Panel: Developing and managing partnered research programs
A conversation on building strong, interdisciplinary research partnerships that impact and support the successful delivery of complex projects.
Mar 12, 2026 — 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Event details
The panelists will discuss elements of a compelling work plan that help secure funding and how they can be used during execution. For applied research, the conversation will address questions related to feasibility, risks, and risk mitigation. It will also explore different ways to manage partnerships, especially for large projects, with a view to achieving program objectives.
Moderator
Mark Pearson
Lead Advisor, Research
Faculty of Engineering | uOttawa
Benoît H. Lessard
Professor and Canada Research Chair in Advanced Polymer Materials and Organic Electronics
Full Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering at uOttawa and former Canada Research Chair in Advanced Polymers and Organic Electronics, he has been applicant and co-applicant on over $63M in successful funding including NSERC CRD, SPG-N and SPG-P, Alliance Society, Alliance Mission and co-led a $16M CFI multi-institutional infrastructure initiative and now oversees deployment of key collaborative research platforms. A leader in thin-film technologies, he has authored 199+ journal publications, holds 16 patents, and maintains strong industrial engagement through licensing and internships. His work has led to knowledge translation to industry through partnerships with 14 different industrial partners and led to the spin-off Ekidna Sensing Inc. He has mentored over 106 HQP including graduation of 15PhDs who have moved on to become CEOs of startups, Faculty members and leaders in industry and government research labs.
Isabelle Girard
Manager, Energy, Environment and Resources Division, Research and Technology Partnerships
Isabelle has been working in the Research and Technology Partnerships Division at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) since 2017. She has gained extensive experience in the Alliance grants program, having even contributed to its development and implementation. In addition, Isabelle worked with the Synergy Awards for Innovation as well as with NSERC’s former partnership programs, the Collaborative Research and Development grants and the Industrial Research Chairs grants. Following the completion of her master's degree in agriculture, Isabelle also worked in the research grants program of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency for five years.
Dr. Ahmad Teymouri
Research Lead and Program Coordinator
Dr. Ahmad Teymouri is a Research Associate and Adjunct Professor at the School of Engineering and Digital Transformation. He also serves as Program Coordinator of the Global Supply Chain Management program and Research Lead of the Green Supply Chain and Sustainability Lab at Algonquin College. He earned his PhD in Digital Transformation and Innovation in 2020, where his research focused on modeling supply chain capacity allocation in postal service operations using revenue management approaches. Dr. Teymouri holds master’s degrees in construction project management (2014), Business Administration (MBA, 2008), and Information Technology Management (2007). His research spans two core fields—Operations Management and Project Management—emphasizing data-driven, analytical, and optimization-based methods to support decision-making in complex operational settings. He has received several research grants from different sources, such as NSERC Alliance, Mobilization Grant, MITACS Accelerate Entrepreneur, SSHRC, NSERC Engaged, and eCampus. Ahmad brings over 15 years of industry experience in automotive manufacturing, oil and gas construction, and postal service operations, enabling him to effectively bridge theory and practice in both research and teaching.
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