Research Partner Network

Operating within the portfolio of the Vice-President (Research and Innovation), the goal of the RPNet is to increase the success of U of A research proposals and reduce administrative load on our researchers by providing hands-on research development support that is institution-wide, researcher-focused, competition-specific; and includes best practices in research proposal crafting and application development, requirements related to external funding sponsors, and streamlining of the research development and administration continuum.

Supports that RPNet Offers

  • Strategic advice: Peer mentoring, aligning research proposals with funder requirements, grant laddering, academic content, knowledge mobilization/translation, and research data management.
  • Grant-crafting: Group sessions to improve grant genre literacy and grant writing proficiency.
  • Grant application development: Proposed research project/program concept assessment, proposal peer review, editorial review, occasional research assistant and graphics support.
  • Research team and sponsor relations development: Facilitation of networking opportunities between researcher-colleagues and between researchers and funders.
  • Grant support coordination: Engagement with relevant and complementary units at the University of Alberta to enhance proposals.

RPNet Directory

Currently, the Research Partner Network consists of a Director, three Senior Research Partners (one for each college), a Manager Research Administration Support Services, and ten Research Partners who assist with institution-wide research grant development and offer faculty-specific support. Below are the directory links and affiliated research areas/specializations of each current Research Partner. Please reach out to the Research Partner that is most closely aligned with your own research goals/interests for more information on the specific grant development supports available to you:

  • Julie Stephens MSc. Director, Research Partner Network
  • Kelly Maher MSc. Senior Research Partner, Natural & Applied Sciences
  • Mark Taylor MSc. Senior Research Partner, Health Sciences
  • Heather Young-Leslie PhD. Senior Research Partner, Social Sciences & Humanities
  • Angela McCormick BComm, BEd. Manager Research Administration Support Services
  • Feiyue Akishyn PhD. Research Partner, Health Research (on leave)
  • Lan Chan-Marples MEd. Research Partner, Community-Engaged Research
  • Gareth Corry PhD. Research Partner, Health Research and CIHR Competitions
  • Robin Love MSc. Research Partner, Clinical Research
  • Terra Garneau PEng. Research Partner, Industry and Applied Partnerships
  • Chris Kazala MSc. Research Partner, Industry and Applied Partnerships
  • Grant Kemp PhD. Research Partner, International, and Engineering and Natural Sciences Research (starting Aug 2023) 
  • Sylvia Ijeoma Madueke PhD, Research Partner, Business, Law, Réseau en français 
  • Ayantika Mukherjee, AbD, Research Partner, Creative Arts and Research-Creation 
  • Craig Taylor PhD. Research Partner, Humanities & Social Sciences Research and major SSHRC competitions

RPNet Future Plans (IN PROGRESS AS OF JUNE 2023)

Our ultimate goal is to develop a fully integrated research model which seamlessly integrates services across all faculties, colleges, college Offices of Research, and the VPRI portfolio. 

These expansion efforts include:

  • hiring another Senior Research Partner to the network who will support stand-alone faculties to ensure they receive the same levels of support as the three colleges, 
  • hiring additional Research Partners who will allow us to expand the research grant development and faculty-specific support provided to researchers, including:
    • Additional training opportunities for researchers
    • Help with innovation and technology transfer
    • Specialized research development support (topic and sponsor-specific) for:
      • interdisciplinary, large-scale team grants;
      • CFI and CRC applications;
      • Clinical research;
      • international research activities;
      • fine arts research and creative works; and/or
      • Indigenous-led and Indigenous-engaged research.
  • hiring several new Research Administration Specialist positions to the current Research Partners Network structure to directly help researchers navigate the administrative environment and connect to resources, and provide direct, hands-on support for researchers with administrative tasks (e.g., preparing budgets for research applications).

These new roles – 16 positions total – are expected to be added within the coming months. Anyone interested in joining the RPNet in any of the previously-described capacities is strongly encouraged to apply. We also encourage you to check back here periodically for further updates on the development of the RPNet.