Statement on the War in Ukraine

On behalf of the U of T community, President Gertler has issued a statement condemning the violence in Ukraine.

A&S Digital Learning Strategy Hives Start Monday

Join Dean Melanie Woodin at an upcoming Digital Learning Strategy Hive and share your insights and ideas for what we should prioritize in digital learning. These consultation sessions are an important next step in the Faculty’s efforts to continue to improve and enhance digital learning supports and resources for everyone in our community. Registration is required.

Register for a session:

• March 7, 2022, 3–4:30 pm
• March 23, 2022, 3–4:30 pm
• April 4, 2022, 10–11:30 am

Academic Searches

The Faculty is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on the advisory search committee for the Chair of the Department of Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations. Deadline: March 4, 2022. Contact: Daniela Trapani.

Feedback on Collaborative Annotation and Audience Response Tool

There are several new initiatives coming to U of T’s Academic Toolbox. Two tools are ready for faculty feedback on the functional requirements in anticipation of the upcoming requests for proposals. The details have been shared by Academic & Collaborative Technologies.

• Collaborative or Social Annotation Tool: Feedback due March 7, 2022
• Audience Response Tool: Feedback due March 9, 2022

Teaching & Learning Community of Practice Session

Join the Teaching & Learning Community of Practice (CoP) and Professor Alec Jacobson of the Department of Computer Science via Zoom to discuss the benefits and shortcomings of role-playing in paper-reading seminars. Register via the T&L CoP web page.

Date: March 8, 2022, 2–3 pm

Spring 2022 Nominations and Elections for 2022–23 Arts & Science Council

Spring elections will be held in March 2022 for elected positions on the Arts & Science Council and Standing Committees. Nominations for these elections will be open from February 28 to March 11 for elected positions for undergraduate students, graduate students, administrative and technical staff, and teaching staff members of Council.

Climate Positive Energy & Climate Positive Campus Funding

The Climate Positive Energy research initiative is partnering with U of T’s Climate Positive Campus to support research that assists U of T in reaching its net-negative 2050 campus goals. Funding up to $100,000 over two years is intended to support research projects that have the potential to be piloted at U of T within five years. Submit applications to: info@cpe.utoronto.ca.

Deadline: March 10, 2022

Research Opportunities Program Virtual Fair

The A&S community is invited to attend a showcase of undergraduate Arts & Science Research Opportunities Program projects from Fall/Winter 2021–22. Open to all U of T faculty, staff and students, attendees can browse a variety of research posters and engage with student presenters.

Date: March 17, 2022, 3–5 pm

Applications Open for DSI Doctoral Student Fellowships

The Data Sciences Institute Doctoral Student Fellowships support multi-disciplinary training and collaborative research in data sciences that include faculty from the University of Toronto and external funding partner institutes. Q&A information session: March 3, 2022, 9–10 am.

Deadline: April 11, 2022

Results of the 2022 Governing Council Election

The list of successful candidates who will serve on the Governing Council in 2022–23 has been announced. Also announced are the members of the 2022–23 Academic Board, UTM Campus Council and its standing committees, and UTSC Campus Council and its standing committees.

Multi-factor Authentication Required

Join the thousands who have already enrolled in UTORMFA — an ITS Information Security initiative that verifies your identity using a second factor, like a mobile device, ensuring that only you can log in. A&S IIT is working with your department leaders to deploy UTORMFA to all faculty members with the goal of ensuring all have enrolled in the next few months. Anyone with an active UTORid can opt-in to UTORMFA at any time with their personal mobile device. Watch a video demo of the enrolment process and start your self-enrolment.

Contact A&S IIT for more information or, if you are not able to use your personal mobile device, to acquire a free A&S MFA token.

Research Information Sessions & Webinars

• University-Industry Partnerships (UIDP) Training Series — Equip Researchers for Sponsored Research Collaboration: Ongoing–April 14, 2022, 11 am.
• Facilitation for Researchers 101 Information Session Series: Ongoing–May 11, 2022. Pre-registration required.
• Community Based Research Canada Online Series: Ongoing–April 8, 2022. Open to all members of the U of T community. Pre-registration required.

Visit the Centre for Research & Innovation Support for a complete listing of research related information sessions, webinars and panels. 

Research Partnership Opportunities

• XSeed Interdivisional Research Funding Program 2022–24: Funding is available for four new partnerships between A&S and the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering ($60,000/year for two years, starting September 2022). Application deadline: March 7, 2022, 12 pm. A&S Contact: Glaucia Lima.
• Emerging Project Fund — Critical Digital Humanities Initiative: The Critical Digital Humanities Initiative’s Emerging Project Fund offers funding for time-limited, faculty and librarian digital humanities project planning, international partnership networking, and/or tool-building through competitive seed grants. Application Deadline: March 25, 2022.
• Community Partnership Research Program: Funding to help create new collaborative research partnerships, or nurture early-stage partnerships, between the University and community partners. Research funding of up to $50,000/year for up to two years. Deadline for Notice of Intent (NOI): March 15, 2022 (submit to connaught.secretariat@utoronto.ca); Application deadline: May 2, 2022 (submit via MRA). A&S Contacts: Gabrielle Sugar and Sloane Evariste.

Funds for Recruiting Research Trainees

• Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowships Program: U of T’s Postdoctoral Fellowship program provides funding to increase opportunities for hiring postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented groups, specifically Indigenous and Black researchers. Deadline: March 15, 2022.
• University of Toronto Excellence Awards: The University of Toronto Excellence Award (UTEA) program provides undergraduate students from both the Natural Sciences & Engineering (NSE) and the Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH) with funding to conduct summer research projects under the supervision of U of T faculty members. Deadline: March 25, 2022.

Research Grant Application Support

• CIHR Spring Project Grants: Sponsor deadline: March 16, 2022. RSO MRA deadline: March 9, 2022. A&S contacts: Sloane Evariste and Gabrielle Sugar.
• NSERC CREATE Program — U of T Multi-step Process: RSO LOI deadline: March 11, 2022. A&S contact: Sloane Evariste.
• SSHRC Connection Grants: A&S review deadline: April 12, 2022. A&S contact: Gabrielle Sugar. OVPI matching funds available for May 1, 2022 competition. Contact: Anett Trifonov. Proposals must be international in scope.
• New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) Special Call: Research for Post-pandemic Recovery: Notice of Intent to Apply deadline: April 26, 2022 (submit on NFRF Convergence Portal); A&S NOI review deadline: April 12, 2022 (to Sloane Evariste or Gabrielle Sugar); Application deadline: August 9, 2022.

Visit the Research Services web page for a full list of A&S grant review deadlines and resources and see the A&S Research Directory for your unit staff support.

COVID-19 Updates & Resources

• Visit U of T’s COVID-19 UTogether website for regular updates and resources and UTogether at A&S for Arts & Science-specific information.
• All U of T community members who are required on campus must complete UCheck before arriving to provide proof of vaccination and COVID-19 self-assessments.