Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity Committees

There are a number of committees that support the adjudication of VIU’s internal research awards, grants and scholarships.

Note to committee members: For electronic copies of committee documents please visit VIU's Archiving System. Internal Viewer: Restricted to VIU Employees only. Public Viewer: Committee documents open to the public.

BCGEU Group Professional Development Committee

BCGEU Group Professional Development Committee sponsors activities that will help to maintain excellence of instruction and educational service at VIU. Funds are intended for group events that enable a range of BCGEU members to experience professional and/or scholarly development. Please visit BCGEU Group PD Fund for further information, an application form, and the committee membership list.

NSERC Awards Selection Committee

This committee administers student awards granted to VIU from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). VIU receives a quota from NSERC to nominate students for the Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA). VIU is required to conduct a fair and transparent internal selection process for these awards.

Committee Members

Conflict of Interest Guidelines

Terms of Reference

VIU Faculty Association Professional & Scholarly Development Committee

The VIUFA Professional & Scholarly Development Committee sponsors activity that, in their opinion, will help to maintain excellence of instruction and educational service at VIU. The committee members evaluate and support events and activities on the basis of how much professional interest they are to the general faculty.

Committee Members

Terms of Reference

VIUFA Collective Agreement, Article 12.3 – Professional Development

Funding Administered by this Committee

VIUFA Professional and Scholarly Development Funding

Research, Scholarly Activity and Curriculum Development Committee

The Research, Scholarly Activity and Curriculum Development Committee recognizes that scholarly activity and curriculum development are important to academic excellence and essential components of the faculty workload. The Committee has three categories of awards to support these activities: a) release sections – available to regular faculty (normally awarded in the Fall only); b) research and curriculum development funding of up to $1,000 available to regular and temporary faculty (awarded both Fall and Spring); and c) funding of up to $1,000 for conference attendance for temporary faculty (awarded both Fall and Spring).

Committee Members

Terms of Reference

VIUFA Collective Agreement, Article 12.5 – Scholarly Activity

VIU Research Awards Committee (VIURAC)

These internal awards are a funding source for faculty at VIU to engage in scholarship, research, and creative activity (SRCA). The new funding pots align with the lifecycle framework for SRCA as outlined in the new Strategic Research Plan 2017 - 2022.

Committee Members

Terms of Reference

Graduate Scholarship Selection Committee

This Committee administers the Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's (CGS-M) scholarships granted to VIU from the Tri-Agencies (SSHRC - Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, NSERC - Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and CIHR - Canadian Institutes for Health Research). Each year VIU receives a quota from the Tri-Agencies for these awards.

Committee Members

VIU is mandated to conduct an internal selection process and select recipients for these awards. For details of VIU's current quota, visit our CGS-M webpage.

Awards Administered by this Committee

• Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's Program

Terms of Reference

Conflict of Interest Guidelines

Student Travel and Research Committee (STAR)

Vancouver Island University Student Travel and Research Committee supports students who wish to engage in research and attend conferences. The committee serves two purposes: 1) Allocate external funds given to the institution for student-led research; and 2) Allocate funds provided by VIU for student research-related travel to professional and academic conferences.

Committee Members

Awards Granted by this Committee

• REACH Award
• Conference funding

Terms of Reference

Conflict of Interest Guidelines

Travel and Conference Proceedings Funding Committee

This Committee administers Travel & Conference Funding awards for training and conference participation and presentation for the B.C. Government & Service Employees' Union and for conference participation and presentation for the VIU Faculty Association.  

Committee Members

Affiliation of Committee

Advisory to the Provost and Vice-President Academic.

VIUFA Leave Committee

In order to maintain excellence of instruction and educational service at VIU, it is recognized that there is a need for faculty to have the opportunity to participate in and pursue activities related to professional development. The VIUFA Leave Committee administers the funding of leave endeavours.

Committee Members

Terms of Reference

VIUFA Collective Agreement: Article 12.3 Professional Development; Article 12.4 Assisted Leave; Article 12.15 General Leave

Michael L.Warsh Law Corporation Committee

The Michael L. Warsh Law Corporation Committee selects award recipients for the Michael L. Warsh Law Corporation Award.

The Michael L. Warsh Law Corporation Committee promotes and recognizes outstanding research and research potential in any discipline. Research may include the following: independent research supervised by a faculty member; an independent project undertaken for credit, e.g. under the 491 code; research undertaken as a Work-Opportunities student; financially supported or pro bono research as part of a faculty member’s project, or any other similar project. The Award is targeted to a student who intends to pursue postgraduate studies, and who is entered in his/her last two semesters. Faculty recognize that research grants and awards are crucial aspects of graduate school admissions and future grant application success.

Committee Members

Regional Initiatives Fund

The Regional Initiatives Fund (RIF) is an initiative undertaken in partnership between Vancouver Island University (VIU) and the Province of British Columbia to enable communities of Vancouver Island to collaborate on projects that develop scholarly connections through meaningful student involvement in community-based applied research that directly respond to community needs, that promote innovative and sustainable solutions to those needs and that benefit regional initiatives relating to lands, people, and sustainability with a particular interest in supporting Indigenous communities and projects.

Committee Members