New interim director of strategic relations joins IWH
Kate Cowan joined the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) on October 23 as the Director, Strategic Relations (Interim) to cover a year-long leave. In this role, Cowan leads strategic work building strong and diverse stakeholder relationships and ensuring IWH’s research is responsive to the needs of workers, employers and policy-makers. She works closely with the president, scientific director, the IWH Board of Directors, and the communications and knowledge transfer and exchange teams to identify partnership opportunities and amplify IWH’s impact, provincially, nationally and internationally. Cowan has taken a leave of absence from her role as the Director of the Training and Awareness Branch with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. To see her bio page, go to: www.iwh.on.ca/people/kate-cowan
IWH welcomes new member to Board of Directors
IWH welcomes Dr. Ute Bültmann as a new member of the Board of Directors effective January 1, 2024. Bültmann is a professor of work and health and the program leader of public health research in the Department of Health Sciences, Community and Occupational Medicine at the University of Groningen's Medical Center in the Netherlands. She replaces Dr. Emily A. Spieler, who also sits on IWH’s Scientific Advisory Committee. The Institute is grateful for the guidance Spieler has offered over the years as member of the Board. To see the full list of the Board of Directors, and their bios, go to: www.iwh.on.ca/ board-of-directors
IWH’s Scientific Advisory Committee welcomes new member
IWH welcomes Dr. Maria Melchior as the newest member to its Scientific Advisory Committee, effective January 1, 2024. The committee, made up of leaders in work and health research from North America and Europe, meets annually to review the quality and direction of the Institute’s research, reporting its findings to the Institute’s Board of Directors. Melchior is research director at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM). Her work focuses on social inequalities in mental health, with a particular emphasis on developmental trajectories from childhood to adulthood and intergenerational transmission. For details about members of the IWH Scientific Advisory Committee, go to: www.iwh.on.ca/scientific-advisory-committee
The Institute’s annual report highlights the changing nature of work
Researchers at IWH are looking at what’s next for the future of work and health research, especially in the context of the rapidly changing nature of work. The 2022/23 Annual Report, now out, highlights the projects conducted by IWH researchers during the 2023-23 fiscal year, and where they are going next. It also shares testimonials about the impact of IWH research. To read the annual report, go to: www.iwh.on.ca/corporate-reports
IDEA launches two new research awards
Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA) has just launched two new research awards. The David C. Onley Postdoctoral Research Award in Work Disability Policy was launched in collaboration with Ontario Disability Employment Network. This award will be given to a researcher who embodies the values espoused by the late Honorable David Onley. Onley was the 28th lieutenant-governor of Ontario, a disability advocate, a champion for inclusive employment and a former broadcast journalist. For more information, go to: www.iwh.on.ca/opportunities/other/david-c-onley-postdoctoral-research-award-in-work-disability-policy
The Marcia Rioux Postdoctoral Research Award in Disability and Work was launched in collaboration with Citizens with Disabilities – Ontario. Rioux was a distinguished Professor and Professor Emerita in the School of Health Policy and Management in York University’s Faculty of Health. She was a driving force in the promotion of disability rights and the enhancement of opportunities for marginalized people. She also played a leadership role in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and published widely on disability and human rights. For more information go to: www.iwh.on.ca/opportunities/other/marcia-rioux-postdoctoral-research-award-in-disability-and-work
The application deadline for both awards is January 15, 2024.