The position

The School of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Saskatchewan invites applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty position at the level of assistant, associate or full professor.

The successful candidate will join a core interdisciplinary science and modelling team to support the development of a $30-million research program in the university’s Global Institute for Water Security, led by Canada Excellence Research Chair in Water Security Howard Wheater.

This exciting initiative builds on a long history of national leadership in hydrology, aquatic toxicology and other water-related expertise at the University of Saskatchewan that includes more than 70 faculty and 5 research chairs, and world-class facilities such as the Centre for Hydrology, the Toxicology Centre, and the Canadian Light Source synchrotron.

Research area

This new appointment is envisaged in the area of hydrometeorology and climate science focusing on coupled land–atmosphere modelling, including land–surface system model development, data assimilation methods, and the analysis and modelling of hydrological extremes. One of the CERC’s priorities is to build on the cold regions hydrology expertise at the university and Environment Canada to improve the coupled modelling of land–atmosphere interactions and processes in the context of climate variability and change.

Experimental resources will include a set of highly instrumented sites for real-time monitoring of snow, water, energy and carbon fluxes. Modelling resources envisaged include a parallel-processing computer facility and access to numerical weather prediction, and regional and global climate models. Improved understanding and representation of hydrological extremes and cold regions feedbacks to the atmosphere are priorities.

It is envisaged that close collaboration will be established with the international World Climate Research Programme‘s Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment and Climate and Cryosphere programmes.

More information is available at the University of Saskatchewan’s Global Institute for Water Security.

The appointee will be expected to address one or more of the three core themes of the CERC program (climate change and water security, land–water management and environmental change, sustainable development of natural resources) and to contribute to the development of interdisciplinary water research across the university and with external partners such as Environment Canada.

The appointee’s duties will also include teaching in SENS, with the possibility of teaching in other academic units.

Qualifications

The successful candidate must have a PhD, an established national or international reputation for research relevant to the core themes of the CERC program (or provide clear evidence of the potential to achieve this), a demonstrated ability to secure research funding, and a proven track record of teaching and research supervision.

Excellent interpersonal skills are required, and evidence of successful research collaboration with national and international stakeholders and researchers is desirable.

The successful candidate will be appointed to a tenure-track position in the School of Environment and Sustainability, but may also seek a joint appointment with other academic units if desired and appropriate.

Review of applications will begin on June 15, 2012 and continue until a suitable candidate is identified.

About Saskatoon and the University of Saskatchewan

The University of Saskatchewan is in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a city with a diverse and thriving economic base, a strong research cluster, a vibrant arts community, and a full range of leisure opportunities.

The university has a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and scholarly activities, and offers a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs to a student population of about 20,000. The University of Saskatchewan is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities.

How to apply

To be considered for this opportunity, please send your CV, a letter of introduction, the names of three referees, and a summary of your proposed research program and graduate training philosophy in confidence to —

Kate Wilson
Confidential Secretary to the Search Committee
Global Institute for Water Security
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK  S7N 3H
kate.wilson@usask.ca

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University of Saskatchewan is committed to employment equity. Members of designated groups (women, Aboriginal peoples, people with disabilities and visible minorities) are encouraged to apply.

Charlottetown, PEI, May 8, 2012 — PEI is 100% dependent on groundwater, so understanding and protecting this water supply is crucial to the well-being of PEI’s agricultural economy, environment and public health.

Islanders are invited to a special public lecture called Nitrate Contamination in Canadian Groundwater on Monday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the Faculty Lounge of UPEI’s Main Building. Marking the kick-off of a three-year research project, the lecture will deal with groundwater quality in Canada with a special focus on Prince Edward Island.

The three-year project, cofunded by the Canadian Water Network, brings together a multidisciplinary team from the Universities of Calgary, Guelph and New Brunswick, the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. The project will engage partners from industry and government agencies, and reach out to provide information to local communities. By developing an improved understanding of the causes of elevated nitrates in groundwater and how nitrates move through bedrock, the team will be able to suggest better approaches for protecting and improving PEI’s drinking water quality.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with this team of distinguished scientists who have recognized that our island is a perfect study site for testing cutting-edge technologies to explore how groundwater interacts with fractured sandstone bedrock,” said Dr. Irene Novaczek of the Institute of Island Studies.

“Research results will be tremendously valuable for PEI and for other jurisdictions such as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where sandstone bedrock occurs.”

At the May 14 public lecture, Professors Beth Parker (NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Fractured Rock Contaminant Hydrogeology, University of Guelph), Cathy Ryan (University of Calgary) and John Cherry (University of Guelph) are offering a chance for islanders to learn more about PEI’s drinking water sources and to bring forward questions, insights and concerns about PEI’s groundwater, for consideration by the researchers. Their years of teaching experience has made them well known for their ability to explain groundwater in terms that everyone can understand.

Dr. Cherry is famous as a pioneer in the contaminant hydrogeology field, and his textbook Groundwater has remained a standard for students and researchers since the 1970s.

“I strongly encourage everyone to make an effort to come to this presentation, because there is nothing more fundamental to our quality of life on PEI than water,” says Dr. Novaczek.

“Mark your calendars!”

For more information, to schedule an interview with the lecturers or to participate in the presentation, please e-mail Shawn Loo or call him at (403) 210-9462.

Apply by May 31, 2012

About Teck

Teck is a diversified resource company committed to responsible mining and mineral development with major business units focused on copper, metallurgical coal, zinc and energy. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols TCK.A and TCK.B and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TCK.

Learn more about Teck.

About the position

Reporting to the General Manager, Environmental, Community & Aboriginal Affairs, the Manager Applied Research and Development will provide leadership to a cutting-edge applied research and development program. The program consists of a comprehensive suite of short- and long-term, applied research and development projects that provide information to support management decisions with respect to mine design, watershed management and environmental performance.

The research is delivered by universities, consultants and internal resources. The program is in its first year of field investigations.

Responsibilities

• Manage the execution of applied field and laboratory research through timely project development and resourcing
• Ensure communication of the programs results broadly through annual reporting for internal and external communities of interest and broadly in the peer-reviewed literature
• Ensure the implementation of an iterative adaptive mine planning process based on an annual and five-year technology transfer cycles
• Manage external and internal communications of the program
• Coordinate the review of the program by a science review group
• Manage relationships with universities and consultants to ensure program delivery
• Ensure timely contracting, financial and project management
• Work with Technical Program Manager to ensure alignment of program with corporate objectives
• Supervise staff and promote their safety, professional development and training
• Effective communication internally and cooperation with other managers in the department and at mining operations
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• 10 or more years of progressively responsible experience in mining or mining-related research with demonstrated experience in technology transfer
• Experience in managing multimillion dollar projects or programs
• Engineering or science post-graduate degree/diploma in environment, geology, geochemistry, mine design or a related field
• Experience in the implementation of data quality objectives or other structured decision-making processes applicable to research programs
• Experience working with universities
• Experience and interest in the communication of research to non-technical audiences
• Ability to thrive in a team environment
• Strong oral and written communication skills in both formal and informal settings
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with demonstrated ability to relate to all levels internally and externally
• Experience using software packages including MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment including leading change and making recommendations

Teck offers an excellent salary and benefits package. The organization is committed to work–life balance and offers staff alternate work schedules such as an earned day off schedule, making every second weekend three days long.

Qualified applicants interested in joining a dynamic team are encouraged to submit a résumé and cover letter electronically.

How to apply

Apply for the position at Teck.

Closing date to apply: May 31, 2012

Teck Coal thanks all applicants for their interest and effort in applying for the position; however, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

Your application to this posting is deemed to be your consent to the collection, use and necessary disclosure of personal information for the purposes of recruitment. Teck respects the privacy of all applicants and the confidentiality of personal information

The project will help strengthen priority setting, knowledge sharing, and results-based, adaptive management in current and future projects.

Scheduled to be complete in December 2012, the IW:Science project has seen —

• The first-ever synopsis of the science behind the IW portfolio of projects to date, according to transboundary IW system types: river basins, lakes, groundwater, the coastal zone and land-based pollution, and large marine ecosystems and the open ocean
• A systematic analysis of the IW portfolio and integrating knowledge from the wider scientific community with regards to critical emerging science issues, the application of science for adaptive management and the development and use of indicators to support IW projects
• The creation of the IW:Science knowledge management system, a fully integrated relational database of IW documents and suite of learning network and communication tools.

  This powerful tool made the synopsis and analysis process of some 5,500 documents possible while capturing new knowledge and review insights of the scientific working groups. The IW:Science knowledge management system is powered by KIM-UNU platform technologies, developed in partnership between UNU-INWEH and Centre for Community Mapping.

Synopsis and analysis reports

The findings of the five synopsis and five analysis reports were presented at the 6^th International Waters Conference, October 17–20, 2011.

IW:Science – The process

As one of the learning initiatives within the international waters focal area, the IW:Science project was designed to conduct a review, analysis and synthesis of the science behind 20 years of IW projects. This was undertaken using an approach akin to the writing of the IPCC Assessment Reports of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.

Five groups of scientists, comprising experts both within and external to the IW projects, were assembled according to their areas of expertise in the five GEF IW system types: river basins, lakes, groundwater, coastal zone and land-based pollution sources, and large marine ecosystems and the open ocean. Both natural and social science expertise was considered when looking at the IW impact in the sustainable management of global transboundary water systems worldwide.

Synopsis

The five groups each reviewed the relevant segment of 20 years of IW projects to produce an IW system type synopsis report.

These five reports bring together the scientific underpinnings for the IW projects according to the group area of expertise: rivers, lakes, groundwater, coastal zone and land-based pollution sources, and large marine ecosystems and the open ocean.

Analysis

Each group then used a common set of questions to conduct an analysis of the IW portfolio with regards to critical emerging science issues, the application of science for adaptive management and the development and use of indicators to support IW projects. A key component of this process was not only learning from the science and design within IW projects but also to bring in science understandings and good practices from the wider scientific community.

This resulted in an additional five IW system type reports, termed analysis reports, from each group that built on the synopsis findings and aim to provide assistance to GEF IW project design and implementation into the future.

Synthesis

The final stage is the preparation of the synthesis reports. The core questions used in the analysis process were designed to allow a synthesis of the findings from each IW system type group. The final reports are written in accordance with the analysis question themes: critical emerging science issues, the application of science for adaptive management and the development and use of indicators to support IW projects.

This aims to provide GEF with a portfolio-wide insight of the science behind 20 years of IW projects as well as what the scientific groups consider important lessons learned, current challenges and what they foresee for the future.

Knowledge Integration and Management – United Nations University

Supporting the review, synopsis and analysis process was the creation of the IW:Science knowledge management system. This saw the compilation of approximately 5,500 IW project documents and outputs into a relational database and made both entirely text searchable and retrievable by 70 fields of metadata categories. Integrated with the database were learning network and communication tools and an integrated electronic template to capture the efforts and insights of the working groups reviews.

The KMS was built using the KIM-UNU software platform,which is also being implemented for managing information with the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, parts of the GEF Land Degradation focal area, the UN-Water Activity Information System on transboundary waters, Central and Western Africa river basins as well as some interest for land management approaches in the Western Asia, Northern Africa region and water data in the Arab region.

The IW:Science database has also been reapplied by the GEF Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel to provide an understanding of what overlap exists between GEF large marine ecosystem interventions and global hypoxia concerns. The final report provided the ability to undertake an investigation on hypoxia and nutrients in the coastal zone to asses GEF interventions in large marine ecosystems in the wider, global hypoxia context.

Partners

The GEF-funded project implemented by UNEP and executed by UNU-INWEH was completed at the end of 2011. This project has been realized through the commitment of a global project team, representative of the complexity and interconnectedness of systems and knowledge within the IW portfolio.

Listed below, these project partners comprise a highly specialized and interdisciplinary team, each bringing thematic institutional expertise relevant to an ecosystem class within the IW portfolio.

• Canadian Water Network
• UNEP Division of Early Warning and Assessment
• UNESCO
• Scottish Association for Marine Science
• Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone
• European Lifestyles and Marine Ecosystems
• UN-Water Decade Programme for Capacity Development
• University of Plymouth
• United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security

Interested? RVSP your intent to participate in the webinar.

On March 20, 2012 the Governments of Canada and Ontario announced that four First Nation communities will participate in the Canada–Ontario First Nations Initiative to Improve Drinking Water Quality.

Through this joint initiative, the Government of Canada, Province of Ontario and Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation are working with First Nation partners to explore and demonstrate innovative drinking water solutions that meet the specific needs of each of these communities.

The knowledge gained through this initiative will inform the more than 600 First Nations communities in Canada and the Governments of Canada and Ontario about possible options to ensure sustainable and cost-effective solutions for drinking water systems.

Through this initiative, industry will have an opportunity to provide solutions that improve drinking water quality for residents in First Nations communities.

Before posting a series of requests for proposals (RFPs) that have each been customized for the needs of a participating First Nations community, the project partners are hosting a webinar to —

• Share high-level information on this initiative, including its collaborative nature
• Focus on using innovative approaches
• Explain the staged RFP process
• Provide an opportunity for the water sector to better understand the roles and responsibilities of each of the partners in this project

The RFP process will follow federal contracting and First Nations tendering procedures.

RFPs will be posted to MERX and submissions will be evaluated by representatives of the four participating First Nations communities, Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, and Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

Webinar information

The webinar will be held on Thursday, May 3 from 1 to 2 p.m. EST

Please note that a link to the webinar will be sent to all who RSVP. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please indicate your intent by sending an RSVP to —

Selina Young
Senior Advisor
Drinking Water Management Division
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Tel: (416) 212-4846

Webinar 5: Cross-Canada checkup — A Canadian perspective on our water future

Tuesday, May 29, 2012
9 to 10:30 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time / 12 to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

This is the fifth and final online seminar in the POLIS Water Sustainability Project‘s 2011–12 Creating a Blue Dialogue webinar series.

Summary

Across the country Canadians are passionate about  protecting water and willing to engage with challenging issues that have the potential to affect water quality and quantity. Although each province and territory faces a unique set of water-related concerns, overarching themes cut across borders.

Drawing on the new report Cross-Canada Checkup: A Canadian Perspective on Our Water Future, the webinar’s guest speakers will offer a perspective on current and emerging water challenges and priorities across Canada, and illustrate the interrelatedness of many water issues common to all Canadians. They will explore the Northwest Territories’ groundbreaking new water stewardship strategy as a model for water policy reform in the rest of Canada, and discuss the emerging need for a new national vision for understanding the value of water in this country.

This webinar also complements the launch of Cross-Canada Checkup: A Canadian Perspective on Our Water Future, a new report published by the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance at the University of Victoria and the Adaptation to Climate Change Team at Simon Fraser University.

Pre-webinar reading material

• Adaptation to Climate Change Team. (October 4, 2011). Summary for Decision-Makers: Climate Change Adaptation and Water Governance.
• Forum for Leadership on Water. (2011, fall). FLOW Monitor Special Edition: Water Management in the Northwest Territories.
• Sandford RW, Phare M (2011). Ethical Water: Learning to Value What Matters Most. Canada: Rocky Mountain Books.

Guest speakers

Jesse Baltutis
Water Policy & Governance Research Assistant, POLIS Water Sustainability Project
Co-Author of Cross-Canada Checkup: A Canadian Perspective on Our Water Future

Bob Sandford
Chair, Canadian Partnership Initiative of the UN Water for Life Decade
Co-Author of Cross-Canada Checkup: A Canadian Perspective on Our Water Future

Registration

To register for this webinar, please e-mail Laura Brandes at the POLIS Project.

Please note that space is limited and registration is required to listen to or participate in this free seminar.

Past Blue Dialogue webinars

Watch archived webinars on youtube.

Webinar 1: September 2011
Shared water, one framework: What Canada can learn from EU water governance
With Émilie Lagacé, Inger Weibust and Ralph Pentland

• View the archived webinar.

Webinar 2: October 2011
Peeling back the pavement: Reinventing rainwater management in Canada’s communities
With Susanne Porter-Bopp and Patrick Lucey

• View the archived webinar.

Webinar 3: January 2012
Wave of the future: Water policy in western Canada
With Dr. Roger Gibbins and Oliver M. Brandes

• View the archived webinar.

Webinar 4: March 2012
The water–energy nexus
With Heather Cooley, Carol Maas and Ben Parfitt

• Download the webinar summary (PDF)

Webinar partners

Goals and objectives

The Lead a Horse to Water Leadership Workshop takes place over June 22–24, 2012. Throughout the two-and-a-half days of this stimulating workshop, participants will develop and hone their leadership, management and team-building skills to improve their workplace interactions and relationships.

The first day focuses on communication, teamwork, trust, cooperation and shared leadership development in a fun, challenging adventure-based high-ropes program. Participants will identify and experience multiple leadership roles and ways of communicating positively.

The second day builds on the first by further developing leadership, management and team-building skills.

As part of the workshop, participants will travel to Campbellville, Ontario to take part in a Horse Sense for Leaders program. Horse Sense will begin by focusing on individual leadership skills and understanding the perspective of others, including horses. It will progress to management and team-building skills, then end the day by creating an action plan for each participant.

Eligibility

Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and young professionals studying or working on water treatment technology or water management issues in southwestern Ontario are encouraged to apply.

Interested individuals outside southwestern Ontario may apply, but preference will be given to local applicants.

CWN workshops are interdisciplinary. Applications are encouraged from students and young professionals in any discipline in water management.

The workshop is limited to 25. As interest in our workshop exceeds available spaces, participants will be selected on the strength of their applications.

Participants are expected to stay onsite for the duration of the workshop and to participate fully in all activities and assignments.

Please do not apply if you cannot commit to staying onsite for the duration of the workshop and participating for its duration.

Those leaving for other than medical reasons will not be allowed to rejoin the workshop.

Application process

Please submit your application by May 25, 2012 (see How to apply below).

Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted. Participants who are accepted for the workshop may be required to submit a biography and a suitable work- or study-related photo.

CWN will review all applications and notify applicants by e-mail about the status of their acceptance by May 30, 2012.

Registration fee

There will be a nominal registration fee of $75 (including applicable taxes) payable upon acceptance into the workshop. Payment options include VISA, MasterCard or a cheque payable to the Canadian Water Network c/o University of Waterloo. The payment deadline is June 8, 2012.

Travel guidelines

When you make your travel arrangements, please make sure that you arrive at Crieff Hills Community by 7 p.m. on Friday, June 22. The workshop will conclude at 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 24.

Accommodation and food

Accommodation will be booked and paid for by CWN. Please note that accommodations will be shared. Further details will be provided at the time of acceptance.

Most meals will be provided during the workshop, but participants may be responsible to pay for meals that take place during free time. Anyone with allergies or special dietary requirements should notify Stacey M^cFadzen at the time of application.

How to apply

If you would like to attend the Lead a Horse to Water Leadership Workshop, please complete the online application form. You may find that some of the questions are easier to complete in MS Word, then copied into the form’s fields.

However, the relatively high cost of operating membrane filtration systems prevents their widespread use. Although this has been a barrier to their adoption, research has shown that operating costs of membrane filters can be reduced by as much as 50 percent if optimum operating conditions are created in the system, and if the right membrane material and design are chosen.

Would you like to learn more about membrane filtration systems and their operation? If so, you’ll not want to miss Membrane filtration technology: Fundamentals, design and applications, the Canadian Water Network’s next students and young professionals workshop, taking place in Vancouver, BC from June 13–15, 2012.

Application deadline: May 18, 2012

Workshop organizers

• Sepideh Jankhah, PhD candidate, Department of Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia
• Dr. Pierre R. Bérubé, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia

Objectives

Bringing together both students and young water professionals, this fascinating hands-on workshop will provide opportunities to learn about the design and operation of membrane systems, as well as discuss recent developments in membrane filtration technologies and their applications for water treatment.

The workshop will also provide many opportunities for participants to expand their professional networks with other students, researchers, young water professionals and membrane technology experts from industry. The workshop will include presentations and site visits led by researchers from UBC, as well as experts and professionals from leading membrane system manufacturers and suppliers.

Eligibility

Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and young professionals studying or working on water treatment technology or water management issues in British Columbia are eligible to apply.

Interested individuals outside British Columbia may apply; however, CWN will not cover travel expenses out of the province and preference will be given to in-province applicants.

CWN workshops are interdisciplinary. Applications are encouraged from students and young professionals studying or working in any discipline in water management.

The workshop is limited to 25 participants. As interest in our workshop always exceeds available spaces, participants will be selected on the strength of their applications.

If you are interested, please submit an application by May 18, 2012 (see How to apply below).

All participants are expected to stay onsite for the duration of the workshop and to participate fully in workshop activities and assignments.

Please do not apply if you cannot commit to staying onsite and participating for the duration of the workshop. Those leaving for other than medical reasons will not be allowed to rejoin the workshop.

Registration fee

A nominal registration fee of $75 (including applicable taxes) is payable upon acceptance into the workshop.

Payment can be made by VISA, MasterCard or a cheque payable to the Canadian Water Network c/o University of Waterloo.

The payment deadline is May 31, 2012.

Travel guidelines

Participants are responsible for booking their own travel and must do so no later than May 31.

When you make your travel arrangements, please make sure that you arrive in Vancouver no later than 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 13. Departures from Vancouver should be no earlier than 3 p.m. on Friday, June 15.

Accommodation and food

Accommodation will be booked and paid for by CWN. Please note that accommodations will be shared. Further details will be provided at the time of acceptance.

Most meals will be provided during the workshop but participants may be responsible to pay for meals that take place during free time.

Anyone with allergies or special dietary requirements should notify Stacey M^cFadzen, Events and Student Programs Manager, at the time of application.

Reimbursement

Allowable expenses — Travel claim forms will be circulated at the workshop and must be returned with original receipts and boarding passes. The University of Waterloo Finance Department will not process travel claims without original receipts.

Receipts must be provided and travel claims must be submitted within 30 days from the end of the workshop.

Reimbursable travel costs include airfare (economy rate) and/or ground transportation (airport transfer, bus fare or car mileage) as well as meals during travel. If participants can reasonably use ground transportation that option should be exercised.

Meals taken in transit to and from the workshop will be reimbursed up to a maximum of $50 per day ($12.50 for breakfast, $12.50 for lunch and $25 for dinner). Please hold on to your receipts for meals, as you cannot be reimbursed without them.

Travellers will be reimbursed for actual airfare, not to exceed economy airfare. Flights must be booked at the earliest possible time to reduce travel costs. Mileage will be reimbursed at 45 cents/km. Any flights booked after May 31 will be reimbursed on the cost of economy airfare before this date.

How to apply

If you would like to attend Membrane filtration technology: Fundamentals, design and applications, please complete the online application form. You may find that some of the questions are easier to complete in MS Word, then copied into the form’s fields.

UN University Institute in Canada, with key partners that include the Canadian Water Network, to convene global knowledge brokers

International K* Conference, April 24–27, 2012 in Hamilton, Ontario 

Every year, billions of dollars are spent worldwide advancing knowledge in areas of public interest, ranging from health and the environment to education and agriculture. Yet much of the information generated fails to reach those who could benefit — from policy-makers to the general public.

How to better mobilize knowledge and maximize its usefulness is the focus for 60 experts from 20 countries and spanning a score of disciplines in a conference convened by the Canadian-based United Nations University – Institute for Water, Environment and Health in Hamilton, Canada from April 24 to 27.

Dubbed the K* 2012 Conference, the international event has been months in the making and directed by an international advisory committee that includes CWN Executive Director Bernadette Conant and a steering committee that includes CWN Manager of Knowledge Mobilization and Training Dr. Katrina Hitchman and CWN Knowledge Mobilization Officer Elizabeth Shantz.

Worldwide, a growing number of individuals and organizations work in fields collectively given the term K*, an abbreviation that embraces knowledge mobilization, knowledge translation and transfer, knowledge brokering, and knowledge adoption among others.

They work to address the challenges of, for example –

• Practitioners in one sector being unaware of relevant work going on elsewhere
• International donors who find it difficult to assess the policy impact of their research funding
• Policy-makers who need access to authoritative resources for decision-making

The international conference is designed as a forum for sharing ideas and practices to broker knowledge effectively, to air a variety of perspectives on knowledge management, and lay the foundation for future work, including establishing a global community of interested parties and mechanisms to sustain it.

The conference, chaired by Alex Bielak, Senior Research Fellow UNU-INWEH, will create a legacy document, capturing ideas on reducing the gulf between knowledge and action.

“Policy-makers tend to gather only what they need to know when they need to know it, says Dr. Bielak.

“They have a very short-term, reactive perspective and deep content knowledge is rare as they frequently move jobs. There is an appetite to summarize information into one page for the top brass. Policy-makers are averse to anything too complicated. They default to trusted sources even when they suspect those sources may be out of date or incomplete. They may have a jaundiced opinion of science, believing it is too slow and expensive and that it is answering questions no one has asked.”

“The worlds, values, norms and languages of science and policy are very different, and arguably divergent. Scientists and policy-makers are both time poor. Few have the aptitude, skills, commitment and time to excel in both domains at the same time. There is a real need for intermediaries dedicated to work between knowledge generation and its use. This works best not as an add-on but in a comprehensive supportive system. This is where knowledge translation and knowledge brokering enter.”

Adds UNU-INWEH Director Zafar Adeel: “The world is confronted by rapid, unpredictable global changes with huge implications for economic and societal development, which demands smarter policies.”

“Intermediaries are of growing importance to improve the science–policy interface and we hope this conference will advance the art of knowledge brokering and translation within a broad variety of domains,” says Dr. Adeel.

“The implications for global policy-making are great, particularly as we prepare for a gathering of world’s leaders for the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil in about two months.”

Louise Shaxson, a Research Fellow at the UK’s Overseas Development Institute, and Vice-Chair of the conference commented that the problems under discussion are universal.

“Policy-makers in developed and developing countries alike are hampered by the need to respond rapidly to pressing concerns, and rely on the actions of intermediaries to help them interpret complex information. Both in developed and developing countries, intermediaries broker knowledge into policy and practice. Working with civil society organizations, NGOs, the private sector and academia, these intermediaries help ensure that the best available knowledge is used to make effective policies.”

“There is a growing community of people interested in this emerging field of knowledge brokering and this conference is an important step in building a global forum within which intermediaries, wherever they come from, can learn from each other, avoid reinventing wheels, and ensure that their actions are as cost-effective as they can be.”

Ms Conant will moderate a roundtable discussion on K* with government. Panellists with experience in water management policy will discuss –

1. What shape the policy-to-science interface must take in order for K* to government to happen effectively.
2. How K* professionals can ensure their work provides best overall knowledge to support decision-makers, rather than advocating for specific outcomes.
3. How K* professionals can enable governments to more effectively inform the research community about what research is most useful to their decision-making.

The K* 2012 Conference will help coalesce various international K* communities, map common approaches and themes, advance the theory and practice of K* and lay the foundations for future work.

Participate in K* 2012 via webcast.