The Principal’s Innovation Fund (PIF),a project started by Queen’s in 2009 to generate ideas from staff and students, was initiated to increase revenue or reduce costs for the University.
Recently a one page proposal or concept paper from PIF will be submitted to the deans and senior manager for review, and if accepted will move on to the next phase.
Since its inauguration, more than 30 proposals have already been submitted by staff and students at the university. Among the projects submitted include ideas to improve energy efficiency, on-line language instruction, centralized advertisement purchasing and the use of solar photovoltaic cells on campus buildings.
Commenting on the progress of the project so far, chair of the PIF advisory committee and School of Business Professor Tina Dacin said “The range of innovative ideas received from a variety of departments and units is very encouraging. We see that people are becoming open to completely different ways of doing things, which represents a real culture shift at Queen’s.”
Under Professor Dacin’s guidance, 4th year commerce students have been tasked to help in making the approved proposals succeed. The advisory committee hopes that a wide variety of innovative new ideas can be generated through collaboration and will do its best to ensure that the best ones get put into action.
Professor Dacin further added “The proposals show the benefits of taking a calculated risk. We look forward to receiving even more examples of innovative thinking and collaboration.”
Although actionable proposals must be viable in the first place, the chair of the PIF advisory committee is also reported to be looking for ‘game changers’. In cases where the idea is good but difficult to apply, the PIF committee hopes to search for partners who can provide the expertise required to make it work.
Throughout the next year, innovative workshops will be conducted to help staff and students get together and generate ideas for the PIF. More information as well as submission forms are available online.
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Photo courtesy Queen’s University News Centre.
Caption: School of Business professor Tina Dacin chairs the PIF advisory committee.
