University of Victoria
AC-10: Support for Research

The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) is a interdisciplinary knowledge network, the hub of which is located at the University of Victoria, that brings together leading researchers from British Columbia (BC) and around the world to study the impacts of climate change and to develop positive approaches to mitigation and adaptation. PICS is a collaboration between the four major research intensive Universities in BC (UVic, UBC, UNBC, and SFU) and functions to promote sustainable research among students from all partner institutions. To promote this research, PICS offers graduate fellowships, post doctoral fellowships, and an internship program that funds public sector and non-profit organizations to hire students from the four PICS universities to work on climate change research and policy projects around the province.

The Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic) at the University of Victoria is a interdisciplinary research institute that provides a unique space for faculty and student researchers from the sciences, social sciences, and engineering to collaborate on alternative energy research. This program was established in 1989 as a hydrogen and fuel cell research centre, but it has since broadened its focus to include low carbon energy systems and renewable energy, which according to the Institutes research mission statement, is with the "future always in mind, considering what sustainable energy systems should look like, what technology and knowledge are needed to implement them and how these elements might be feasibly developed and distributed." In 2013, four researchers were receiving grants through IESVic.

The institution follows the Collective Agreement between the University of Victoria and the UVic Faculty Association. There are specific clauses which state that every department or academic unit makes the decision regarding criteria for positive recognition which affects interdisciplinary research at the institution. This allows for some disciplines that are interdisciplinary to ensure that criteria for faculty renewal, permanent appointments, and promotion recognises the transdisciplinary fields. See Notes section below for related clauses from the Collective Agreement. UVic has a number of interdisciplinary programs which include faculty from a number of departments. Current interdisciplinary programs that have sustainability-related components include: Human Dimensions of Climate Change Indigenous Studies Social Justice Studies Cultural, Social and Political Thought Social Dimensions of Health Full list of interdisciplinary programs: http://www.uvic.ca/interdisciplinary/

The UVic library hosts a subject librarian who is dedicated, in part, to the School of Environmental Studies. This individual provides in depth research support for students and faculty working on sustainability related research initiatives.

UVic hosts a number of research centres and two of these are relevant to supporting sustainability research. These include the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions and the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems. These organization provide funding, but they also provide a interdisciplinary space for applied research on the topic of sustainability to be collaborated upon. Collective Agreement related clauses: Evaluation of Scholarly and Professional Achievement: 19.8 Scholarly and professional achievement means continuing mastery of one’s field of knowledge and the awareness of current scholarship in one’s own and closely related fields, and the nature, quality, and extent of one’s research, professional, and creative activity as described in the evaluation policy of the Faculty and Department in which the Faculty Member holds an appointment. 19.9 Scholarly and professional achievement will be evaluated in all possible manifestations and may include, but is not limited to, the following, as specified in each Faculty’s evaluation policy and any relevant departmental policies: (con't in full document) Salary Adjustment Evaluation: 19.29 Salary evaluations will review a Member’s performance in accordance with the following rules: 19.29.1 For evaluation purposes related to salary increments, Faculty Members are evaluated according to the criteria described in this section, based on performance over the four years of service preceding January 1 of the year in which the Member is evaluated. Where the Faculty Member has been at the University for less than four years, the Member is evaluated on the basis of the actual years of service, on the basis of performance expectations that are proportionate to the period of review. 20.2 The performance expectations must be developed by the Chair and approved by majority vote of the Department and must be consistent with the Faculty Evaluation Policy. In a Faculty with Departments, the performance expectations must be approved by the Dean