredients to a successful research partnership model
19:58 – The social dimension and how this work is useful outside of the utility system
24:15 – Future work
27:47 – The next generation

Thank you to our guests:

Dr. Graham Gagnon is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Resource Engineering,
Director of the Centre for Water Resource Studies, and Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Planning at Dalhousie University.

Dr. Wendy Krkosek is the Water Quality Manager with Halifax Water.

Stefan Leslie is the CEO of Research Nova Scotia.

The Beyond Research Podcast is produced by Podstarter. It is available wherever you get your podcasts.

If you like this episode, be sure to hit the subscribe button and leave us five stars. You can also follow us on social:

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In this episode we explore a critical issue - the alarming rates of chronic diseases, presenting challenges for both individuals and our broader healthcare system. Join us as we discuss how research becomes the catalyst for the evolution of healthcare practices, transforming our perspective on preventative medicine and chronic disease management.

Find our transcript here: https://www.researchns.ca/beyondresearch-prescribing-wellness-the-evolution-of-chronic-disease-management

In Season 3, Episode 4 – Prescribing Wellness: The Evolution of Chronic Disease Management, we cover:

02:44 – Chronic disease rates and the challenges
03:42 - The research that started it all
08:30 – What is Exercise is Medicine
10:02 – Research impact for healthcare providers and patients
11:10 – People, places, and programs for individuals living with chronic disease
12:40 – Impact of physical activity and exercise on the healthcare system
14:43 – Research impact for individuals living with chronic diseases
17:47 – Next steps
19:48 – Impact on healthcare costs

Thank you to our guests:

Dr. Jonathon Fowles is a Professor in the School of Kinesiology and Director of the Centre of Lifestyle Studies at Acadia University.

Joy Chiekwe is the General Manager of Health Management at the John W. Lindsay YMCA in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Provincial Lead for the LiveWell YMCA program.

Verna MacKinnon is an Operations Consultant with a focus on physical activity for Nova Scotia Health’s primary health care and chronic disease management provincial network. 

The Beyond Research Podcast is produced by Podstarter. It is available wherever you get your podcasts. 

If you like this episode, be sure to hit the subscribe button and leave us five stars. You can also follow us on social:
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On the surface, this episode may seem like a story about boosting blueberry production, but it’s a tale of how local research can shape not only an industry, but an entire sector. This work is addressing challenges facing all agriculture crops, like disease, pests, and climate change.

Find our transcript here: https://www.researchns.ca/beyondresearch-agricultural-resilience-the-blueberry-effect

In Season 3, Episode 3 – Agricultural Resilience: The Blueberry Effect, we cover:

(02:37) Challenges faced by the wild blueberry industry before hiring a specialized researcher
(4:59) How research has helped the industry understand and develop solutions to challenges, like pests and diseases
(11:52) Current challenges faced by growers
(17:09) Impacts of climate events on the crops
(20:25) How the blueberry research is relevant to other agricultural crops
(22:18) Impact beyond Nova Scotia’s borders
(24:19) Future of the industry

Thank you to our guests:

Dr. David Percival is a Professor at Dalhousie Agricultural Campus in the Department of Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences.

Gary Brown has worked in the blueberry sector for more than 40 years. He currently does work with Millen Farms, a family-owned sustainable berry farm.

The Beyond Research Podcast is produced by Podstarter. It is available wherever you get your podcasts.

If you like this episode, be sure to hit the subscribe button and leave us five stars.

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Nova Scotians face a variety of harms and challenges at interpersonal, institutional, systemic, and societal level. Systemic racism, sexual harassment, institutional abuse, and accessibility are just some examples. Nova Scotians deserve and demand justice when they experience harm or when things go wrong in their communities. In this episode, we hear from a researcher of restorative justice and two community members who have established restorative justice practices to build safe, healthy, and inclusive communities.

Find our transcript here: https://researchns.ca/beyondresearch-restorative-justice-strengthening-communities-through-collaborative-research/ 

In Season 3, Episode 2 – Restorative Justice: Strengthening Communities Through Collaborative Research, we cover: 

04:30 – What is restorative justice?

07:26 – An example: How we respond in the youth criminal justice system

08:40 – The Restorative Research Innovation and Education lab

10:43 – An example: Restorative Public Inquiry into the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children

15:07 – An example: A school-wide restorative justice program

19:50 – Traditional structure of the school was actually setting us up for failure

22:55 – Outcomes of a school-wide restorative justice program

24:57 – Future aspirations

Thank you to our guests:

Richard Derible is a former Principal at Ecole St. Catherine’s Elementary School in Halifax and is currently the Executive Director of Restorative Initiatives at the Executive Council Office in Nova Scotia.

Jennifer Llewellyn is a Professor at Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law, Chair in Restorative Justice, and Director of the Restorative Research, Innovation, and Education Lab.

Jake MacIsaac is the Assistant Director of Security Services at Dalhousie University and was previously a casework leader at Nova Scotia’s largest restorative justice community-based agency.

You can dive deeper into Jake MacIsaac’s insights on restorative justice, by tuning into the Disorienting Dilemma Podcast

The Beyond Research Podcast is produced by Podstarter. It is available wherever you get your podcasts. 

If you like this episode, be sure to hit the subscribe button and leave us five stars. You can also follow us on social:

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There are many challenges impacting a healthier population in Nova Scotia. Some of these include physician recruitment; access to primary care; an aging population; infrastructure, equipment, and facilities renewal; and increased costs for health care research and delivery. In this episode, our guests discuss their research in local emergency departments to help address some of these challenges while improving patient care.

Find our transcript here: https://researchns.ca/beyondresearch-research-improving-diagnositc-imaging-in-the-er/ 

In Season 3, Episode 1 – Research Improving Diagnostic Imaging in the ER, we cover: 

03:02 – Success and impact in healthcare requires partnerships 

06:01 – What is an MRI and how does the new head-dedicated MRI differ?

08:33 – How can this MRI help solve challenges faced by healthcare? Example of stroke

09:57 – Partnership with Synaptive Medical

10:56 – Continued conversation on how this MRI could help solve challenges faced by healthcare

15:20 – Various research projects involving this technology

Thank you to our guests:

Dr. Steven Beyea is an Innovation Strategy Advisor and Research Scientist at the IWK Health Centre and a Professor in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at Dalhousie University.

Dr. Adela Cora is the Undergraduate Medical Education Program Director for Diagnostic Radiology, and an active, practicing physician in the Neuroradiology section of the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The Beyond Research Podcast is produced by Podstarter. It is available wherever you get your podcasts. 

If you like this episode, be sure to hit the subscribe button and leave us five stars. You can also follow us on social:

Instagram: @beyondresearchpodcast

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