Since 2024, the Collegial Applied Research Ecosystem (CARE) has been helping turn ideas into impact by connecting Dawson faculty, staff, students and community partners to tackle real-world challenges through applied research.

Supported by an external multi-year NSERC CCI Mobilize grant rather than the College’s operating budget, CARE is designed to make applied research more accessible and to strengthen Dawson’s contribution to communities in Quebec and beyond.

One of CARE’s key goals is removing barriers that often discourage people from pursuing research.

“An established research track is not required,” said Arash Amirkhany, who leads the development and implementation of CARE in Dawson’s Office of Academic Development (OAD). Faculty and staff do not need a doctorate, a university research affiliation or an extensive publication record to bring forward a project idea.

“We recognize that valuable, applied research expertise may be developed through teaching, professional practice, technical work, community engagement, creative practice, and lived experience,” he said.

Where additional research expertise is needed, CARE can help connect faculty and staff with experienced researchers at Dawson or partner institutions and support the development of collaborative research teams.

Impact

To date, CARE has provided paid research internships to 72 students working on projects in a variety of fields. Through these experiences, students have developed skills in literature reviews, experimental design, data collection and analysis, numerical simulation, programming, and communication of research findings.

CARE-supported projects have also involved partnerships with organizations in the educational, environmental and community sectors, including LEARN, Les Amis de la Montagne, Creek 53 Conservancy Trust and the Redpath Museum, while collaborating with research laboratories across Montreal.

CARE currently offers two programs on a rolling basis:

• CARE Collaborative Impact Grants support applied research projects developed in partnership with community, public-sector or industry organizations. Projects are expected to address identified needs, provide meaningful student research training opportunities and lay the groundwork for longer-term collaborations.
• CARE Internship Initiative provides paid, faculty-supervised applied research internships for Dawson students. These internships give students hands-on research experience outside of their regular coursework.

CARE particularly encourages projects that respond to identified needs, involve meaningful collaboration with external partners, and provide research training opportunities for Dawson students.

Support from idea to implementation

Depending on the needs and nature of a project, CARE support can include funding for eligible project expenses as well as assistance with project development and implementation, including:

• Release time for faculty and staff researchers, within applicable maximum remunerated-hours limits and based on reasonable project needs
• Student internship salaries
• Professional and technical services
• Materials, supplies and equipment
• Knowledge mobilization and networking activities
• Project-related travel
• Assistance finding community, non-profit or industry partners
• Guidance with project design, methodologies, budgets and deliverables
• Support navigating research ethics, data management and administrative processes, noting that some projects may require independent REB or AI-related review
• Connections with researchers, laboratories, colleges and universities

CARE can also help researchers identify meaningful roles for students and connect faculty across disciplines when projects would benefit from complementary expertise.

“We can introduce them to experienced researchers and community and industry organizations who might be interested in their projects,” said Arash.

Building research capacity at Dawson

CARE continues to expand its support for applied research at Dawson. Planned initiatives include mentorship opportunities and peer-learning activities for faculty and staff who are new to research or looking to further develop their skills.

A new CARE Fellowship Program is also in development. The program is intended to support early-career researchers through mentorship, partnership development and collaborative projects with experienced researchers at Dawson and partner organizations.

Photo: Dawson College Science students spent the summer doing Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and federal government-funded research at McGill University’s Interstellar Flight Experimental Research Group thanks in part to the CARE Internship Initiative. Photo credit: Vanessa Lyness.