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A transdisciplinary program at the University of �����о��� has received $1.65 million in funding to support engineering and science sustainability training and mentoring for graduate students. 

The funding from the (NSERC) was from its annual  competition in April. 

Among the 21 training initiatives supported by CREATE across Canada, 11 co-principal investigators (PIs), eight of which are U�����о��� researchers, received funding for their project, Transdisciplinary Engineering and Science for Sustainability (TESS), for the next six years. 

Grad students to tackle “wicked problems”

The team is creating a program meant to equip the next generation of graduate students with the necessary tools to partner with communities and tackle "wicked problems," while thinking about ethical considerations.

Wicked problems are different from “kind problems,” says , PhD, co-PI and a professor in the .

“Kind problems have a solution or algorithm; you know when you’ve solved it. For example, playing a game of chess, you know when the game is over,” says Behjat, who is also NSERC Prairie Chair for Women in Science and Engineering. 

Alternatively, adds Behjat, there is not one way to solve wicked problems and there is no blueprint for them. 

“Unfortunately, the problems we are facing today, such as climate change, are wicked problems; the parameters are constantly changing. Solving one part can cause a ripple effect somewhere else,” she says. 

And graduate students are at the heart of solving these problems.

“This program is what we believe education should be for those attempting to work in scientific and engineering careers,” says , PhD, program collaborator and associate dean of sustainability with Schulich. 

“We will focus not only on technical aspects, but also on skills that will allow new professionals to come up with more integrated, holistic visions to cope with the challenges of society right now and in the future, including equity, justice, and transdisciplinary and systemic thinking.” 

The program will be centred around four modules to ensure that students innovate responsibly and inclusively for real-world impact. The modules are values-based science and ethical design, science communication, knowledge co-production and community-based science, and science policy.

It is interesting to note that this grant has integrated the use of an arts approach for science communication.

“Our plan is to use a theatrical performance as part of the knowledge mobilization plan, and not simply as instrumentalizing the arts, but understanding that story and performance are more effective change agents,” says , program collaborator and associate professor, Drama, in the School of Creative and Performing Arts at the .

“The impact of story is to create meaning, to reflect shared experiences and learning, and harness the power of gathering together in real time, in real space, with real people,” she adds.

The dream team

Having brought together a dream team, Behjat says their work can’t be done with just scientists and engineers, and they hope to create a blueprint for other graduate programs across Canada. 

“This has to be a community on its own, breaking down traditional hierarchies in science and engineering because we are so much stronger together,” says Behjat. 

Led by U�����о���, the team includes collaborators from across the country, including the universities of Ottawa, Manitoba, Guelph and Alberta; Wilfrid Laurier University; Université de Sherbrooke; Delft University of Technology; and three non-profits: ,  and . 

The team of 35 individuals make up six working groups, focused on value-based science, science communication, knowledge co-production and community, science policy, program structure and mobility experiences.

Bezama says that it's important to have community, government and industry included because they are all players in this system and there should be a way of introducing this early on in a student's career.

“Transdisciplinary education and research will equip our professionals, regardless of discipline, with the ability to communicate with one another, to understand complex systems, and to recognize that sustainable decision-making cannot rely on a single variable, but rather requires balancing multiple interconnected factors and their trade-offs,” says Bezama. 

The team will know they are successful when they can bring this vision for education to reality, shifting not only education, but communication, attitudes and opinions. 

“This is just the first step, but I think that if we can help in shifting this education, we can have a serious impact in how collaborative, inclusive and systemic-oriented approaches can be implemented in Canada,” says Bezama.

NSERC funding facilitates real-world experiences

CREATE funding supports the training and mentoring of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers through programs that address significant scientific challenges, while improving job readiness. 

“CREATE provides students with more than just a world-class education; it offers real-world experiences and the professional skills needed to thrive in the industries of the future,” said , PhD, president of NSERC, on April 21. 

“W���ٳ�&�Բ�����;, we are bridging the gap between the lab and the workforce while ensuring Canada has the expertise to remain a global leader in innovation.”