April 11th 2024
Bi-weekly news from Spark: a centre for social research innovation at McMaster University
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Data Champions Recognition and Certificate Session
On March 25, 2024, Spark held a celebration to honor five graduate students that have spent this school year learning about research data management and working with faculty to apply that learning to research projects on which they serve as RAs. We call them Data Champions and were delighted to formally award each a Certificate of Attendance for successfully completing over 20 hours of hands-on training in Research Data Management (RDM), made possible through a SSHRC Connections Grant. Data Champions and their PIs reflected on the experiences this year and the opportunities to help other research teams incorporate strong data management practices throughout the life cycle of their projects. The Spark and Library RDM teams, which put on the training and have been actively working with the students throughout the year reflected on how much their individual experiences, challenges and triumphs have informed our thinking about how to support strong RDM practices across research projects.
Please join us in celebrating the following Data Champions who received a certificate:
Carly Richards, PhD Student, Sociology
Working with Dr. Marisa Young, Sociology
Liz Grigg, PhD Student, Social Work
Working with Dr. Mirna Carranza, Social Work
Helen Beny, PhD Student, Political Science
Working with Dr. Sara Bannerman, Communication Studies & Media Arts
Pamphilious (Phil) Faanu, PhD Student, Political Science
Working with Dr. Nathan Andrews, Political Science
Moyosore Sogaolu, PhD Student, Economics
Working with Allison Van, Brighter Spark Applied Research, Spark
Spark would again like to congratulate these absolutely exceptional Data Champions. Their commitment and dedication to the training and then application on their teams extends beyond this project to enact meaningful change. They’ve become part of a progressive, collective force for helping the broader community of researchers by serving as real world examples for further knowledge mobilization (we’re excited to show you soon what that mobilization will look like!). But for now, we are just overjoyed with their success and proud to call them our Data Champions!
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Resources for Researchers
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Research Conversations
We provide up to 4 hours of free support each year to any researcher (students, staff, faculty or community) on every social research topic imaginable. If we can't help you, we'll help you find someone who can.
Request a research conversation here
Qualtrics Licenses
If you are an Faculty of Social Sciences researcher who would like to request access to Qualtrics survey software, please contact us here.
Looking to pool software licences?
Now you can! Fill out this form and we will reach out if we can match you with others looking to pool licences.
Methods Demonstrations
Faculty in Social Sciences may request demonstrations, short trainings, or code-along sessions from Spark staff for Research Methods or Professional Skills courses. We're happy to discuss any needs and have already developed trainings for Literature Review, Interviewing, Survey Development, Focus Groups, Data Visualization. Email us at talk.to.spark@mcmaster.ca to discuss if there's a fit for your course.
CoLab
Research on research innovation (yes, it's very meta) points to a simple truth. Being in the same physical space and able to informally interact significantly increases cross-disciplinary collaboration and discovery. The Spark CoLab aims to be such a space. It is a free, open co-working space for graduate students, research staff and faculty. You can learn more on our website or stop by from 9 am - Noon or 1 pm - 4pm on Tuesday or Thursday for a tour and orientation.
SEAL
Some data is critical to addressing major research questions, but is also profoundly sensitive and must be secured. SEAL is a high security data repository that allows approved researchers worldwide to access highly sensitive data securely. Data owners can use it to engage researchers in using their datasets and researchers can access data that otherwise would not be available to them.
Learn more about SEAL at: https://seal.mcmaster.ca/
Brighter Spark Applied Research
Spark offers custom research and evaluation, as well as highly skilled assistance in implementing virtually any social research method. Our cost-recovery services include methods and software training, custom research, state-of-the-art facilities, and taking on elements of your project to support its completion.
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Help us profile your research, publications, job ads, opportunities, and upcoming events by sending them to: talk.to.spark@mcmaster.ca to be showcased in our following newsletter.
Society & Impact Luncheon: Promoting Intrapreneurship - How Universities Can Foster Societal Impact
Date: Monday, April 15
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Location: Great Hall, AMH
Speaker: Benson Honig (Professor, Human Resources & Management DeGroote School of Business)
Dr. Sukhvinder Obhi, Associate Vice-President, Research (Society & Impact), invites you to join Dr. Benson Honig to explore the evolving role universities play as agents of positive social and economic change, particularly through digital social intrapreneurship - innovation led by academic leaders across the disciplines. Through an in-depth case-study of an international virtual incubator, Dr. Honig unveils a unique model of academic intrapreneurship that integrates research, entrepreneurship, digitization, and social responsibility to help researchers mobilize their work in local and global communities.
12:00 p.m. Welcome Remarks | 12:05 p.m. Presentation | 1:00 p.m. Lunch Served
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Grant Applications: Updated Dates
The June 15 deadline for Partnership Engage Grants has been moved forward to May 22. This is a one-time change for the 2024-25 cycle. Going forward, the standard application deadlines will be in place.
https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/programs-programmes/partnership_engage_grants-subventions_d_engagement_partenarial-eng.aspx
The August 1 deadline for Connection Grants has moved forward to June 20. This is a one-time change for the 2024-25 cycle. Going forward, the standard application deadlines will be in place.
https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/programs-programmes/connection_grants-subventions_connexion-eng.aspx
Exit Protocols + Data Transfer: Research Data Management Community of Practice
What happens to data when your grad student graduates? How do you deal with data transfers when you change institutions? This month, our RDM Community of Practice roundtable will focus on how researchers deal with exit protocols and data transfer. Join us Thursday, April 25 at 11 AM for a great discussion! We will be joined by Dr. Maureen MacDonald (Dean of Science, Kinesiology) and her grad students to discuss data storage, backup, and documentation when students finish their projects and degrees; and Dr. Blaise Bourdin (Mathematics) who will share his process of transferring large volumes of data when he joined McMaster and beyond.
Get a calendar invite for this session or learn more and join the RDM community!
ARMS mental health research symposium: Call for student poster and art submissions (spring 2024)
ARMS is excited to host a two-day community-engaged mental health research symposium. The symposium, scheduled for May 1, 2024 (9am-4pm) and May 2, 2024 (9am-2:30pm), aims to bridge the gap between academia and community knowledge in mental health research. The event is a response to the emerging interest in combining social scientific methodologies with community-driven insights in mental health research. It aims to foster connections and exchange knowledge between students, academics, and community stakeholders. The symposium will feature presentations, workshops, and panels led by community mental health experts, graduate students, and interdisciplinary faculty, all dedicated to establishing effective, community-engaged research partnerships.
Learn more about student poster submissions & art submissions here:
Registration will start early April, so keep a look out for the registration link on this
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Let's celebrate the achievements of colleagues, friends, and those doing important social research with the potential to spark a brighter world. We welcome recommendations for kudos features (including for yourself)! Please send any features you would like us to mention by emailing us at: talk.to.spark@mcmaster.ca.
Kudos to The Office of Community Engagement, who hosted a great Community-Engaged Research Day on March 28th 2024. Spark was thrilled to be part of such an important day and learn about all of the Community-Engaged Research (CER) that is happening at McMaster University in partnership with Hamilton organizations and communities.
Congratulations to Sara Wolfe, who has been named external director of Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement. As external director, Wolfe will oversee Wilson College’s external advisory council, which is made up of diverse leaders from the public, private and non-profit sectors and advises the College’s academic director and internal governing board. Learn more here.
Shoutout to Melissa Dunham (Anthropology Instructional Assistant) who has won the prestigious Geoff Egan Prize for Finds Research. Learn more about Melissa's research and the award here.
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