This text is part of the special notebook 55 years of INRS
The young INRS Foundation is increasing its efforts to increase its influence and propel science to the service of society.
INRS often partners with the public and private sector to develop possible solutions or innovations to concrete problems, explains Olivier Joyal, member of the Order of Geologists of Quebec. How can the Ministry of Transport prepare for coastal road management with climate change and riverbank erosion? These are the kinds of questions that the teams at the research institute are happy to tackle, explains the latter.
“INRS has focused a lot on research within its walls, and has perhaps forgotten [l’importance de] its influence,” notes Mr. Joyal, who decided to get involved in the board of directors of the INRS Foundation in order to remedy this situation.
Founded in 2020 and active since 2022, the INRS Foundation has established a strategic plan and committees to promote the influence of the institute in the public and private sector and increase the scope of its actions through philanthropy.
“Whether in the areas of global health, energy transition or climate change, the significant and complex challenges we face in society require us to come together and invest in an unparalleled way. [dans la science] », says Élise Comtois, general director of the INRS Foundation.
The institute’s Foundation now wants to use philanthropy as a lever to propel research further. Donations make it possible to finance new state-of-the-art equipment, scholarships to support the work of student researchers, international projects or research chairs. The new Research Chair in Nanobiophotonics will soon unite the forces of researchers in engineering and biochemistry to create, among other things, new technologies in medical imaging. To date, the Foundation has raised nearly $1 million to support the student and scientific community.
Ambassador graduates
On May 11, 166 INRS students received their diplomas during the convocation ceremony. They will soon join the thousands of research professionals on the job market. Currently, graduates of the institute occupy key positions in various ministries, parapublic organizations, industries, or even at the head of their own companies. The training of these cohorts of scientists constitutes one of the greatest contributions of INRS to Quebec society, believes Élise Comtois.
“If we succeed in telling the impact that INRS has had on the careers of graduates and how this impact is important and tangible, I believe that people will want to get involved in the development of the institute,” believes the Executive Director.
The Foundation thus strives to reconnect with its graduates and motivate them to get involved in the development of research, whether by sharing their experiences, giving conferences, getting involved in research chairs or different committees. Since its creation, the Foundation has created a dozen types of scholarships and prizes of excellence recognizing in particular the commitment, perseverance, exceptional career path and contribution to the development of Quebec of students and graduates.
“Former students can be ambassadors, donors or people who will promote networks once they are on the job market,” believes Ms.e Mylany David, attorney and chair of the board of directors. It’s a way of promoting INRS. Our hope is that philanthropic donations towards scientific research become more of a natural reflex in business communities. »
“Facing business communities, we want to position science as an economic vector for concrete and practical applications to prepare for the future,” continues M.e Mylany David. And that concerns everyone. »
The Foundation in a few figures
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