Preliminary Keynote for NSF Workshop, March 16th, 2011
Background
Funding in CanadaTri-council + Arts CouncilThe NCE program: How does it work?The “five pillars” of NCE evaluation:
• Research• HQP• Networking & partnerships• Knowledge & Technology - Exchange & Exploitation• Management of the Network
GRAND
Graphisme, animation et nouveaux médiasGraphics, Animation and New Media
*really “Games, Animation, and New Media” ( but jeux doesn’t start with “g”!)
Funding of $4.65M per year for five years was announced on December 1, 2009
GRAND began operations on January 1, 2010
Innovation + Social Impact
We combine high-level understanding of enabling technologies
With research on creation, design, and usability of multimedia experiences
Arts, humanities, science, technology, and design are all needed for significant, adoptable innovation
Digital media is much more than entertainmentNew policies are needed to engage and protect
citizens and businesses in all sectors - health, education, law, environment, and government
It Isn’t Just Technology
We don’t want to build “the best systems that no one wants to use,” we want to build systems that meet society’s needs
“All technology, all the time” isn’t the answerTelidon was Canadian technology that failed not
because of technology problems… it failed because of social, legal, economic, and
cultural/artistic problems
SSHRC + NSERCGRAND researchers include experts in media
studies, content producers, HCI specialists, computer scientists, engineers, animators, game designers, and experts in new media business and policy
Directors for SS/H and STEM research disciplines and for Art/Design Practice
Media convergence is rapidly accelerating and affecting all aspects of life
This requires deep understanding of social, experiential, and design contexts and constraints
Governance Structure
Participants
63 network investigators86 collaborating researchers100+ postdocs and students23 universities40+ industry, government, and NGO partners7+/- staff
Agile Matrix Organization
Structured to provide powerful, multidisciplinary collaboration
Networking is “built in” to the structure to encourage ourresearchersgraduate students, andpartners and other receptor groups
to work together from the outset
5x30x50 Project Matrix
5 themes provide critical focus30+ projects cross themes for synergy50+ network investigators add diversity40+ collaborating domain expertsThemes provide top-down visionProjects provide bottom-up innovation
How do we manage this?
Network investigators are the key building blockProjects are fluid collaborationsProject champions represent partners in the receptor
communityCollaborating researchers are identified for specific
expertiseFunding is allocated to network investigators based
on their contributions and partnerships
Accountability
• Annual progress reports from NIs, projects, & themes
• Project champions
• External reviewers
• Bi-annual external project reviews
• Quarterly “new opportunities” for projects
• Annual International Scientific Advisory Committee full review
• Annual report to NCE Program by Board
Special Internal Projects
Two special projects focus inward & keep us on our toes:
MEOW Media Enabled Organizational Workflow
NAVEL Network Assessment and Validation for Effective Leadership
HQP Training
• Over 150 students including:
12 postdocs
55 PhD, 75 master’s,
10 undergrad interns
5 research technicians• Multidisciplinary mix• Graduate Student Advisory Committee
Opportunities
MITACS ACCELERATE internshipsWorkshops and Design KeystonesAccess to 18 CFI-funded labsExchange visitsCollaboration across institutionsGRAND Challenge Competition
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Networking & Partnerships
Accelerating the exploitation of new knowledge and technology, GRAND will encourage, enable and support the rapid exchange of ideas between academic researchers and receptor communities.
Networking and Partnerships are the tools for this rapid exchange. They account for 20% of the NCE criteria
R&D Linkage with Network Partners 9 federal/provincial agencies
2 specialize in commercialization 22 private sector partners performing R&D in Canada
15 Canadian 7 multinational
Companies in relevant receptor sectors Games Design, simulation, visualization Simulation for training Wireless services Filmmaking and postproduction Interactive digital media Computer platforms for digital media and innovative display
environments
Public Sector Network Partners
R&D Links with Federal and Provincial Agencies: BC Hydro Power Smart Canadian Film Centre Communications Research Centre (Industry Canada) Defence Research Development Canada National Film Board Ontario Privacy Commissioner Science World
Innovation, Commercialization, Exploitation Partners: BC Innovation Council Canadian Digital Media Network (Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and
Research)
Private Sector Network Partners
Autodesk Bardel Entertainment BioWare CAE CM Labs Vortex Coole Immersive Deluxe Postproduction Electronic Arts Gsmprjct Immersion Intel Metranome Pixar
Precision Conference Solutions Ramius RapidMind (now Intel Waterloo) Rogers SAP Saskatchewan in motion Science World Side Effects Software Toronto Rehabilitation Institute Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH
Academic N&P: the “easy” part
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The structure:
GRAND’s 32+ projects: multi-researcher, multi-university
External Project Champions in each project
GRAND’s Network Investigators: multiple projects each
How do we know when we are “winning”?
Better topics.
Shared perspectives.
Co-authored work and papers.
Receptor N&P: the “hard” part
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Lightly built into the GRAND structure
except for Project Champions
Occurs project-by-project and GRAND-wide.
GRAND Peaks
How do we know we are winning?
Partners voting with their feet.
Knowledge & Technology Exchange & Exploitation
Typically every project has a Champion:- network partner company, or- representative of a user sector
Dissemination of results:• through peer-reviewed public-domain literature• through exhibitions and performances• Workshops, AGM, KeystonesIP Policies of individual universities are respected.
Main Impact is Knowledge Exchange
Partner companies that are broadly interested in GRAND topics, with potential interest in several projects
Companies and User Groups involved with a team of researchers
Estimate and “capture” their support- financial contributions to the research- in-kind services and experts’ time
Events to Accelerate KE
ACM SIGGRAPH chaptersVancouver, Montreal, Toronto and more as part of
monthly local chapter meetings AGM collocated with:
2010 AI/GI/CRV conference (Ottawa)2011 ACM CHI conference (Vancouver)
Keystone Series involve partners, art and design practitioners, and
business to get cross-disciplinary, fast-track outcomesFirst four Keystones will focus on: Design, Simulation,
Play and Mobility.
Our challenges
• What is research? • Discovery - Creation - Practice
• Multidisciplinary research requires collaboration• Each discipline has its own customs, canon,
standards, and language• It takes effort to appreciate each other’s
strengths• Enforced structure vs. organic structure• What is excellent - and who determines this?
Thank-you!
For more information:
http://www.grand-nce.ca/