The session provided insights into working with government representatives to improve public policy, with speakers Professor Patrick Leblond, associate professor and CN-Paul M. Tellier Chair on Business and Public Policy at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, and Kathryn Moore, uOttawa director of government relations. Professor Leblond discussed working with government and public servants, drawing on years of experience. Ms. Moore focused on building connections with government, both as a government relations expert and as a former government staff member.
Research and Public Policy Brown Bag Lunch Series
The series aimed to provide the University of Ottawa research community with an opportunity to come together and learn from one another about engaging with government and decision-makers, understanding the policy-making process, disseminating their research, and shaping public policy. Each session featured guest speakers who shared their knowledge and expertise, as well as informal discussions.
“We designed this series to offer our research community a space to share knowledge and practices that improve dialogue with government and increase research impact.”
Cintia Quiroga, PhD
— Director, Research and Public Policy Outreach
Session 1: Different ways of working with government in research
Patrick Leblond
Associate Professor and CN-Paul M. Tellier Chair on Business and Public Policy at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
Kathryn Moore
Director of Government Relations at the University of Ottawa
Session 2: How researchers can advise government representatives
The session explored how to advise government representatives and how to position oneself for such opportunities. Professor Roland Paris, Director of uOttawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, shared insights from his experience advising government officials and working in government. Professor Céline Castets-Renard, University Research Chair on Accountable Artificial Intelligence in a Global Context and professor at the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, discussed her experience advising the government in parliamentary committees and working in international organizations.
Roland Paris
Professor of International Affairs and Director of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa
Céline Castets-Renard
Research Chair on Accountable Artificial Intelligence in a Global Context, Full Professor at the CLTS and in the Faculty of Law, Civil Law Section
Session 3: Researchers engaging government during and after an election
The session discussed navigating relationships with the federal government with an election on the horizon and a possible change in government. Michael Wernick, uOttawa’s Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management and former Clerk of the Privy Council, shared his insights from a government perspective on what researchers should consider when forming relationships or working with government during and after an election. Professor Elizabeth Dubois, uOttawa’s University Research Chair in Politics, Communication and Technology, professor at the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, and associate professor in the Department of Communication in the Faculty of Arts, shared her experiences as a researcher who interacted with government during an election and analyzed the impact of the 2019 election on the digital ecosystem and civic engagement.
Michael Wernick
Jarislowsky Chair in Public Sector Management at the University of Ottawa and Canadian public sector leader
Elizabeth Dubois
uOttawa’s Research Chair in Politics, Communication and Technology, Professor at the CLTS and in the Faculty of Arts
Session 4: Experiences of researchers as scholars-in-residence in the federal government
The session explored the experience of scholars-in-residence and how it shaped their relationships and research collaborations with federal government representatives, as well as the impact it had on their research. Vanessa MacDonnell, associate professor at the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, and co-director of the uOttawa Public Law Centre, and Jennifer Wallner, Jean-Luc Pepin Research Chair in Canadian Politics and associate professor at the School of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, described how this work supported their public policy research and advocacy.
Vanessa MacDonnell
Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, and Co-Director of the uOttawa Public Law Centre
Jennifer Wallner
Jean-Luc Pepin Research Chair in Canadian Politics and Associate Professor at the School of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences
Contact us
Office of Public Policy Research and Outreach
Cintia Quiroga
Director, Research and Public Policy Outreach
[email protected]
Karine Fossou
Senior Communications Advisor, Research and Public Policy
[email protected]