Background
Pathways to Impact traces its roots to a 2021 proposal from Concordia’s Research Sustainability Stream (Sustainability Action Plan), which initially envisioned an incubator for sustainability research. Over time, through three comprehensive university-wide consultations, this idea evolved into a united commitment to amplify Concordia’s impact.
These pivotal consultations included:
- The Voluntary University Review, reinforced by a collaborative “17-rooms” exercise aligned with Concordia’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
- Future Concordia, whose recommendations called for “a radical restructuring of the research ecosystem”, urging a fundamental rethink of research, its support structures and a more inclusive approach to people, projects and methods; and
- the Strategic Research Plan 2023-2028 which formalizes the university’s commitment to advancing impact and engagement (Objective 4), as reflected in the renamed Office of the Vice-President, Research, Innovation, and Impact (OVPRII) and in the creation of the Concordia University Research Impact Award (RIA) program.