Yaffle: A Matchmaking Tool for Engagement
-
Upload
researchimpact-reseauimpactrecherche -
Category
Education
-
view
1.023 -
download
0
Transcript of Yaffle: A Matchmaking Tool for Engagement
Outline
• What is Yaffle?
• The Harris Centre @ MUN
• Yaffle within the Harris Centre mandate
• Building Yaffle
• Running Yaffle
• The future of Yaffle
What in the world is a Yaffle?
• There are lots of databases and online tools
• To our knowledge, nowhere has a university
committed to link its research and expertise
in such an accessible way
• Nowhere is there a vehicle for
citizens, communities and organizations to
submit ideas for new research or propose
ways to collaborate
A „marketplace‟ for knowledge
Yaffle within the Harris Centre
Building Yaffle
A partnership from day 1
• The Harris Centre developed Yaffle through a collaborative process with the support of the Office of Research, Marketing & Communications, Computing & Communications and the QEII Library
• A project steering committee: NL Regional Economic Development Association, Municipalities N&L, Federal and Provincial governments
• A project technical advisory committee
• Project staff
Funding Partnerships
• Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Market Development Agreement
• System Development
• Regional Workshops (14): With the Regional Economic
Development Boards (additional support from the
Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development)• Memorial University
• VP (Research) Office• School of Graduate Studies
• SSHRC KIS Program• College of the North Atlantic• Rural Secretariat; 9 Regional Councils• Over 50 Graduate Students• Knowledge Transfer Sessions
Lessons from Development Process
• Executive Support
• Integration into existing systems and processes while shifting the university culture
• Faculty buy-in• “Something else to update”
• Graduate student lay summary collection across different faculties
• Regional Workshops (funded by LMDA)• Assisted in lay summary and new opportunity collection
Solutions
• Projects administered through Office of Research included in Yaffle
• Tri-council proposals already require lay summaries
• Marketing to faculty – finding ways to impart the value of promotion through Yaffle• Find research collaborations• Attract graduate student research• Demonstrate KMb for grant opportunities
• Track and report output for P&T
Running Yaffle
Current Memorial Operations
• 3 person operational staff
• Technical & developmental support from Memorial’s institutional IT department
• MUN Champion Steering Committee in place
• VP Research support for Yaffle operations
• Yaffle supports the work of the KMb team
Yaffle Today
• Over 75,000 searches since public launch (Feb. 2009)• Accessed from 177 countries over 6 continents• Average of 100 users per day
• Graduate Students using Yaffle for thesis topics
• MITACS Identification of Internships
• Government, Community and Media constant users
• 2010 – 18 new brokered projects
• Formalized communications w/ Office of Research
and School of Graduate Studies to automatically
communicate research awards
Lay Summary
Submitted by
User
Lay Summary
Submitted to
Review Queue
Lay Summary
Reviewed by
Yaffle Staff
Revision/Approval Process (if required)
Lay Summary Approved and
Added to Active Database
Some of our stories – Part I
• Healthcare in Labrador
• Provincial government wants to better understand
why people in Labrador are not accessing quality
healthcare in their communities
• They submitted an Opportunity in Yaffle
• A MUN researcher found the Opportunity and
contacted the sponsoring government
department
• A project is now underway to explore these issues
Some of our stories – Part II
• Energy Model for Southern Labrador
• Southeastern Aurora Development Corporation
wants to explore possible solutions to the limited
energy reserves problem in Southern Labrador
• A possible researcher emerged through a Yaffle
connection
• The Harris Centre is now facilitating a possible
longer term connection related to this project
Some of our stories – Part III
• Biochemistry – Dr. Sue Ghazala
• Uses Yaffle to find prospective graduate students
• Placed 2 graduate International graduate students
• Is contacted at least twice a week from prospective
students
• Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Uses Yaffle to find researchers
• Pending projects in bio-fuels and water-quality with
Ms. Kelly Hawbolt in Engineering
• Funded project with Dr. Sue Ghazala in Biochemistry
The Future of Yaffle
Yaffle 2.0
• Running for 2 years
• Revisiting initial requirements
• Choose changes and enhancements
• Expansion exploration – Gardiner Centre
Solutions Report
• Pilot update – intention to partner to share
Yaffle
Discussion