Faculty of Environment

Contact John Keller

Materials and Energy Sustainability Institute or Program - $5 million
To conduct research on major local, national and international challenges with achieving sustainable flows of energy and materials between human economies and the environment within which they exist. By its very nature, the institute or program will be interdisciplinary, drawing on the fields of economics, engineering, management science, psychology, environmental science and policy.

Indigenous Sovereignty, Stewardship and Governance Program - $5 million 
Support toward teaching, learning, research and outreach.

Environmental Leadership in Action Program -  $2 million 
SFU Student Ambassadors: to create and support student delegations that will attend key international environment events/ summits/conferences (e.g. Copenhagen/Climate Change). Student participants would be selected based on academic merit and community involvement, emphasizing the importance of leadership as an active quality. Students would be asked to not only attend the conference and represent their peers, but also to lead a parallel student event that will extend beyond SFU to include students at a variety of universities. Students would also be tasked with designing and implementing plans to share the information that they gather at the conference with the Faculty of Environment and the larger community.

Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology

Contact Nancy Cardozo

Endowed Global Media Scholars Exchange - $1 to 4 million
To enable an annual exchange in the global media arena between SFU’s School of Communications, a world leader in this area, and a group consisting of a leading media scholars and a small group of media professionals from an emerging media leader such as India, China, etc.

Community Engagement Internship Fund - $1 million
To provide non-profits and small businesses in the communities served by SFU a team of FCAT students to complete a research or development project critical to the organization’s future but difficult to complete with its own resources.

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Contact Laura Quilici

Naming of the School for International Studies - $10 million 
Established in 2007, the School for International Studies offers undergraduate and MA degrees with a thematic emphasis on international development, governance and security. We see the School’s graduates joining the future leadership ranks of Canada’s foreign ministry (DFAIT) and its international development agency (CIDA), of multinational humanitarian and peace support operations, of NGOs like Care International or International Crisis Group, or in UN agencies. To be effective these organizations must master the complexities of local and regional politics and history, as well as think clearly and analytically about the motivations, causes and effects of their own interventions. The School for International Studies at SFU attracts students from Canada and abroad who want to ‘make a difference’ in the world. Both the numbers and the quality of our applicants are rising, and we wish to respond to this demand. We have a vision for growth and academic enrichment that would significantly magnify our impact—within the University, in the region and nationally. This vision has the support of the University leadership, but with constrained budgets it can be attained only with the help of major external funding.

Chair in Persian Studies - $3.5 million 
The program created by this Chair would supplement existing outreach activities on Persian culture and enable SFU to attract a top researcher whose activities would create a deeper understanding of Persian culture, history, politics, language, and literature. The research and outreach activities of this Chair would help improve the integration of Iranian immigrants into Canadian life and improve understanding of Persian culture and society.

Endowed Lectureship in Persian Language - $2 million 
This is an opportunity to expand the resources devoted to teaching Persian, including a language lab facility, through the creation of a $2 million endowment. Persian can be offered at the introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels. The goal is to offer Persian language instruction that is consistent and of high quality by a full-time lecturer, so that students will be able to master these foundational skills.

BC Leadership Chair in Proactive Approaches to Reducing Risk for Violence Among Children and Youth-Research Chair - $1 million
The Chair will focus on the development of early intervention strategies that reduce risk factors for children and youth with Conduct Disorder, a child psychiatric disorder characterized by repeated bouts of disruptive, aggressive, or violent behaviour. Approximately 40,000 children in BC are affected by Conduct Disorder and about 50 percent maintain a pattern of antisocial behaviour and other mental health challenges into adulthood. As a result, the social and economic costs associated with Conduct Disorder are high.

Athletics

Contact Steve Lewarne

With the transition to the NCAA, Simon Fraser is now the only university in Canada that can offer a full-ride scholarship for athletics. A full-ride athletic scholarship includes, tuition, books, housing and cost of living, whereas other Canadian universities can only grant athletic scholarships covering tuition and books. For a Canadian student athlete, a full-ride athletic scholarship is just under $15,000. For an international student athlete, a full-ride athletic scholarship is just above $22,000. Because we are the only NCAA school in Canada and outside of the United States, we have the strategic distinction of being able to attract Canada's top student athletes and to keep the student athletes in Canada.

Stadium - $10 million 
Terry Fox Field is currently the home of Simon Fraser Football, Mens’ and Womens’ Soccer, Track and Field and is a fixture for training by all student athletes as well as the greater student body via SFU Recreation. The open field has no permanent seating and fails to meet NCAA facility requirements in many ways. The absence of a proper stadium also deters numerous revenue opportunities, such as a gate for premium seating, food and beverage service and corporate sponsorship, as well as rental opportunities throughout the amateur sport community. The stadium that our athletes compete in also becomes a valuable recruiting tool.

Athletic Scholarship Endowment  - $5 million 
An endowment for distribution among all 17 teams at the discretion of the Athletic Director. This past year Athletics distributed over $895,000 in athletic scholarships; as the budget for scholarships from the department is $435,000 the remainder must be obtained through fundraising. The output of interest for this endowment would cover over 20% of the athletic scholarships and the Gathering of the Clan Breakfast would cover another 20%. To have 45% of athletic scholarships covered before using budgeted funds and other fundraising accounts would give Simon Fraser Athletics the competitive advantage it requires for recruiting in the NCAA.

Athletic Scholarship Matching Fund - $500,000
For the purpose of matching funds for the annual Gathering of the Clan Breakfast over the next five years. Matching funds are critical to the success of the Gathering of the Clan Breakfast, as proved in our inaugural event and by similar events run by the Athletic Departments at UBC, TWU, and UVic.

Faculty of Science

Contact Tracy London

Observatory and Science Outreach Centre -  $6 million 
The Observatory and Science Outreach Centre, which will be built next to the Diamond Alumni Centre, will become the home of all science outreach programmes. At the same time, the observatory will also be used for teaching purposes and basic research. This facility will combine both the student-centred innovative teaching that represents one of the focus areas for the Faculty of Science and large scale family-oriented community outreach through astronomy workshops and other activities. 

Science Outreach Programs Endowment Fund - $2 million
To set up an endowment fund to perpetuate highly successful science outreach programmes in the Faculty of Science. The current programmes reach more than 5,000 children per year from all areas of the lower mainland. However they are severely underfunded, relying on the enthusiasm and good will of volunteers from among faculty and staff members. With stable and sufficient funding for salaried positions, these programmes could be substantially expanded, introducing even more children to science and the SFU campus, thus creating a long-term connection between our surrounding communities and the university. Science outreach fits in both with the Faculty's focus on outreach and the University President's focus on community engagement.

Michael Plischke Fund - $1 million
To endow the Dr. Michael Plischke fund for the additional tutoring in first year physics and calculus. This initiative will benefit an estimated 800 students every year, many of whom are at significant risk of failing these courses and thus being unable to continue towards a degree in sciences. This initiative fits with both the Faculty of Science focus on innovative teaching and the University President's priority of making SFU student-centred.

Faculty of Health Sciences

Contact Charlotte Lawson

Centre for the Global Promotion of Healthy Children - $5 million 
This centre will build on previous gifts to the Children's Health Policy Centre and the Faculty of Health Sciences and will provide a naming opportunity to establish a Global Research Centre, linking SFU with key institutions in developing countries, the focus being protection from disease and promotion of healthy development in children. Currently FHS has partnerships with more than 20 institutions in Latin America, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Activities will include researcher collaboration to develop vaccines for infectious diseases that impact children; researcher collaboration to develop policy and programs to support development of healthy children in vulnerable communities; opportunities for graduate students from partner institutions to pursue training at SFU; opportunities for SFU students to pursue training with global partner institutions; and opportunities to attract international research leaders to SFU. This initiative integrates with the Faculty of Health Sciences’ focus on global health and the university's aim of increasing international collaboration.

Equipment Expansion for Infectious Disease Lab - $2 million 
The existing facilities, including the CL3 Lab funded by the Mowafaghian Foundation, are used by researchers and students from two faculties - the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Health Sciences. The upgrading of these facilities would benefit both faculties, increasing the impact of the original gift and providing equipment that would enable researchers and students to engage in experimental work that they are currently unable to pursue. This coordinates with the faculty's aim of attracting both the best researchers and the best students in the country and beyond, as well as the university's focus on student engagement in research.

Aboriginal Student Endowment - $1 million 
Endowment to support Aboriginal students who want to pursue degrees in the health sciences or science. The endowment would support Aboriginal students from the SFU pre-health bridging programme up to Masters level training, ensuring that those Aboriginal students who show talent and academic excellence but do not have financial support from either their families or their respective Bands will be supported to the completion of their degrees. This initiative complements the Faculty of Health Sciences aim of increasing the number of Aboriginal people in the health profession, and the university's overall goals of student-centered teaching and community outreach.

Beedie School of Business

Contact Jennifer Peng

Chairs in Asia Pacific Business Studies ($3M goal each)
These chairs are aimed at attracting world-leading scholars in the field of Asia Pacific Business Studies to the Beedie School of Business, through the creation of endowed funds. Our goal is to create country-focused chairs on the growing economies of China, India, and Korea. As Canada’s gateway to the Asia Pacific, it is important for Vancouver to engage with the diversity of its people and its communities. These chair holders will be exceptional researchers and teachers to bring together students, academia and the wider community around topics related to Asia/ Canada business.  They will work closely with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Jack Austin Centre for Asia Pacific Business Studies at Beedie School of Business.

Chair or Professorship in International Business ($2M-$3M goal, $1M Beedie Match)
Expanding global perspectives is a major commitment of the Beedie School of Business and it is guiding our strategic choices. Globalization is embedded in all aspects of Beedie’s activities and is reflected in our core values, our research excellence, our relevance to the 21^st century, and our resonance in our local community. We currently boast several scholars pursuing research in international business, and one in particular is amongst the world’s experts in international cross-cultural business strategy and leadership. SFU is seeking support to create a major chair/ professorship endowment that would allow us to retain this accomplished academic for a tenure-track position. For a limited time, the Beedie Family Endowment will provide a $1 million match towards a new donation of $1 – 3 million to establish this chair/ professorship. The Beedie family has waived its naming rights towards this match, enabling a new donor to name the endowment in perpetuity.

Chair/ Professorship in Entrepreneurship ($2-$3M goal, $1M Beedie Match)
Graduating students of the Beedie School of Business have been celebrated for launching new ventures. With the recent acquisitions of companies such as Layerboom, and Metrolyrics, both of which were developed by Beedie School students and alumni, SFU’s entrepreneurial success stories are becoming increasingly common.  Integral to the success of students is developing their ability to combine business theory and practice in unique, forward-thinking and relevant ways. Beedie School is seeking support to create a major chair/ professorship endowment that would allow us to retain an accomplished academic for a tenure-track position. The chair holder will  teach, advise students, and encourage the growth of student initiated businesses and technologies by bringing together networks of potential investors, mentors, employers and other community members who can help nurture these business ideas into successful ventures. Our faculty member is also committed to social responsibility, and has assigned students to develop new social venture opportunities within communities. For a limited time, the Beedie Family Endowment will provide a $1 million match towards a new donation of $1 – 3 million to establish this chair/ professorship. The Beedie family has waived its naming rights towards this match, enabling a new donor to name the endowment in perpetuity.

The Living Lab (multiple partners of $175,000 +) – downtown Vancouver
The proposed Living Lab designs, tests and implements innovative solutions to BC's toughest social issues by engaging business students and academics. This Lab reflects the commitment that students and faculty already make to social innovation and responsibility. The Lab may work with one or multiple issues at any given time, bringing in funding and knowledge partners on a project by project basis. With in-house faculty strengths in design thinking, idea incubation and implementation, impact evaluation, and research and dissemination, the university is uniquely placed to play a catalytic social innovation role.

The proposed Lab will run for a minimum of 12 months, and include:

• A physical design lab for dedicated teams drawn from the Beedie School, SFU, and external participants to work on problems and ideas
• Staffing from the Beedie School, SFU and Lab partners, to ensure a dedicated focus
• Incubation space and funding for ideas that emerge. These may be ventures, policy initiatives, programs, working groups or other combinations
• Potential integration with classes for practical project based work
• Graduate and/or undergraduate internship opportunities
• A communication and dissemination component that will produce case studies, publications, workshops, events to document and share innovation

Named Financial Research and Trading Lab
The Beedie School of Business is home to Canada’s largest student managed investment fund – the Student Investment Advisory Service (SIAS), with over $11 million in assets under management. The fund was established ten years ago, and each year, a new cohort of students in the Master’s in Finance program oversee its investments and the risk management. In 2011, we launched the Beedie Endowment Asset Management (BEAM) fund, the largest undergraduate student-managed fund in Canada with a $5 million endowment.

The new BEAM fund requires the Beedie School to create a second Financial Research and Trading Lab, in order to provide students with space to make trades in a supervised environment and to access essential investment data and research resources.  This Lab will house several double-screen Bloomberg terminals. It will also come equipped with real-time stock tickers that cover stock price information on all global financial instruments, televisions that broadcast the latest financial news from Reuters and other news agencies, and new sources of financial data.

Faculty of Applied Sciences

Contact Erin Morantz

Applied Sciences Student Innovation Building - $4.2 million 
SFU is seeking $4.2 million to build an innovation centre for the Faculty of Applied Sciences students, enabling them to apply knowledge and skills gained in the classroom toward creating new technologies and inventions. These facilities are essential for fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, ensuring that students realize their potential for making important contributions to industry as professionals. There is a critical need at the Burnaby campus to create a dedicated innovation space for our students, one that will allow them to move their ideas from the classroom into prototypes that can be transferred to industry partners or developed through entrepreneurial pathways. Without this space, students are missing out on an important opportunity to fully develop their capacity for innovation.

BC Leadership Chair in Digital Pathology Innovation in the Early Detection of Cancer in Children - $2.25 million
A gift of $2.25 million from a donor will be matched by the Province of BC Leading Edge Endowment to recruit a Chair at the Faculty of Applied Sciences in the broad area of multi-media technologies with a specific focus on applications to healthcare. The Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences is particularly interested in recruiting a Chair who will work on innovations in early digital pathology detection of cancers, with a special focus on children. This Chair has the potential to contribute to critical innovations in medical imaging that will save children's lives through the earliest detection possible of pathologies.

Institute in Sustainable Energy Systems - $1 million 
A gift of $1 million will name the new Sustainable Energy Systems program that will be established at SFU Surrey. This program will be a first of its kind in Canada, aimed at finding sustainable energy solutions through systems engineering.