Excellence in research cannot be achieved without a strong infrastructure, adequate resources, and an environment that fosters innovation and collaboration. WCRI research services assists in the development and management of research projects and grant proposals; in appropriate accountability reporting; and in the dissemination and application of research findings. It also provides supports for women's health students at Women's College Hospital and the University of Toronto.

Vice-President's Office
The research activities of Women's College Hospital (WCH) are overseen by Dr. Paula Rochon, vice-president, research. The vice-president's office is the primary centre for strategic planning, inter-institutional partnership building, and research decision-making. Dr. Rochon and the WCRI Research Council are responsible for implementing the research mission of WCH.

Dr. Rochon can be reached by contacting her administrative assistant, Cynthia Uy, at 416-351-3732 ext. 2711.

Research Operations
The director, research operations oversees the administrative functions of WCRI; develops research policies and procedures to ensure research accountability; oversees research grant management; and supervises WCRI administrative staff.

The WCRI administrative staff currently includes:
Ms. Katharine Schwartz, Director, Research Operations
Ms. Sabiha Merali Merchant, Special Projects Co-ordinator
Ms. Helen Pham, Grants Co-ordinator
Ms. Abena Smith, Research Ethics Board Co-ordinator
Ms. Helen Stepko, Receptionist
Ms. Diana Raymond-Watts, Research Manager
Ms. Cynthia Uy, Administrative Assistant to the Vice-President
Mr. Haitao Zhang, Systems Administrator

Research operations has four core functions:

• Research Ethics Board
• Research Grant Management
• Research Contracts/Agreements and Proposals
• Knowledge Exchange/Capacity Building

Research Ethics Board
The Research Ethics Board (REB) oversees all research involving human subjects conducted under the auspices of Women's College Hospital to ensure that such research meets the highest scientific and ethical standards in order to protect patients, investigators and the institution. Women's College Hospital has mandated the REB to approve, reject, propose modifications to, or terminate any proposed or ongoing research that is conducted within, or by members of, the hospital. The REB also has authority over investigators from other institutions who wish to carry out research on WCH premises or with WCH patients.

The REB is accountable to the WCH board through the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC). Administrative support for the board and its functions is provided through the WCRI. The board meets monthly to review research protocols and to recommend policies and procedures governing the ethical conduct of research at WCH.

Ms. Abena Smith, research and ethics board co-ordinator at 416-351-3732 ext. 2723 is the first point of contact for the hospital's ethics review process.

Research Grant Management
Financial administration of awards and grants is managed by the WCRI grant co-ordinator in collaboration with the WCH's finance office, and overseen by the director, research operations. Grant administration functions include opening accounts, transfer of funds, reimbursement of expenses, annual financial reports to agencies and changes to accounts.

For questions about the grant administration process please contact Helen Pham at 416-351-3732 ext. 2180. Forms for establishing a research account and forms for other accounting functions are available here.

Questions regarding pre-award assistance with grant application budgets should be directed to Diana Raymond-Watts (see below).

Research Contracts/Agreements and Proposals
This process is managed by research manager Diana Raymond-Watts, who can be reached at 416-351-2535. Ms. Raymond-Watts provides administrative review of new research proposals and manages the institutional signature process. A database of all proposals and awards is maintained.

All researchers requiring an institutional signature for their proposals must submit a Research Grant/Award Submission Notification Form at least two weeks prior to the grant deadline. This form is used for all grant and award applications including applications on which Women’s College investigators are co-applicants (but require institutional signatures). Its use ensures that the vice-president, research (or another senior leader) is available to sign your submission at the appropriate time. Grant submissions will not receive the signature of the vice-president, research or CEO without a completed submission form.

All research contracts and agreements reviews are managed by Ms. Raymond-Watts, research and ethics co-ordinator. All contracts and agreements are signed by the vice-president, research. Templates have been developed for various contracts and WCRI faculty are encouraged to contact Ms. Raymond-Watts for any questions regarding the review process. A database of all proposals and awards is maintained.

Knowledge Exchange/Capacity Building
WCRI's administrative staff manage the internal and external communications of WCRI including its website (www.womensresearch.ca); bimonthly e-bulletins of research news stories linking WCRI to its broader community of researchers, clinicians and supportive community members; and extensive contact lists of researchers and knowledge users.

Supporting excellence in women's health education is a crucial part of advancing women's health knowledge and has been identified as one of our organization's strategic priorities. WCRI co-ordinates various initiatives and programs specifically for students. WCRI supports the Collaborative Graduate Program in Women's Health at the University of Toronto offering interdisciplinary training for master's and PhD students in women's health research. This program was created through the diligent efforts and partnership-building of Dr. Gillian Einstein. Our faculty members mentor graduate students in an array of disciplines, and our WCRI Graduate Student Research Day, traditionally held in May, is well-known in the University of Toronto community. We also reach out to undergraduate students with our WCRI Summer Student Program . Because many of our student programs reach beyond Women's College Hospital, we have convened multidisciplinary committees of researchers, staff and students that provide guidance in administering these programs.

WCRI offers several graduate student awards to outstanding women's health students supervised by a scientist who is affiliated with the Women’s College Research Institute at Women’s College Hospital. The awarding of these scholarships is adjudicated by a multi-disciplinary panel with members from different University of Toronto faculties and departments.

Students interested in the activities of the WCRI should contact students@womensresearch.ca